Christ is the Mystery no 139
Christian Life no 20
No more sin among us
Brian Kocourek
This evening I would like
to take our thoughts from paragraph 123 and 124 where brother Branham says, "123 So
it's Christ expressing Himself in the individual, whether he's
intellectual, or whether he don't know his ABC's. Half the apostles didn't know
them. That's right. But they knew Christ.
They never taken heed to Peter and John, knowing that they had been out of some
seminary. They said they taken heed and
noticed that they'd been with Christ when they healed the lame man
(See?) at the gate. They knew they had
been with Christ. 124 The new birth is Christ, is a revelation.
God has revealed to you this great mystery, and that's the new birth.
Now, what are you going to do when you get all that group together, where
the revelation is perfectly in harmony, and God expressing it through His Word
by the same actions, the same things that He did, making the Word manifest?
Oh, if the Church only knew its position. It will one day. Then, the rapture
will go when it knows what it is. Now, notice. You say, "Brother
Branham, but that ain't..." Oh, yes, it is, too. It is the Truth.
Now, notice the condition
he tells us here the bride will be in for the rapture to take place.
First he says, it has to
have this Revelation of Christ in it. And The word Revelation:
according to the dictionary means a.
The act of revealing or disclosing. So you can’t have revelation on your own, it is something that some
thing or someone must disclose to you, Someone must reveal it to you. So there
is a way that this revealing must take place, And that is what we need to know.
The second
definition of Revelation: is Something that is revealed, especially a dramatic disclosure of
something not previously known or realized.
Now this is also good to know because revelation is
something that you didn’t know but something happened to you to make you know
it now. That is good, but that does not yet make the point I wish to make here.
The Knowledge or knowing is one thing, but How you get
that knowledge is what is called "Revelation".
Revelation is not the knowledge itself. But "Revelation"
is the way in which you get that knowledge. And that is what is so important
for us to understand, other wise we will see revelation as simply a knowing and
no emphasis will be placed on how you get that knowledge. And that is important
for us to understand. Because we could say "the knowledge"
is "the knowing", but that's not correct. The devil
knows and he trembles. His knowing is not revelation. His knowing is
intellectually produced and induced. But the act of coming to the knowing is
what is called revelation, and that is when something you do not know is made
known to you through a certain experience.
So the process of coming to this knowledge and then the
knowing as you are known is what we're looking at here. this knowledge that is
not mental, it is experiential. You know not because you know, but you know
because you have experienced the knowing.
In other words it is the process of knowing, the
revealing, the unfolding, the unveiling process itself that is important.
Therefore the dictionary tells us
that the number 2. definition of Revelation is that in Theology: Revelation is a manifestation
of divine will or truth.
Now, notice it is not just knowing the Divine will or
truth as though it comes via a mental awareness, but it tells us that
Revelation is a manifestation of Divine will or truth.
The Apostle Paul tells us how he received the
revelation of Jesus Christ and it was not by going to some seminary or from
hearing some preacher, but he says in Ephesians 3:3 How
that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as
I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my
knowledge in the mystery of Christ.
Now
the question then must be asked, how did Paul come to know the mystery of
Christ? Because he didn’t learn it from Jesus Christ in the flesh. And he
didn’t learn it from the other Apostles who knew Jesus in the flesh. In fact what
they learned by the man Jesus didn't do them much good until they experienced
the Holy Ghost for themselves.
So
we hear William Branham tell us that it isn’t how well we knew the man
himself. And it kind of sounds to me that he is saying this about those who
hung around him as well. Because he talks about those who hunted with him and
fished with him. And that they had no clue, but one day God revealed the
knowledge to Peter in a way that didn’t come from hunting and fishing and fire
side chats with the prophet Jesus. It came from a revelation, a revealing a
manifesting of Divine truth and Divine will.
So
it is this manifestation that is so all important to us. Not what a
teacher might have taught you, because it is not about us, It's about Him,
Christ in you, that is our hope of Glory. It's not about what you know, it's
about who you know, or rather who knows you. But we are looking at the
expression of God-Life made known to you and through you.
He chose that before the foundation of the world. 46. Someone said,
"Well, I know I got saved, because I quit smoking." That wasn't why I
got saved; that wasn't why you got saved. You got saved because God chose you
before the foundation of the world to be saved. That's the Scripture teaching.
Amen. Now, you see, we begin to find out it's not us; it's Him (See?);
He chose us
And
that is what the New Birth is all about. It's not about you, it's all
about Him living your Life for you. And notice what change it makes in you
when it happens. The Apostles were a bunch of cowards in hiding until the Holy
Ghost came upon them, and indwelt them.
In Matthew 16,
What revelation Peter seemed to have didn't do him much good because shortly
after Jesus called him blessed because of the revelation God gave him only a
few verses later Jesus tells this same man "depart from me Satan for you
cherish not the things of God", and then shortly after that when they went
to the communion table, Jesus told him you will deny me three times. So much
for having a revelation without the baptism of the Holy Ghost. But then Jesus
tells him, when you are converted, strengthen the brethren.
So we are looking at what the Baptism of the Holy
Ghost will do for us, and we know that you can not even understand the things
of God unless the Spirit of God is in you.
1
Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have
entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that
love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit (and there is only One The Spirit and that is God's
Spirit) for the Spirit searcheth all things,
yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man
knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so
the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God knows. 12 Now we have received,
not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might
know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which
things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which
the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness
unto him: neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned. In other words, it
takes having The Spirit in order to spiritually discern them.
Now, this brings us to where I would like to look this
evening. We are coming into a condition where the church will have to be so
much like Christ in order to take the rapture. And she can not be that way by
her willing it. It must be Him working in us willing and doing.
Hear ye Him - 60-0313 37 Now, you see, Jesus had proven to God that
He'd been the right kind of Son. And God took Him up on the top of the mountain,
brought witnesses out there, heavenly witnesses and earthly witnesses, and He
clothed Him in immortality. When they looked up, they said, "His garments shined like the sun." A supernatural something taken
place. His garments glistened like the sun in its middle of the day, as
white as they could be. God placed on Him the robe of immortality, showing that
He had received Him. That's the thing that God will do to His sons here on
earth some day. He will call you aside, Church, if you'll only obey Him
and stay on the Word and believe it. And He will place into the Church, before
the coming of Jesus Christ... He will place into the Church... All the
powers that Christ had in Him will be in the Church. All that God was,
He poured into Jesus; all that Jesus was, He pours into the Church. God wanting
His work done, He sent it into His Son; the Son wanting the work done, sent
it into the Church. "At that day you'll know that I'm in the Father, the Father in Me,
and I in you, and you in Me." At that day, because the same power of God, was in Jehovah
God, rested in Jesus Christ. The same power that rested in Jesus Christ,
rests in the placed sons in the body of Christ. 38. Placing of a
son... Take him out in a certain place, have a ceremony before Angels, and place
him positionally what he is in the body of Christ. Then that person
has the authority. Let me say this, if you count me a fanatic from this
night on. That very same thing that I'm speaking of will be done.
There'll be a power put into the Church, and now is coming in, that the
Holy Spirit will so anoint people, till they'll speak the Word and
It'll create Itself right there. We haven't seen powers like what's coming
into the Church now. I know it for a fact." Say unto this mountain be moved. Don't doubt
in your heart, but believe that what you've said shall come to pass, you can
have what you have said.":
the placing of the Church in position, where the fullness of the power of
the Holy Ghost comes into the Church. Then critics mouths will be shut. It'll
be a short time. Jesus come right off the mountain, went straight to
Abraham - 55-0608 41. And that's what God was showing that He
was going to do in the days to come. That when God came down here on earth in
the form of the Lord Jesus Christ, walked among men, and He was taken to
Jehovah Jireh - 57-0810 35 He lifted up the body and set it on His
right-hand, and sent the other part, the Holy spirit, down on the church. And when
the rapture comes, it'll have to be the same spirit that was on Christ, will
have to dovetail with that promise, or it will be rejected. No wonder He said,
"Except the man be
borned again, he will in no wise enter the Kingdom." It has to be the same Holy Ghost
that fell on the day of Pentecost, has to baptize every believer or it won't
be the same spirit, and contract, that was tore at
Jehovah Jireh -
57-0326 57. When
that Holy spirit fell on the day of Pentecost, It produced a church. And,
brother, I don't care what denomination you got tacked to you, except that
spirit that was tore out of Christ is put into the man, he will be left in the
day of the rapture. He tore him apart and sent the Holy Ghost down,
which lives in us, the spirit of Christ, working in us, doing the same works
that Christ did, living the same life, doing the same things, and the outside
world stands and makes fun of It. Others say there's nothing
to It. Some try to mock It. Others receive it. Brother, that's
the only way that God ever makes you a seed of Abraham. When the spirit of
Christ comes into you, then you become the seed of Abraham. That's right.
And the Gentile is included in the covenant.
Hebrews Chapter 7 part 2 -
57-0922 83 And He sent
the spirit that tore out of that body, right back down on the church. And that
church will have to have the same spirit that was in that body, or it won't
dovetail with It in the resurrection. Those two pieces must come perfectly
together; and if this church isn't perfectly, just exactly the same spirit
that was in Christ, you'll never go in the rapture.
Hear ye Him - 58-0328 30 Remember, the same waters that drowned the
world, saved Noah." Right. And the same Holy spirit, and the same old
fashion Gospel that will take the church home someday in the rapture, will
condemn and bring judgment to the unbeliever.
Why cry speak - 59-1004E 29. Jesus said, "The works that I do, he that believeth on
Me..." Saint John
14:7, "He that believeth on Me the works that I do shall he do also. He
that believeth on Me..." No man can believe Jesus Christ to be the Son
of God until he's received the Holy Ghost. You're only taking it by faith
and accepting it. You can't say that it is. You can say, "I believe it
is." But no man can call Jesus the Christ until the Holy Ghost is in
him. The Bible said so. The Holy Spirit has to come in first, then It
gives a witness. You know yourself that Jesus is the Christ because He
lives in you. 30. Then that same Holy spirit
introduces Himself to the people, and "these signs shall follow them that believe." And the church laughs at It and
makes funs of It. We're just living in that day, the atmosphere getting charged
up for an atomic bomb, for judgment. The Church is getting ready for a
rapture. We're waiting, anticipation, waiting; the Church is waiting the
coming of the Lord. The world is a shaking, wondering which one is going to get
the bomb first to the other one. We don't care which one gets there; we're
going here. So it doesn't matter which one gets there. It doesn't have a thing
to do with us. We're just rejoicing, happy, and believing that one day we'll
hear a sound from heaven, and here He'll come. And His Church will be caught
up in the air to meet Him and be with Him. 31. "He that believeth on Me, the works that I do
shall he do also."
Acts 2:412 Then they that gladly received his
word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto
them about three thousand souls. 42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles'
(1) doctrine and (2) fellowship, and in (3)
breaking of bread, and (4) in prayers. (And notice what these four things produced in
these Holy Ghost filled people.) 43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 44 And
all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions
and goods, and parted them to all men, as every
man had need. 46 And
they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from
house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising
God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church
daily such as should be saved.
How can people say they
believe He's here, and deny any visible manifestation God uses to show us His
presence. Why do you think brother Branham was so sincere even when interrupted
by people speaking in tongues. Words don't prove anything. God is more than
willing to show that He is here than we are willing to accept it. He said,
"Seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be
opened". But they have not because
they ask not, and they ask not because they believe not.
Faith is the sixth sense 60-0611E P:6 If we
would only be spiritual and use that sixth sense, we... Oh, how many things
we could bypass, how many things we'd know if the church was in order, where
the spirits and gifts of the church would be operating. We'd have Ananias and
Sapphiras laying all over everywhere. That's right. Sin would be out of
the church. But we become so earthbound with our senses, just so,
"Well, if I can't see it, if I can't..." And then them senses--the
devil gets into those senses. And he will let you see something with your
eyes and then disbelieve it anyhow. Because many times you've kept your
eyes closed so long until you're blind.
So we are coming to a
time when all unbelief will have to be gone from among the believers. You know we quote brother Branham as saying, "there are three kind of believers in every congregation",
but did you know there is coming a time according to this same vindicated
prophet when there will be no more sin enter into the congregation of the Lord?
Paradox -
61-1210 p255 I've often wanted to come into a church;
I've longed to see it, I guess, where I could walk in the back door, front
door, wherever it was, look across an audience and see a perfect church all in
order. sin couldn't stay there; no, the Spirit would call it out. You see? It
just couldn't stay. Like Ananias and Sapphira, you just couldn't do it. There'd
be no sin in that, that group. No, sir. See, the Spirit quickly speak it
like that. [Brother Branham quickly snaps his fingers--Ed.] No matter
what it was, how little, it would be done. See women, men setting there
under the power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God moving perfectly, moving
this. Someone had done something wrong in the congregation, couldn't,
they'd be... They couldn't... They'd come quickly, and confess it before the
Spirit got ahold of it, to confess it before and come tell it, 'cause they know
right then it's going to be called. That's right. That's the Church
of the living God. How my old, poor old heart, now it's getting old, how
I've longed to stand and see a church like that. I may yet. I hope to.
Perfect works of God without sin now, that could understand.
So let's look at the
way it was in the early church, to see how it is supposed to repeat. For Alpha
must repeat in Omega.
So, let's turn in our
Bibles to Acts chapter 5: and begin
reading at verse 1 to see what the
atmosphere was like that we saw created on the first day of Pentecost in the
early church. "But
a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
2 And kept back part of the price,
his wife also being privy to it, and brought
a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3 But
Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy
Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of
the land? 4 Whiles
it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine
own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not
lied unto men, but unto God.
Notice, peter said, you
could have done with it what you wanted, but you wanted to make a show for the
church, but all it was, was a show, because it was not what you really sold it
for. So they lied, and conspired together to keep their story the same but it
was a lie none the less, and God called out that lie using Peter to do it, and
notice what happened next.
5 And Ananias hearing these words fell
down, and gave up the ghost: (and
what did that produce?) and great fear came on
all them that heard these things. Now, I've seen this happen personally over the years,
twice in
Alpha is repeating in this
omega. The book of Acts is taking place in
But the day is coming,
and is here upon us when you're going to have to either get off the fence, or
you're going to miss the rapture altogether and be left behind for the
tribulation period. And I think people are expecting tribulation more than they
are expecting deliverance. Because God sent his deliverance and they've
intellectualized it away. But this may be my last sermon to you, and I am going
to tell you straight. It's time to wake up. It's time to get right with God or
you will perish.
From his sermon, Unchangeable
God - 62-0120 all the members be filled
with the Holy Spirit, and so obedient to the Spirit that sin cannot even
enter the doors without being called out by the Holy Spirit. And that's
the type of church that we're looking for, and striving that we
might have. I believe that those things are possible and not...
3. It's probable too, that if we'll just submit ourselves to God, and
listen to his Word, and believe on Jesus with all of our hearts, I
believe that there'll come a church that where them things will take place.
I know it'd be the hunger of--of every minister's heart to come into a
church that's just so filled with the Presence of God, and everybody just so
in harmony with the Spirit, until there will be no... sin, one member
could not commit a sin. Just as soon as they walked in there, they'd
know better than to come in the presence of that church with that sin on their
life. The Holy Spirit would call it right out, right now, and say,
"This is what it is." Now, there's the way we should be, friends. That's
the type of church. And we're striving for that, brethren, aren't we? We're
all striving for that thing, and we're hoping and trusting.
Now, look, we are coming down to the wire brothers and
sisters, either you believe or you will leave this church. Not that I want you
to go, but the Holy Ghost won't permit unbelief to stay among us. The
unbeliever will have to go. He won't be able to stay, because we know that in
the millennium Satan will be bound by the fact there will be no sinners there
to use. And so will be the church right before we take the rapture.
Don't think you will get into the tent through some window.
remember, Jesus told us the parable of the man that tried to enter the wedding
without being dressed for it, and he was thrown out into tribulation.
Spiritual food in due Season 66-0719e. 40.
Now, we find out that Elijah could
say that because the message of the hour and the Word of God... Or the
messenger, the Message--the Message and the Word was exactly the same thing.
The prophet, the Word, the Message; messenger, Message, and man was the same.
Jesus said, "If I do not the works that's written of Me, then don't
believe Me." That's good. Any man and his message is one. That's why
today that they do not believe in doing the works of God, because they do not
accept the Message of God. They don't believe the Message. But those
who believe God's hour that we're living in, these things are hidden food. Just
think. God has so hid it that they look right at it and don't see it. The
same way that Elijah blinded the Syrian army, the same way that God blinds the
unbeliever from the true genuine Food of the child, the believer.
Since
this is our communion night, I would like to read you a quote from brother
Branham's last communion service before going home to be with the Lord. And I want you to note the date and note also
the prophecy of what is coming in the future for the church. So this did not
happen during his time here. He was looking for it to yet come.
Communion 65-1212 P:22 You know, the hour will soon arise when right among us
will be, the Holy Spirit will speak out like It did in Ananias and Sapphira...?...
See, that hour is arriving. See? And we are... Now, you just
remember that (See?) that God is going to dwell among His people.
That's what He wants to do now. We could receive the Message as saying...
If I was a young man and hunting for a wife, and I could find a wife, I said,
"She's just perfect. She's a Christian. She's a lady. She's all this; I
got confidence." No matter how much confidence, how much I think she's
nice, I've got to receive her, she's got to receive me (See?) upon these vows. Well,
it's the same thing we find is the Message. We see It's right. We see
God vindicates It's right. It's perfectly right. Year after year, year after
year, It continues right, continues right. Everything It says, happens just
exactly the way He said. Now, we know It's right, but (See?) don't do
it from a intellectual standpoint. If you do, you got a second-handed religion.
See? We don't want a second-handed religion, something that somebody else
has experienced it and we are living off of their testimony.
Well, the days of Ananias and Sapphira are to repeat. and
don't forget brother Branham already saw his share of them as well. But this is
now, and that was 50 plus years ago. But God doesn't change. So it's time that
we change to what he wants us to be.
Jehovah Jireh 61-0212M P:26 And I said, "Because that you have said, and put that
on your prayer card, now you have it." And he died about sixty seconds.
See, we're not playing, church. We're living in the Presence of the Holy
Ghost." Remember Ananias and Sapphira? You better be sincere and
correct with God before you try that. Remember, "It's a fearful thing
to fall into the hands of the living God." See? There it was. It come
right upon him, and the diagnosis of the case and everything, showed he had
both cancer and TB. He said it, and his words come to pass. That's
just exactly. He sealed his own doom, just exactly. Like David did when he
stood before Nathan and said, "The man will surely die." See? He
will have to pay for it. You know what Nathan told him. He sealed his
own doom. So it's still the same God. We don't serve another God from
another day. Now, that's how it is, so just have faith in God.
Brother Branham said in his sermon, Does God change His mind 65-0427 P:39 Now, may I say this. They thought He was along. But they
found out in the crisis that He wasn't. See? He wasn't with them. Now,
we find out, that in the time that when this great thing has been brought up,
and we find out that we're missing something in our churches, and that is the
power of Christ. Now, look, I don't want to criticize. I love you, and
genuine, true love always is corrective. Now, we're missing Christ in our
church. We're missing Christ amongst our Pentecostal people, our brother
and sisters. There's something wrong. The old fashion prayer meetings they
used to have all day and night, they don't have them no more. Our women
used to wear long hair; they don't do it anymore. It would be a disgrace for
women to paint and use paint back in the early days, and act the way these
women do. Something went wrong. Nothing wrong with Christ (See?), but
something went wrong. Something is somewhere. The pulpit used to, wouldn't
have permitted such a thing as that, but it does now. See? The crisis is
on, and we're missing something. We're missing power that we ought to
have, where the big machine ought to be running up, and great signs and
wonders. Well, this building ought to be setting so full of power of
God, now, till a sinner couldn't stay in here; the Holy Spirit
condemning it, right quickly like that, like Ananias and Sapphira. And
we're missing something.
Questions and answers
Once more 63-1117 P:31 But I think that Samson here, what I want to parallel it to, is the
modern local... or not local, but the--the modern conditions of the church
today. It's a perfect parallel. The church has long lost its respect;
not because that God has failed the church, but the church has failed God.
It wasn't because that God had failed Samson, but Samson had failed God.
Where we ought to be standing in such a condition like the church was when
Ananias and Sapphira was brought before the church, but instead of that, we
have long compromised with the things of the world and brought it in, until
today, it to be called a bunch of holy-rollers, or just an ordinary other
denomination, just some church. There's not... It hasn't, doesn't pack the
dignity that it should have.
So
where is the respect? I'll tell you what it is. The Bible said at the time of
the Parousia of Christ there would be scoffers in the church, and the church
today is filled with scoffers, where Peter warns us in 2 Peter 3:3 Knowing
this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after
their own lusts, 4 And
saying, Where is the promise of his coming? (where is this
parousia that is promised? where is this Presence that is promised? And they're
still saying it today. O, they preach it but they don't believe he is here
because when he shows himself alive among us, they scoff and make fun of it. Go
ahead and scoff, but one day you will pay for with your life when you are
chased down like a hunted animal.) for since the
fathers fell asleep, (they say) all
things continue as they were from the beginning
of the creation.
Then
Peter tells us one thing they are ignorant of, That God's word created all
things, and whatsoever God says, it will surely come to pass exactly as he said
it.
Perseverance 62-0218 P:117 Now He set in the church, to keep the church in line with
the Word, what? Apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors, evangelists, offices
of the church. God-sent, not man-called; God-sent, inspired men
to keep the church lined up. Now, what is it? Gifts of the Spirit in the
church, not a bunch of fanaticism, but truly gifts of the Spirit in the
church. That's right, keeping the church. If a real church was
ordained of God, really filled with the Holy Spirit, if sin would appear
in the church, it'd be another like Ananias and Sapphira. When a real
church... I'd like to walk into one, see all the women and men under the
power of the Holy Spirit. If somebody had done something wrong, the Holy
Spirit rise right up and reveal it. They'd have to clean up. That's
gifts of the Spirit in the church. O God, send us a church like that;
send us one like that. You believe it? Christ, is He dead? He's alive.
So
either this is a real church or it is not. If it is not, then I expect we will
just come to church and all things will continue, as the scoffers said in 2 Peter. But if it is a real church, then expect
to see God's hand move. The Holy Ghost will call out sin and people will get
right before coming through those doors. That's right. They got upset with Br.
Branham when he told that woman to shut up and sit down, and the same thing
with Br. Vayle in the
Convinced then concerned 62-0118 P:118 You believe this to be the Spirit of God,
then It's condemning you. That's right. And how are you going to be condemned? The
guilty of the least is guilty of the whole. You know to do better. Someone
said... As I made a remark last night, someone said to me, "Brother
Branham, why don't you leave off them women? Leave off them men; quit doing
that." Said, "You're... People thinks you're a prophet." I
said, "I'm no prophet." He said, "People claim you to be though.
Why don't you teach them how to receive spiritual gifts?" I said,
"How can I teach them algebra when they don't even know their ABC's? They
don't have common decency enough to clean themselves up and act like
Christians. How you going to tell them spiritual things about heavenly
things?" That's right. Let the Pentecostal church straighten itself up,
get right with God, and I'll prove to you that the Holy Ghost will come right
in. Why, this... The church will be so full of the power of the Holy
Ghost there can't be one member do one sin. The Holy Ghost will call it right
out, like Ananias and Sapphira. Right. But you can't do it when you won't
even take your kindergarten training. Certainly not.
Presuming 62-0117 P:117 I've often wondered... I'd like to walk into a church. I hope I
get to see it before I die (in closing), walk into a church sometime, and walk
through there, and just see, oh, how sin couldn't even set in that church.
Any member would have to confess it before they even got there. The
Holy Spirit would call it right out on the spot, like that (See?), just
like, see the women setting there look like ladies, see men like men, really
men of integrity, Holy Ghost-filled men, Spirit-filled.
Let just one sin be in the church anywhere, the Holy Spirit call it right
out. Like Ananias, Sapphira, have it right there before you. See?
Oh, that's a church I'd like to see. I wished I could see it.
We would see Jesus 61-0409 P:57 How Saint Paul and those in the old days, how
that the visions broke upon them, and they done this same thing: Ananias
and Sapphira, and Paul upon the sea that night, and the Angel of the Lord stood
by him, and he walked out and told the people. And how that the great powers
of God was known in that early church. You promised it again in the last
days.
What it takes to overcome all unbelief 60-0729 P:15 First is apostles, prophets, teachers,
evangelists, pastors, those five God-given gifts in the church. So each
of you people, who has a godly pastor, has a gift from God in your church,
a shepherd. "Pastor" means "a shepherd," to watch over the
flock, to teach them the Word of God. Then these other nine different
spiritual gifts should be operating in the church to keep the church clean.
Like the Ananias and Sapphiras and so forth, the Spirit of God rise up and
call somebody out and tell them they're living wrong, and rebuke that sin
openly, and that's what the Holy Spirit is in the church for, to keep the
church clean and ready for the coming of the Lord. We believe that.
Well,
let me read you one quote no one can ever accuse me of. In his sermon, Queen of
Listen,
I don't care how much tithes they pay this church, if they sin, I'm obligated
to go talk to them, and so are you if you know it. They may not like it, but
that's Bible.
Manifested sons of God 60-0518 P:110 When the church begins to
get into its mighty power, when they have an Ananias and Sapphira, few of them. Yes, sir. You'll see when that holy
church stands together in its power, positionally placed as sons of God,
adopted into the family of God, powerful church standing there in its glory.
Oh, that's what He's coming for.
Why are we not a denomination? 58-0927 P:69 The Holy Spirit
segregates.
Ananias, Sapphira come in one time said so-and-so, and the Holy Spirit said,
"Why did you lie?" But we say, "Now, that's
Brother Jones, don't you say nothing bad about him now, he's the best payer we
got in church.
Witnesses 54-0303 P:53 Peter... Ananias and Sapphira come in with a big lie all fixed
up. Peter, being the Spirit of the Holy Ghost on him, he rebuked their
sins and told them what they'd done. You see this practically the same
thing night by night, the Holy Spirit revealing, showing.
God's provided way 53-1201 P:56 Peter and John was ignorant and unlearned
man. The Bible said they were absolutely ignorant. But they had to take notice
to them, they'd been with Jesus. That's the main thing. That's right. They had
enough faith to heal a man at the gate called Beautiful. Peter had enough
power of God in him to tell Ananias, "You are lying."
That's right. He kept back that money. "And Sapphira, you did the same
thing." Scared them so bad they had a heart attack and died. They packed
them out and buried them. Amen. That same God lives today. That same
program is God's program for today.
Faith in the Son of God 52-0715 P:25 I tell you, when they seen that discerning,
that Spirit moving and pointing the person, and telling who it was, the critics
hushed. But today, they're brazen.