Christ Revealed in His Own Word #32

Nerousis Conclusion, Having a right Focus in a Wrong thinking World

Sunday Morning, July 28, 1996

Brian Kocourek, Pastor Grace Fellowship

Last night we continued our mini study of pp’s. 20 & 21 of "Christ Revealed In His Own Word" where Brother Branham said, (20) Men now and people today are in such a neurotic condition, the whole world... (21) The whole human race is rotten. Well, if them physical beings of our body is tearing down like that from eating hybrid foods, tensions, that rotten it, does not that also rot the brain cell? It's come to a place where the whole nation, the whole world, not only this nation, but everywhere, mentally gone.

In examining Brother Branham’s statement that the world is now in a neurotic condition we used for our text the AMPLIFIED version of [2 Timothy 3: 1] which we found to be the most fitting: “But understand this, that in the last days there will set in perilous times of great stress and trouble - hard to deal with and hard to bear” We found Websters definition of Neurosis as: “Any of various Psychic, or mental, functional disorders characterized by one or several of the following reactions: (1) ANXIETY, (2) COMPULSIONS and (3) OBSESSIONS, (4) PHOBIAS, (5) DEPRESSION, and (6) DISASSOCIATION.”

In our mini series we have covered : ANXIETY, COMPULSIONS, OBSESSIONS, PHOBIAS, DEPRESSION, and last night DISASSOCIATION. We found scriptural evidence for these six characteristics of neurosis prophesied for their end-time hour. In our study thus far we have found anxiety is the main condition that is to be manifested in the end-time, and all these other characteristics stem forth from anxiety. we also found that anxiety is spoken of in the scriptures mostly in reference to the cares of this life. we also found that Satan has taken advantage of the curse that was placed upon man by God back in the beginning after the fall in the garden. This fall resulted in man having to sweat and toil for a living and the ground being cursed and therefore man does not always know what will turn out because of his labors.

We showed how anxiety is a result of actually having a lack of faith and trust in God and therefore we try to take our own life path into our own hands. We found in [Proverbs 16: 9] that “A mans heart deviseth his way, but the Lord directeth His footsteps” and therefore our labor and toil and everything else is in the hands of God. That is why we read in [Rom 8:31] “If God be for us who can be against us.” we also showed that Satan’s purpose is to gain control of our minds, and he does this by bringing you under his influence, he brings you into bondage to himself.

[ John 8: 34] Jesus said, “he that committeth sin is the servant of sin.” Then we found in [ 2 Peter 2: 19] that when we are overcome by a certain influence, we thus become in bondage to that influence. Now thus far in our study we have found that this bondage is a result of an influence that begins with anxiety. The Devil has laid out a snare or trap for every one in the whole world. And that snare or trap is in the guise of the economy. He knows that people have to make a living. He has known that since the curse that was placed upon man for his disobedience in the garden. In fact he was responsible for that curse being placed upon man. And so then we see that he took advantage of that situation and he has manipulated man into a wrong focus again.

[Gen 3: 17-19] And so we see that man had to begin to labor in order to live. And this is where Satan made his decision to use the curse which God himself placed upon man against man in order to bring man under his influence. Hitler did the same thing. He promised the people a better living, two cars in the garage and two chickens in every pot, and when he had the people under his influence, he began his persecution of the Jews and the people just turned their heads and didn’t become involved because after all, look what he did for them. And so we see the influence that Satan has upon the people. He has blinded them by material prosperity. In [Rev 3: 14:17] we see that the predominant spirit of this age is that man is so consumed with his material possessions that he is blind to his spiritual condition. (read)

And so we see then according to [Luke 21: 31-35] that the cares of this life will be the snare that will completely entrap the entire world, and they will fail to stand in the presence of the Son of Man when He comes. (read) And so we have found thus far in our study that Satan used the economy and the life style as a trap to not only catch you off guard, but he uses it to give you another focus, a wrong focus just like he did with Eve back in the garden. And this then, because it is of his design, brings you under his influence. And once under his influence he then step by step brings you under his full control. He did it to Eve, he got her to step out from the protection of the Word and once he did, he implanted himself into her and brought for his own life in her. And so we have seen how this influence of the cares of this life begins to turn us from a Christ Centered focus and brings us to the place of coming under a wrong influence all because of our anxiety concerning the things which MIGHT happen concerning the cares of this life.

As I have said throughout this mini series, The whole Christian world is out of focus tonight. They talk about the next depression, the nation going broke, the new world order, and they are completely missing the Lord Who has come down from heaven with a shout. And so we see the condition of the church is looking at the “what ifs”, and they are missing their deliverance from those things. They are focused on the very trap and delusion instead of the way out of it. Sometimes, Satan will make those cares of life more real to you than the promises of God will appear to be. Yet Jesus commanded us to “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and ALL the things you have need of will be added unto you.” Now instead of looking at the trap, we should be looking for a way to avoid the trap. And so we found that by having a wrong focus to begin with leads us only further into a wrong direction. By having a wrong focus we find ourselves becoming anxious over things which we should not be. And when we focus all of our energies on these future worries, we find ourselves getting caught up into finding our own way out of their dilemma. At this point we enter into COMPULSION which is irrational behavior, we then become obsessed by them and this becomes possession. Devil possession. Remember, [1 Peter 2: 19] tells us that “whatsoever we are overcome by we also become in bondage to as well.” And Webster called obsession, devil possession, for that is what it is.

Now once this obsession takes over our being, we enter into the fourth characteristic of neurosis is PHOBIAS or fear. Here we found that Fear has a penalty according to [ 1 John 4: 18] (read). In [Hebrews 2: 15] we see that through fear we are made subject to bondage. We found out that this fear and bondage has the effect of stopping any progressive movement in the things of God. Joseph stopped in his tracks concerning Mary. He feared to take Mary to be his wife, and so God had to send His Messenger to rid Joseph of his fear. Then we found that Phobia leads you into DEPRESSION which manifests in the fact that you don’t want to eat any more. And so you begin to shut off the Spiritual Food In Due Season. You quit eating from Gods Word and from His Message, and when this happens you become weak and sickly. This then leads us to the last attribute of Neurosis which is DISASSOCIATION and we found that this means that you begin to cut off fellowship with the believers. First you cut off eating from the tree of Life and then you cut off all association with it. And this means with those who are eating it themselves.

[Eph 4:17-18] (read) Here we find that they cut themselves off from the Life of God because their understanding has become darkened. The word alienated here is a Greek word ( apallotrioo) and it means to shut off ones self from fellowship and intimacy. Now why is this? [1 John 1: 7](read) And Because we are told that our fellowship comes from walking in the Light. So then if we no longer walk in the Light, then we no longer have fellowship. It’s just that simple. And the word walk here is a word (peripateo) which means “to make ones way, to progress forward in, or to regulate one’s life by, or to pass ones Life in.” And so we see The Word of God is a Living Word in which we live out this Word. It is not only something that we believe but it is our very Life. And if it is our very Life then to leave it means death to us. And the word fellowship here is a word (Koinonia) which means “communion, fellowship, communication, association or joint participation in.” And so we see that it takes this Word of God to become a reality in your lives and when it does then it brings a common bond to you.

It is not just a matter of knowing it is true. It is a matter of it being real to you. For to just know it is true could still place it in a historical perspective as it does to the nominal Christian. But to know it is real, it then begins to live out in your very life. When you read this Word you can actually see it manifesting itself all around you. Because after all- Gods Prophet said, “God interprets His Word by bringing it to pass.” And so when you read His Word, and then see it taking place, you are in actuality living out that portion of Gods Word. we then showed you various examples of the Word coming to pass and you being a part of that Living Word. A living dynamic Word which is continually moving ahead. In fact we quoted from ANOINTED ONES AT THE END-TIME where brother Branham said, “ For it is impossible for those which were once enlightened and didn’t move on with the Word as it came to pass”... “they’re dead, gone.” And so, we must continue to move on with the Word of God as it continues to come to pass or we are dead, dead, dead.

Now we could go on and on with this but what I am trying to get across to you is that to walk in this light is what brings fellowship. It is a walking that does it, because the walk is to experience and live out this Word. And as we experience it together, we share together this life experience. Then it is not so much that we are speaking of a Word which alone is True, but in an even greater sense of the word, we are speaking of a Word which is not only True but is alive and has become a reality to you because you are actually seeing it in manifestation. Then you are experiencing the Living Word and as others experience this same Living Word, the fellowship is just as natural as life itself, because after all our fellowship comes by sharing experiences with one another. We can’t help but to talk to one another because we are actively participating in the same Living Word. But neurosis brings just the opposite effect. A wrong focus brings forth wrong actions which bring forth wrong communications which brings forth bondage and death instead of deliverance and Life. [1 Peter 1:3-(5) 7-(9)] Notice this end-time revelation is to bring end time salvation and deliverance.

Now there is one last thing that Webster brought out about neurosis which I have not yet emphasized in this mini series, and the last thing he said about neurosis is that it will eventually bring forth conversions. This is actually the seventh characteristic which we know seven is the number of completion. The first six are a progressive stage that moves one into a complete takeover by demonic control. But there is something different about this last characteristic that I would like to examine closer. CONVERSION. The last characteristic is conversion. After you have started off by anxiety, you begin you begin to do things compulsively and then those compulsive behaviors take over and become obsessions which is devil possession, then fear sets in and depression soon follows. And when this happens you quit eating the Word for the hour and you begin to Spiritually starve yourself. Eventually because you no longer desire this type of food you begin to avoid those who do and you disassociate with those who do cutting yourself off from fellowship and associating with anyone or anything that walks in the light. And then the final characteristic of neurosis takes over and that is a complete conversion from a Christ centered life to a materialistic centered life, and there we have CONVERSION the seventh and last Characteristic of this neurotic condition that Brother Branham said the whole world was caught up into.

[ 1 Tim 4: 1] This scripture speaks of the falling away from THE faith at the end-time.

[Eph 4: 18-20] Shows that this cutting off the Life of God which comes via His Word starts with a wrong influence and a wrong understanding. One that is darkened.

[ Luke 8:13] These have no rot in themselves and so they fall away from The truth.

[ Luke 13:22-28] The word Depart here is the same word for falling away.

[Heb 3: 7-4:2] The evil heart of unbelief which is a wrong understanding, causes the falling away or departure from the Living God.

[2 Thes 2: 3] There must be a falling away in order for us to know we are at the end-time and the Appearing of Christ.

[ Heb 6: 4-6] Those who have been once for all enlightened and deviate from this enlightenment actually fall away and it is impossible for them to ever change their thinking toward it again.

[ 2 Peter 3: 14-18]Beware lest ye fall.

[Heb 12:1-17] [1 Cor 10: 1-14] [ Rev 2: 4-5] & [ Mat 7: 23] I used to know you as my wife but I don’t know you as my wife more...Conversion

[Jude 1: 24] Unto Him who is able to keep you from Falling.... Closing Prayer.....