Thinking
Positive
Spiritual Building-Stone No. 107
"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are
above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your af-fection
on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life
is hid with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:1-3).
Remember Jesus Christ in your mind (II Tim. 2:8), "whatsoever
things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things
are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think
on these things" (Philippians 4:8).
Now, it's a strange
thing that this is so much thought of people; they say, "Well, I'm weak;
my faith is not very much; I'm not a very good Christian." That's just
what the devil wants you to say. You're just talking his language right then.
See? You mustn't never say that. Don't never let your testimony be negative;
let it be positive all the time. "I am saved. I have God in my heart.
I believe Him with all my heart." Do you believe in Divine healing? "With
all of my heart."
Let your testimony always and your thoughts, everything... Never permit a
negative thought to come in your mind if you can help it. When it starts that,
don't entertain it. Well, you say, "I can't help the thoughts from coming."
Well, that'll be like the farmer that said he couldn't stop the birds from
flying over his place, but he could sure stop them from roosting." So
that's a good thing. You see? You can't help the thoughts when they come,
but don't entertain them; just pass it on. "No, sir. Jesus Christ is
my Saviour; all things are mine by God (I Cor. 3:23). And I'm going to keep
them. I'm going to testify of them."
And God can only bless you as you confess that He has done it for you. See,
He's the High Priest of our confession. Is that right? Hebrews 3:1-2. He said
that He's the High Priest of our confession (Hebrews 4:14-16). He can only
do for us as we accept it, and believe it, and confess it.
I've seen people
come to the platform. I'd say, "Do you believe?" - "Oh, I've
got all faith, Brother Branham."
Now, I don't mean to be belittling them. I respect that. But they're supposed
to be up here, and here they are way down here. But do you know what it is?
It's hope instead of faith. Faith does the job right now. Hope hopes for it,
but faith is the product. Faith really does it. See, we have lots of hope,
but not much faith. So we want to change from hope today to positive faith.
And there's only one way we can get positive faith: that's by positive thinking
of positive things.
When you get
to thinking about Divine healing, get to thinking about Christ... Keep Him
on your mind. "If there be any praise, if there be any vir-tue,"
the Bible says, "think on these things."
If any thought comes by, "Well, maybe it couldn't be so. Maybe..."
Get it off your mind right quick. Think on things that's positive. Never let
a negative thought pass through. Don't let it stop, anyhow, if it starts to.
Keep your thoughts positive: Jesus.
Don't think, setting there in a wheelchair, you, that you're hopeless, help-less.
You're not. Don't let that negative thought ever pass through. Don't let it
anchor. You can't help it from going through your mind (That's right.), but
don't let it stop.
And you know,
it's usually when we're thinking about God and keeping our minds on God, that
God comes close to us.
I think that's one of the great troubles of the people of this day. We have
too many other things on our mind. Even when we come to a healing service,
we seem to think, "Well, I did not get a prayer card tonight." Or
perhaps, "I'll not be prayed for." We will never be able to accomplish
much as long as we keep those kind of thoughts.
Let's be positive in our thinking.
You hear so much today about positive thinking: you just put your mind on anything, and think positive on it. The Devil can do that. There's only one thing that rules over all, and that's God's Word. If you're thinking contrary to the Word; forget your thinking. Think on the Word.
Well, that’s
the way the devil does. He brings us down to everything, and shows it so lovely,
and will go in and agree with most of the Word of God; but he won’t
take all the Word of God. That’s what we’ve got to do. He’ll
say, "I believe that there is such a thing as new birth. But what I think
it is, is a change of mind.”
But it isn’t a change of mind; it’s a new creature. The church
doesn’t need a face lifting; it needs a conversion. It needs to be a
new creature (II Cor. 5:17).
Now, when this
Holy Spirit, represented as the eagle flying over the land, and finds the
believer... "No man can come to Me. No man can come to Me as he wants
to. All the Father has given Me will come to Me, but no man can come by himself."
It isn't your own thinking, your own drawing. It's God drawing (St.John 6:44).
See, see? "All the Father has given Me will come to Me."
Now, the Holy Spirit is here on earth, looking out those individuals that
God has ordained to Life in this age. And as soon as It finds It, It does
just like It did on Jesus Christ, the great super Son of God, He who redeemed
us all. It comes down and takes Its place of abode into the human life.
In all things,
pray. Someone come the other day and said, "Brother Branham, do you think
it's wrong to do a certain thing?"
I said, "What are you questioning about?" See? If there's a question
in your mind, leave it alone. Don't do it at all. Just stay with that. When
you start to do anything, and if it's a question whether it's right or wrong,
stay away from it. Don't go into it at all. Then you know you're right.
Now, all things ought to be considered prayerfully first. "Seek ye first
the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these other things will be
added" (Matt. 6:33). I am positive sure this morning if men and women
could only get into the position of where their soul, their thinking, their
attitudes would be perfect in the sight of God, that would be one of the most
power-ful churches that ever existed.
You know, it's
as we think of Him; that's when He draws close to us. "Draw nigh unto
Me, and I'll draw nigh unto you," saith the Lord (James 4:8). If we could
keep our mind off of the things of the world, and so much fool-ishness that
we have no business thinking of, "Let the meditation of my heart be acceptable
unto Thee, O Lord" (Psalm 19:15).
It was at the first Easter when the two apostles, Cleopas and his friend,
was on the road to Emmaus. As they were talking about Him, that He stepped
out of the bush and begin to talk with them... And then made Hisself known
to them by performing a miracle, just like He did before His crucifixion.
And they hurriedly run back and said, "Truly, the Lord is risen and has
appeared to us" (Luke 24:13-35).
Now, Mary was thinking of Him. And as she went on, all of a sudden, she raised
her head again. She was positive that time. Right standing before her, was
a great Light, perhaps the same Pillar of Fire that led Moses through the
wilderness and the children of Israel. Walking out of this light, perhaps
brighter than the sunlight, came the great archangel Gabriel. And He said,
"Hail, Mary (other words, "Stop."), blessed art thou among
the women, for you have found favor with God" (Luke 1:26-38).
Now, think, we
mean that; everything is surrendered. "I'm no more my own thinking. I
not going to think like I'd think, Lord. I'm just going to think like You
think. And You promised that I was healed; I think that. I surrender my thinking.
I won't no more think about my sickness. I won't think about the disease I
had. I ain't thinking about nothing but thinking what You said."
Brother Branham continued: Now, right out in front of you stands a person
just like you was a few minutes ago; you were sick down here, but there's
a well person standing there. Jesus Christ is calling to that well person
right beyond it. Now, you just, by faith, as you close your eyes, walk right
into that well body, then just keep on walking, just keep on going.
" But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the
Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the
Spirit of the Lord” (II Corinthians 3:18).
Reference:
„Law” (55-0115), par. E18
„Blind Bartimaeus” (55-1115), par. 29-30
„The Position of a Believer in Christ” (55-0227A), par. E25
„Mary’s Belief” (59-0409), par. 9
„Go, Awake Jesus” (63-1130), par. 274
„Speak To This Rock” (60-0612), par. 50
„Why It Had to be Shepherds” (Vol.6 No.15), par. 70
„Unbelief Doesn’t Hinder God”, par. 42-43
„Easter Seal”, pg. 15
„Enticing Spirits”, par. 43-45
„Unchangeable Word of God” (60-0724), par. 37-38
„Sirs, We Would See Jesus” (64-0304), par. 12-13
Spiritual Building-Stone
No. 107 from the revealed Word of this hour, compiled by: Gerd Rodewald; Friedenstr.
69; D-75328 Schömberg; Germany
Phone: (0049) 7235 7613, Fax: (0049) 7235 3306
There's coming one with a Message that's straight on the Bible, and quick
work will circle the earth. The seeds will go in newspapers, reading material,
until every predestinated Seed of God has heard It.
[Bro. Branham in "Conduct-Order-Doctrine", pg. 724]