F F Bosworth
Thursday, May 01, 2008
During the course of Brother Branham’s ministry, there were many great men he spoke of. But there were few he spoke as highly of as Brother F.F. Bosworth.
The life of Brother F.F. Bosworth was one that has been recognized and remembered since the early part of the 20th century until even now. His ministry began as a young man and carried on through his old age. He witnessed the Azusa Street Revival, where he first embraced Pentecostalism, and met many of the great evangelists of that time. He was part of the vast healing movement that swept the nation and the world during the 20’s. He was a founding father to the Assemblies of God church. For four decades he preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ and traveled the world teaching Divine healing. He was an internationally known and renowned man of God. Countless lives were added to the glorious Kingdom of God through his life and ministry. It is said that during one of his meetings he had over 12,000 conversions. Truly, he was a witness of God and a soldier of the cross.
Brother Bosworth didn’t come in contact with Brother Branham until the later part of his life. He had just retired at the age of 71 in Florida. It was here that God allowed their paths to cross. Brother Branham had just received his commission from God and was getting ready to start his world-wide ministry. He came to Miami, Florida for a healing meeting, and Brother Bosworth attended. Brother Bosworth had been teaching Divine healing for forty years and had retired to get away from all the fanaticism that had entered the country. He was a bit skeptical about Brother Branham at first, thinking he was just somebody else preaching Divine healing. He watched attentively throughout the meeting and quickly found that it was Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever being proved through a man.
Brother Bosworth made this statement concerning Brother Branham:
"During the past few years, I have often wept for joy over God's recent gift to the Church, of our beloved brother, William Branham, with his marvelous "Gift of Healing." This is a case of God doing "exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think." (Eph.3:20), for I have never seen or read of anything to equal the healing ministry of William Branham."
He immediately joined in with Brother Branham and became a supporter of his healing ministry. He traveled with him abroad, both in the States and around the world, as his manager. It wasn’t long before he and Brother Branham became very close friends. Brother Bosworth remained Brother Branham’s manager and companion on the battle field until shortly before his death in 1958. As he was on his death bed, he made this statement to a question Brother Branham asked him;
And I--I said, "Well, Brother Bosworth," I said, "I'd like to ask you something. When was your best time?" He said, "Right now."And I said, "Yet you know you're dying?"He said, "I can't die." Said, "I died about seventy years ago," he said. He said, "I--I'm a new creature in Christ." And he said, "Brother Branham, all that I have lived for, for the past sixty years, has been the Lord Jesus. And, any minute, I'm looking for Him to walk in the door and go with Him for Eternity."
He was dear to Brother Branham’s heart, and it was a hard thing to see him part. There were many that mourned over the death of Brother Bosworth. He certainly lived a life that was a witness and example to countless others.
A parting prayer in respects to Brother Bosworth by Brother Branham:
“O blessed God, as Christians we bow our heads to the dust from where we was taken and someday we shall return if Jesus tarries. There is one who has walked among us and preached to us, Thy humble and holy servant, Brother F. F. Bosworth. Tonight his body lays in a casket, but his soul is with Thee, O God. And across the border as he was coming down to the river the other morning, and the waves was a flying high in the air at the old Jordan, we know that there was many friends to meet him, by preaching the Gospel, that by that cause, he had brought them to a saving knowledge of Thy dear Son, and they were there to meet him. We trust that You'll bless his gallant soul. And let us remember by his life, and his examples, and his teaching and how firm he stood on Thy eternal Word until he lived to be a ripe old age, way many years over the 'lotted time.
We pray for Sister Bosworth, for his daughters, and his son. We feel that our loss will be heaven's gain. And let us now press hard in the battle, for a great officer of this army has been taken. In Thy wise providence Thou has granted this. And we pray that'll it make us, now seeing that we're one less, that we may buckle on the full armor of God, and fight until Jesus comes.”
THE QUEEN OF THE SOUTH–58-0125