God Hears Us - 1 John 5 PRIVATE  

Comments & Announcements #55

January 29, 1995

 

1.	There’s a little, tiny bit of Scripture here that I want to read to
you; and, here again, we see the simplicity of the Word of God, and we
find the complexity of the human being—John, speaking in 1 John 5. He
says in verse 13:

(13)	These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of
the Son of God. (Now, remember; that’s an end-time promise to the
Gentiles—the omega of this in Matthew 12.) that you may know you have
eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God. 

	Now there you can see that there is such a thing as people believing on
the name of the Son of God, but they don’t come to the place of
complete reality. It says, “That you may know that you have eternal
life.” There is an assurance there; there is some evidence the Holy
Spirit has given, and then, “that you may believe on the name of the
Son of God” shows that there is a faith released there through
revelation and knowledge that was not previous.

2.	Now people can say what they want, but that’s Eph 1:17 again, where
you’re getting to understand Godhead, where you see the principle of
God; that is, where John says in verse 11 that “God has given us
eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” And so, I’m just showing
you that here. Now the verse is verse 14:

(14)	And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any
thing according to his will, he heareth us:

(15)	And if we know that he hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we
have the petitions that we desired of him.

3.	Now, that verse sticks out there like a sore thumb, that no matter
which way you turn, you bump into it, causing a great deal of pain and
frustration, wonderment, self-analysis, criticism, and just about
everything else that the human mind can enter into a reasoning process
concerning this, because, actually, there have been so many thousands of
sermons preached on prayer, so many millions of words uttered, that this
verse is completely obfuscated, actually hidden and removed from us on
the grounds of all of the various things said concerning It, when
really, there is nothing that needs to be said concerning It, except to
just take It as it is and look at the words and come up with what It’s
saying.

4.	Now John says... At this particular time is what we’re looking at
now. I want you to notice that now. There’s no other time, because the
one who wrote this epistle also wrote to the elect Lady, which Bro.
Branham threw into this hour in his great Thanksgiving message in 1965
in Shreveport, La., and he was very happy giving thanks [with] a great
Thanksgiving message, as he preached “The Invisible Union.” 

	And John is that author. Now, the same John is John the Revelator. So,
as Bro. Branham took 2 John “To the elect Lady” and put it into the
end time, and [with] the Book of Revelation set at the end time, and
this Scripture here [1 Jn 5:14] pertaining to those that believe on the
name of the Son of God coming to the place where they say, “Well, this
is what brings us eternal life,” you now have at the end time the
complete establishment thereof; so, now you have eternal life, which, as
Bro. Branham said, “is a revelation;” but, of course, it’s more
than a revelation. The revelation is the fact of its complete
possessiveness or possession of your life. Then, he says at this time:

(14)	And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any
thing according too his will, he heareth us:

(15)	And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we
have the petition we desired of him.

5.	Now the big question, I suppose, that would come up and clutters
people’s minds is, “If we know that He hear us, and are we asking
according to His Will, how do we know that He hears?” In other words
there are so many question marks put in there, the clarity that old Bro.
Draffen brought us when he said, “Here’s the Scripture, ‘Ask and
you shall receive. Seek and you shall find. Knock and the door shall be
open.’ Therefore, ‘asking’ is ‘receiving’; ‘seeking’ is
‘finding’; ‘knocking’ is ‘opening the door’.

	Now there’s a brevity there and a simplicity that over-rides the
human mind; so, the human mind must come in subjection to the actual
truth that there is no petition lost upon God, and there is no answer
that is not available and not on its way. What happens is that people
can’t stand still. They just don’t stand still to stand with this
Scripture. 

6.	Now, look at it at the end time, and get the picture I’m driving
at, so that you can have more power in your prayer life, and you see the
answers come to you. 

	He said: “This is the confidence.” Now the word ‘confidence’
comes from two Latin words: ‘con’, meaning ‘together’ and
‘fido’, meaning ‘faithfulness’. This same thought is used in
‘confession’: ‘to say the same thing’. And ‘confidence’ is
standing together, because ‘confidence’ actually has to do with, as
the dictionary says here: ‘A full trust belief in the trust-worthiness
or reliability of a person or thing’.

7.	Now, basically, most people—I suppose you sitting here this
morning—have forgotten that I preached a sermon in a series on the
fact that God made a covenant with His Son, and the Son is depending
upon God one hundred percent to bring forth that covenant. Now you are
seeing one here who is our mediator and complete reliance upon Almighty
God to fulfill his covenant with Him.

	Now we also have a covenant through the mediatorship, the mediation and
the intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ so that, if we ask anything
concerning His Will, we know that He hears us. Now there’s no way that
God cannot hear us, there is no way that a petition is not heard in
heaven, and there is no way it is not recorded; because, if God hears
every little, dirty whisper of your heart and every little whisper of
your imagination, so that your thoughts speak louder in heaven than your
words, then you and I would have to be rank heretics, disbelievers,
unregenerate type of peons of some description—and not sons of
God—to think for one minute our prayers are not heard and recorded.
They have got to be heard. There is no way they cannot be heard, as far
as audibility is concerned.

8.	Now the only thing is: God can hear, and He can turn away His ear
from hearing. He wouldn’t have to answer. But the Scripture tells us,
“He that despises my law or turns away his ear from hearing the law,
also I would turn away my ear from hearing him.” It also says that
women cannot pray with short hair. It also says that men that do not
head the women and stand for the doctrine, as Bro. Branham brought it,
they are not going to hear their prayers.

	Now you say, “Just a minute, all these false-anointed ones are
getting their prayers answered.”

	That is true. But, remember; there comes a leanness to their souls, and
there is such a thing as God dealing with a bankrupt world and God
dealing with a Bride. And you know that as well as I do. And that
dealing does not stop under any consideration, under any terms, anywhere
at any time, until it’s all over. That’s why He has false-anointed
that seemingly are blessed like the ‘green bay tree’, that David
couldn’t understand. He said, “The wicked are getting blessed, and
I’m standing here, and everything is going against me.” And he said,
“They spread themselves out; they’re taking everything over.” And
then, he said, “I went before the Lord, and I understood the end of
the wicked.” And he understood, as Bro. Branham taught, “The rain
falls upon the just and the unjust.” 

9.	Now we don’t care two bits about those guys. I’m not interested
in them. I’m interested in us. Is there a problem with us? Where are
we lacking? Where are we going? What are we doing, or what are we not
doing? Well, the thing is right here: we are not taking into our hearts
and into our souls, building Word upon Word, that we have a confidence.
In other words we, together, are trusting God. I am not simply trusting
God in the name of Jesus Christ to get something. I am trusting with
Him. Together—we make a pair, and that is the blessed assurance in
this Person. There is an assurance in Him.

10.	Now It says: “If we ask anything according to His Will, He
doesn’t turn His ear away.” Now, what is His Will? Bro. Branham
categorically said, which men have said before, and maybe preach many,
many more times on it, “The Will of God is the Word of God.” Now,
that in itself is a statement which is crucial, but it’s only half a
truth. The real truth is: the Word of God must be revealed to us. So,
this encompasses a true revelation.

	So, “If we ask anything according to His Will—that is, His complete
and true Will—His Word revealed to us at this hour, and we stand with
It and believe It—the Scripture says that God Himself absolutely has
to hear us.

11.	Now It says... It’s throwing a bit of a burden on us; but there
again, it’s a lack of understanding. “If we know that He hear us,
whatsoever we ask...” And it’s been all laid out. It’s been laid
out in the definition of what you can ask for. Like Bro. Branham said,
“Why do you ask for this, when the skies are full of the real, and you
can get the genuine?” He told people what not to ask for. He told them
what to ask for. He showed them the principles of the Word, which are
far beyond the gifts. And you go to gifts anywhere; it’s still the
Corinthian church in its mess up to its eyeballs. And, what are they
doing? They’re talking in tongues—so-called. They’re
interpreting—so-called. They’re prophesying—so-called. 

	I want to ask you a question: “Where’s the gift of faith. Where’s
the word of knowledge?” Oh, maybe once in a blue moon. “Who can
prove anyone had a word of wisdom? Who manifested the gift of faith that
says a thing, and it’s going to happen way down the road? Where is the
gift of miracles?” See? 

	The thing is: these people, they have their answers, they get leanness
of soul; and on the Day of Judgment, it is said, “I never knew you.
You can claim all of these; I never knew you.” 

12.	But, you see, to the Bride in here, he’s writing to an end-time
Bride: “If we know that He hear us.” And we know that He has to hear
us on the grounds that we are fully one with the Word, that we are fully
one with that Son. We know we have the petitions we desire.

	Now It says right there, “They are ours and waiting for us to be
delivered.” Now Bro. Branham gives a little insight on that. He lets
us know that our prayers aren’t answered the very minute, as to
manifestation, that we call upon the Lord, but we know that those
prayers are there, have been heard, and the answer is on the way. 

	Now, of course, the only time that you are going to find a people at
this end time, you might say, just kind of put to one side, is when you
pray for somebody over a certain age. You can ask God... God can heal
any man of any age—any human. It doesn’t matter. But there has been
a limit, an expiring time; and Bro. Branham prayed that way: that God
would extend the life, only if God desired it and the person receive
something more from the Lord.

13.	So, I’m looking at this Scripture, and it comes to me to give you
this little talk to help you during your week and your lives ahead, that
this simplicity suits us at this time, where we are one with, “In that
day you’ll know I am in the Father and you in me”—that we are one
with that Word. And Bro. Branham put it at this hour, that we are
standing with Jesus, confident in Almighty God, that God will perform
the oath and covenant that He gave to Jesus, and the oath and the
covenant that we stand with, that comes through Jesus Christ.

	Now, if we had to stand alone, (And this is how we put it: we stand
here, and we put Jesus here, and we put God over here.) and we said,
“I’m going to pray through him, and the intercessory effect that he
has upon the Father, praying in Jesus’ Name, can bring me this
request...” All right. Then, we have a separation, and we don’t have
the strength and power we ought to have, because the Bible said, “A
two-fold cord is not easily broken.”

	So, therefore, if I’m in alignment, as It says right here, and the
Scripture and Bro. Branham has proven that to us by showing us in
Scripture, that we have our oneness with Him—we stand there as a
two-fold, strong cord, wherein God now, as it were, in a double
assurance of faith toward Him, begins to bring these answers in.

14.	Now, what I’ve said this morning, ought to be exceedingly helpful,
as you put it into practice and realize that I am not away from Jesus,
and Jesus stands alone in an office. I am standing with him, in his
office, that brings me these requests that have been legitimatised to me
by vindication, and, therefore, as I bring them, I know positively. And
now, you see, you’re throwing the weight upon Jesus. I know, because
of the confidence in him, and he’s been proven faithful. You throw it
upon him. Now, you are able to build yourself up in that faith. 

	Now, remember; as you build yourself up in that faith, and sometimes
that promise and that answer seem to be afar off, remember, (And you
have been well-taught, because I’ve taught you—maybe you forgot.)
that, as we want something from God, God wants something from us. And,
what He gets from us is the character that is wrought within us, as we
with patience stand there, knowing this truth, and knowing that promise
must come. 

15.	And we may go through some pretty strenuous times, but what we
receive is a two-fold measure, just like Jesus, who developed character
by suffering—enduring, waiting for the promises which he has proved
have been fully fulfilled and vindicated so. Then, we can take this and
stand with it and say, “Lord, I’m standing with you, absolutely.
We’re standing together. You’re my elder brother. You’re my high
priest. I’ve got this confidence. We’re in it together. God has
performed His oath to you, it’s been proven, and He’s still
performing that same oath. And you stand for me, as God gave me this
promise here.” That’s going to bring a faith in your heart and in my
heart as we stand there. It says, “We know it.” 

16.	Now, don’t lose the promises of God that can come by prayer by
deviating one word from this, or going one minute off the path, because
we are going to, as Bro. Branham said, “We came exactly as Jesus did,
but we bypassed our Word or Spirit-body.” But I’m going to tell you
something: Jesus came exactly as we did, and he went through exactly
what you and I are going through. “Though he were a Son, he learned
obedience by suffering” [Heb 5:8]—every temptation there in the
flesh, everything within him. He had that choice that he could have
disbelieved God or believed God. You see what I’m saying? “We have a
high priest that is just like us, touched with the feelings of our
infirmities.” [Heb 4:15]

17.	So, therefore, the simplicity of this Scripture must get a hold of
us. It’s got to get a hold of us: the simplicity. “Ask and you shall
receive; seek and you shall find; knock and the door is opened.” [Mt
7:7] “This is the confidence we have in him.” We’re together in
this deal. “We ask anything concerning His Will, we know that He hear
us.” If we know that He hear us... Now He’s got to hear us:
there’s no short hair, there’s no man off the Word, no high heel
slippers, no slit skirts, no man that doesn’t stand with the Word. If
you do, you’re not Bride. You flunked your test. It just doesn’t
apply to you. Now, you can get It as a false-anointed one. You can pray
and fast until God does miracles. You’ll identify yourself with
phenomena and phenomenon, but you’ll never identify yourself with the
Word.

18.	So, I feel just great in my soul talking about this to you this
morning, because I’ve preached faith for years and years when I was on
the road, seeing miracles left and right. I’ve seen a woman sit in the
congregation—poor little, old soul. Her husband wouldn’t do a thing
for her; treated her like dirt. And she needed a car. After hearing
about three or four sermons, she prayed for a car, and somebody just
said, “Here, sister, here’s the car you needed.”

	“Well, my goodness me! It always happens to somebody else. Why
doesn’t it happen to me?”

	You aren’t believing; just aren’t believing. That’s all.

	Bro. Branham said, “If God ever did one thing for one person, He’s
got to do it for the rest.” This is the confidence. I’m in it
together with Jesus. Why? Because he came down and got in with me. You
tell me where he left us. Huh? Tell me where he ever left us. Tell me
where he ever broke a promise.

19.	So, ‘simplicity’ is what we’re talking about. I didn’t
intend to take quite this much time, but once I get going on the subject
of faith, I can preach 36 hours with my notes in front of me. I’m not
going to do it, of course. Actually, the sermons were an hour and a half
roughly, and I had about thirty of them. Was it
twenty-three?...twenty-five?... I’m up to about thirty, so that’s
forty-five hours. All right. [Bro. Vayle continues with announcements.]