<TITLE>05. Par 26-34</TITLE>L-26 When she'd got finished praying, she raised up. He'd gone back to sleep again for a few moments. And she had her arms up, and the ragged nightgown that she was wearing was just about gone. She goes to the window and looks out, and it's just about to break day. Oh, it was so hot.
The hot winds of judgment was blowing upon a nation that had forgotten God. That was during the reign of Ahab, Israel's most cruel and wicked king. And he'd married a sinner, Jezebel, which was an idolater. And a mixed wedding like that never is successful; it just can't be; either the woman will come the man's way or the man will go the woman's way.
And she was a very attractive little woman, and Ahab, just kind of a lukewarm believer, had give in to her ideas and said, "Oh, well, religion is nothing for me; I'm a king." And long had they tore down the altars of God and put up the altars of Baalim, or Baal, rather. And the cry had been so much against the true religion till the ministers under the great strain had given away.

L-28 Sometime ago I made a remark about ministers, or something another in this day, and a group met me and said, "Brother Branham, our congregations just pulls onto us." That's what causes it; the congregation will walk out if the minister don't please them.
And so long had the ministers fell under the impact of the king, because sin was permitted; there was no limits. It's a very good picture of today, because the nation had endorsed these things, the people wanted to be popular. They thought, "As long as the nation said so, it was all right." That's the way they say today, "As long as the nation says it's all right to sell beer, then it's all right to drink it. If the nation permits our women to half dress on the street, and the law won't run them in, why, it's all right to do it." That might be all right to the nation, but in God's great books you're responsible and will have to answer before God. But they'd fallen, had to give away under the load.

L-30 And the nation was prospering, and they thought that prosperity was a sign that God was with them. That's not altogether the truth. God comes to you...
There's an old proverb, God-dishonoring proverb, that says that "God helps those who help themselves." That's dishonorable to God. God helps those who cannot help themselves. He is the God of those who needs mercy. And He is a merciful God. And that proverb that says that "He helps those who help themselves," if you can help yourself, you don't need His help. But He helps those who cannot help themselves.

L-32 But the nation had thought, as long as they were eating good and were well clothed, that everything would be all right.
But there was one who still was old fashion, that believed that there was a God that was old fashion, believed that there was a God that kept His Word, believed that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, was holy and required re--complete surrender to His holiness. But Jezebel and her modernistic crew hated him. He was their pastor, but they didn't believe it. So he had to hide for his life.

L-34 And God had sent him up on the mountain, and said--give him a message, and said, "Go down and tell that old wicked king, 'THUS SAITH THE LORD.' It's not going to rain, or even the dew will fall, until you call for it." Give it into Elisha's mouth to call for the rain when it was time for it; but he had the keys of heaven; he could close it or open it. And He said, "I want you to go up out of the wilderness, of this--into the wilderness, rather, out of this chaos. Get out from among them. You've preached to them, and they won't listen to you, and they're continually getting worse. Go on up into the wilderness, and there set down by the brook, Cherith, and I'll already commanded the ravens to take care of you. Oh, if the people won't, God's got crows that can do it.


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