Overcoming Bad Habits and Addictions — Part 7
When William Branham was a 7-year-old boy, as he was carrying buckets of water across his family’s property, he was captivated by a whirlwind that seemed to be caught in a particular tree. As he watched, a booming voice suddenly spoke from the tree, saying, “Don’t ever drink, or smoke, or defile your body in any way. There will be a work for you to do when you get older.” (Jorgensen, Volume I, p.19)
Years later, while Branham was alone in a remote cabin, desperately seeking answers from God, a bright, amber-colored light appeared inside the cabin, and the Angel of the Lord stepped out of the light.
“Do not fear,” the angel said, “I am sent from the presence of Almighty God to tell you that your peculiar birth and misunderstood life has been to indicate that you are to take a gift of divine healing to the peoples of the world.” The angel went on to describe the world-wide ground-breaking ministry that he would have, and then the angel told Branham that, “This will initiate the gospel in power that will bring on the second coming of Christ.” (Jorgensen, Volume I, p.237)
We could doubt this experience of William Branham’s, except for the fact that his life after that bore out the truth of the angel’s words. This uneducated, poor man was launched into a worldwide healing ministry that also inspired the ministries of many others, including A.A. Allen, T.L. Osborn, Oral Roberts, Paul Cain, Gordon Lindsey, and many others. The biography of his life takes up six books that are filled with some of the most astounding miracles, healings, signs, and wonders that have been seen on the Earth since Jesus’ time.
But before any of these things could be realized, William Branham had to keep his body free of bad habits and addictions. At least twice, he was prevented from drinking alcohol and from smoking by supernatural intervention. Keeping our bodies pure of anything that might defile them is more important than we know, not only for the fulfillment of our own purposes in life, but for the purposes of the Kingdom of God to be fulfilled.
On February 11, 1961, after speaking at a Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship breakfast, a man named Danny Henry came up to William Branham and asked if he could pray for him. During his prayer, the man only spoke a few words in English before his speech suddenly shifted into a different language. After finishing his prayer, Henry opened his eyes and looked around as if he were a bit disoriented.
There happened to be three native speakers there from Switzerland, Belgium, and France who all confirmed that the language he had spoken was French. Mr. Henry was bewildered because he had never learned the French language.
Branham asked the native French speakers to sit down separately and write out the message they had heard. All three written messages matched word for word, even down to the punctuation.
In English, the message said, “Because thou hast chosen the narrow path, the harder way, which thou hast walked of thy own choosing, thou hast picked the correct and precise decision, and it is My way. Because of this momentous decision, a huge portion of heaven awaits thee. What a glorious decision thou hast made. This in itself is that which will give, and make come to pass, the tremendous victory in love divine.” (Jorgensen, Volume III, pp. 41-43)
William Branham understood the message of Matthew 7:14:
“But the gate is small and the road is narrow that leads to life. Only a few people find it.” (NIRV)
Freeing yourself from bad habits and addictions is worth all of the effort that you put into it. Overcoming these things pays off enormously in this life, and the blessings will continue for you though all eternity!
Reference:
Jorgensen, O. (2011). Supernatural: The Life of William Branham (Vol. I-III). Coulee City, WA: Supernatural Christian Books.
