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Sermon Texts Beginning With C
Confirmation And Evidence (62-0621E)
| Confirmation And Evidence (62-0621E) |
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E-1 Good evening, friends. May we remain standing just a moment for prayer. Let us bow our heads now in His Presence.
E-2 Heal the sick, save the lost, comfort the uncomfortable, and make known Thyself in our midst. And may You do something tonight for us, Lord, a special thing.
E-3 And then in the presence of these two men, Cleopas and his friend, You did something just like You did it before Your crucifixion. By that they knew You were risen from the dead and alive among the people. They hurried quickly to their comrades and said, "Truly, the Lord is risen."
E-4 Today has been a very unusual day. This morning at the breakfast we had such a wonderful time of fellowship around with our brothers and sisters. And--and I've been to many breakfasts, but it's the first time I ever had them to come back and say, "You want the third helping? second helping?" It's always the little part over on the corner, and you find out that you haven't had enough to eat. But I tell you, we had a gastronomical jubilee this morning. We certainly did. We really got filled up. E-5 And then, I did something that I never did before. I had the opportunity to speak in a Jewish synagogue. That was the first time I ever had. Just a great time. And we certainly had fellowship there with a Brother Michaelson, knowing... I believe he has a degree of doctor and they call him Dr. Michaelson. And I've heard him on the Hebrew Christian Hour, a very gallant soul indeed, certainly burdened for his people. I've always longed to meet this fine man. But at this time he was in Palestine, I believe, with his people, and the burden's upon his heart. And I've never had the privilege of meeting him, but they say he's seventy-six years old.
E-6 When I was... Someone asked me the other day, said, "Brother Branham, how old are you?"
E-7 I was speaking about precious old Brother Bosworth, when... How many ever knowed F. F. Bosworth? I guess many of you old soldiers did. When he was dying, he... I said to him, hurried down to meet him, and I seen him raised up. And he was eighty-four, I believe it was. E-8 Before he died... He'd been kind of in a coma for a few hours. And he raised up in the room, standing there with his hand out, shaking hands with his converts of fifty years ago that had passed over the line. Oh, my. "Lives of great men all remind us..." as I quoted. I... Let my end be like that. That's right. A godly, saintly old man... So this is our age. We'll raise in this generation, and we'll have to stand judgment with these people.
E-9 The other day when I turned my fifty-third year, I said to the wife; I said, "You know, I would... What if in the morning when I wake up, if--I'm on my birthday--if there would stand the Lord, Jesus, as I noticed the Angel of the Lord standing in the corner, that Light... Beneath that Light would stand the Lord Jesus, and He'd come to me, and say, 'What is your desire?'" I'd say, "Lord, that I might live longer to serve You." And He'd say, "It's granted. I'll turn you back. Now, you'll be twenty years old, or eighteen years old. Live the rest of the time out again on serving Me."
E-10 Then I thought, "Well, what would I ask for?" I thought, "Well, now, if I would say... Well, I--I couldn't ask for that, because... Again, here's another thing. See, these people that I preach to in my generation, I'll have to raise with that generation. See? I'll have to rise in the judgment with this generation, to declare the ministry that I've preached. See? So I couldn't go back in another generation and die over here under this generation after preached to this generation." E-11 Reminds me. It's no place for joking. I don't believe it should be here at all. But it's not said in the light of a joke, but just to make a statement. There was a colored sister who was in one of the conventions, and she said, "Well," she said, "I wants to give a testimony to the glory of God." She said, "I--I am not what I ought to be." And said, "I'm not what want to be. But then again, I know I'm not what used to be." So I thought that was very good. And I'm thankful for that, that I'm not what I used to be. And I guess we're all thankful for that, that we're not what we used to be, for we've passed from death unto Life. And if there's people here tonight who doesn't know that, and have that assurance, I trust that you'll not go out the doors until that soul is anchored in the haven of rest, to sail the wild seas no more. E-12 Now, last evening we didn't let you out till real late. Here it is late tonight. But we're going to go home early. And I haven't tried or attempted to start preaching, because... I don't preach very long: sometimes about six hours, or something like that. The other day I preached six hours at the Tabernacle, so I know you don't want me to start preaching. So I just get a little Scripture here, and read it, and pass some comments. And I don't even know what... Did Billy give out prayer cards? Did he give out prayer cards today? Oh, there's some left from last night. Well, we may call up a prayer line then. I don't know what He will have us do. I--I just like to stay in the sweetness of His Presence, and then enter the room, then just do what He tells me to do. See? That's right.
E-13 I think that we all love that. I think ministers should do that. It's not be out on parties and mixing up with peoples in--in a social affairs, I think we ought to stay in the quietness, in the Presence of the Lord. And that's tried to be a practice of mine, to enter in every afternoon at three o'clock, and then talk no more until I enter the pulpit that night. E-14 Remember, that we mustn't never come to church to play religious. We mustn't come to just put on a religious act to go to church. We must come to worship in Spirit and in truth. We must be deeply and sincerely... We must really mean what we're coming here for. The days are getting evil. The time is evil. And we want to--we want to make every minute count, and especially when we're in the house of the Lord.
E-15 I'm looking here tonight at a little lady all bundled up, patched up, setting in a wheelchair. Another man setting here... I noticed his wife, or someone, then just wiped his face, setting in a chair. Here sets a lady over here in a wheelchair, feet propped out; an elderly lady setting in the back in a wheelchair...
E-16 And above all that, there may be someone setting there who doesn't know the Lord Jesus. And they know they do not know Him in the power of His resurrection, pardoning of their sins. They'll perish when they die. And they know those who's out there maybe that's standing in a justified state, that's never been borned again of the Holy Spirit. They're waiting for that.
E-17 Now, let us be real sincere, as we read and study and pray now. In the 6th chapter the 13th verse we read.
For when God made promises to Abraham, because he... (Let me start that again, I turned two pages at once.)... because he... swear by no greater, he sware by himself,Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.For men verily swear by the greater: and the oath of confirmation is to the--them an end of all strife.Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of... promises the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:That by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have... strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
May the Lord bless His Word, as we speak about ten or fifteen minutes on it, and see what--when He leads us, what to do.I was thinking on "Confirmation and Evidence." It seems like that man always requires a confirmation, or some sort of an evidence; and so much more as this time of--age of skeptics that we're living. Everything must be confirmed; it must be an evidence to it. And the--and the evidence of the confirmation gives us the assurety of what we are looking for.
E-18 When a man buys a car, he must have a deed to that car. And though he has not the car setting in his garage, if he has a deed, it's a confirmation to him that he owns that car, because he has a deed or the title. E-19 Now, in Hebrews we're taught again, that the faith... Hebrews 11: "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." See? It is a substance. Now, it isn't a hope. Most people come with hope. But faith is the substance. It isn't something that you're hoping for. When faith has taken a hold, you have a substance, not just a myth. You've got a hold of something. You know it. Nothing shakes you from it. It's yours. You're positive. You have it in your hand. You've got it. It's your possession.
E-20 For instance, if I was starving for--to--was dying of starvation, and a loaf of bread would save my life, and the purchase of a loaf of bread is twenty-five cents, and someone gave me the twenty-five cents, now, I can... Just as much as I can see, and know that I hold that twenty-five cents, which is the buying power of the loaf of bread, I can be just as happy with the twenty-five cents as I could be with the loaf of bread (See?), for I already have the purchasing power that buys the loaf of bread. E-21 See, it isn't a myth. It isn't an imagination. It's a--it's a substance. And anything that's a substance isn't a myth. It's something that you actually have got a hold of it. Now, there is where so many people fail to get healed. They have a hope instead of a faith. You hope that you will. You're--you're kinda have imaginary faith, because that you feel that you are--have appropriated that. But when actually you've got a hold of faith, it's a substance. It's something real. Then you hold that. And that's what brings it.
E-22 Where I wish I could have that instantaneously faith that I'd like to have, I'm sorry I do not have it. The only way that I anchor great faith is when He tells me something to do, or shows me to do it. E-23 Now, I've often wondered if sometimes I didn't go beyond the boundaries by saying, "God, give me faith to speak to this one, speak to that one, speak to that one." Now, we realize that our Lord Jesus, being Emmanuel, never did that, for He plainly said in St. John 5:19, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing in Himself, but what He sees the Father doing (not hears the Father saying, but sees the Father doing); that doeth the Son likewise." E-24 See, there's got to be something happen that makes you have this--this evidence, this confirmation. Now, if God said, "It's going to be raining in the morning," it wouldn't be hard for me to make ready for the rain, because I know it's going to rain. Now, if we can change that around from seeing a vision, or hearing the audible voice of God... But to change it around to... The initial way of having faith is by hearing the written Word of God. Now, when God comes into our midst and proves Hisself to us, in giving us the Holy Spirit, speaking with tongues and giving interpretation, sending gifts among us, like that; or prophecy that stands at a certain place, and says a certain thing, and does a certain thing and proves it time after time, that it never fails, that should build us into a place that would give us a hold on that Word, that wouldn't let it loose. It ought to be a evidence right there. As long as God said so, that settles it. See?
E-25 I'm afraid that many times that--that we--we don't stop long enough to think of the position that we are in. Now, most the people, or... I'm sorry I said that. Many people in the outside world, they look upon a meeting of this type as some kind of a hocus-pocus something, not knowing what they're saying. And we will give credit to this: that there has been many false representations of this.
E-26 Man looks for that. It's the nature of man. God made man that way. That's the way God made up a man. Now, so therefore, making up a man with that kind of a makeup, God does something to answer to that man's desire. God is a good God, as Oral Roberts has often remarked. He's a good God, but don't take that too far now. He's a just God too. He sure is. Don't take Him too good.
E-27 Therefore, I may not have faith, as I said, to walk like Enoch did: take an afternoon stroll and go home with God; but I wish I had that faith. But I'll never stand in somebody else's way, and make fun of them that's got that kind of faith. I will admire them, a man that's got a hold of that faith.
E-28 And Abraham, after he had received the promise, staggered not at the promise by unbelieving, but was strong, giving glory to God for twenty-five years. And it was an impossible thing almost, when he received the promise, 'cause he was seventy-five, and Sarah, his wife, was sixty-five. She was probably five or ten years past menopause. And he was seventy-five, and he was constantly giving praise to God, continually.
E-29 Now, we notice then as the year passed, nothing happened. Two years, still, "Glory to God." Sarah had the little booties made, and the little Birdeye, you know, and everything waiting. She was waiting because she knew that this baby was coming, 'cause God promised it.
E-30 Now, when God is brought to a decision... And the decision that God makes the first time has to ever remain the same, because He is infinite. He's perfect, and His decisions are perfect. Therefore, He cannot say, "I said that last year, but I know more about it this year." God is infinite God. He is perfect, and every decision He makes is perfect. He never has to alter it, because it's perfect to begin with. He never has to take it back.
E-31 Now. So God after confirming... I wished we had time, but I made a promise. After God gave Abraham the promise, then He confirmed it to him by giving him circumcision. It was a sign, and it was in his flesh.
E-32 Now, He also promised that his children would sojourn and be in a strange land for four hundred years. And they were in this land for four hundred years, slaves, like dogs. Seemingly, God had turned His back. But it was according to His promise. He must keep His promise.
E-33 And when the time of the promise drew nigh, there came down out of the wilderness a prophet with THUS SAITH THE LORD, a Pillar of Fire circling him. And he come down and gave them the Word of the Lord, that He'd heard their cries, and remembered His promise, and each of those circumcised... E-34 So they come up out of Egypt, and they came to a place called Kadesh-barnea. I believe it was along there that Joshua, a great warrior among them, went over to spy out the land. He crossed Jordan, and went over to the other land, and came back with the evidence that the land was good, that God's Word was perfect, His promises was true. And he had the evidence, the confirmation that the land was there. He had a hold of something, that the land was exactly what God promised it to be. Two men was packing a bunch of grapes. The people could taste of it and see that the land was good. It was a confirmation that God had kept His promise.
E-35 Then Israel crossed the Jordan and went into the promised land, and Joshua divided up the lands for them. They were in peace. They were a nation. They had their churches. They planted their crops. They raised their children. They took them to church. And they lived happy. And God put fear in all the other nations of them, and they were a great people. E-36 Then one day, down come the great Chief Captain, the Lord Jesus, and He begin to tell them of another land. "In My Father's house is many mansions: if it was not so, I would have told you. And I'll go and prepare a place for you, and come again to receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." Other words, like this: "You have been loyal to the cause, but you have to die. But there is a land that a man lives and don't die. There is life after death." What a promise to the people. It was astounding, and it astonished many.
E-37 But He came to His Kadesh-barnea. The judgment seat was Kadesh-barnea. And He came to Kadesh-barnea: Calvary, where upon Him bore the... He bore the sins of the world at Calvary.
E-38 Now, He says to His disciples, "I'm going to give you the earnest of this. I'm going to give you the confirmation of this," as they did to Abraham with circumcision. "But wait up there at Jerusalem, until you have got the confirmation, until you have the evidence." And they waited. And on the tenth day there came a sound from heaven like a rushing mighty wind, that filled all the building where they were setting. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. Tongues of fire set upon them, and they were all filled and begin to speak with other languages as the Spirit gave them utterance.
E-39 And now, today after two thousand years, we still can look back, and we can see where we once were: down in the muck of sin. And sin is unbelief. That's the original and only sin.
E-40 Now, look back where you once were. Now, look where you've raised up to now. Then you died with Christ. You were buried in His Name. You raised with Him in resurrection. Spiritually tonight, according to the Word, we are now risen with Him, setting in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, with every conquered devil under the feet of Him, setting in the living Presence of the Lord Jesus.
E-41 Now, I feel religious. Why? We are dead. And our lives is hid in God through Christ and sealed by the Holy Ghost. I look back and see where I once was. That William Branham died thirty-two years ago. And now we are a new creation in Christ, already raised with Him and setting with Him now in heavenly places, with the authority of His promised Word, that every devil shall be subject to us, and nothing shall in wise...?... "And in My Name they shall cast out devils, and speak with new tongues, take up serpents, drink deadly things, lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
E-42 I stood with two of my friends here in February, when we were out into Arizona, and we were out at the mountains, been out there hunting for a few days after the meetings. And we seen two stars, how close they were, and I said, "Perhaps that they are many millions of light years away from one another, farther than we are from them." And I said, "To think that the God Who made the universe, the God Who made the solar system, Who made the heavens and the earth, and created them by His spoken word..." E-43 We can take His Word, and see that He promised in the last days that He'd draw this people out; and do the very same thing He did, like He did in the days of Sodom. And we look at it and see these things. We ought to take a hold of the promise of God, and come to Him, seeing that we've anchored our souls in this haven of rest. Let us bow our heads.
E-44 Lord Jesus, confirmation... How we thank Thee for the Presence of the Divine One tonight. If the people could only realize their authority in Him, oh, how great it would be, Lord, if they could only believe it, have faith. May they, tonight, take a hold of that faith. They've been taught it; they've been preached; it's been preached to them, rather. And they have read it out of the Bible. They have seen others who appropriated it.
E-45 Now, with our heads bowed just a moment, I'm going to ask the question solemn now. Our time is running out. I want to ask a solemn question, and I want you to give it from the bottom of your heart. I charge thee before God that you will.
E-46 All right. Someone else now, while we're waiting? Say, "Brother Branham, pray for me. I--I wish I had that confirmation in my heart, that I'm anchored in Christ, all my sins are under the Blood, and I have peace that passes understanding, and I know that I'm alive in Christ. I wished I could say that, Brother Branham. Will you pray for me?" Was there any that has not put up their hands would put up their hands now? God bless you, and you. E-47 Our heavenly Father, You've seen their hands go up. According to scientific rule, they defied science right then, 'cause according to science their hands must hang down. Gravitation holds it there. But there was a spirit in them who made a decision. They raised their hands. They were ready. They knowed that there was something speaking to them that was immortal, the God of heaven. And they knew they wasn't right, and they wanted to be right. They raised their hands; they believed it. Now, Father, I pray that You'll deal with them now. In the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
E-48 How many in the building just now... I started to make an altar call, but the Holy Spirit stopped me. That's a strange thing. Sure is. There's something else. He said, "You haven't give the Presence of My--My confirmation of My Presence yet."
E-49 And you just touch Him. And now, I feel in myself It's a gift, and I feel... It's just like pulling into a gear.
E-50 Now, let's take just rows, and let Him speak by rows. All along through there now, that doesn't have a prayer card... Now, if you got a prayer card, don't raise your hand. The ones without a prayer card, anywhere in this right hand row, raise up your hand, say, "Brother Branham, I'm praying." If it's not for yourself, pray for somebody else, anything you want to. Just have a request. Pray. All right. God bless you.
E-51 That's the reason He could look upon them and say, "Thy faith has saved thee." He caught it. That's the Word. "And if ye abide in Me, and My Word in you..." Don't get some denominational manmade doctrine mixed up in you. Stay pure unadulterated with the Word. "If ye abide in Me and My Word in you, ask what you will..." for the Word is a discerner of the thoughts of the heart. Just believe now. Have faith. See if He confirms what I've said to be the truth.
E-52 Yes. There it is. That lady setting right back there, kind of a orange-red dress on, a praying for her mother, she's nodding her head this a-way. She has dark hair. Raise up just a minute, lady. Yes. Have you a prayer card? You do not. A real strange thing happened to you just a moment ago. You felt real--like something real humble and sweet around you. I'm looking directly at that Pillar of Fire, right over where that woman's standing.
E-53 Now, in this row, pray, and say, "Lord God, that little preacher standing there doesn't know me, but You know me. And I'm touching Your garment. Let me, Lord, let me." E-54 Do you believe? Right straight back the line is a lady. She's praying for a loved one, and the loved one has a stroke. It's an elderly man. The lady, Mrs. Dawson, believe. Have you a prayer card, lady? You do not. I do not know you. You're a stranger to me, but you're praying for a loved one, and that loved one has a stroke. It's a grandfather. And he doesn't live here. He lives at a place called Bakersfield, and he is a minister of the Gospel. That's THUS SAITH THE LORD.
E-55 You believe? Have faith now. This lady setting here praying, that's got heart trouble, setting right back there looking at me, do you believe that God will make you well, lady? The gray-headed lady, shaking her head, right straight over here... All right, you, yes. You believe that God will make you well? Have you a prayer card? You do not. You don't need it. Your heart trouble has left you now. E-56 I... See it's right here over this lady in this--just behind the lady in the wheelchair. It's a woman back there. Yes, it's a--the lady--this lady setting there praying for her--her mother, that's setting next to her there. You're praying for her. Do you believe that God can tell me what's wrong with her? Will you... Have you a prayer card? You do not. All right. If you believe that Bright's disease will leave her, it will leave her. Lay your hand over on her, and believe with all your heart, and she'll get well. Don't you doubt. E-57 Oh, He is the rose of Sharon, the Lily of the valley, the confirmation that He's alive forevermore. Do you believe it? Would you like to come at this time, as an invitation? All--every soul of sin oppressed, will you come now and stand here? If He will let me know what the people's troubles and all about these things... He tells me now, there's people in here that ought to come and surrender their life to Him. Will you come? Raise right up out of your seat, you that raised your hand. Come right here and stand. You that's never been borned again, know nothing about God and these things, will you come now? In His Presence, if you believe that this is the Holy Spirit, come now while we stand and sing some hymn, whatever you've--you have chosen, anything.
E-58 And while we stand and sing this song, I want you to come right now, before we go on with the prayer service. Let's--let's see--have this over, 'cause something said just then, "Make your altar call now. You preached on confirmation, and here you are. I've confirmed that I'm here." Amen.
E-59 While we all stand, come this way everyone; I'd like to shake your hand, stand here and touch you. And--and if you want to find Christ, ask forgiveness of your sins.
... surrender all,
I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessed Saviour,
I surrender all.
That's right. Come right out and come down this way.
... surrender all,
I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessed Saviour,
I surrender all.
E-60 Just a moment. A rebuke of the Holy Spirit: when some two hundred hands or better went up a few moments ago, and when I made the altar call, about three hundred went out the door, going the other way, and a little boy, two of them, has come and knelt down here by the side. Talk about a Sodom and Gomorrah, talk about a day of judgment at hand, when God in His mercy, showing everything that He can do, and people so Gospel-hardened till they walk right out in the face of the Holy Ghost.
E-61 No wonder we can't have the revivals. No wonder Los Angeles, and the rest of the world, is on its road to hell. No wonder you're ripening for an atomic bomb. You little children, nestle down by the side of the cross and stay there.
E-62 Now, let me tell you, friend. That God of Moses Who could take them in the ark, could take them away from them walls. And if God by instinct in a bird, could call it from danger, how much more ought it to call human beings, who are inspired by the Holy Ghost? What an evil thing. What an adulterous generation. What an evil place that we're living in. What a sinful, ungodly nation that we have: God forsaken, God-hating, sign seekers, bandwagon riders, impersonators, carnal comparisons. Led up with a bunch of nothing, coming to the end of the road. I speak that in the Name of the Lord. Once more I'll call. It's up to you to answer. All right.
I surrender all,(Come, sinner, in the Presence of God.) I surrender all,All to Thee, my blessed Saviour,I surrender all.
I surrender (I surrender all),I... (...?... song...?...)All to Thee, my blessed Saviour,I surrender all.
E-63 Remember, someday I'll stand in your presence in the face of God, when this generation comes up. I offer you tonight freedom from your sins through Jesus Christ. I offer you peace that passes understanding. I offer you the baptism of the Holy Ghost, if you'll follow the directions of God's Bible. Won't you come, receive it? I...
I surrender all, I surrender all,All to Thee, my blessed Saviour,I surrender all.
I surrender (I surrender all),I surrender (I surrender all),All to Thee, my blessed Saviour,I surrender all.
Let's get our hands up now and praise God, every one of us. Surrender your life.Lord Jesus, receive our offering, Lord. These people that's on the altar, receive them, in the Name of Jesus Christ. |
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