Preparation #44 (Gideon part 2, The weapons of our Warfare)
Brian Kocourek
Last
week we examined the life of Gideon and we found his life to be like that of so
many other men that God has called through out the ages. His life as we see it
in the scriptures began in total obscurity. There
was no gradual dawn of events that proclaimed he had arrived, but his calling
sprang forth from a need in his time and generation. So was the coming of Elisha, who emerged from among the seven thousand
faithful but unknown men, not one of whom was known to Elijah. John the Baptist came up out of the
Wilderness. Moses invaded
HAVE NOT I SENT THEE 62-0124 052
Now notice. Gideon, would been in a terrible condition. He was
out there threshing out his wheat. And the first thing you know, he looked over
there. And he'd just heard that prophet's message. Now, you'll get that in the
7th to the 10th verse; you can find where he met... The prophet come and gave
the message, telling them that to remember that God was God; and He's the same
God that delivered them, and for them just to return to Him. Now, wouldn't that
be a message for today? My, certainly it would.
And since that is the Message for today I feel good in taking our
time to study this great man of God, Gideon whom God raised up from a nobody to
conquer the invading armies of the Midianites. One man yielded to his One God
and they turned the plans of Midian upside down. Many of his countrymen must
have passed this lonely wheat thresher many times while he was out tending to
his fields and yet they had no clue that he was to become the deliverer of
their nation. They might have seen that he was a hard worker, but that was
about the all they knew about him. They never saw what God saw in him, and so
many times throughout the history of man, God has looked down upon man and seen
a need and supplied the people with their answer to that need not by sending
forth legions of angels, but by coming down and selecting out from their midst
one man, talking with that one man and using that one man to deliver their
nation, or to turn the world of the enemy upside down, as we saw in the life
of Samson, and now Gideon.
HAVE NOT I SENT THEE 62-0124
054
Now, Gideon, when he was out there threshing his wheat, no doubt but
that prophet's message was going through his heart, what that prophet said.
"I'm the God of--of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. I'm the One that brought you
out of
Last week we examined this man Gideon and his calling by God and
we saw in him so many weaknesses, and yet through all of those weaknesses, God
poured forth His own strength. In perfect weaknesses he became strong. "In
perfect weakness there is perfect strength".
We examined the type of men that God chooses to call, and if you
look into the life of every single man of God used by God throughout the entire
scripture, you will find that He never does choose a man who is lazy, or
indolent, and who is regarded as a failure in life. No, on the contrary, he
uses men gifted with energy and ambition, and drive.
Now this does not mean that he uses their ambition, their energy
or drive. No on the contrary, he first
beats it out of them until they come to realize that without Him they are
nothing. God brings His men through the fiery trials of faith until each man
learns how to submit his ambition over to God's ambition. His Drive over to
God's purpose and his plans over to God's plans. Brother Branham taught us that the real gift
God gives to the man is to get himself out of the way.
PROVING
HIS WORD 64-0816 133 "What
is a gift, Brother Branham, " It's something you know how to get yourself
out of the way. See? As long as you're there, it'll never work. William Branham
is the greatest enemy I got. See? But when I get him out of the way (See?),
then Jesus Christ can use the body. See?
So we see the beginnings of the man of God, not just Gideon, but
all men of God, how they begin in obscurity until God calls them forth from
their hidden life. Then after God calls them,
He equips them for the ministry. And that gift that God equips them with
is the ability to get their own thinking set aside, and let God's thoughts take
over.
After
God calls a man into His service, He proceeds to fit him for his special
ministry. This is God's way, His Divine purpose and plan. Brother Branham
taught us that if you are called to be a prophet, you were born with the gifts
to be a prophet. If you were born to be a teacher you were equipped at birth to
be a teacher. And so we see that there are two parts to Gideon’s preparation,
and the first came forth in his previous life; and was shown forth or displayed
in his occupation. Now the word occupation comes from the root word to occupy.
And that is what so many people do. They just occupy a desk, or a position
somewhere. But their avocation is what
speaks louder than anything else about their life, for their avocation is what
they do with their time when they are not laboring in their occupation.
The
apostle Paul was a tent maker by occupation but his avocation was to preach and
teach the Word of God. David was a shepherd by occupation but his avocation was
to write songs and psalms. Matthew was a tax collector, but his true calling
came froth in his avocation as an Apostle and witness of Jesus Christ. Peter
and Andrew were fishermen by occupation but God called them to become fishers
of men.
And
thus Gideon must have had an avocation beyond the farm work that he was so
industriously applying himself to. And I believe God's word gives us a hint when
we are told he was watched by the angel of the Lord doing his occupation
(threshing out the wheat ) from behind the wine press. And thus the winepress
speaks of the stimulation of revelation, and therefore, I believe His avocation
was found in studying the word of God, and looking to see the hour and
condition of the church. because when the angel of the Lord came to him, he
knew that God's presence had departed from the people, for he said, If God is present then where are all the
miracles? He knew how to worship and He knew how to
sacrifice unto God, yet he was the youngest in his fathers household.
IF
GOD BE WITH US 61-1231E 029
And here comes a prophet out for that hour and gave them the Word of the
Lord. Remember, He never give them some manmade theology. He said, "I am
the Lord that brought you out of Egypt, show My mighty hand, showed My
power." I'd imagine Gideon was setting right there listening at him.
"I am the God that did these things. And I've done all this for you, and
yet you've not obeyed My commandments. In all this, you have not done
it." 030 Now, I want you to notice another thing that
might encourage you. Immediately after that prophet's message, the Lord
appeared on the scene. Amen. As soon as he gave his message, the Lord appeared
under a tree. The Lord came after the message of the prophet, setting under a
tree. The prophet gave... The people fell away, got off in their isms. God sent
His prophet. Soon as the prophet got through with his message, the Lord
followed the prophet's message for deliverance.
Oh, we are living in a grand time. Immediately when the prophet went off
the scene, what happened? The Lord came on the scene. As soon as John went off
the scene, the Lord came on the scene. Very strange how God works, but He does
it, works in mysterious way. 031 We read the Scripture here, where Gideon,
scared, out by the winepress, thrashing out enough wheat, before the
Philistines or the Midianites found him. Him and his daddy, out there getting a
little grub for their winter's food, thrashing it out secretly, so they
couldn't find them. 'Cause they just come in like grasshoppers and took all
they had. 032 That's the way the Devil does. We get a
little church started, everything going fine. (How many preachers don't know
this to be the truth?) Just about the time everything's going along fine, some
old impostor will come right amongst that group and tear it to pieces (That's
right.), snatch the church right from a man, if he can do it. See, that's the
Devil. Come in like grasshoppers and take out what's been given. Now,
when... 033 Gideon certainly was a Scriptural man. When
the Angel of the Lord said to him... And if you notice, it wasn't the Angel of
the Lord here. It said, "And the Lord," capital L-O-R-D. It was not
an Angel. It was God. It was a--a theophany in a man, in the form of God, like
appeared to Abraham back in the wilderness, and looked like a man. So
therefore, being a Messenger, He was the Angel of the Lord.And He appeared to
him. And He said, "Thou mighty man of valor," said He's going to take
him, and deliver Israel by him. 034 And Gideon asked that question. What a
Scriptural man that was. That's the kind of man that God comes to, somebody who
knows. Gideon said, "If God is with us, if You are the Messenger, then
where is the miracles that the prophet told us about?" He knowed
everywhere God went, His miracles followed Him. He knowed that wherever God
would be, miracles would be there.And how can you expect God today to work in
amongst people who doesn't even believe in miracles? How can it be?And He
called him a mighty man of valor. Said, "Now, by this, you're going to
deliver Israel."Now, that looked like a man setting there, and it was a
Man. And he looked at Him, and he said, "Nay, my Lord, if God is with us,
then why is all this trouble upon us? And where is the miracles that we're told
about? Where is the things that God used to do?" 035
Now, there is a good way to trust whether the messenger's right or not.
If he has a form of godliness, he will deny that power to do those miracles. If
he's a messenger from God, he'll not only speak of it, but he'll have it to
produce it, and to show that the God that he talks about is with him and in
him. He said, "If God was with us, where is all of His mighty miracles?
'Cause we understand..." Listen how Scriptural Gideon was. In otherwise,
he said, "If... We understand that God is a great God of mighty workings.
He's a great God of miracles. And if He is for us, and if He is with us, and
He's the same yesterday, today and forever, where can I see His miracles? Where
can I see this God in action?
Where's He at, if He's for us?" 036
The mighty man of valor could refer back to the old Word and know It's
right, because he knowed this, that God is a supernatural Being. And wherever a
supernatural Being is, He'll do supernatural signs, because the supernatural is
in Him. You just can't get out of it. How can you stand in the face of wind,
without having wind blowing? How can you get in water, without being wet?
Water's wet. That's the chemical of it. It's wet. And when you get in water,
you're going to get wet. Right. And when you get in the Presence of God, the
supernatural, there's going to be supernatural signs and supernatural workings
of a supernatural God.
Last
week we saw how the Lord sets the stage for the trial of our faith. He allows
the enemy to come in like a flood, but we learned a Bible principle, that when the enemy comes in like a flood the
Lord will be there to raise up a standard.
I
PETER 1:6 ¶ Wherein
ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness
through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much
more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might
be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus
Christ: 8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom,
though now ye see [him] not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and
full of glory: 9 Receiving the end of your faith, [even] the
salvation of [your] souls.
In
the book of ISAIAH 59:19, we read… So shall they fear the name of the
LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the
enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a
standard against him. 20 And the Redeemer shall
come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith
the LORD. The Redeemer shall come
to His People, His Elect.
Now,
this week I would like to dwell on this principle. Because we are about to go
through a time of great trouble and distress. A squeeze is predicted by the
scripture to come on all those who dwell on the earth. An economic depression
is prophesied to come in judgment and plagues are to follow and then the atomic
fire, and we must be prepared for the beginnings of these sorrows, for surely
the Lord has never in the history of His church ever came to them when every
thing was turning up rosy. He comes when
the enemy has come on like a flood. And so we see the Lord set forth the scene.
The Midianite army has come forth in such numbers that they appeared to be as
many as the sands of the sea.
JUDGES
6:1
¶ And the children of Israel
did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of
Midian seven years. 2 And the hand of Midian prevailed against
Israel: [and] because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the
dens which [are] in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds. 3
And [so] it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and
the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against
them; 4 And they encamped against them, and destroyed
the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance
for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. 5
For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as
grasshoppers for multitude; [for] both they and their camels were
without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it. 6
And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites;
and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.
Now,
let's look at this scene here. Did not God promise this scene would take place?
In Deuteronomy chapter 28 He said, DEUTERONOMY
28:15 ¶ But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt
not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his
commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these
curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: 16 Cursed [shalt] thou [be] in the city, and
cursed [shalt] thou [be] in the field.
17 Cursed [shall be] thy basket
and thy store. 18 Cursed [shall be] the fruit of thy body,
and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine,
and the flocks of thy sheep. 20 The LORD shall send upon thee cursing,
vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine
hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly;
because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me. 33 The
fruit of thy land, and all thy labours, shall a
nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt
be only oppressed and crushed alway: 36
The LORD shall bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee,
unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt
thou serve other gods, wood and stone. 38
Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather [but]
little in; for the locust shall consume it.
43 The stranger that [is]
within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very
low. 44 He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not
lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail. 45
¶ Moreover all these curses shall
come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be
destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the
voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he
commanded thee: 46 And they shall be upon thee for a sign and
for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever.
47 Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with
gladness of heart, for the abundance of all [things];
48
Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send
against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all
[things]: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have
destroyed thee. 49 The LORD shall bring a nation against thee
from far, from the end of the earth, [as swift] as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand; 50 A
nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor
shew favour to the
young: 51 And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle,
and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed: which [also] shall not
leave thee [either] corn, wine, or oil, [or] the increase of thy kine, or flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed
thee. 52 And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates,
until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst,
throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout
all thy land, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.
And
so we see the setting, the Children of Israel had left off worshipping the One
and True God and so Allowed the cursings to come
forth as he had promised them. And He is the same Yesterday, today and
forever. Therefore we see for ourselves
the set up. God always sets the stage
for His presence to be needed. And we see in the book of Judges the people were
under siege by the nation of Medes.
THE SET - UP
A vast army of Midianites gathered
against
Every true follower of Christ knows what it is like to be suddenly
confronted at times with what looks to
be “insurmountable odds” against them. A
work seems impossible, temptations increase, trials multiply, friends fall away
and adversaries gather in numbers and become persistent in their attacks upon
character, reputation, and happiness.
The temptation is so strong at times that to give up the combat and go
back to privacy and obscurity seems the best solution. The heart grows faint
and sick sometimes as we notice the enemy appeared to be without number. There is
no doubt that at these times the elect of God would go down; had it not been
for the presence of God with them.
But we are promised by God in His Word at times like these, "when
the enemy comes in like a flood then there shall be lifted up a standard
against him. And we are so grateful that the standard can only be where
the standard bearer Himself is, and that would in our midst. And the Shekinah Glory or Pillar of Fire is not God, but is an
indicator of His Presence with us. For where it is, there He is also.
Now,
it was during these times that Gideon was approached by the Lord to do His
Work, but Gideon showed his weakness and requested God to show him a sign. And you all know that there will be no more
signs, for Brother Branham taught us that we have seen our last sign and there
it is behind me on the wall. Isn't it interesting that we can not simply take
God at His Word but we are such weak people that we continue to seek after
signs to help us believe. Isn't it strange that we
would seek after signs from Heaven rather than to rest upon the Word and
faithfulness of God? Gideon had been
told that he should be the deliverer of Israel. The Spirit had fallen upon him.
God had promised him that his presence will not depart from him, He said, “I
will be with thee;” and yet here he was begging for a few paltry signs
to be granted to his eyes, though the Lord Himself had spoken through his ears
to his soul. The word of the God was not enough for this man. If he could just
see some fleece drenched through and through with water, while the ground was
dry all around, then he felt he could go forward and do the will of God. A
little wet wool would be so convincing to the judgment, so vitalizing and
inspiring to the faith that, after that, he would be able to go out and meet a
perfect multitude of the Midianites!
Now,
let's look at how God blessed Gideon.
When Gideon finally got the courage to blow his trumpet and call to war
the sons of Israel to battle, 32,000 men of Israel showed up to fight. But
THE SIFTING PROCESS
Judges 7: 1- 3 (read)
Gideon had, after his summons, only thirty-two thousand men to
oppose an army vastly larger. Hopelessly inadequate even as that number seemed,
yet the Lord informed His servant that he had too many. The Lord knew knew the weakness of these men in this army that Gideon did
not know. So the Lord sent a trial of their faith: "Let all that are
fearful of heart return home, whereupon twenty-two thousand promptly
went back.
This was, a fearful falling away, and really showed the fear among
God’s people. Two out of every three in the army of Israel were cowards. No doubt we see the same falling away today
is due in part to great fear among the people. You visit some of these camps in
the message and the people live in fear, and that is why they are afraid to
approach the doctrine of the Presence and Godhead. They are afraid and so
they stop moving forward. But does
this d\falling away weaken the church? I dare say not. For if it did not weaken
Gideons army then how could it weaken the church of
the Living God. SHOW US THE FATHER 59-0419E 028
God can't use anything that's afraid. You know, Gideon had to send them
all back was scared. And if you're afraid to testify of your healing before it
comes, God can't use you. If you're afraid to tell the people you've received
the Holy Ghost, don't worry, I doubt whether you ever get it or not. See? God
wants heroes. He wants something that's brave. God wants something that'll
stand up and talk, that's not a scared to tell your boss or anyone else,
"Jesus Christ the Son of God has saved me from a life of sin."
Judges 7: 4 - 7 (read) Next we see
another falling away take place. The first falling away was from those who were
afraid to take God at His Word. That was 2/3 of the falling away. Then the next
third were those who were not even fit to be in the Lord's army and they gave
away their fitness by a simple thing that they did. Can any one tell me what it
was and why this showed they were not fit?
PERGAMEAN CHURCH AGE 60-1207 019 And you know why I like to stand and pray?
Jesus said, "When you stand praying, pray, 'Our Father Who art in
heaven... Then forgive one another.'" You see? And then Gideon chose his
army one time by the ones that stooped and bowed down and lapped the water, or
the ones that stood up and got the water. You see? So the ones that fell, they'd
been prostrating themselves before idols, and he knew they wasn't subjects to
go. So the one who stood with their eye up watching all the time. That's
the way we do: stand and pray. Now, I believe in kneeling and praying too; but,
standing and praying, I think it just means something to us somehow.
We have the same in this hour. The greatest splits in this message
came over the Parousia doctrine. No
other doctrine in this message has caused so much fear and hatred to be
shown. The seven thunders and the return
ministry preachers have been welcomed right in Jeffersonville at their
conventions. None of the other doctrines which came forth among the message
people have caused the people to fear like their opposition to the presence
has.
And yet we saw another great divide come even among the Parousia
ministers. Some began to preach a female Holy Ghost and led many into false
worship. But what is strange is that the majority of the people in this message
have gobbled that down and the fullness of the Godhead in the bride nonsense,
and yet at one time these men of which some preached Parousia and others did
not are now in the same camp, and they have left the camp of God over the true
understanding of the Godhead. But they left, we didn't. they separated from the
camp of the living God, away from his Presence, we didn't. And so to did the
army of Gideon fall away, because God knew that in that army which was too many
in number, that unbelief and pagan tendencies were still their, so God told
Gideon to get rid of those who prostrated themselves in their pagan way.
One individual often does what a whole congregation is not able to
perform. The “Three Hundred” of Gideon did easily what the fearful “twenty-two
thousand,” who departed in fear could not possibly have done. Last week we spoke of this brotherhood of the
three hundred, so this morning I want to turn our attention to one more factor
in this battle that is about to take place here in the book of Judges.
Judges 7: 8 - 15
THE MIDIANITISH TENT
Look how the Lord took into consideration the failing strength and
the sinking heart of his servant Gideon. He stepped in at critical times when
he had lost almost all his congregation, and shows His divine love bringing
assistances just at the very moment it was most needed. So He said to him: “If thou fear, go thou with thy servant, down
to the host and thou shalt hear what they say; and afterwards shall thine hands
be strengthened.”
The
whole scene is full of significance and suggestion. The talk in the Midianitish tent is still going on, still overheard and, to
this day, still a great factor in the success and victories of God’s people.
Many of us are permitted to go down and hear what our foes are saying. And, to
our amazement, we have discovered again and again that they recognized God’s
presence in our lives, realized our full
strength and were themselves already defeated in heart. We have overheard the
talk in the tents of the world and found that, in spite of their swarming
numbers, and sounding trumpets, that
sinners are anxious, disquieted and miserable. With all their bluster and show
they rush to every place of amusement to drown their thoughts and forget their
cares; they drink and travel not only to get rid of heart burdens, but to
obtain deliverance from themselves. And
though you are openly ridiculed, yet in the recesses of their minds they
respect you and when you enter their presence the dirty jokes stop and the
filthy talk ceases. This tells you they know who you serve is the God of the
universe.
I
remember one time at Otis elevator One of the guys who would like to tease me
about my commitment to God came to me and said he was quite concerned because
of a storm that was coming very dark and fast. The rain had already begun and
he couldn't go out to his car to go home, so he asked me to pray and I did and
the rain stopped and the clouds went away and he knew what kind of god I serve.
Judges
7: 16-22
THE WEAPONLESS BATTALION
It
is noticeable that the Three Hundred went into the battle against Midian without a single instrument of war. There is no
mention made of their having anything in their hands but pitchers, lamps and
trumpets, and none of these are considered military weapons by any country in
any age. This 300 men of God, Gideon's army went forth to battle and achieved a
stupendous victory without the use of sword, javelin, battle-axe or any engine
of war. Oh if we as Christian would only learn this wonderful secret, that in
the holy life we need no carnal weapons for attack or defence.
II
CORINTHIANS 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare
[are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every
high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge
of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of
Christ;
There
are the weapons we are to use in our warfare against satan.
bringing into captivity every
thought to the obedience of Christ;
As
Israel never dreamed of walls falling down before a shout and armies vanquished
by harp playing and singing, so to we entered into a life of consecration to
God but we brought with us the power of argument, stinging replies and severe
verbal retaliation, with all our other human and carnal methods which we think
are necessary to protect ourselves, and do we by this advance God’s cause, or do we only bring confusion.
A spiritual man knows that success never
will come by the use of carnal weapons.
The Spiritual Christian knows he is perfectly safe in God and a victor
over every kind of foe so long as he remains in God. Therefore if we are Genuinely godly people, we should not be upset by attacks of tongue
and pen, but rather we should just go on in our work without rushing before the
public in self-defense or some sort of retaliation. It is perfectly wonderful
to see how God can and does defend His own, and He has promised us that He will
do so. He has said, “No weapon formed against thee shall prosper.” Even Jesus
said, “They who live by the sword shall perish by the sword.”
This saying can be applied to those who are always contending, snapping,
snarling, insinuating, slandering and abusing their fellow beings. They will go
down by just such weapons as they have pitilessly used on others.
A
still more wonderful utterance is to be found in the Psalms in the words, “Mine
eyes are ever toward the Lord; therefore shall He deliver my feet from the
net.” Here is a man who has had laid for him all kinds of traps, pitfalls and
destruction but instead of studying the topography of the country, securing a
guide, he turns his gaze upward and fixes his eyes on the Lord. He is not
looking at his own feet walking the dangerous ground, but contemplating the God
of Heaven. He acts as if he had no feet to guard or as if there was no danger
before him. His thoughts are this; because my whole attention is given to God,
my love, thought, labor, life, all fixed upon Him; “therefore!” will He devote
His observation, love and power upon me. As our eyes are turned toward His
face, His eyes are directed toward our feet. We have committed our all to Him,
and He will save us from every evil word and work, from every false friend and
open foe, and, in a word, from every pit that may be dug for our steps before
our unobservant vision. Our eyes are on Him and His eyes are on us. What need
do we of sword and cannon, of horses and chariots. What necessity for cuts and
slaps, for crimination and recrimination, for explanation and retaliation? If
we have elevated God as supreme in our hearts and lives, He will elevate us.
“And now,” says David, “shall mine head be lifted up above all mine enemies.”
It
was God’s way of reminding him that he must not trust in the bow or spear nor
go down to Egypt for help, nor hire armies from Syria. The reassuring word is,
“The Lord is my defense. The Lord is my shield and buckler. The Lord is my
fortress and deliverer; my buckler and the Lord of my salvation and my high
tower.” John Wesley was advised once to defend himself from certain attacks.
His reply was that he was perfectly confident that the God, who had taken care
of him thus far, could also preserve his reputation. History has thoroughly
vindicated the truth of his statement.
When Brother Branham was told some things that someone had said about him, he didn't jump into the fight, he simply said, oh just forget it. Maybe the Lord knew I had need of that thing to be said, because all things work together for the good of those who Love the Lord and are thee called according to his Purpose. II Cor 10:4-5