He Careth for You
JOHN 14:1-3
1 ¶ Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. (Notice - The cure for a troubled heart, is to believe in the Lord)
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself (last week we spoke on the three comings of Christ, and this coming here is the time of His second coming to receive his bride which we know is the time that we are living in now); that where I am, there ye may be also.
I PETER 5:5-7
5 ¶ Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
He Careth for You
Take a little thought and study on this subject – trying to bring an encouragement to the church.
Often when we find ourselves amidst the troubles and the toils of life, it can be at those time that we could maybe question within ourselves if God really cares for us - we may not even think that in our minds, but deep down we can have these little doubts and disappointment and questions as to if he really does cares for us as he says he does, because it seems like to our natural way of thinking that if he truly cared for us then he would have diverted us away from the toils and the storms that life can throw our way.
MARK 4:34-39 Let’s look at where God’s care was question by his very own disciples…
34 But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples. (Notice the difference between Jesus public ministry of teaching and his private ministry of teaching. His private ministry to his disciples and close followers was to expound the truth of the word to them at a deeper level so that they could truly understand the real meaning of the word – and because He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, then that is how we can also identify Him in this day, by the word being expounded to his close followers of this day)
35 ¶ And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. (Notice this statement here at evening time – His word is stating here that they were going to pass from one side of the land to another land on the other side – this is also what Noah did, Noah passed over from one world into another world. Moses did the same thing with the children of Israel, they passed over from one side of the red sea to the other, and then their children passed over the Jorden River from one side to the other. Enoch also passed over from this world to another without seeing death. So we see this pattern throughout the entire bible because we know that all of us at some point will have to pass over from this side to the other side. And so the story here is showing us something of our own lives, because in this story we see that he was going to be with them while they were passing over - they were not going this alone)
36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.
37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. (When your boat is full of water in a great storm of wind and waves and sea spray in the pitch black of night, you don’t get a lot worse situation than that. Many of us find ourselves in these places while on this journey of life between the two worlds)
38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
(***Notice how that when they were faced with such a desperate situation, the first thing they did was to question His care for them – “Carest thou not that we perish?” He cared for them more than they could ever know, there was no human being on earth that could ever have cared for them anymore than this man did because this was God himself who had come down to earth and became man all because of his great care and love for them, yet in the desperation of their circumstances, the first thing they did was to question if he really care for them)
39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? (Jesus identifies the reason of their fear was because of a lack of faith in His promise that he had made to them in that he said that they would get to the other side – He had already spoken the word “Let us pass over unto the other side”, and the very one who had made the promise was also in the boat with them, but instead of believing and having a confidence in that his word could never fail, instead they doubted His word and questioned his care for them)
These are the same disciples that had just witnessed the supernatural of the healing revivals and the miracles of the ministry of the son of man that was being revealed at that time, and they had just received the deeper teachings of the word that had been purposely kept and withheld from the public’s knowledge.
MARK 4:11-12
11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: (A parable that is not explained is open to a thousand different interpretations)
12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
***Conversion is connected to understanding the truth of the word, because you can’t truly have faith unless you have a clear understand of what you’re having faith in. That is why the prophet of God in this generation told us that revelation is more important to you than what you realise. Revelation of the word is simple a clear understanding given to you by God of the meaning of the word of what God’s original thought of it is. In other words the same thought of what was in God’s mind is now in your mind also. It is the very thought of God by the word of God regarding a certain truth being made clear to your mind by the work of the inner teacher – this is what God has done for us who are his close followers and disciples in this day through the voice of the seventh angel’s message.
***Brother Branham expresses to us that the reason that Jesus was asleep on the boat was because he was resting between revivals.
AWAKENING.JESUS_ TEMPE.AZ THURSDAY_ 63-0117
85 Now, Brother Groomer, and brother here, and many other. About fifteen years ago we come through this country, and there was a revival. My! And you know what we're doing today? Just talking about it. The revival is over. It's been over, a long time. We're just living on the results of it, waiting.
86 And those disciples were doing the same thing, rejoicing, living on what they had seen done, probably the day before, and the week before, and a year before. They were testifying about it, giving, oh, great testimony of it.
87 How do we know that, as Jesus in their day was resting between revivals, how do we know maybe He's resting now between the revivals? Yeah.
88 "Oh," you say, "now, wait a minute, Brother Branham; getting a little off the line now. Jesus don't have to rest."
89 Yes, He did. The Bible said that, "God made the heavens and earth in six days, and the seventh He rested." Certainly did. He rested. Jesus, being tired, laying on the boat, He was asleep and resting.
90 And maybe after the toil of the revival that's just past, maybe He's resting now like He was then. I hope that's it.
91 And the disciples was rejoicing on what they had seen Him do, see, and knowing that He was with them.
***We have seen him in this end time age in the revealing of the son of man ministry, and for those of us who are his dedicated followers, we have marvelled at the things he has done again in our time in the ministry of his prophet just as his disciples and followers marvelled in the things they saw him do at that time in his corporal body ministry.
And just as they knew He was with them in the boat then, we know full well that he is with us in the boat in this hour because he is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He promised that he would never leave us nor forsake us.
**When John the Baptist was in the prison house under Herod’s judgment, we know that John also question God’s care for him to the point that he began to wonder if Jesus was truly the one that he was to forerun.
John may have felt like God had abandoned him, and that God didn’t care for him anymore, and so he had become offended because of the storm in his life, it looked to John like God didn’t care for him anymore because he had seemingly left him in the prison to rot – but we know that God did care for him, and we know that John did arrived safely on the other side.
For the believer, death only makes a way for you to arrive safely on the other side.
ROMANS 9:32-33
32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
**Jesus was referred to as the rock of offence. If you lack faith in him and his promises, then His ways of dealing with you could become offensive and cause you to stumble.
*It is easy for people to become offended at God in the ways of his dealings with us because of how we humans misunderstand God’s higher ways of thinking concerning us – we think that his care should be to protect us from all troubles so that we would never have to encounter the raging storms, not realising that it is in these very storms of life that his care for us is truly revealed and made manifested.
I PETER 4:12-13
12 ¶ Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
**If life was just one big smooth sailing from sea to shining sea, then we would never really come to know his great love and care for us.
*In the message “He Careth for You” (Preached Tuesday 1st of March 1960 in Phoenix Arizona).
When I listen to the sermons of the prophet of God, I know that there is always something at a deeper level of understanding that God has hidden from the public but is trying to convey to his true followers and disciples of the message of this hour.
*You will find that even in the small talk of the preliminaries and especially the stories that he tells, that everything that God has allowed to be said in the service is for the purpose to unlock the truth of the message to you.
HE.CARETH.FOR.YOU_ PHOENIX.AZ V-14 N-5 TUESDAY_ 60-0301
71 Standing yonder in the hospital, when I come the closest of my thirty-three years of ministry, come the closest of ever giving to Satan. When my little girl, Sharon Rose, was dying in the hospital, I stood there, and the doctor didn't even know I was in the room.
He wouldn't let me go in, because she had meningitis. He said, "Billy, you'll give it to Billy Junior. Don't go in there."
And I said, "Doc."
And he set me down. He told the nurse, said, "Go, get some medicine and give him."
She come out with a little glass about that high and said, "Take this, Brother Branham."
And I said, "Just set it down." And I watched her till she got out of the room. And down through the hall I went, and down into the basement.
76 And there laid my baby, laying there with flies in its eyes. A little mosquito bar of a thing over the top of its face, it'd kicked it off. And I looked over to the little fellow's mother laying in the morgue. Her little brother, Billy, in a hospital, seriously sick. My father had just died on my arms a few weeks before there. And my brother killed instantly... And there it was, and me nothing but a boy preacher. And I looked over at her, and I looked. I said, "Oh, Sharon, honey, this is daddy, do you know me?" And I know she knowed me. She was trying to, look like, wave good-bye to me. And her little eyes was crossing. She was suffering so hard, I could see those little blue eyes crossing.
And then I looked at her. And I fell on my knees, and I said, "God, her mama lays yonder in the--the morgue; we're to bury her in the morning. Don't take my baby, Lord. Let me raise her. She's so sweet. And don't take her, Lord." Just then, looked like a black sheet come, unfolding, just shut off the vision from her. "You take her, anyhow." I raised up.
78 And then Satan come to my side, and he said, "And then you'd serve Him? Here you are, nothing but a boy. And you mean... What have you done? Stood on the street corner everywhere you could, and fasted till you was so weak you couldn't climb a telephone pole to do your work. And what have you done but preached and cried and prayed? And one word from Him would change the whole picture, but would He do it? No, He won't do it. He'll let her die. And then you'll turn around and serve Him? I come almost, in that hour...
79 When my legs wouldn't hold me up no longer, I leaned on the bed. I said, "Sherry, you know daddy." And she'd... Hear her wheezing like, and she'd look. I--I know she was dying,
I thought, "Just one word. He wouldn't have to even speak; He'd just look; His own mind would just change the picture, and the meningitis would leave her and she'd be well. Just one word, but yet He won't do it." (Look at how he is misunderstanding the care of God – this is a hard thing to understand)
Satan said, "Then you'll continue on to serve Him?"
And I thought, "Where would I go? What could I do? Who could I go to? Where's my hope? Something happened to me," I said, "a few years ago down here, and I know that I love Him."
82 I walked over to the bed, put my hands on her little head, I said, "Darling, God gave you, and God's taking you away; blessed be the Name of the Lord. Though You slay me, yet I'll trust You." Yes, sir. I said, "I'll take you, darling, and lay you on your mother's arm yonder in the--in the undertaker's morgue in about a hour from now. But yet if He kills me, there's nothing I can go to. He's the only Hope that I've ever found. He's the only Foundation. He's the only Comfort that I ever had. And where could I go now for comfort, if it wasn't to Him?
When I said that, the Angels come and packed her away. And I just almost collapsed, but something happened. He was my Comforter. He came to me. He cared for me.
***God cared so much that he took little Sharon Rose home so that he could give her to his prophet for eternity. Brother Branham saw her on the other side an immortal and beautiful girl that could never get old, that could never have a heartache or a disappointment or a trouble, God had spared little Sharon Rose Branham from a life full of the struggles and disappointments of this world. Maybe in life she would have gone astray from the Lord, but God’s great care cared for her and cared for his prophet.
**As you get older and wiser in the ways of life and the things of God then you begin to understand more of God’s great ways of his care in dealing with his Children in order to reveal himself to you, and so you begin to see life in a different way because you begin to realise that you are just passing through from one side to the other side, and that the storm in the middle is allowed by God in order to reveal Himself and His great love and care towards you.
**He cares for you more that you could ever know. He cared so much that he gave His own life in order to redeem you back to himself.
I.KNOW_ JEFF.IN EASTER.MESSAGE.BOOK SUNDAY_ 60-0417S
28 …After we become His property, our confession, and our baptism, and our promise to walk in life for Him, then every trial that comes upon us is to perfect us for His glory. It's to bring us to a place where God can make Himself more real to us than He was before the trial come.
I want to join in this morning with Job to say that I've lived long enough to know that's the truth. I have seen it in my own life, that every time a great situation rises, that I can't get around it, or under it, or over it, God makes a way, and comes out glorious. I just wonder how His grace ever does it, but He does it.
And remember, in all these things Satan tries to make us nervous, and upset us, to get us to think, "Oh, why did this happen? Why couldn't I have been like this?"
I PETER 5:6-7
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
HE.CARETH.FOR.YOU_ PHOENIX.AZ V-14 N-5 TUESDAY_ 60-0301
33 Now, you might've heard these Scriptures before, but let's take heed to Them. Are They true? They are more true than you're setting in this church tonight. They're more truer than this is the state of Arizona. They're more truer than you are a live human being. They're God's eternal Words, and His promises. And all heavens and earth will pass away, but them Words shall never pass away. They have meaning, the--meaning sublime. But they'll never mean nothing to you until God reveals Them to you. How beautiful it is to know that He cares for us.
***If he cares for us, then we should also care for him and for his cause and for his body of believers on earth – just showing someone that you care for them can bring healing to their wounded and weary spirit.
HE.CARES.DO.YOU.CARE_ JEFF.IN V-12 N-4 SUNDAY_ 63-0721
44 And we believe that doctors help people. I believe that God heals by medicine. God heals by surgery. God heals by understanding. God heals by love. Just a little love goes a long way. Let somebody be all upset, and just show them you care for them. See? God heals by love. God heals by prayer. God heals by miracles. God heals by His Word. God heals! Whatever source it is, God heals by it. It's God that heals, for He said, "I'm the Lord that healeth all thy diseases." So all of it should work together, and man in different ministries should work together for that. See?
Different ministries in the body of Christ are placed there by God to bring healing to other portions of the body by the way of how God has made that ministry to care for others.
He Careth for You