<TITLE>12. Par 86-91</TITLE>L-86   Jacob cried like never before. Desperately he called until he got a hold of God. And when he did, he wrestled; not for fifteen minutes. He wrestled to keep Him, in his soul, all night long; and still he knew he didn't have the blessing, and he was able to hold on until the blessing come. He wrestled desperately until the blessing come. Then, and when he seen... until God came on the scene. And then, in despair, "I'll not let You go," when he begin to feel the blessing coming down on him.
A lot of people say, "Glory to God, I got it now." There you're deceived. Yeah! Somebody say, "Oh, I just feel so good, Brother Branham, I went down there and prayed. Oh, shivers run over me." And that might have been God. "I saw a great light before me." That still might have been God, but that ain't what I'm talking about.

L-87   The Bible said, in Hebrews the 6th chapter, "The rain falleth on the just and the unjust, just the same." Now, you take wheat, and take weeds, and put them in the field. And the rain is actually sent for the wheat, but the rain falls on the weeds the same as it does the wheat. And, the rain, and the weeds is just as happy about the rain as the wheat is, and it's the very same rain. The very Holy Ghost can fall upon an unbeliever and make him act just exactly the same way a believer acts. But by their fruits they are known; that's what I'm speaking, that's the Token. And Da-...

L-88   And Jacob, rather, in desperation, he said, "I know I feeled You, You're here with me, but I'm not going to let You go."
Somebody sees it fine, the first little sensation, they get up and jump up-and-down, run up the aisle, say, "I got It, I got It, I got It." Oh, no. Huh-uh. No.
Jacob stayed there until something happened, that made him walk different, made him a different person, because that he stayed until that happened. And he was able... The Bible said, "He held until he prevailed." How can a man prevail over God? But you can do it. You can do it. A man can prevail over God.

L-89   One time there was a man named Hezekiah, had been told by the prophet, "THUS SAITH THE LORD, you're going to die." Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and in desperation he wept out, "Lord, consider me. I've walked before You with a perfect heart, and I need fifteen more years," after God had told him that something was going to happen, he was going to die. And, in desperation, he changed the program of God. Desperation, though, he wept bitterly in desperation.

L-90   Jacob stayed there until the blessing came, and changed his name from "a deceiver" to "a prince with God." Even the nation was called by his name. Yes, sir! What was it? The results was because he got desperate about the thing. And the next day when he met Esau, he didn't need any guards. He walked right out and met him. See? Why? He had got in desperation till he got the assurance.
And you get desperate until you get the assurance. If you don't, don't even come to be prayed for. Don't even come to go at the altar. Wait till it's between life and death, to you, then something will happen. Certainly, desperation!

L-91   Ruth got desperate, one time, when she was standing by Naomi. Would she have to go back to her people, to all that she loved, and all that she--she worshipped, her gods and her people, or would she cleave to Naomi? What must she do? And she got in desperation, and she cried out, "Where you go, I'll go. Where you live, I'll live. Where you die, I'll die. Where you are buried, I'll bury... or I'll be buried. And your God shall be my God." There you are, desperate! God blessed her, gave her a son, Obed. Obed begot Jess. Jess begot, through Jess, come Jesus. Because, desperation!


<A HREF="P13">Next Page</A>