April 23, 1899 – February 8, 2001
To “remember them which… have spoken unto you the word of God” Hebrews 13:7 tells us, is essential to our spiritual progress. To remember someone that has been a “father in the faith,” mentor, counselor, and close friend, like brother Bramhall, is a joy for which I thank my God upon every remembrance.
Philippians 1:21 expresses in one sentence the life of this man of God. “To live is Christ…to die is gain.”
To Live
Brother Bramhall lived in three centuries and two millennia. Very few will experience this. And he lived life. By this I mean, he enjoyed life. He had a wonderful sense of humor and joy that was contagious.
Born in Sheffield, England, on April 23, 1899, he moved to Rochester, New York with his parents in 1911. He was saved at the age of 14 and began preaching at 16. He ministered itinerantly throughout North America and the West Indies and had a radio ministry in the southern part of the U. S. He preached until he was 101 years old.
He authored many booklets and several books. Living His Life, a wonderful book on the fundamentals of the Christian life, has also been translated into Spanish and other languages. I Am My Beloved’s and My Beloved Is Mine are compilations of monthly ministry letters that many of us enjoyed over the years. He also contributed to Counsel, Uplook, and the Choice Gleanings.
On our last visit together, his repeated testimony was, “Not by works of righteousness…but according to His mercy He saved us!” He really enjoyed living His life!
Is Christ
Some people preach a sermon; others live a sermon. Brother Bramhall did both! He was occupied with Christ and practiced the presence of God along life’s way. His conversation, like his ministry, was always Christ-centered. He would exhort brethren to fill their messages with more of Him.
To young children and seasoned saints alike, spending time with brother Bramhall made us think of Christ. The children knew he carried candy in his pocket for them and some were bold enough to reach right in with no fear of retribution. We, who were older, knew there was a blessing for us, too, through our visits with him.
He often quoted “It Shows In Your Face.” The last stanza says:
If your life is unselfish, if for others you live,
For not what you get, but how much you give;
If you live close to God in His infinite grace,
You don’t have to tell it, it shows in your face.
To Die
He was ready and longing to be with Christ! On one occasion, he was asked which way he would rather go to be with the Lord, by death or by rapture. Many were surprised to hear him say he would be glad to go by way of death. He went on to explain that only then could he experience the Lord’s comfort in death and he would not miss the rapture. “You see,” he responded, “the dead in Christ shall rise first!”
Is Gain
In his message on Psalm 84, brother Bramhall explained the phrase, “the Lord will give grace and glory” saying, “There is grace for each step of the journey, and at the end there is glory.” The apostle Paul expressed it this way, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith…there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness” (2 Tim. 4:7-8). We rejoice for our beloved brother who has experienced grace for every step of his journey and is now with the Lord he loved in glory.
Brother Bramhall’s ministry was extensive. Everywhere I’ve traveled I’ve met people that remember him and his Christ-filled ministry. On one occasion, reminiscing with some who knew of his ministry, a sister recalled the first time she heard him in a conference at Greenwood Hills, PA. She couldn’t remember his name but described him as “the happy preacher.” Her friends responded, “Oh, you mean brother Bramhall!” “Happy is the man who trusts in You!” That’s brother Bramhall!
May these remembrances bring glory to the Lord Jesus and challenge us to go on to know the Lord better and serve Him with all our heart. The exhortation in Hebrews 13:7 concludes with the application that we’d do well to heed, “whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.”