The Great Mystery that Will Bring You Closer to God
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And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Introduction
Introduction
Jayden 10th Birthday
We all want to be closer to God, and many attempt to get close to Him by knowledge. (Eve)
Knowledge by acquaintance is always better than mere knowledge by description, and the first does not presuppose the second nor require it.1
A. W. Tozer
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
Beware that you are not swallowed up in books! An ounce of love is worth a pound of knowledge.
John Wesley
Now, someone said, “Well, that Seven Seals, then, Brother Branham, that will be revealed in the last days, some great mystery how we get closer to God?” No, sir, it can’t be. 64-0719M - The Feast Of The Trumpets
What is the great mystery?
“Man is closer to God when he’s out fishing.”
63-0630E - Is Your Life Worthy Of The Gospel?
(Example of an out of context quote)
Whatever it is, it must be humble, because that is how God reveals Himself.
No matter how much teaching you got, you can drum that into you. God is not in big words. God is in an honest heart.
You might stand here, speak big words, like I don’t know what, that doesn’t bring you closer to God. You can stand and practice how to repeat your sermon and say these things, that don’t get you closer to God.
You can learn dictionary till you sleep with one, and it still wouldn’t get you closer to God. A humble, submitted heart, in the simplicity, is what brings you to God. And that’s true. Amen!
A humble heart, God loves. Now, no matter if you don’t know your ABC’s, that don’t make any difference. Just a humble heart!
God dwells in a humble heart; not in education, it’s not in schools, not in theology, seminaries, not in all these other different places; not in big words, or not in classical places.
God dwells in human heart. And the lower you can break yourself down, the more simple, you can become greater in the sight of God.
53-0609A - Demonology, Religious Realm
To be closer to God is to be more in love with Him. What is the Great Mystery to being more in love with God?
Fellowship
Otherwise known as “Communication”.
1. How Do We Fellowship With God?
1. How Do We Fellowship With God?
(Primary method of speaking)
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
He speaks through the Word, we speak back through prayer.
Example:
Elijah prayed earnestly that it would not rain.
Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
Daniel prayed every day with his window open, and was thrown in the den of lions. Never throw a hungry lion in a den with a praying man, the lion will lose.
David prayed in the Spirit, Jonah prayed from the belly of the whale.
Jesus prayed earnestly.
And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
If Christ, the God of Heaven, made flesh, had to pray earnestly, then how much more are we, sinners saved by grace, pray earnestly! 63-0901E - Desperations
The early church prayed and the place was shaken.
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
(Boy praying the alphabet)
I have to get this Scripture reading, because I want to read a Scripture every night, because I hope that you in your home, will read at least one chapter in the Bible every day and pray. 52-0713E - God Testifying Of His Gifts
You don’t watch, you let down in your prayer life. You say, “Well, I’m a Christian.” Well, that’s the more sign you should pray, more than ever.
Read the Bible every day. Pray every day. Don’t make any decisions too harshly or too quickly, without first considering God about it.
Ask Him, “Shall I do this, Father?” Ask Him, “Is it Your will for me to do this?” Then see what the Holy Spirit will speak to you.
He might not give you a vision, but He will speak in some way to you, to let you know, if you’ll be sincere and ask Him. 54-0723 - The Prophet Elisha
I think one of the great things among Christians today; they don’t read the Word enough. I think every home should have the Bible read in it two or three times a day. 59-1120 - A Prophet Like Unto Moses
We’ve joined church and settled down. “That’s all that’s necessary.” That’s how we get…It’s so…Sin is so sneaky, and it sneaks right up on you before you know it.
That’s the way it does. It just grabs you like the old toboggan slide used to be, and it’s got you. The devil does that.
Now, brother, let’s get plumb back off of his territory; let’s come back to God; come back to the altar; rebuild the altar again that’s been torn down. And build up your home.
Take them cards off the table, and all of them old love story magazines. And open up the Bible, and read the Bible, and pray.
And just don’t get down and say, “Bless my family, Mary, and Joe, and John, and all of them,” get in the bed. No, sir. Stay there with God. Oh, my.
You know that song you used to sing: There are times I’d like to be all alone with Christ my Lord. I can tell Him all my troubles all alone. That’s what we need again.
That’s what…Them kind of a meetings, that kind of a church, that’s the kind of church that prays down the blessings of God. 61-0308 - Expectations
2. When Do We Have Fellowship With God?
2. When Do We Have Fellowship With God?
a. In the morning
a. In the morning
My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word.
Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; For in thee do I trust: Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; For I lift up my soul unto thee.
The trouble of it is today, the people don’t have time to get before God and get still. They got so many things to do. They belong to this; they got to do this; they got to have this; they got to go there.
You don’t have time. The devil’s just took up all your time. You don’t have time to get still before God, get quiet.
Remember after all…You’re a nature, and after all nature gets quiet and still, then the dew begins to fall, that refreshes and brings forth life.
And you are a nature yourself. And when you get quiet and still before God, then the dew of Heaven begins to fall and begins to refresh.
You find out that early of a morning when you get out, the dew is hanging low, the trees are budding, the blossoms are coming up, and the perfume is…Go along the road and smell the honeysuckles, into the rose garden early of a morning.
That’s why, it’s been quiet, nature has, through the night. It got quiet and God bathed it with refreshing.
That’s what you need to do, is get away and get quiet before God, so He can bathe you with the refreshment from Heaven.
Get alone to yourself; close the doors, pull them together, and say, “Now Lord, here I am in Your Presence.” 56-0213 - Hidden Life With Christ
b. At Night
b. At Night
Stand in awe, and sin not: Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
When I remember thee upon my bed, And meditate on thee in the night watches.
Let the saints be joyful in glory: Let them sing aloud upon their beds.
Sometimes you need to pray at night. Jesus did, while his disciples slept.
Even George Washington prayed all night.
c. When we are alone
c. When we are alone
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
And then when we get by ourself, we’ll usually pray different than what we would if we prayed in church.
It’s the secret prayer that Jesus spoke of, saying, “Enter ye into a secret closet, and close the door, and when you have did so, pray to your Father Who sees in secret; and He that seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”
And when we’re praying like that, there seems to be something to the prayer that takes all the hypocrisy out of it. It seems like that we get in a better connection with God, to get alone.
And there’s been many times in my life, as perhaps in your life, that you just have to get alone once in a while with Jesus. I’ve took my car and drove down the road and just studying.
After I got to the highway where it was free, or off on some country road, till I would become so filled with His mercies and goodness, till I’d just stopped the car and held the wheel and wept like a baby.
That being alone…Many times I’ve climbed up into the mountains. Where every man thought (was with me), I was going hunting.
Go up there, and set down on a rock, and just look up to the sky until looked like that my whole innermost being become filled with something that you could just feel…Oh, everything of the world seemed to pass away. Oh, for those precious hours alone with God.
And it’s there that when the greatest revelation and inspiration comes, is when we’re alone with God. We’d take more time on that, I’m sure, that we would live a better life, more victorious life in Christ. 57-0301 - Blind Bartimaeus
d. When We Are With Others.
d. When We Are With Others.
Paul prayed over the food with a bunch of Roman Soldiers.
And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat.
We should pray with our families.
You ought to put that child that’s in need down there and read the Bible. Lay your hands over on their head, call out to God. “God, be merciful. Spare my daughter, my son.” Yes.
I love to do it, take them little girls of mine, yeah, set them down there, and they set, their little eyes listening, or, their ears listening, and their eyes looking on, I’ll tell them about, all about Jesus, and how He loves them, and things.
They’ll kneel right around the chairs and pray just like the rest of us. That’s the way we want to do it, isn’t it? That’s the way many of you do it. That’s what you should do.
I went into a many a home, and the children are all gathered round for family prayer always. God, bless that family. That’s the tie that binds.
If you did that at your home, there wouldn’t be so many divorce cases, and things going on the way there is. You have fellowship with each other. 55-0501A - Fellowship
3. Where Do We Have Fellowship With God?
3. Where Do We Have Fellowship With God?
a. Everywhere
a. Everywhere
I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
Pray without ceasing.
Prayer changes things. Prayer changes death to life. Prayer changes sickness to health, changes sinners to saints. It’s prayer.
You may laugh too much. You may shout too much. You may eat too much, but you’ll never pray too much.
The Bible said, “I would that man pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands.” So you’ll never be able to pray too much. 56-0427 - Faith
Remember, they asked for The First, or greatest Commandment, Jesus gave them another one. Love your neighbor as yourself.
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Just in your heart, pray till you love the Lord Jesus with all your heart, and you’ll love every one of His people with all, and you’ll love every sinner with all your heart. You’ll love everybody, and the people will know that you love them.
No matter how much you try to impersonate it, you can’t do it. People knows better than that, especially spiritual minded people. They know better than that. And just love, that’s the main thing.
If I had one thing that I could say to the people tonight, any commandment to keep, just love one another; love the Lord Jesus, and everything will be all right. Just keep in love. 54-0722 - Whatever He Saith Unto You, Do It
Conclusion
Conclusion
Jesus was so close to God, that His disciples looked at Him and said “teach us to pray”
(Pray the Lord’s prayer Matt 6)