Christ Revealed in His Own Word #101

“The Blinded Ones #2”

Sunday, May 11, 1997

Brian Kocourek, Pastor Grace Fellowship

Wednesday night we read from paragraph [114] where brother Branham spoke to us about how God does certain things in order to blind certain types of people, and we looked at this blinding and we found that it comes as a result, not of what God does, but of the willful ignorance on the part of those people who are blind. Because what we find brother Branham telling us is that although God fashions the prophet in every detail, this fashioning has a different effect upon the Elect than it has from others. In the Elect it causes them to take notice, while in others it causes them to stumble and fall away from what God is trying to reveal.

[114] There's many tried to impersonate them prophets, like priests or so forth. And what do they do? Just messed up; that's all. They couldn't do it, 'cause God had selected the man for the age, and selected the message, and even the nature of the man and what would go over in that age--what He could put over, how He could... With the nature of that certain man, He could blind the eyes of others. The words that that man would say, the way he acted, would blind others and open other's eyes. See? He dressed the man in the type of dress that he was, the nature, the ambition, and everything, just the way he had to be, just perfectly selected for that certain people that He'd call for that certain age. While others would stand, and look at him, and say, "Well I can't... There's... I--I can't..." See, they were blinded.

Now, notice that Brother Branham is speaking of two groups or types of people here. One has their eyes opened to what God is doing, while the other becomes blinded to what God is doing. One believes while the other disbelieves. In the book of Acts, we see that those whose eyes are opened are actually ordained by God to receive and believe the Word. [Acts 13:48] And yet in the Book of [Jude 1:4] We see that certain people were ordained to condemnation. These are they who have turned the Grace of God into Lasciviousness like the United Church of Christ clergy who openly support the gay lifestyle and even ordain gay clergy. That word lasciviousness is the Greek word aselgeia which means filthy unbridled lust.

We further studied these two groups, the Believer and unbeliever, and we found there are two types of unbeliever. The plain old unbeliever and the make-believer. And we found out that the make-believer is by far more dangerous to the believer than the unbeliever. Both will turn on the believer, but the make-believer does so with a vengeance.

[7-6] Three Kinds of Believers 63-1124E There was all three of them standing right there in that one company of people: believers, make-believers, and unbelievers, right found in this chapter right here. And because that Jesus had spoke the Words the way He had, it separated His congregation, but it must be done. Now, notice this last sentence here. Let’s read it again. And because that Jesus had spoke the Words the way He had, it separated His congregation, but it must be done Now, remember in pp. 114 that brother Branham said, “The words that that man would say, the way he acted, would blind others and open other's eyes.” So we see the two-fold reason that God had for fashioning the Prophet the way he did. It was to gather on one hand and separate on the other. And the same Word would do both. And notice how it was the way that that Word was given that would cause this strange paradox to happen. Just like the same sun melts wax and hardens clay. So then what we see is the make-up of the two groups must be of a different substance and nature in order to have a response that is so completely the opposite.

[26-5] Three Kinds of Believers 63-1124E Now the third class we're speaking about is the make-believer. That's the boy, the make-believer. Now, remember, in there stood all three. Now, we find out they do just exactly like their father does, Judas ( sounds very much like what we preached on Sunday morning, doesn’t it?). There was Peter, and the rest of the apostles: believers. There was the seventy: unbelievers. And there was Judas hung right on; he was a make-believer. What do they do? This is the kind that holds on until they can find something--a fault in it. They're looking every time to find a loophole, see how it's done, see if it's a trick, if it's a gimmick. They're waiting to be sold out. They're looking for that. The unbeliever, he don't even wait around; he's condemned it and walked out. The believer, no matter what happens, he believes it anyhow, for It's the Word. There's your three classes. The old unbeliever will walk out on the first thing that's said, he don't like about it. Brother, he's going to show his colors right then; he's a unbeliever.

27-2 Three kinds of Believers 63-1124E Paul said, "They went out from us, because they wasn't of us in the beginning. They started with us. Oh, you did run well, what hindered you?" See it? They went out because they wasn't of us. When they see the Word perfectly moving on, why, they want to get some kind of gimmick they could work. See? But the real believers don't question nothing. It's written in the Word, and they believe it, and just go on. That's it. Always it's written. If it isn't written, why, you just stay away from it, no matter what happens. It's got to be written. See? And they see that written Word and they believe It. And they see God moving in His Word, see the hour, the Message, the time, and they walk with It as I said this morning.

Here we see that the Make-believer starts out with the Believer, but just hangs around long enough to find something that he can say is a fault with the Believers, just like Balaam who just hung around long enough to see Israel’s weaknesses, as Brother Branham said from the Third Exodus, “ Just like Balaam was, that come up to the top of the hill where Israel was. There was Israel, not a nation, it's just a people, floating around and were guilty. And Moab, his brother, the intellectual, the organized man, come up to the top of the hill with the bishop, or the prophet they had and put up an altar and offered the same sacrifice, but he failed to see the Pillar of Fire and the smitten Rock among Israel. So is it today. The intellectual mind was looking at the celebrity standing there. They failed to see the smitten Rock. Even the bishop himself failed to see the power of the Holy Spirit and the shout of the King in the camp. They failed to see it.

[27-4] Three kinds of Believers 63-1124E Now, the make-believer hangs around and acts just as pious as he can, but down in his heart he's trying to find what--what--see how you do it. Oh, if the country isn't full of that part of the hypocrite. That's a Judas. That's exactly. Hangs around, becomes part of the group, he was the treasurer. See? He stands around; he's always got his hand out for money. You can tell that one thing; he's always fishing for money, and got his hand out for this, and he is a make-believer. He acts like a believer, but down in his heart... You remember, he wasn't fooling Jesus.

28-2 Three kinds of Believers 63-1124E There's that make-believer that's just waiting. He'll sing like that, "Oh, I believe this, and I believe this, and I believe this, but oh, you know I heard somebody say so-and-so times..." See? Just long with ears... A real believer don't hear nothing but the Word. That's all. He watches the Word. He ain't looking for no loopholes; he ain't looking for no gimmicks. He believes God, and that settles it, and he just keeps going on. See? There's the believer. The unbeliever fills up in a minute, and he can't stay to listen to ten minutes to the message; he's got to get up and walk out. It's against his creed, and he just won't have no more to do with it, so he goes out. Then the make-believer hangs right on, that Judas. See? That's the deceiver. That's the--that's a rascal (if I have to say such a word). Judas, he hangs around.

28-4 Three kinds of Believers 63-1124E This is the time... Sometime these make-believers are very popular with the people (That's right.), these make-believers. See? Some of them are mighty men, educated, doctor's degree, big pay, everything; some of them are great men, shrewd, just like sons of Satan would be. Look how Satan come right up there and agree with every bit of that Word. He's just waiting to find that weak spot in Eve to where he could show his power to deceive her, to betray her. That was--that was Satan, and here Satan is in a form of Judas in that age. That was Satan in the first age. What was he? Agreeing with the Word till just--just one little thing... He was just trying to find a place where he could get a weakness, and that's exactly what the Judas finds right now. He'll come right along with the meeting, and watch right around until he can find that little spot that he... "Oh, there it is; that's it. (See?) Oh, that's the way it's done." See? That's just exactly.

Now, what I see by these quotes from brother Branham and his usage of the example of what the make-believer is this, the most dangerous and destructive person is the make believer, and yet he is still an unbeliever, but he is a little more polished in how he goes about his unbelief. Therefore the attributes that Brother Branham tells us that the make-believer displays are #1) he is blind, #2) he hangs on looking for fault, #3) they seem to be popular among the people and #4) they seem to have an inordinate for gain.

Now, it is one thing for the unbeliever to just get up and walk out because he does not agree with what is being said. But the thing about the make-believer is that he doesn’t believe it either, but he is a bit more deceptive about the whole matter. He not only disagrees, but because he is vindictive, he wants to expose, and cause harm to Message and Messenger. Therefore, he constantly looks for things which he can point to and say, “Aha! This is it. This is what’s wrong with this group, this is what’s wrong with this Message,” Therefore, what we are looking at is motive. Neither of these unbelieving groups agree with the Word, and both the unbelievers and make-believers have been blinded to the Truth. Because both of them hear the same Message that the Believer hears, but one group walks off and says there’s nothing to it, and that’s the end of it as far as far as they are concerned. The other group however, instead of just walking off, they hang around, trying to figure out what the Message in order to make a profit from it. As brother Branham said, “these are the ones who always have their hand out.

Therefore, this morning we shall look at this second group who are make-believers in order to understand better, their motives and their agenda. [Matthew 13:10-16] The fact that some hear but do not understand does not mean that they have not been affected. Rather, they have been affected but because of their own unbelief or their own pre-conceived ideas, they reject what they hear. [Romans 9:6] Some like the unbeliever, choose not to listen, or as soon as they hear something contrary to what they have ever heard, they walk out from the Light. Others like the Make-believer, not only hate the truth, but because of their evil nature, they will hang around looking to somehow expose the truth as being wrong. Does their actions then make the Word of God of none effect? The answer is no! [Eph 5:13] & [Psalm 1:1-6] [Mark 7:7-13] It is because of their traditions that they make the word of God of none effect for their benefit. Because they have their minds already made up and will not submit to the mind of God. [91: 7] Now, we know that there is to be a falling away in the last times. And this Psalm tells us that the ones who shall fall away are ones who have been at our side.

Therefore, the attributes of the Make-believer are #1) They worship God according to their own mind.

[Psalm 10:4] The wicked through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: for God is not in all of his thoughts.

[Isaiah 55:8] For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, Saith the Lord.

[Isaiah 65:2] I have spread out My hands all the day unto a rebelious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts.

[Jeremiah 6:13-19] notice the condition of the people even after when they are told a way to escape.

[John 9:39-41] They become blind because they think they see. This is exactly Rev 3 Blind & don’t know.

[Eph 4:17-18] they are blind because of their own thoughts are contrary to God’s thoughts.

[2 Peter 3:5] This is a willful act, God says they are willfully ignorant.

[1 Cor 14:38]

#2) In their own stupid zeal and in their own strange piety, they are worse than the ungodly.

[2 Tim 3:5] Having a form of Godliness, but denying the Word thereof: from such turn away. These are the make-believers.

[Romans 10:2-3] For I bear them record, that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s right-wise-ness, and going about to establish their own right-wise-ness, have not submitted themselves to the right-wise-ness of God.

#3) For God’s sake they become enemies of God, [John 16:22] Jesus said, “the time cometh when they will kill you thinking they are doing God a service”

#4) For the fear of God they become scorners of God. To scorn is to show contempt and to despise And how do the do it?

[Malachi 1:6-10] despise = contempt, ...Who is there among you that will shut the doors so that useless fires many not be kindled upon mine altar.

[Psalm 123:3-4] contempt

[Proverbs 18:3] ignomony = stupidity

[John 10:23-39] they just could not get it, though He explained who He was by vindication.

[Isa 29:9-13] their own thoughts blinds them to the truth, [Isa 28:8-13] And so the Word of the Lord becomes unto them, do and do, rule upon rule that they might go backward, stumble and be broken.

#5) Because of piety they become impious; Piety = devotion, worship and godliness. And how do they become impious? By worshipping falsely.

[Acts 13:50] devout = pious

[Mark 7:7-16] by their traditions they make the Word of God of none effect

[Proverbs 25:14] Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without water

[Jer 23:32] Those that God doesn’t send but go forth anyway will not profit the people any. Lightness = extravagance.

#6) For the sake of peace they disturb the peace;

[Romans 3:11-18] the way of peace they have not known, way = a manner of thinkking or a course of conduct. Again we see that it all comes down to a mind set.

[Acts 16:19-23] Money, money, money, the love of it is the root of all evil.

#7) In the interest of humility they become proud. Such is the fictitious piety of their stubborn mind and the hypocritical understanding of confirmed obstinacy. So great is man’s arrogance and his absolutely vain delusion that he believes he is worshipping God when he is worshipping the devil.

[ 1 Tim 6:3-5 ] Again we see that those who are proud will not acknowledge the Truth but look for gain.

[Romans 11:7-10] The snare is scripture itself, inasmuch as it is understood and handed down or taught in a deceitful manner, so that under the show of pious instruction the souls of the deceived and simple are craftily ensnared. From one and the same table, or from one and the same Holy Scriptures, one draws for himself death while the other life, the one honey and the other poison. Hence, nothing else should be treated with such reverence and so altogether without arrogance as the Word of God. It at once ensnares the proud and traps and offends them, though in a way that they do not perceive: Indeed, in a fascinating and beautiful disguise. And this is not the Words fault, but that of human pride, which arrogantly raises it’s head against it. The stumbling block consists of this, that they who are ensnared by false teaching constantly take offense. For if they are ensnared it is through that which they understand wrongly. To that they cleave and with it they are pleased. So without realizing it, they permit themselves to be ensnared willingly. But they take offense of what is pointed out to them as the truth from which they turn away. If they can not avoid it, (the truth) they distort it and deny that scripture must be so understood. At last their eyes are darkened 11:10, so that while others see, they themselves do not permit themselves to be enlightened, and while all others are raised up, they remain perverted in their mind.