³ It must have been a dreadful morning. It was so hot and dusty, and people was in the street starving, and the earth was so hot it was ready to burn. All this was the reflection of their sins and their moral decay.

⁵ And then in his wedding, instead of marrying among his own people, he went over and married a sinner, an idolater, worship of idols. He married Jezebel. And she was not a believer.

⁹ And it's a very picture of our country today. We have fallen under the popular demand. No doubt that the priests thought it would be all right as long as their government okayed it. But I don't care what the government okays; it's got to be what God okays. And the people thought that it would be all right if they anticipated in some of their worldly things.

¹¹ Even to Satan, our great adversary is such a smart one, until he even puts sometimes the church before God. You might have a great church. It may be a great building, or it may be a great denomination; and again, it may be a great congregation, but let nothing come before God in your heart. Anything in--before God is an idol.

¹³ Some months ago I was talking to a very fine friend of mine. And he said, "Brother Branham, I believe that you pin this United States down too close." He said, "You're always roaring out the sin and how God is going to punish this nation."

¹⁶ And we've got to the place to think that because we're resting upon what our forefathers did, or what upon our great founders of our churches, what their great sacrifice was to God, which is all right and so much appreciated. But we cannot draw salvation from what they did. Salvation is an individual affair between every person and God. Not with our nation, with our church, but with ourselves before God we answer.

¹⁸ We have been... In the last few weeks I've been going over some of these things and finding that in the men that I thought was the kernel, yet I found that they're putting emphasis upon temporal things, going around and saying, "God gives me the biggest so-and-so; God gives..." You're bluffing.

²⁰ Sometimes faith will do great miracles and still doesn't come from a spiritual heart. Did not our Lord say, "Many will come to Me that day and say, 'Have not I did this and that in Your Name?' and I will confess to them, "Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity." What is iniquity? It's something that you know to do right and don't do it. "I never knew you," He will say. And we're living in that day.

²² You might not have a pair of shoes on your feet. You might be dressed in rags, but something in your heart singing the melodies of God. I'd rather have it than all the money in the world.

²⁴ But we take things for granted. We think that just because that we are a nation... So had Ahab and all of Israel in that day had taken things for granted that everything was all right. Their priests and preachers had tried to tell them, "All is well; everything's just fine." But they had one; he cried out against the wrong thing, because this one knowed that a holy God could not be satisfied with modern trends of an unholy religion.

²⁶ We might build schools, and shrines, and tabernacles; we might have organizations; we might do great things, but yet God won't be satisfied until the human soul becomes a sanctified on the altar of God, consecrated for the works of God. And you don't find that no more.

²⁸ We might walk with our chest out, with our collars turned in the back, and walk down the street and desire to be called doctor or reverend. We might pastor the greatest churches there is in the land, and we might be as pious as we could be, that no man can put a finger on our lives. But until that soul that's on the inside of us is on fire for God, until something in there that's yearning after Him, "Like the hart panteth for the waterbrook, my soul thirst after Thee, oh God."... Until we get to that type of an experience...

³⁰ How that this little woman must have been of the caliber of Elijah, because usually your action shows what you are. And again, she had been chosen to entertain God's prophet. Remember, she was a Gentile, not a Jew.

³³ She was a widow woman. And we all know what she--a widow woman would've went through with, her husband dead and a young boy to raise.

³⁷ And I believe maybe we'd think perhaps this: that she'd prayed all night long, for one more day settled it. She could look at the pale lips of her little boy of about three or four years old, and she could see her own bones dwindling away as the flesh was going from them. And it must've been a terrible thing as this mother, seeing these things going, and yet with her hands before God praying day and night. "Now, we're down to one handful of meal and a spoonful of oil."

³⁹ You know, when we have confessed our sins and met every requirement that God requires... We believed on God. There's a circumstances has to be met, and it's according to His will. And we've confessed our sins, and we've made all the wrongs that we have did right, done everything that we know how to do, every requirement that God had made or asked, we have met that requirement, and yet He lays silent; He just won't answer us...

⁴¹ My text, be certain first before you do anything; be certain in your heart that it's God. And when you've met everything that He said, then you're sure that He's God, that's when faith goes to work right there. Faith stands steady, for it knows that He is. And you met every requirement. You believe that He is, and faith holds steady. Oh, blessed be His Name. Faith won't move, for it's sure that God is and a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.

⁴⁴ Then remember, if He is, His Word has to be true. And if He required you to meet these circumstances and you did, He's obligated to take care of His Word. Don't back off and say, "Oh, I never got healed. I..." Oh, you poor, weak faith. Don't believe that. If everything's confessed, and everything's out, and you met God's requirement, faith holds right there. There's nothing will move it. He is, and you're sure. "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with the wings of an eagle. They shall run and not be weary; if they walk, they shall not faint."

⁴⁶ You know, He loves to test us. He loves to see the reaction of your faith. Did you know that? God likes to see how you'll react. When you say, "Oh, Lord, I believe You; Thou art my Saviour. I believe that You are the Healer; I believe that You are the One Who gives the Holy Spirit; and the things that I am requiring, You are the God Who gives that." And then when you confess all your sins and promise God what you'll do if He'll let you get well, and then because it don't happen, you run off like a coward somewhere, God can't use that. There's no way for Him to use you. There's no way for Him to answer you, because He only answers by faith. Then all of a sudden you go away and He can't answer. But real true faith stands there, being sure that God is. Be certain that He is.

⁴⁸ He did it many times. Let's rehearse one or two cases. Let's think of the Hebrew children. They wasn't to bow to an idol. God had confidence in them. And when they heard they had to go to the fiery furnace, they said, "Our God is able to deliver us from this furnace. But if He doesn't do it, we're not bowing to any of your idols." See, they were sure and certain of God.

⁵¹ So they made one statement. They were certain. And they walked right into the fiery furnace, and God let them walk there, setting looking at them. He wanted to see their reaction.

⁵⁷ There was Job of the Old Testament, when Satan, our accuser, accused him of being a secret sinner. But Job knowed that he had not sinned. He knowed that he'd confessed everything that he'd done and put a burnt offering out there. That was God's requirement. That's all God required, was that burnt offering and a confession. And Job done those things.

⁶⁰ Oh, God, when a man keeps what God said do, he's certain He's God; He has to answer. Faith calls Him on the scene every time.

⁶³ You might say, "Brother Branham, I disagree with you." Your own action proves what you are. "By their fruits you shall know them." If a man says that he is a Christian, and he still drinks, and smokes, and gambles, and tells dirty jokes, and says part of the Bible's right and part's not... He might preach the Gospel and deny part of the Bible; he's still a sinner. He's not right yet.

⁶⁶ Job made his offerings; he done everything. He knowed that he was right. And here come the church members by, some of the churches of other denominations, said, "Job, you might as well confess that you're a sinner, for God wouldn't let you be punished like this unless you was a sinner."

⁶⁹ No wonder Perronett said in his dying hour,

⁷² But when we've met His requirements, "Repent every one of you and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost," that's His promise. "Any among you sick, call the elders of the church; let them anoint in oil and prayer. The prayer of faith shall save the sick and God shall raise him up." That settles it. "Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another."

⁷⁵ How Satan likes to throw that at you. "Why, you're no better than you was when you was anointed. You're no better than you was when them preachers prayed for you. Them preachers ain't right in the first place." It doesn't matter about that preacher; it's your faith in the living God what mounts. It's not what the preacher is; it's what God is. The preacher never made the promise; God made the promise. It's not up to the preacher; it's up to God and your faith to believe that that is God. So be certain of God. Be certain that it's God, and that's God's Word, and God is in His Word.

⁷⁸ That's what He's doing, looking at this bunch of hell-bound Americans, church-going hypocrites. I'm not angry, but sin angers anybody that's right with God. I'm not angry with the nation, not angry with the people, but I'm angry with the devil who has caused these things to blind the people.

⁸⁰ This poor, little woman, she knew that He was God. As that barrel went down, down, down, down, circumstances got worse and worse all the time. But God was letting it get that way. He just loves to do that. He loves to put your faith to a test to see how you act on it, let you be anointed and prayed for, then make you worse, say, "Come on, Satan, put him to the test; I know he believes Me." Bless God forever. Oh, my. "Put him to a test now; I know he took My Word for it." Could He say that about you?

⁸² He puts our faith to a test to see if we really believe that He is God.

⁸⁶ Rest of them was going out and having a big dance somewhere, prettying themselves up, having a modern television show or something, carrying on with the world. But that woman was alone with God.

⁹⁰ And the oil means the Spirit, as we know according to Ezekiel 4 and so forth. That's the reason we anoint with oil; it's the Spirit. What is it? As St. John 4: "The Father seeketh such to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth." Jesus was the Truth. He was the Meal-offering, and this Oil was the Spirit. And the Spirit mixed with the Truth has got to bring something. Put it together; it makes a cake.

⁹² Now, what's it ready for? It's ready for the cross. It's ready for self-sacrifice. That's what you have to do. If the Word's been preached, and you've got the Spirit in It mixed together, it's self-sacrifice to deny every pain, to deny every sickness, to deny everything that's contrary to God's Word and stand on it.

⁹⁴ Now, I hear a voice. It's a little after daylight. A voice speaks and said, "Go out in the yard and get two sticks." Did you notice the Scripture said two sticks? The cross. She's got the meal and the oil, but she's going to be called on to act now, act with it. Ever much you got, much Meal or Oil as you need, but you've got to act--self-sacrifice, two sticks.

⁹⁷ If the preacher preaches the Word, and the man that receives It believes It and acts upon It, something's got to happen. If you're a sinner, you'll have to be saved. If you're sick, you'll have to be healed, because God promised it if we are certain of God.

⁹⁹ She don't know where the sticks will be laying, but there's two sticks in the yard somewhere. She starts off; she goes out in the yard. She looks around, "Oh, how hot." The screams from the city, the night prowlers coming in, scrambling along drinking their wines and so forth. She looks down the street; she sees nothing. She finds one stick, part of the cross, self-sacrifice. She gets another piece of stick, and when she picked up that second stick...

¹⁰² She turned to look with these two sticks in her hand, with the meal and oil mixed and ready. She said she'd dressed it, mixed it together. That's what, the Word and the Spirit has to mix together, lay it upon the cross of self-sacrifice to deny anything that's contrary to what you've asked. That's right. "I mixed it; now I'm going get these sticks."

¹⁰⁵ "Just a moment, sir."

¹⁰⁸ What we hear then next? "But fetch me the little cake first." God first. No matter what anybody else says, what anything else, what any evidence, how gloomy it looks, whatever it may be, take God first, His Word first.

¹¹² "Bring a morsel of bread in your hand and fetch me a little water." She looked at him. There was something told her that that man knowed what he was talking about. God knows His own. Sheep... "My sheep know My Voice. They know whether it's Scripture or not, whether it's right or not."

¹¹⁴ How that people set in my driveway and say, "Come to this door; my daughter's in such, my baby, my so-and-so, just say the word." How can you say it before it's in your mouth? You'd be saying it yourself. But they long to hear that THUS SAITH THE LORD.

¹¹⁶ She made the cake; she give it to the prophet. She went back and made some for her son and herself, and they eat and drank with plenty upon the earth. Where did it come from? How did it get there? Scientifically tell me where that meal come from. Where did that oil come from? How did it get in that cruse?

¹¹⁹ In Germany once I saw a picture, and it always stuck with me. A German painter has painted the--a picture that's--that's called "The Cloud Land." And when you see it off at a distance, it's the horriblest looking gloom you ever seen, just clouds matted together when you're looking at it from a long distance. But when you get real close to it, it changes; it's angels' wings beating together, singing hallelujahs to the Lord. So that's what gloom is sometime. If you look at it at a long distance, it looks gloomy and dark; but take God at His Word and be certain that He's God, and move up close to it; you'll find out it's just angels' wings a-beating together.

¹²⁰ She was somewhat like Abraham was, called on to give everything she had, lay it on the altar of sacrifice. Maybe you're called like that this morning: Give up your ways; give up your unbelief; give up everything you've got, and then take the Oil and the Word and mix it together, and put it on a altar of self-sacrifice. You'll find out it'll call God on the scene as certain as I'm standing in this pulpit.

¹²¹ Think of it while we pray. Have you a need today? Have you a need greater than you're physically able to obtain? Is the money so low that you can't pay your rent? Is the children wanting new shoes, and you ain't got the money to buy them? Is the barrel empty at your house and the cruse about run dry? You can't buy feed for your stock, and there's something wrong, remember, He made a promise.

¹²³ Are you a sinner? Is your need great, knowing if God should call today you'd be lost? Are you a backslider running from God and you know you belong to some church, but you know you're not right; your own conscience tells you according to the Word that you're not right, and you have a need? Don't let these words fall in thorny grounds or on rocks, stony hearts; may they fall in good, fertile soil.

¹²⁵ O Lord, just as certain as I'm in this pulpit this morning, I know that there could not be one of those hands go up without You knowing it, for Thou art God. You said, "Is not so many sparrows sold for two farthings? How much more are you than a sparrow?" How much more did You see the hands of those mortal beings in which Your Son Jesus died for. How more did You see their hands than You would a sparrow if it fell this morning. I suppose for--a dozen sparrows wouldn't sell for a penny this morning, 'cause no one wants them; there'd be the trouble of burying them. But You know every one of them; You know every feather that's in their body. You know every hair that's on our head.

¹²⁷ To the sinner, may they repent quickly, make ready for baptism in the Name of Jesus Christ. And You promised You'd give them the Holy Ghost. You said it, Lord; You keep Your promise.

¹³⁰ And now, while we have our heads bowed, and those that are in need of anything, would you stand to your feet that wants to place... Now, if you're not certain that He is God... If you're certain He is God, and is going to keep His promise, salvation, healing, whatever it is; if you're certain that He's God, stand to your feet. If you got someone else you want to pray for, stand to your feet if you're--if you're certain that He's God. "Make your request known in the assemblies of the saints. You're doing it as you stand to your... [Blank spot on tape -- Ed.] ...

¹³¹ Lord, Thou are God. Here is their Oil and their Corn mixed together; they're bringing it to the cross where the fire of God shall fall into their hearts, if they really mean that, and consume that sacrifice. You'll move on the scene, rise the hide waters. Coming from heaven in a chariot of fire You'll shake the whole heavens and earth to reward them.

¹³³ Lord God, I put my own hands up, for I know that I've got a change of ministry now. And I believe that You are; I've seen You standing yonder in a Pillar of Fire. I've seen You search the secrets of men's hearts, and not one time have You failed. You promised it when You made it yonder across the street here, when You first started dealing to do these things. And You protected me around the world and around and around. I'm sure You're God; I'm certain of that.

¹³⁵ Likewise, I confess the sins of my people this morning, their weaknesses and their doubtings, as they're standing with their arms in the air. I confess their sins, Lord, and all of our weaknesses. Send the Holy Ghost upon us with the seal of Your approval, that You are God, and You're here now to receive us, and to take us into Thy arms, and to redeem us of everything that we've lost. If it's our health, may it be restored a hundredfold. If it's our soul, may it come to us as a blooming, shining article, filled with the Holy Ghost to be presented before God. If it's unbelief, may it become to us again, Lord, with faith to move mountains. Grant it, Lord.

¹³⁸ Let us bow our heads. After this stern, hard-cut message, rude and brought out in a rough way, but it's the truth... And if you'd humbly believe what you have asked for that you receive, don't you never let nothing push you from that straight road. Stand right there. No matter how much I'd preach, whatever I'd do, or whatever any man would do, it'll never take effect till you accept it as your own personal property.

¹⁴⁰ If He said the prayer of faith shall save the sick... If you're sick, I've prayed the prayer for faith for you. You've prayed it in your own heart and believe it, accept it, stand pat on it, it'll have to be that way. Nothing can take it.