Abraham, Father of Faith Part 3 “Abraham and Lot”
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14 And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:
15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.
17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.
18 Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord.
Introduction
Introduction
work day yesterday
Bro. John Gbadoku
Lot is Abram’s nephew, his brother’s son, who is part of his father Terah’s household.
When God called Abram by Grace, he commanded him to leave his country and his kindred, and specifically his “father’s house”.
1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
The New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words môwledeth מוֹלֶדֶת
môwledeth, mo-leh’-deth; from 3205; nativity (plur. birth-place); by impl. lineage, native country; also offspring, family:— begotten, born, issue, kindred, native (-ity).
We don’t know why Abraham didn’t fully obey, but he probably felt close to Lot, and didn’t want to hurt him.
Abraham and Lot were of different values in God’s economy.
All these believers, as we could go on for hours, all these were like a bunch of change out of your pocket, in God’s hands. You pull out a bunch of change. There is pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, half of dollars, dollar, all in coins.
Now, that’s what the world is, in God’s hand. There is some people that just can have a penny’s worth of it, and God can only use them in a penny way. That’s all they can buy.
Don’t reject them. If they can’t believe the real Truth, don’t turn them down, don’t kick them out and say they’re not in It, because God uses pennies sometime.
(Our attitude matters.)
(Lot was not a persecutor of Abraham, he just wasn’t Abraham. what made the difference? Election.)
Lot was just a penny, Abraham was a silver dollar, so it taken a hundred Lots to make an Abraham. A hundred carnal believers will never stand in the presence of a genuine Christian that’s separated from the carnal things of the world, living in Christ Jesus, where the Word can flow through him.
He can only take a penny’s worth; that’s all he’s got. So you see people that say, “I don’t believe in healing. I don’t believe in these things,” just know it’s a penny, but just let him alone.
Just a penny’s worth, and so that’s all he can buy. Don’t stop him; just let him alone. Remember, that’s just all the farther he can go. 64-0121 - "God's Word Calls For A Total Separation From Unbelief"
Bro. Branham titles that sermon “God's Word Calls For A Total Separation From Unbelief”
He does not say “total separation from unbelievers” because Lot was a believer, but he just wasn’t a believer of the caliber of Abraham.
Lot was a carnal believer or make-believer.
There is always three classes of people in a religious gathering: believers, make-believers, and unbelievers. Always them three!
And there they was, there is the unbelieving Sodomite; the make-believer Lot; and Abraham, the elected Church. 64-0618 - "The Presence Of God Unrecognized"
Now, there’s three classes of people: the unbeliever, make-believer, and believer. Now, the unbeliever was the Sodomite; the make-believer was Lot, the normal church, the denominational church;
Abraham represented the Church elected, called-out, separated, he wasn’t in Sodom to begin with. Oh, my. Watch, that Angel never went to that other church, He come to the elected Church. 62-0712 - "We Would See Jesus"
What we need to separate from is unbelief, usually within our own hearts.
And, look, Abraham, as all mortals, not an immortal man, not a man that can’t make a mistake, but constantly made mistakes. But no matter how many mistakes he made, his anchor still held, for he had the promise.
So, he took with him, Sarah. He took Lot. He took his daddy. And as long as they was with him, God could not bless him. The old man finally died, and they buried him. He went on up a little farther, and Lot backslid.
And you know what happened there. And then he separated himself from him. Then God appeared to him again, said, “Now, Abraham, look all over the ground. It’s all yours.” When he had made the right choice. That’s it. Separate yourself from everything.
Maybe that’s the reason some of us are not getting along so well. We’re holding onto things that we ought to let go, in the separation. A little doubt, a little wonder, a little skeptic: “Wonder if It’s right. Could This be? Could That be? How could It be?” Cut loose, this morning!
Hebrews 12:1, said, “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin doth so easily beset us.” The “sin,” what is that? The “unbelief” that does so easily beset us. “And let us run with patience the race that’s set before us, looking to Christ the author and finisher of our faith.” 55-0109M - "Melchisedec, The Great Prince And King"
Bro. Branham isn’t talking so much about separating from people as he is separating from our own unbelief.
Now, God said then, “Abraham, in order to walk with Me you’ve got to separate yourself from the rest of them.” God demands a total separation. But you want to bring a lot of the world along with you.
When you come in and receive the Holy Ghost, you say, “Well, I was taught to be this, and I was taught the days of miracles is past.” You better leave that thing behind. As long as that holds with you, it’d be like Abraham started out with Lot and his father; there’s trouble in the camp.
And God never did bless Abraham until he separated himself and done what God told him to do.
And you’ll never receive the Holy Ghost in the fullness; you’ll never walk in the Spirit of God until you totally separate your things from unbelief. Get away from the world. Come out of the world. 59-0415E - "The Faith Of Abraham"
As soon as Abraham believed God by justification (Believing on the Lord, we’re justified.), immediately God called Abraham to total separation from all unbelief.
Is that the way He did in you? Separate yourself from your kindreds, from all your associates; come out of the poolrooms; come out of the dancehalls; come away from the things of the world. God calls for a total separation, to Abraham’s seed, ’cause that’s what He called Abraham.
(Illustrate: Two instruments)
And the covenant was made to both Abraham and his seed after him. And as Abraham was called by grace, by election, so was his seed called by grace and election. They heard the Voice of God and believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness.
Heard the Voice of God in a barroom, ever where It was at, and believed God, and Abraham was commanded to abstain and to separate himself from the things of the world, and so is the seed of Abraham: separate themselves from the seed…of the things of the world.
Now, as we find out, Abraham never fully obeyed. Now, that’s the way with a lot of us people. As soon as we go and make a confession, we think, “Well, now, we’ve joined church and we’re going to be pretty good people.
We’re neighbors. It won’t hurt to smoke a little.” Or, “Oh, if I just keep my card party, go, that won’t hurt anything.” But remember, God never did bless Abraham until he fully obeyed. And God will not bless his seed until you fully obey, separating himself from the things of the world.
“Come out from among them. Be ye separate,” saith the Lord. “I will receive you. Touch not their unclean things. You abide in Me, and My Word in you, ask what you will, and it’ll be done to you.” 61-0416 - "Abraham And His Seed After Him"
In the Old Testament they had a water of separation, made from the ashes of the red heifer. The red heifer is Christ.
9 And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it is a purification for sin.
13 Whosoever toucheth the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him.
The waters of separation is the Word. Paul said, over in Ephesians over here, said, “For he has washed us with the water of the Word.”
See, the waters of the separation, the Word! Preaching the Word, separates you. You hear the Word; say, “I’m wrong. I better quit this. I’m playing church. I better quit that.” See? That’s the waters of separation. 55-0403 - "Fellowship By Redemption"
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
In Ephesians, Paul said over there, that God, by the preaching of the Word, the Waters of separation…Faith cometh by hearing, hearing by the Word and the Word of God is the Waters of separation; for it’s by renewing by the water by the Word. Hearing the Word separates it.
Now, the unbeliever, or the man in sin was outside. Here’s a little part we don’t want to pass: that the water of separation must be kept in a clean place.
And the preacher that preaches the Gospel should be a clean, upright man; not a cigarette fiend, not a dope addict, not a drunkard, or a golf player on Sunday afternoon, and so forth like that. No, sir; it must be kept in a clean sanctified holy vessel, the one that holds the mystery of God in his heart.
Must be in a clean church, not where they play bingo in the basement, lottery, have soup suppers out there, and dances for the young folks.
Preach the Word. You don’t have to have all this nonsense. Keep with the Word. And the Word separates sinners from their sin.
Then every man out of fellowship come up first through the waters of separation at the congregation, and he was sprinkled with these waters. Now, what was it?
The waters spoke of a dead sacrifice that went on before him. The dead heifer died in his place. And when we preach the Word, it isn’t on any denomination, it’s on Christ, the Sacrifice Who died in your stead, to sin, instead.
You’re out of fellowship, can’t get prayer answered, everything’s black around you: out of fellowship. Come back to the Word now.
The Word goes to cutting, separates you, “Well, you oughtn’t to do this, you oughtn’t to do that. This is here. You don’t have fellowship no more. You got yourself out of communion.” That’s the waters of separation, tells you what you should do. 55-0501A - "Fellowship"
We are separated from unbelief, washed by the water of the Word.
We had to be separated, for a union.
1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
We had to be separated. What comes after separation?
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
He, the Bridegroom, took away your shame, “And put it in the Sea of Forgetfulness, by the washing of the Water of the Word and the Blood of Life.”
That’s what the Bible said. Your first husband that you were married to, the world…The anointed Bridegroom, which foreordained you, has washed you by the washing of the Water.
By “the church”? [Congregation says, “No.”—Ed.] That don’t sound right, does it? [“No.”] You might find that in the almanac, but not in God’s Bible. “By the washing of the Water by the Word.”
You are standing completely justified, as though you never did it at the beginning. This is my Message to the Church now. As you…as we go off the air, just in a minute. You are standing, if you’re standing on God’s Word and with God’s Word, every amen, every jot, every tittle.
Where you standing? I’m trying to tell you, pull away from them shucks. And get out here in the wheat, where you can get ripe before the Son. I hear the coming of the combine. You’re standing complete, justified, like you never did it in the first place. Hallelujah!
You are the pure, virtuous, sinless Bride of the Son of the living God. Every man and woman that’s born of the Spirit of God, and washed in the Blood of Jesus Christ, and believes every Word of God, stands as though you never sinned at the first place. You are perfect. The Blood of Jesus Christ!
If I was supposed to die in the morning, a man took my place, I cannot die for that sin. Somebody took my place.
And Jesus, the Word, took my place. He become me, that a sinner, that I might become Him, the Word. Amen. Let me hold true to It, not the church. The Word! Amen.
Oh, that spiritual union of Christ and His Church now, when the flesh is becoming Word, and the Word is becoming flesh, manifested, vindicated. Just what the Bible said would happen in this day, it’s happening, day by day.
Why, it’s cumulating so fast out there, in those deserts, and things taking place, that I couldn’t even keep up with it. We’re near the Coming of Jesus, to be united with His Church, where the Word becomes the Word. Call of the Holy Spirit, searching the hearts!
You’re standing, completely. You never sinned at the first place. God don’t even know nothing. It’s in the Sea of Forgetfulness. You never did it. You were accused of it, by the accuser.
But really, from the beginning, you were predestinated to be a son and daughter of God. You’re standing there, washed. And your old book of divorcement is put away, and it’s dead, absolutely out of existence, even in the mind of God.
You’re the virtuous Bride of Christ, washed in the Blood of Christ. Precious, virtuous, sinless Son of God standing with a pure, unadulterated Bride-Word that He washed by the Water of His Own Blood;
that become flesh and manifested, that He might take you which were predestinated in the bosom of the Father, before the beginning, the same as He was. He was that great attribute of God, called “love.”
Whatever you are, you are servants of God, whatever God wants you to do, where your place is. “God placed in the Church, some apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors…” He placed that by virtue of His Own predestination. And you were that, to begin with.
(How could that be removed from the church?)
Your first wedding was annulled. It was. You never done it, in the first place. Because, there’s only one thing could do it, that would be God come down, Himself, and took your place in a form of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and washed you by the Water, of the washing of the Water by the Word.
The Word; not the denomination! The Word washed you. But if you won’t stand in the Water of the Word, how you going to be washed? You’re still as spotted as Eve was.
(There will be people who have commited murder or theft or adultery, but because they have been washed by the water of the Word they will not be in the judgment, and there will be others who just had a bad attitude and they will be judged for it because they refused to stand under the preaching of the Word and be washed from it.)
Oh, dear dying Lamb, Thy precious Blood, Shall never lose its power, Till all the ransomed Church of God, Be saved to sin no more.
What is sin? Sin is “unbelief.” Unbelief in what? The Word; unbelief in God, which is the Word.
Pure, unadulterated; oh, hallelujah; leaving soon for the skies; amen; standing ready. Think. Your garments, washed by the Water of the bleeding Word! The Word become Blood. The Word bled for you, and you are washed in bleeding Word. The Word, bleeding!
The Life of God in the Word, and the Word was bled for you, that you might be washed from the filth of these prostitutes, and be cleaned and sanctified by the washing of the Water of the Word, and makes your mind and heart stayed on God and on His Word. 65-1125 - "The Invisible Union Of The Bride Of Christ"
Abraham and Lot had to separate because of strife.
5 And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.
6 And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.
7 And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.
You had two competing interests for the same resources.
Unbelief and faith compete in your mind. Let unbelief go, so faith has room to grow.
8 And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.
9 Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.
But Abraham, the man of God, gave Lot his choice and taken what was left. Oh, I just love that. A real believer will give you your choice; he’s willing to take what’s left. There’s no selfishness in a real believer, not at all. 57-0309E - "Jehovah-Jireh"
10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.
And Lot, like so many today, seen the opportunity. If he ever got away from that strictness, why, he might make hisself a few dollars, he might be a popular man. So he looked down towards Sodom.
And it was a well-watered land, and big city, and fine industry of salt, and so forth. They, they had the exports from there. And then, again, it was full of big time, women with all their Jezebel paint and everything, just a great time.
His wife kind of felt a little that way, too, because, we find out, after he become mayor down there that she kind of liked the way of the people. And that’s the only thing you have to do, is get mixed up with something.
God wants you to separate yourself, and get so far away from them things till you don’t even see them at all. That, you want to see one thing, that’s Him and what He promised. 64-0402 - "Jehovah-Jireh #1"
12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.
13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.
Abraham, also, he was a separated person, from the world, when God called Abraham at seventy-five years old. “Separate yourself from your kindred and from all of the unbelief, and come out into a World that you’ve never walked in before, and amongst a people that you’ve never known before.
Come out and separate yourself from anybody that would be contrary to what you’re believing, that you would be a Nazarite unto the Lord.” Because, he was holding a promise of a son. He had to separate from his father, from his mother, from his kindred.
And what separated him? Not because that he was a good man, but because he believed that God was able to keep the promise He had give him. 64-0121 - "God's Word Calls For A Total Separation From Unbelief"
Only after unbelief was separated from him and he had fully obeyed God could Abraham become a possessor of all things.
14 And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:
15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
If Abraham had been in the valley with Lot, he couldn’t have seen anything but Sodom. Sodom would have been his portion, but because he stayed on the mountain, all of it belonged to him.
He had been washed by the water of the Word, now he could walk through his possession.
Abraham had, could possess that land, because…and what was on it. God give it to him. And Lot was a part of that land. So Abraham had a right to it. 62-0506 - "Possessing All Things"
The only way he could really help Lot, is by separating from unbelief.
Now he possessed all things, even Lot.
Conclusion
Conclusion
You cannot possess all things until you have been separated from unbelief by the washing of the water of the Word.
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Lord, I believe what you told me, that all things are mine, so let me be separated from any thought outside your Word.
Sing: There is a Fountain filled with Blood
