Faith no 42

Falling Away from The Faith

October 29, 2017

Brian Kocourek, Pastor

2 Timothy 4:3-4 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the Living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5  But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

The Amplified Version puts it this way, 2 Timothy 4:3-4 AMPLIFIED "For the time is coming when people will no longer tolerate sound and wholesome instruction, but having ears itching for something that is pleasing and gratifying, they will gather to themselves one teacher after another to a considerable number, chosen to satisfy their own liking and to foster the errors they hold, And will turn aside from hearing the Truth and they shall wander off into myths and man-made fictions.  Fables = make - belief

And so we find then what these self proclaimed teachers are, in fact is a bunch of politicians who will not teach the Truth, but they will teach what they think people want to hear in order to gain bigger crowds. And so we find then that through these men, many will be led astray from the Truth and they will be turned unto man-made fictions. These men will turn the people away from what is real to that which is make-believe. Thus we actually see the prophetic utterance of God that tells us that their will arise ministries that are especially made (ordained in life) for the purpose of alluring away from the Truth those who are only make believers themselves.

Now this is important to understand, because we know that the Elect will not be deceived. But here we find certain men who are ordained to teach the make believers how to make believe. In other words, they will teach them how to play church.

Paul said you've got to hit the doctrine and reprove the people and rebuke them with the doctrine, yet the pulpits are full of people saying don't teach doctrine if you want a large church. God pity the man who thinks like that and calls himself a minister. God said preach the Word. Preach, that word means to proclaim, rebuke, exhort, reprove using the doctrine to do so.

Now, you remember a week ago we spoke on the 84 attributes and characteristics that will earmark the time of the Parousia of Christ. And we pointed out that one of them will be deception, where everything is fake, Fake News, Fake Gospel, Fake Education, Fake Medicine, you name it, and we are seeing the time has arrived where everything is one big deception.

And the Apostle Paul warned us in both of his Epistles to Timothy and also to the Thessalonians that this will be the earmark of the end time.

So it is easy then to see when Paul speaks in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-13 that he is again warning us of the end time conditions, the conditions that will arise at the time of the Parousia of Christ, because at that time Satan will also have a Parousia and will be bring on as much deception as he can.

1  Now we beseech you, brethren, by the Parousia Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2  That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

So the apostle Paul is warning us that the Great Parousia presence will be earmarked with a falling away first. And then in verse 10 we read,

...10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. (The Wuest Translation says the deception in the people is geared to the gullibility of those who are perishing, this gullibility being caused by the fact that they di dnot accept the love for the truth to the end they might be saved.)

This same Apostle teaches us in Romans 9:22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

So if they are fitted for destruction then they were made to be taken and destroyed. And the means of being caught up into the lie, is because that is what they want to believe. The teachers don't tell them things they don't want to hear. The Bible says that teachers will tell them what their itching ears want to hear. They tell them what their own ears want to hear. They are made to receive the deception, because they love the deception.

That is what the Bible says, Revelations 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15  For without are dogs, (that's male prostitutes, which are preachers, and Isaiah calls them dumb dogs that cannot bark.)

Isaiah 56:10 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark;

Notice, watchmen that cannot preach, why? They are lazy and will not study the word. See that is what Isaiah says, sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.

Now, back to Revelations 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15  For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

So they love the lie, and that puts them out of the kingdom. That may sound harsh but its Bible truth.

John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

Notice, now going back to 2 Timothy 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. They can't come to the understanding of the Truth because they will not give up their own thinking.

Br. Branham said in the Masterpiece the 64-0705 P:104 What is it? It's the devil, taking them right straight to that slaughter, every one of them going in... Exactly what the Bible said. And here it is. See, come right in amongst the Pentecostals and just pulled them right straight, just as... What a time. Oh, after that testimony, someone said to me... It's a good thing I didn't say very much, 'cause they'd probably have me in jail up there; but I just thought, "There it is." The people who's taught, knows. "The wise shall know their God in that day," it said in Daniel. Yes, sir. See? The wise will know their God; they're watching for these things. But when I seen that happen, and them Pentecostals stand there with him... Even Oral Roberts looked at me like that. I said, "Ooh, my." Umm. But standing up there with a education, and polished, you know, and so forth. That's not the way God polishes His. He don't polish His with education; He polishes in humility and in power of His manifested Word, showing the shape of the Grain that it went from.

Now, The Wuest Translation says that "this deception is geared to the gullibility of those who are perishing and that this gullibility is caused by the fact that they did not have a love for the Truth."

2 Thessalonians 2: 10-12 "Of every kind of wicked deception geared to the gullibility of those who are perishing. This gullibility being caused by the fact that they did not accept the love for the Truth to the end that they might be saved. And because of this God sends them a deluding influence resulting in their believing the lie, in order that they all might be judged who did not believe the truth but took delight in wickedness."

So if they are geared to the gullibility of the lie, then that means they were made that way. I like his illustration that those who are perishing are geared to the gullibility which if you understand what a gear is, it is made in such a way that it fits itself to the gullible delusion.

And in Romans 9:22 Paul said, What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

One point in the above verse requires separate consideration - "Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction." The usual explanation which is given of these words is that the vessels of wrath fit themselves to destruction, that is, fit themselves by virtue of their wickedness; and it is argued that there is no need for God to "fit them to destruction", because they are already fitted by their own depravity, and that this must be the real meaning of this expression. Now if by "destruction" we understand punishment, it is perfectly true that the non-elect do "fit themselves", for everyone will be judged "according to his works"; and further, we freely grant that subjectively the non-elect do fit themselves for destruction. But the point to be decided is, Is this what the apostle is here referring to? And, without hesitation, we reply it is not. Go back to Rom. 9:11-13: did Esau fit himself to be an object of God's hatred, or was he not such before he was born? Again; did Pharaoh fit himself for destruction, or did not God harden his heart before the plagues were sent upon Egypt?

2 Thessalonians 2: 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that (for the purpose) that they should believe the lie: 12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in un-right-wise-ness.

In other words they took pleasure in wrong understanding. 13  But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

Now, in 1 Timothy 4:1-2  we read AMPLIFIED But  the Holy Spirit distinctly and expressly declares that in the latter times some will turn away from THE FAITH, by giving heed to deluding and seducing spirits and doctrines of demons. 

And so we see that there has to be a falling away first, and this falling away we are told is from The Faith. And it comes because they give heed to seducing spirit who teach doctrines brought to them by demons. And if they fall away from The Faith, then there is as Paul said in Ephesians 4:5 only One Faith because there is only One Lord.

Brother Branham said in his sermon, Anointed ones at end time 65-0725M P:186 Matthew 24:24, "false christs, false anointed, doing signs and wonders to deceive the elected)--"now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so will these reprobates..." Reprobate mind concerning the faith, not a faith, the Faith. One faith, one Lord, one... You can't have one faith without believing in one Lord.

So I don't care who says it, if you preach Two Lords you have more than one faith. And you can't preach two Lords without eventually coming to the place where you must preach two Christ's. And that's wrong, just wrong. Moses taught One Lord, Jesus taught One Lord, Paul taught One lord, William Branham taught One Lord.

And they all said to add to or take away you know the consequences. One word off is Satan's kingdom. So stick with the Scriptures and you will do well.

And since we were instructed by God's Vindicated Prophet that Faith is A Revelation, and since there is only one revelation spoken of in the Scripture and that Revelation is the Revelation of Jesus Christ according to Galatians 1:12, 1 Peter 1:13, and Revelations 1:1 then we see that any other revelation besides the Revelation of Jesus Christ, (Who He is and what He is doing), is pure and simply a false precept of man. And so we see that the falling away will be from this Message. Because it has to be from the true revelation of Jesus Christ.

In Luke 18:8 Jesus asks the question, "When the Son of Man cometh, Shall He find Faith on the earth?" And that is what we are looking at this morning. Shall He find Faith? Shall He find Revelation? But what we see in the end time is a picture of men rising up who proclaim to be ministers of  The Faith but as we see them manifesting themselves, we find they are actually impostors.

And now this brings us to the next point. These men who are called impostors are actually ordained to their roles of condemnation.

In Jude we read that these men crept in unaware. So they crept into where? There's only one place where God is dealing with in this hour and that is in this Message of the hour.

The NIV says "for certain men who were of old ordained to this condemnation secretly slipped in among you."  Among you, who? Jude is addressing "to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called". That is God's Elect, and where are they assembling? Where so ever the carcass is there the eagles will gather.

In 2 Timothy 3:13 we read, But wicked men and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and leading astray others and being deceived and led astray themselves.

And finally we find this group of make believers who have heaped to themselves teachers to tell them what their itching ears want to hear.

We find this also in Hosea 4:6-9 Like people like priests.

Now with this in mind, let's look at the difference this morning between the make-believer and the foolish virgin. The make believer is not a virgin, she is not living a sanctified life, although they might try to fool others into thinking it is so, but just because they say it doesn't make it so. The Foolish Virgin is a sanctified person. so that is one difference.

From his sermon, 27-4  THREE KINDS OF BELIEVERS  63-1124E brother Branham said,  "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, ... 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.

And again in 28-2  THREE KINDS OF BELIEVERS  63-1124E brother Branham said,  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.

And again in 28-4  THREE KINDS OF BELIEVERS  63-1124E brother Branham said,  " 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 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 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.

But notice it is different with the foolish virgin. In his sermon 156  Ten Virgins 60-1211M brother Branham said, " Now, watch, they, both of them were virgins. Now, let me get this. Here, let's take these two right here. This is a virgin and this is a virgin. This was a foolish virgin and this was a wise virgin, but both of them are virgins.  Now, if you'll take that name "virgin" and run it down, it means "holy, clean, sanctified." The word "sanctify" comes from the word "sainted," which means "clean." Like the Hebrew word... Now, that's a Greek word; "sanctify" means "clean."

And again in his sermon E-35  Sudden Secret Going Away of the Church  58-1012] brother Branham said How many of you, all perhaps, have read of the virgins? Some were wise and some were foolish. "Virgin" means "purity." They were all good people, everyone of them virgin, sanctified vessels of God. But those who had oil in their lamps went in. And the others was left out. They were all virgins, everyone people that you couldn't put your finger on for anything wrong. They everyone believed in the coming of the Lord. They were ready to go meet Him, but some of them let their oil go out. Don't let that be your case. Keep oil in your lamp. Oil is the Spirit, the Holy Spirit. Never let it drain from you. When you feel your love dying away, your sincerity to Christ, and to the cause, quickly go to Him Who has the Fountain of Oil and buy for yourself a filling of the Holy Spirit.

Now the lamp is the Word of God, but if you don't have oil in your vessel you will never have light on the Word. That's 1 Corinthians 2 "wehat man can understand the tjings of God except the spirit of God be in him?

John said in 1 John 3 But ye have an anointing from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

And we find in Psalm 119: 105 Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.  

So we see that both wise and foolish had lamps, the Word of God, but one had oil in her vessel meaning she had the holy Ghost and the other did not. But both lived clean lives, and neither persecuted the other. They co existed.

But notice what brother Branham tell us in explaining this lamp the Wise Virgin had what it being lit signified. You will find it was John 14:12. There Life was reflecting the Life of the Word.

73  Conflict Between God and Satan 62-0531 Fire is the confirmation of the Light coming from the Word. The smart virgin, the wise virgin, had oil in her lamp, and she trimmed her lamp and lit it. Now, what is it? Now, God is the Word; the Oil is the Spirit; and the Fire is the Gospel Light on that Oil. Amen. God said so. See? That's the vessel. All right. The Oil is in the vessel, and the Fire burning it, shows that it's reflecting the Light of what the Word said. See? That's the reflection. Now, that wise virgin could do that; but that other, foolish virgin, was on the outside, had no Oil. And they couldn't reflect nothing but just their church and their denomination. See? Now, "You say the Word... You said the Word was Spirit?" Yes, sir. God said, "My Word is Spirit." That's right.  The true Bride must be unified by the Word. Now, remember, if she is a part of Christ, she has to be the Word of Christ. In order to be the Word of Christ, you have to be baptized into Christ. And when you're in Christ, you believe Christ and Christ is the Word.

So the foolish virgin are not the ones who fall away. They are not the ones who are deceived. They just don't have the Holy Ghost, and they don't fight with the wise Virgins. They co-exist with them, living side by side until the great separation comes at the time of the Parousia of Christ. The Wise Virgin have light to see who is here, and so with their light they go into the wedding supper. Brother Branham said they reflect the Light, in other words they are conformed to the Image. They manifest as sons should manifest. The others do not know who came down and therefore they go to them that sell to try to figure out what this midnight cry is all about.

But the Apostle Paul warned us in Galatians 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

Now, notice who Paul is addressing. Not the elect, but the churches. 1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) 2  And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:

To understand this that is taking place we need to understand who this one is that called them into the Grace of Christ. Because Jesus taught us in Matthew 22 that "many are called but few are chosen." And Jesus also said in John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

And the Apostle Paul tells us who called us, and it is God as we see in 2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 8  Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; 9  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Now, in getting back to Galatians 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you (removed themselves from God) into the grace of Christ unto another gospel Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.13 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:

And of course we know that the Paul's conversion came directly from God as He had shown Himself to Paul in the form of the Pillar of fire and revealed Himself to Paul.

Now, I want to focus on what Paul said especially in verse 6. 6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

Therefore we should consider this very carefully. And therefore we should "take the Word just as He said it," Therefore, God's Word says what He means and His Word means what He said. And that is what broke the union between God and man, that is what broke the oneness and fellowship God had with his son Adam, and it broke up Life! To break the continuity of Scripture or give it another meaning than what was written is to give another nature to it and therefore another Spirit altogether. Then it is no longer the same Spirit, but another Spirit. Then it is no longer the same message but another Message, another Gospel.

Notice Paul said, 6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ... Removed from Who? He said they had removed themselves from God, And they were removed to where? He said to "another Gospel".

6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

Yes, sir, he said they left God who brought them into the grace of Christ for another Gospel. You hear that, they left God for "Another Gospel".

Now, the Greek word Paul used which was translated as "another" is the word "heteros". Now, the word "heteros", means "different" but not altogether different but rather of a "different nature", "another nature".

When we use the word "heteros" in our English language we usually place it as an adjective before the noun. We say a man is "hetero-sexual" meaning he is attracted by those of the opposite sex, those of another nature.

So the Apostle Paul tells us they have left Christ for a Gospel or Message of a "different nature" than the one he preached. Therefore if it is a Gospel of "another nature", then it must be of a "different Spirit", right? And Paul goes on to say, it is not another as if a completely different one in substance, but only in nature.

Galatians 1:7 Which is not another; (this word "another" is not translated from the same Greek word "heteros", meaning different in nature, but rather from a Greek word "allos" which means "different altogether"). But notice Paul said it is not "Allos," it is not an altogether different Gospel, and then he explains why when he says, "but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ."

So we see the reason it is a perverted Gospel is because it's nature has been changed from the nature of Gospel that Paul taught.

Notice, the Apostle Paul tells us it is a perverted Gospel with a perverted nature. The word "pervert" here was taken from the Greek word "meta strepho" which means literally "to change the mind." In other words, this Gospel of a different nature is a mind altering Gospel that these men crept in and got the people to "change their mind", change there thinking concerning the nature and characteristics of the Word Paul had presented.

Paul said the people in his day had come to the place where they were worshipping another Jesus, a different one altogether and using the same Gospel but presenting it in a perverted manner and thus the people heard a Gospel with a different nature and were thus receiving a Spirit with a different nature as well.

Notice the Apostle Paul called it "a perverted Gospel". Not a different one altogether, for they still use the same words, "Christ, Holy Spirit, Word, Church, Token, Presence, etc. but when you listen to what they have to say it is altogether of a different nature.

Let's turn to 2 Corinthians 11:1-4 and read what the Apostle Paul had to say in warning the Corinthians church. 1 Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. 2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, (that word another was translated from the Greek word "allos", meaning a different Jesus altogether) whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, (but notice this word another is translated from the Greek word "heteros", meaning of a "different nature") which ye have not received, or another gospel, (a Gospel of a different nature) which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. He says why do you put up with it. And then the Apostle Paul says, ... 5 For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles. 6 But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.

The Expanded Bible puts it this way, 4 You ·are very patient to willingly put up with; or gladly tolerate anyone who comes to you and preaches a different Jesus from the one we preached. You are very willing to accept a spirit that is different from the Spirit you received, or a gospel that is different from the one you ·accepted or received from us.

I also like the way the version called The Message says it, 4-6 lays out the thought Paul is saying here. "It seems that if someone shows up preaching quite another Jesus than we preached—different spirit, different message—you put up with him quite nicely. But if you put up with these big-shot “apostles,” why can’t you put up with simple me? I’m as good as they are. It’s true that I don’t have their voice, haven’t mastered that smooth eloquence that impresses you so much. But when I do open my mouth, I at least know what I’m talking about. We haven’t kept anything back. We let you in on everything.

Here we see Paul telling us that a Message of a different nature will bring with it a different Spirit, and that present to you a totally different Jesus altogether than what he preached. They could be presenting a Gospel using the same quotes and scriptures and yet because they have a wrong understanding they will be presenting a totally different Jesus while claiming to believe the same Jesus Paul believed. Always remember and never forget, unless you have the same Holy Spirit that dwelt in Christ Jesus and in Paul you will never understand the things of God.

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 (God's 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 (there's your key right there, we receive the Spirit of God that we might know, for the purpose of knowing and understanding) 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, (that means it is impossible for him to know the things of God, Why?) because they are spiritually discerned. It takes the Spirit of God to know the things of God.

15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

How many foolish people will try and twist brother Branham's words. The Oneness believe he was a Trinitarian, while the Trinitarian believe he was oneness. Others try to make him say things he never said, and some claim he taught that you do not need to understand, you only need to believe. He explicitly taught that only the Elect will understand. For how can you believe without knowing what you believe?

Now, I hope you understand how important it is to know the Truth, for "the Truth shall make you free." Not only should you know the Truth, but also you should love it, for if you do not love it, it is right there that you are placing yourself in a position to be deceived as we have already covered this in 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12

And so we see because they have not a love for the Truth, God Himself will send them the strong delusion that will cause them to leave the Truth. Now if you think for one minute that you are more than able to resist what God sends, your only fooling yourself. And God is ever watchful of your attitudes. Remember, He knows the very innermost thoughts that you have. And you've got to love it with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your soul, or you will open yourself up for deception.

I Timothy 4:1-2 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from The Faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

These are hypocritical liars, because they know better but refuse to teach the truth. The scriptures does not tell us, "some shall depart from faith", but from "The Faith," and we know that faith is a Revelation. and there is only one Revelation that the Scriptures speak about, and that is the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Moses had to deal with the same problem during the first Exodus as we see in Deuteronomy 13:13 Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you,

and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods,

which ye have not known;

Again we see in Deuteronomy 32:15 But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation. 16 They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger. 17 They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not. 18 Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee. 19 And when the LORD saw it, he abhorred them, because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters. 20 And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.

In God’s Only Provided Place of worship Brother Branham said, "nothing in the Bible types the denominations but Babylon. And Babylon was founded by Nimrod, and Nimrod was a renegade.” and according to Webster a renegade is a person who abandons his religion for another. An Apostate.

Now, remember the signs and attributes and characteristics that show that the days of the Parousia of Christ is here, we read a couple weeks ago from what Jesus said in Matthew 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.10 And then shall many be offended, (this word means offended) skandalizo to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one that he ought to trust and obey; to cause to fall away. And notice what this being offended does, it causes them to desert the ones that they should trust, and then they shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure or remains unto the end, the same shall be saved.

In the Gospel of John 6:63 we read, It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. 65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

Now I want you to notice the next verse because it is chapter 6 and verse 66 or 666. And we know that 666 is the mark of the beast, right? And when did Cain receive the mark of the beast? When he went out from the presence of the Lord. And notice the attributes of those we see in John 6:66.

66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

That’s a-pousia, which means absence.

We see this mark of the beast in Genesis 4:15b-16. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.16 And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

Now, back to John 6:67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. 70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? 71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve. 7:1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.

Hebrews 3:7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. 11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) 12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

Notice he said it is the evil heart of unbelief that will depart from the presence of God. Let me read several more Scriptures concerning this departure from the Presence of God before we close in prayer.

Hebrews 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

Hebrews 10:35–39 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which has great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw-back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Hebrews 12: 25 See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused Him that Spoke on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from Him Who speaketh from Heaven.

Acts 13: 41 Behold, ye despisers, and wonder and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.

2 Peter 3: 17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.

1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from The Faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy,; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

2 Timothy 3:1-9 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6  For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7  Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8  Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 9  But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. (read)

2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. And they shall turn away their ears from the Truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Hebrews 6:4 For it is impossible for those who have been once for all enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly Gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the Good Word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, (if they shall deviate from the truth), it is impossible for them to once again come to repentance (which is a change of the mind) seeing that they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, or as brother Branham put it, they crucify themselves by rejecting This Word.

Hebrews 10: 26 For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the Truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for our unbelief.

2 Peter 2: 1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring I damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon them swift destruction.. now let’s forward to verse 15 which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 17 these are wells without water,(No water no Word) clouds (witnesses) that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever. 20 For if after they have escaped the pollution's of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the Holy Commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the True proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her own wallowing in the mire.

1 Timothy 6:8 If any man teach otherwise and consent no to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the Doctrine which is according to Godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strife’s of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the Truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

2 Timothy 4;10 Demas totally abandoned Paul.

Luke 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.

Acts 7:39 Whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust Him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt saying unto Aaron, make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

The next few Scriptures show the Punishment of renegades who turn back or walk away from God.

1 Chronicles 28:9 if thou forsake Him He will cast thee off for ever.

Isaiah 1: 28 The destruction of transgressors and of sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed.

Jeremiah 17:5 Cursed be the man whose heart departeth from the Lord.

Ezekiel 3: 20 When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die:

Ezekiel 18: 24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and commiteth iniquity, and doth according to all the abominations that wicked man doeth, shall he live?

Ezekiel 18:26 When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and commiteth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.

Matthew 13:20 But he that receiveth the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the Word, and anon with joy receiveth it. Yet hath no root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the Word, by and by he is (offended). skandalizo

John 15:6 If a man abideth not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered: and men gather them into the fire, and they are burned.

2 Timothy 4: 1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Let us pray