During their wilderness journey the Israelites were deprived of many creature comforts, including the food of their choice. All they had to eat was a light kind of wafer termed "manna." We mentioned the manna previously in this essay.

God desires that we learn to live, not by our trust in the things of the world but by our trust in His provision. Whether they enjoyed it or not, the manna was always there.

In recent years, as the knowledge of spiritual gifts has increased, there are Christian leaders who see the possibility of using such power to enhance our lives in the present world. Thus we have the "faith" and "prosperity" messages. These are early forms of the False Prophet.

Antichrist leaders will not be slow to see the possibilities in such power. They will enlist church people in the attempt to meet the needs of mankind.

Jesus prophesied that those who believe in Him will perform the same works He did, and greater. We are coming to the fulfillment of this prophecy.

God wants to pour out unprecedented power in our day. But God knows that such power tends to corrupt His servants.

Even William Branham was finally deceived by the acclaim of Christians and lost the purity of his ministry by regarding himself as a great prophet.

My wife Audrey and I were at a meeting in Long Beach, California. Brother Branham told the audience that his advisers were not content that he pray for only a few people during the service. He must have a healing line like the other healing evangelists.

At the meeting we attended, Brother Branham divided the service into two parts. During the first part he ministered by revelation to a handful of people. It was glorious.

Then he had us sing "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name."

After that he had a healing line. In the line were two acquaintances of ours, a father who never had been sick in his life (according to his testimony) and his son who was severely mentally retarded.

When the two came before Branham he prayed for the father. When I saw this I knew his advisers, though not intending to, had put out the eyes of the man with the spectacular word of knowledge. He was as Samson grinding at the mill of human opinion.

Suppose in the future, God gives you the gift of multiplying food, as God will to some in the last days ("The works that I do you shall do").

Let us then suppose God tells you not to use your gift until He directs you to do so. When people found out you had the means to end the problem of hunger in the world, how do you think they would respond? How do you think an Antichrist government would respond?

How do you think the Christian leaders would respond? The Jews tried to make Jesus a king but He refused. Yet with His power He could have turned the Roman Empire into a model kingdom. He could have fed the starving, abolished slavery, and brought peace to the world.

To be continued.