Love casts out fear

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Sometime ago, when I was on the warden force. Near Henryville, Indiana, is a friend lives up there, and I… He was sick. And I was turning some fish loose in a creek. So I thought I'd go over and pray for the man. So I had a little, old gun you had to pack as a warden. I unbuckled the thing, throwed it up in the truck and shut the door. And I thought, "I'll go across the field over to pray for my friend." As I walked up across the field, I was going along humming. I forgot that down at the Burke's farm, a great big Guernsey bull had killed a colored man down there. He was a caretaker. He was a fine animal. And they didn't want to kill him, so they sold him up here to this man. I knowed there was warnings all around the field, but I'd forgot about it. I got right out in the middle of the field where just a little old scrub oak (I don't think you have them in this country). And as I passed by this, all at once this big killer bull raised up. And he snorted. And I recognized that's the bull. I turned first; I felt for the gun. It wasn't there. I'm glad it wasn't. I'd probably kill the bull, and then they'd paid for it. I felt for the gun; it wasn't there. I looked to the fence; it was too far for me. There was no trees around for me to get in to. There it was nothing but to face death. I said, "Well, Lord, if the time has come for me to die, I want to face it like a man." I shoved my shoulders down. I said, "If this is it, if I must die by this bull, then I must die." And something happened. I know this sounds like a child, but it's the truth. Somehow another, instead of despising that beast, I had a love for it. And then I thought, "That poor thing was laying out there in the field. I come in on his territory. I disturbed him. He don't know no more than to protect himself." And he threw his horns down, and dug the dirt up, fell onto his knees. You know how they do just before they charge. And I thought, "That animal… Oh, I'm so sorry that I disturbed you." I said, "I don't want you to kill me. I'm the servant of God. And I'm on my road to pray for some sick people. And I forgot about those signs." I was talking just as I am now. But there was something another had happened. I wasn't scared of him. I was no more afraid of that bull, then I would be my brother. That's where the church is. You're always scared it's not going to happen. That's the reason it don't happen. When that fear… Love casts out fear. When you got love, fear is gone. But as long as you got fear, love cannot operate. And when the bull made his charge to come to me, he come within about ten feet, and he stopped and threw his front feet out. And he looked so depleted as he looked this way and that way. And he turned, and went right back around, and laid down over there where he got up at. And I walked across the field, and went out of the pasture. He just laid there and looked at me. It was love that took the fear away, and God seen me through. Now, after I got out of the pasture and that left me, then I just shook like a leaf. But while I was in the presence of him, the fear had left.

Love - 57-0519E - William Branham