Faith no 8

Faith (Revelation) is Sovereignly Given

June 7, 2017

Brian Kocourek, Pastor

Let us stand to our feet and read from Luke 18:8 "I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?"

Let us pray,...

This evening we will look at The (Faith) of Jesus Christ which brother Branham taught us in His Sermon The Rapture that "Faith is a Revelation". So what we are looking at then is The (Revelation) of Jesus Christ and this evening we will focus our thoughts on how This Revelation of Jesus Christ is sovereignly given by God.

In paragraph 50 of brother Branham's sermon on Who is this Melchisedec brother Branham explained to us the sovereignty of God in bringing forth the revelation of Himself.

Who Is This Melchisedec  65-0221E  50 And remember, you, your eyes, your statue, whatever you was, you were in His thinking at the beginning.

And of course we see his statement comes from Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

"And the only thing that you are is the expression word. After He thought it, He spoke it, and here you are. If it isn't, if you wasn't in His thinking, there's no way at all for you ever to be there, for He's the One that gives Eternal Life.

Now, notice what he is telling us here is that God is sovereign concerning who receives Eternal Life for after all, he is the fountain of Eternal Life.

"You remember how we read the Scriptures, "Not him that willeth, or him that runneth, but God..." And that His predestination might stand true, He could choose before anytime who... God's sovereign in His choosing, did you know that? God's sovereign. Who was back yonder to tell Him a better way to make the world? Who would dare to tell Him He was running His business wrong? Even the very Word Itself, very sovereign... Even the revelation is sovereign. He reveals to whom He will reveal. The very revelation itself is sovereign in God. That's how people pound at things, and jump at things, and hit at things, and not knowing what they're doing. God is sovereign in His works.

Now, brother Branham is making a very important statement here when he tells us that even the way God reveals Himself,  and to whom He reveals Himself, is sovereignly given. He says, Even the revelation is sovereign. He reveals to whom He will reveal. The very revelation itself is sovereign in God

Now, we believe brother Branham is a Word Prophet to this age, so let's check this out for ourselves in the Scriptures.  

Luke 10:21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. 22 All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. 23 And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: 24 For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Now, notice the words of Jesus while praying to the Father. There are three very distinct things That Jesus says in this prayer that will make our case for what William Branham is teaching here.

#1) Jesus says, "thou hast hid these things from"…  And then He names a couple specific groups of people that God, His Father hid these things from, namely the wise and the prudent.

#2) Jesus says,  "and hast revealed them unto,"…  And then He specifically names a group of people that are allowed to receive these things that were hidden from the other group. That group is those who he calls babes, Children, More specifically His Children and clarifies which types of babes by saying

Again in Matthew 11:25 ¶ At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. 26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. 27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

Notice that in both references of scripture Jesus is speaking of two types of people that God has hidden these things from, namely the Wise and the prudent.

The first Group are those He calls wise which comes from the Greek word, sophos  and is commonly referred to as wise. It means more specifically those who are skilled or expert in letters, those who have been cultivated, and who are called the learned: such as the Greek philosophers and orators, or Jewish theologians.

The reason for this is that these men by having been taught and cultivated in their minds, have come to the place where their pattern of thought or thinking is of such a manner that it is literally impossible for them to change their mindset.

These are men who have trained their minds to think in a certain manner and cannot accept anything outside the way which they have been taught. That is why you hear brother Branham speak so much against men striving for PHD's and LLD's. That is why you see the medical profession filled with people who are so set in their ways that they would call any new medical break-through voodoo magic.

I know first-hand having heard those exact words come from a member of the Board of a medical organization I used to work with after the board was given a presentation of a medical device that could by placing it on your finger determine some bio metrics of a patient. That device is in use today all across America but back then one physician was so sure it was voodoo magic solely because he never learned this technology in school.

The other Group that God hides his word from are those Jesus called the prudent. These are the  sunetos or prudent, the so called  intelligent ones, the highly trained and highly educated ones, those men who have trained their minds to a certain understanding, and therefore they are called the wise and  so called learned, the so called experts. But if their expertise is based on wrong thinking, then what good is their so called expertise.

And our Hospitals and Universities and other institutions of learning like seminaries are filled with this kind of wrong thinking.

I Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 22  For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

You know, people glory in their education and their status in social circles, but let me tells you a fact. Education can't save your soul. Social Standing cannot get you into the Kingdom of God. It is not what you know in life that will gain you anything, it is who you know. And it is no different with God. Get to know Him, and it will change your life not only in this world, but in the ages to come.

I Corinthians 2:1 ¶  And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 That (for the very purpose that) your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 6 ¶ Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:  8 Which none of the princes of this world knew:

Look, you people know what the world's most highly educated people don't know. You have information that all the intelligence agencies of this world have no clue concerning. You know what the dignitaries have no understanding of. And Paul tells us the evidence that they did not have this understanding is shown in their actions.

"for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." 

And the educated elites and social elites, and religious elites and medical elites are still crucifying him afresh and putting him to an open shame today by the fact how they have opened up the entire western world to that demonic religion called Islam and have tolerated the takeover and dominance of Islam in the western world.

Eternal Life and Christianity is not a tolerant life. It fully rejects Satan and his workers of iniquity. Jesus was not a tolerant person, He took a whip and went into the headquarters of most Religious people the Jews, and whipping them he drove them out of the Temple, yelling at them that HIs Father's House is a house of prayer, and they had made it a den of thieves.

But the Social elites, the political elites, the educational elites and the medical elites have sold their birthright for a mess of pottage and everyone of them will end up in hell for choosing the way of death, over God's Hidden Revelation of Jesus Christ.

We are told in Proverbs 14:12 and Proverbs 16:25"For there is a way which seemeth right unto man, but the ways therof are the ways of death."

Now, back to I 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.

And because God has hidden it from the educated groups, and the social climbers, and the educated religious peoples, and the elites in all human entities, therefore they have no clue what is in store for them that Love God. But notice what Paul says next...)

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; in order 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 teaches; 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. (It takes being filled with the Spirit of God to discern the things of God) 15 But he that is spiritual (he that is spirit full) 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.

Secondly, we must ask ourselves what were these things that were hidden from the wise and prudent? It would appear by reading Matthew 11 that the things Jesus is speaking of are the supernatural presence and manifestation of God which took place in his ministry.

We see Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: 21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

But with a careful reading of Matthew 11 we see that it wasn't the actual mighty work but the hidden meaning behind that work, namely that God was there on the scene vindicating the Message, and as such by recognizing this they would automatically come to a place of repentance.

As the Catholic priest said in reference to the supernatural events that took place at Fatima. He said, "when God does anything in the supernatural by way of catching the eye of the people and therefore their attention, it is not that God does so to put on a show, but rather to cause the people to shut up and listen."

And yet we have so many who even claim to believe God sent a prophet fail to recognize that William Branham had absolutely nothing to do with what God did in this hour except to be a witness of it, and perhaps that He was wise enough and humble enough to get himself out of the way so that God could use his Body to demonstrate His presence through.

Brother Branham posted across the front of the Tabernacle sanctuary in big bold letters that said, "Be still and know that I am God.".

But a closer reading of that Scripture gives us a much better picture of what that very sign really meant to say,… Psalms 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God (Why?, Because)  I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.  11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

In other words, if you die to self and become very still you will see, and then you will know what God is doing in this last hour. Therefore it is God's intent not to do things just to entertain you, but he does things to catch your attention that you might KNOW. Therefore it is most imperative that we listen carefully to what God has for us that we might not continue on in our error, but that we might have an understanding.

He said, "if Sodom and Gomorrah had seen what you have seen, they would have known what to do with it, and they would have repented".

But the people now as it was then are so "dull of hearing and seeing" that these things could happen before your very eyes and they will never understand what it is all about.

And yet Jesus tells us in Matthew 13 that God purposely hides the Revelation from all who are not ordained to know and to understand it.

Matthew 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 

Now notice, they asked him " Why speakest thou  unto them in parables?"  this then speaks of another group of people, not those in his inner circle, not those in his presence, but it speaks of others who also heard the things that Jesus said. Now, let's contrast this with the same scene as witnessed by Mark in the Gospel of Mark.

Mark 4:10 And when he was alone, (Notice here that He did not just blurt this out in public, but He was very careful to speak only to those who were ordained to hear this understanding). And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. 11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

Notice again the words of Jesus, "I speak a certain way to you but to those on the outside, I speak in a way which purposely hides what I am trying to get across to you."

Verse 11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 

In other words, it is given to you as a gift to know, but to others it is not given to them as a gift to know. The word "given" he used here was translated from the Greek word  "didomi"  and it means to give or grant, of one's own accord to give one something, to his advantage; to bestow a gift. Notice then that the thing Jesus is telling them here is that these things He is saying to them is for their advantage. It is for their benefit but it is not for the benefit of  those on the outside.

12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

Now the word hath here is taken from the Greek word ECHO and it means not only to hold and possess. And since it comes from the very same word echo which the English language borrowed from the Greek, then it also means a reflection or giving back in the same way as original was given.

Therefore we see a principle that God gives to those who He has built in such a way as to be able to give back, or reflect back, or to offer back what God has given to them.

And those who cannot echo and those who are not built in such a way as to be able to offer back to God what God has given, and even those things that they think they have He will take from them.

12 For whosoever echoes, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever echoes not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

And what does Jesus mean by saying they cannot echo? He is speaking about their understanding and ability to comprehend and therefore apply that which He gives them.

And why does he say they are not able to reflect back or echo His promises? Because those promises are not meant for them. God is sovereign in Who shall receive His promises.

Mark 4:12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. Therefore he leaves no doubt as to why He reveals to some and hides the Revelation of Jesus Christ to others. It is not for them.

Notice as we read again from Matthew 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12  For whosoever echoes, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever echoes not, from him shall be taken away even that he thinks he echoes. 13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 15  For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, (To be converted means to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Jesus said to peter, "when you are converted strengthen your brethren." When you are filled with the holy Ghost strengthen our brethren.)

15  For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

That is why Brother Branham said in The Token,

The Token 63-0901M  19-8    I don't care. You might've cast out devils; you might've healed the sick by your prayer of faith. You might've done all these things, but if that Token's not there, you're under the wrath of God. You might be a believer. You might stand in the pulpit and preach the Gospel. "Many will come to Me in that day and say 'Lord, Lord, have not I prophesied in Your Name? preached in Your Name. Have not I cast out devils in Your Name?' (That's both Methodist, Baptist and Pentecostals.)" Jesus said, "Depart from Me, you that work iniquity; I never even knew you." "But when I see the Token, I'll pass over you". It's God's requirement of the hour. The evening time message is to apply the Token. 20-1 Satan's throwed all kinds of counterfeits of shaking hands and evidences and everything like that. Forget it. The hour has arrived that the Token Itself, not some counterfeit, make-believe substitutionary, anything; the hour is here when the Token Himself is identifying Himself right among us and proving that He's the same Jesus yesterday, today, and forever, and He's right with the Word. It's got to be applied. A man that says that he's got the Token, deny this Word, then what about it? See, you can't do it. The Token's got to be there. When I... "The Blood shall be a Token unto you." Now, the Holy Spirit, the Life that was in the Blood is a Token unto you. (Get to it in a moment. See?) The Holy Ghost is the Token. The case is closed. Yes, sir.

Now, before we go further, I want you to notice that brother Branham is making a fine distinction between The Token and a token. The Token is The Holy Ghost Himself, identifying Himself right among us, and proving or vindicating that He is the Same and He changes not.  But he also speaks of a token which he calls the life that was in the blood but is now in the believer. But what must be displayed is the Question? And the answer is this,  You cannot display The Token, because He alone can display Himself. But what you must display is the evidence that the very Life that was in the Blood has come into you and this will be evidenced in your life by your response to the Personal Presence of The Token Himself in your midst.

Notice the fashion in which brother Branham rightly divides the thought here of a token and The Token. He uses the article "THE" to refer to the Person of the Holy Spirit Himself, and he uses the letter "a" to refer to the attributes of the God Life in the believer. We find this same article The used in the scriptures as well in referring to the difference between THE Holy Spirit in contradistinction to those attributes of Life that are imparted to the Believer.

John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Notice the way this Scripture is written. The Spirit speaks of God Who is Spirit and Life and notice that it is preceded with the article THE and has a capital letter "S" designating the person of the Holy Spirit. Then notice the last two words, "is spirit". This  speaks of the Pneuma or the life of God which is in you by the new birth, but it is not speaking of  God Himself, and it is not a capital "s" but rather a small "s". And we know that brother Branham pointed out that when the word angel is spelled with a capital "A", it refers to heavenly angels, and with a small case "a" it refers to men who are messengers. 

QA HEBREWS PART 3 57-1006  334-787  Where Angels are concerned, of heavenly Angels, it's a big "A," capital "A." Where it's a little "a," it's men, angels.

Brother Branham  goes on to say,  20-4 Now, remember, and, doesn't matter what you are, how good you are, how many times you jumped up and down, how many churches you've joined, how many good things you've done; it won't mean one thing to you, if the Token isn't applied. This is the evening time. That worked all right in the days of Luther. That worked all right in the days of Wesley. But it don't work now. No. Yeah, keeping up the lamb was all right then. Those who died then before the lamb was applied, the blood, it was different. Yes, sir. They went on because of good conscience. They'd be judged whether they were... If they were predestinated, it struck them. If it didn't, it don't. That's all. It's just God. He justifies who He will, have mercy on who He will, and He condemn who He will. He's God. That's all. He has mercy on whom He has mercy and condemns who He wants to condemn.

Now in getting back to Matthew 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, 

Remember the heart always refers to their understanding, and therefore if their heart has waxed gross it means their understanding has hardened or thickened, or crystallized and they cannot learn anything more than what they already know, like Lot's wife who also crystallized and stopped right in her footsteps and could go no further.

And when you stop learning, you become stupid, and that is exactly what the Greek definition says. 1) to make thick, to make fat, fatten; metaph. to make stupid (to render the soul dull or callous).

Jesus continues by saying, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; (they close them, therefore this ignorance is a willful ignorance)  lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

We see also the same thoughts witnessed to by Mark in the Gospel of Mark but this time with a slightly better understanding of the scene in which Jesus was speaking these things to the Apostles.

12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

This is the time of Laodicea, the time of "peoples rights", It began with women's rights, the suffragettes movement, then to racial rights, and then on to homosexual rights, and voter rights, and animal rights, and now to LGBT rights. Where will it end? When men and women kill each other off trying to protect their rights from others.

And with the rights movements has come militancy. Men and women fighting tooth and nail to make sure their ballet is counted even though they are too stupid to follow proper directions. And as it is in the natural, so is it in the spiritual. Too stupid to follow directions, too stupid to follow the One Who came down to lead us into Glory. 

347-3 Laodicean Church Age  -  Church Age Book Chptr 9 "You are blind and naked." Now this is really desperate. How can anyone be blind and naked and not know it? Yet it says that they are blind and naked and can't perceive it. The answer is, they are spiritually blind, and spiritually naked. Do you remember when Elisha and Gehazi were surrounded by the army of the Syrians? You recall that Elisha smote them blind by the power of God. Yet their eyes were wide open and they could see where they were going. The blindness was peculiar in that they could see certain things, but other certain things such as Elisha and the servant and the camp of Israel they could not see. What this army could see did not avail for them. What they did not see brought on their captivity. Now what does this mean to us? It means exactly what it meant back there in the earthly ministry of Jesus. He tried to teach them truth, but they would not listen.

And we have to ask the question, is what is happening in the world today because the politicians are too stupid, or is it happening because in their greed to buy voters God has blinded their ability to understand they have taken in a Trojan Horse that will destroy them.

I think we give the elites too much credit for some superior plan to destroy the Western or Christian world. Because the elites themselves are not Muslim, they are Christ rejecting reprobates. And I believe they are walking right into the curses of Deuteronomy 28.

Deuteronomy 28:43 The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low. 44 He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail. 45 Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee: He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail.

Deuteronomy 28:48 Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.

So we see this disorderly flood of immigrants into Europe and the Western nations is because they have turned down God's Word, and have not taken heed to His Voice, His Prophet.

Notice they are not flooding the Islamic countries nor the Africa countries, nor the South American countries which never did know God's Word because they were established by the Catholic church which substituted her multiplicity of Gods and saints for their pagan Gods.

But The curse is upon those who have heard but did not recognize, and did not act upon what they heard. The curse is upon those who have turned down the voice of God.

And so it is not because the elites have this strategic plan as though they have power, because Jesus said "all power is given unto me". No, they have no real power, no real authority, but what they have is the curse of God upon them and they are too blind in their own traditions to understand what is taking place just like the Pharisees were too blind to understand what Jesus spake of in their day.

John 9:40-41. "And some of the Pharisees which were with Him heard these words, and said unto Him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth."

347-3 Laodicean Church Age  -  Church Age Book Chptr 9  "The attitude of this age is exactly what it was then. People have it all. They know it all. They cannot be taught. If a point of truth from the Word comes up and a man tries to explain his view to one with an opposing view, the listener is not at all listening that he might learn, but is listening only to refute what is being said. Now I want to ask a fair question. Can Scripture fight Scripture? Does the Bible contradict the Bible? Can there be two doctrines of truth in the Word that say the opposite or oppose the other? NO. IT CANNOT BE SO. Yet how many of God's people have their eyes open to that truth? Not even one percent, as far as I know, have learned that ALL Scripture is given by God and ALL is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, etc. If all Scripture is thusly given, then every verse will dovetail if given a chance. But how many believe in predestination unto election and reprobation unto destruction? Those who don't, will they listen? No, they will not. Yet both are in the Word, and nothing will change it. But to learn about it and reconcile the truth of those doctrines with other truths that seem to oppose, they will not take the time. But they stop their ears, and gnash with their teeth, and they lose out. At the end of this age a prophet will come, but they will be blind to all that he is doing and saying. They are so sure they are right, and in their blindness they will lose it all.

We can see the same thing right among the Message people today. You show them the Parousia Presence which is the Appearing before the coming and will they listen? No, and so God hones down the number who are truly open to learn. Then you show them the difference between Father and Son and will they listen? No, so God further hones down the numbers who are open to His Word. You show them the adoption of sons and John 14:12 and will they listen? No, so God further hones down the number of people who are willing to take heed to the voice of the Lord God.

Then what is left? I do not know yet what God will reveal that others will cast off, but he will keep honing, and honing and honing until there will be such a few people who actually believe and take heed to the voice of the Lord God that there will be just a handful that will make actually be conformed to His image and make the rapture. I am convinced of that.

So just stay humble people and stay open to the leading of the Pillar of Fire for He is still leading, and many people in Africa have been privileged to see him over that church in Mbanza Ngungu.

But never forget although 2 million people actually saw the pillar of fire in Moses Exodus, how many kept believing until they entered into the promised land?

348-1  Now God says they are naked as well as blind. I cannot imagine anything as tragic as a man who is blind and naked and does not know it. There is only one answer--he is out of his mind. He is already deep in oblivion. His faculties are gone, spiritual amnesia has set in. What else can it mean? Can it mean that the Holy Spirit has taken His leave of this last day church? Can it mean that men have put God out of their minds to such an extent that it is happening even as stated in Romans 1:28. "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient."

"It surely appears that something like that has happened. Here is a people who say that they are of God and know God and have His Holy Spirit, and yet they are naked and blind and don't know it. They are already deceived. They have the wrong spirit. The elect cannot be deceived, But it is evident that these others are. These are they who have become blind because they refused the Word of God. These are they who have stripped themselves naked by leaving God's care and protection and sought to build their own way of salvation, their own tower of Babel by organization. Oh, how lovely and beautiful dressed they appear in their own eyes as they formed their general assembles, and their councils, etc. But now God is stripping it all away and they are naked, for these organizations have but led them into the camp of antichrist, into the field of tares, right up to their binding and burning. Objects of pity indeed they are. Yes, pity them, warn them, beseech them, and still they go their way headlong to destruction, wrathfully turning away any and all attempts to save them as brands from the burning. Miserable indeed they are, yet they know it not. Calloused and beyond hope, they glory in what is actually their shame. Defiant against the Word, yet one day they shall be judged by it and pay the price of its awful indictments.

In closing let me read again what brother Branham said in our text this evening, Who Is This Melchisedec  65-0221E  50 "You remember how we read the Scriptures, "Not him that willeth, or him that runneth, but God..." And that His predestination might stand true, He could choose before anytime who... God's sovereign in His choosing, did you know that? God's sovereign. Who was back yonder to tell Him a better way to make the world? Who would dare to tell Him He was running His business wrong? Even the very Word Itself, very sovereign... Even the revelation is sovereign. He reveals to whom He will reveal. The very revelation itself is sovereign in God. That's how people pound at things, and jump at things, and hit at things, and not knowing what they're doing. God is sovereign in His works.

James 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

Ephesians 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him (In His Presence) in love:

Let us pray...