A prophet or Liar

Introduction

The story of the life of William Branham is so out of this world and beyond the ordinary that were there not available a host of infallible prooofs which document and attest its authenticity, one might well be excused for considering it far-fetched and incredible. But the facts are so generally known, and of such a nature that they can be so easily verified by any sincere investigator, that they must stand as God's Witness to His willingness and purpose to reveal Himself again to men as He once did in the days of the prophets and the apostles.

The story of this prophets life - for he is a prophet, though we infrequently use the term - indeed witnesses to the fact the Bible days are here again.

The writer is keenly conscious of his own lack of literary qualifications to properly depict and tell the story of this great ministry. However, he is aided considerably in that not a little of the narrative has been told in the words of Brother Branham himself, and by certain others who have been associated in this ministry.

The clear, simple style of Rev. Branham possesses its own charm, and though he himself boast no cultural advantages, this style, though at times rugged , is always dramatic and has a distinction of its own. To know Brother Branham is to love him. His nature is tender and kind and his sensibilities react deeply to the suffering and pain of others.

So great has been his compassion for the sick and afflicted, that he permitted his own health to suffer while praying long hours for endless lines of sick men, women, and children. For a time he carried, as it were, the weight of a suffering world upon his frail shoulders, until God made it known to him that his responsibility must be shared by others. Divine Healing will not make a man immortal in this life, and even Jesus bore the weight of weariness.

It is true thatBrother Branham lives in a different world than that of the average Christian. And in that world his spiritual senses have been quickened to a point that has enabled him to move further out into God, and caused him to be more conscious of heavenly realities, than perhaps any man now living. It is this amazing spiritual sensitivity that has caused his ministry to be so revolutionary. He brings to the church, a fresh revelation of the reality of the power of God and the intrinsic truth of the miraculous in the Scriptures.

Together with this spiritual acumen, there is another characteristic of his ministry that makes him so intensely loved by the multitudes who hear him - it is his simple humility. Nobody is jealous of the successes of the little man who for long years fought a losing battle with life - one who through much of his life has known nothing but the pangs of poverty, hardship and crushing sorrows, a man who has had even the little of life wrenched from his grasp, until his very soul was left bare, and it seemed as if heaven itself had conspired against him. We may thank God for the compensations Divine Providence has given him since, and rejoice with him in his victories. perhaps in the ministry of no other man has death in this life been so strongly symbolized; this, of course, to the purpose that God may show forth to His people, the new or Resurrection Life.

Brother Branham frequently apologizes to his audiences for his lack of cultural qualifications. Readily he tells of his humble origin, his long struggle with poverty. There are no pretentions. Only when it comes to the matter of his own call is there no doubt ot hesitancy. Of this he must speak to fulfill the commission which has been given him. His Message and the exercise of his gift must be made known to the world.

It is his simple humility and absolute honesty with the people that has charmed his audiences wherever he has been. Though the fulfilling of his calling demands that he minister to the great crowds, his sinceredesire is to preserve the simplicity of his life. He knows full well that great men of God in the past have found that both their power with God and their anointing were lacking when they lost the simplicity of their Christian experience. and the spirit of humility they once possessed.

But in his own battle William Branham was brought in intimate touch with the suffering and sorrow of humanity. And with the honored position that God has now called him, he is still able to feel intensely for those who also must tread as he did, the dark and lonely path of sorrow.

There was another reason why God chose William Branham for the great task of calling His people to the unity of spirit. The Lord knew that he would never attempt to start another organization of his own. This he could have done. But to such suggestion he never gave one moment of consideration. He sought not only the healing of physical bodies of believers, but also the healing of the Mystical Body of Christ - which is His Church.

Still another great purpose of the Branham meetings was to bring inspiration to the ministry, that many with this new inspiration would go back to their own churches and begin a real ministry of deliverance. Too long had substitutes been used to draw people to the church, until worship in many congregations has been submerged to a purely human level with the element of the supernatural completely gone. Indeed, what wonderful ministeries were born in the lives of those who, after attending the Branham meetings, returned home, locked their doors and refused to emerge until they had heard from heaven!

As for the Christians themselves, their lives have been enriched as they beheld before their very eyes, the working of a miracle! How skepticism and unbelief have been challenged and put to flight! God is no longer a vague and distant God, but One Who is nigh and ready to reveal Himself to the sons of men! Modernism is rooted out and forms of godliness is haken to its very foundation. Through the ministry of William Branham, God has brought us to the realization, once again, that the Bible is True, His power is real, Heaven and Hell are real!

The personal testimony of the writer is that the ministry of William Branham has powerfully affected his own. Though he had practiced the ministry of healing, it was not until he had witnessed the ministry of Brother Branham that he received faith to minister to the deaf, the dumb, and blind, and see immediate results. The writer considers it an honor to be associated with William Branham - it is a reward in itself.

Looking back to the beginning of this visitation of God, we may point to May 7, 1946, when the Angel of the Lord, speaking to William Branham, told him that if he would remain faithful, this great spiritual move would shake the world. We are seeing this predection fulfilled. But speaking for us all, as well as our beloved Brother Branham, and looking a step further beyond frail human instumentality, we see the inscrutable purpose of the Almighty, who so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! To Him be all glory.

Gordon Lindsay