Faith no 9

Faith or just an Illusion

June 11, 2017

Brian Kocourek, pastor

 

Matthew 24:26 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. 23  Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 24  For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; in so much that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25 Behold, I have told you before. 26  Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; (Tucson) go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; (The Greek word for chamber means a storehouse) believe it not. 27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming (parousia) of the Son of man be. 28  For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together..

 

And then let's turn again to Luke 18:8b for the last scripture for our text. Jesus speaking says, ... "Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

 

Let us pray...

 

This morning I would like to continue in our series on faith, and I would like to speak on a topic which may sound similar to one I've already spoken of in this series, but I can guarantee you it is very different.

 

On May 21st just a few weeks ago,  I preached a sermon called Faith or Deception, and this morning I wish to title this sermon Faith or Illusion.

 

Now, Deception and illusion are two words are different and they mean two different things.

 

Deception is the act of deceiving; the state of being deceived, But An Illusion is something that deceives by producing a false or misleading impression of reality. In It is a perception, a visual stimuli (which we would call an optical illusion) which represents  what we perceive in a way that is actually different from the way it is in reality.

 

In other words, you are seeing something but in your mind because of your perception  you see one thing when in reality it is another altogether different. But Deception is the outcome and illusion is the manner in which the Deception takes place.

 

Everlasting Life 54-1231 P:9 And what if the Angel of the Lord was standing here now, circling, and every one of your eyes would be visualized to see It. That would be pretty good. But to look at the picture of It, is far more proof than what if you was looking at It with your eyes. See? Isn't that right? Because, you could have an optical illusion. But that camera won't take an optical illusion. It won't do it, because it's--it's a camera. And it'll take the actual picture. It has to be there to strike the lens. See? You can have optical illusions, and things that looks like it is, when it's not. See? But when the picture that...And it could be psychology. You can say, "You see that there?" And you just keep saying, "Yes, I believe it." And believe it so much till actually you think you see it, when you don't. See? That's right. But that's psychology. But you... It's just got you so mentally pressed towards it, till you just imagine it, so imagine it so much till it becomes a reality. You just imagine somebody hates you, once. And they don't hate you, but you imagine they do, and you just keep thinking, "They don't like me." And the first thing you'll be shunning that person, when they haven't done nothing to you. And after while, it become so a reality to you, till you'll actually believe that that person doesn't like you.

 

Therefore an illusion is dependent upon the condition of the persons mind. The perception one has to a physical optical stimuli.

 

Therefore two different people can be looking at the same event but each one can perceive it differently from the other persons perception.

 

In other words, the two persons could be viewing the same scene manifestation of an event, a place or even a person and the two will have totally different understandings of that event, place or person from the other person, because one sees what is actually there with an understanding of the reality of the scene while the other has a preconceived idea what they are looking at and so their perception becomes an illusion changing the reality into a falsehood. The end result is the Deception.

 

Let's just take four Scriptures speaking of the same event as an example.

 

In Colossians 3:4 We read,  "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

 

And again in Revelations 2:10b Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of Life.”

 

And let's read also 2 Timothy 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

 

1 Peter 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.       

 

Now, if you do not understand the doctrine of the Message which we call the Message Doctrine, you will not understand that these four scriptures all speak of the same event.

 

You may think the crown of life is one thing, and the crown of righteousness is another, while the crown of glory is yet another. And yet they all speak of one scene which is what is supposed to happen to us at the appearing of the Lord.

 

But unless you hear, and recognized what the prophet taught, you will not be able to properly act upon what you have heard and because your understanding will not comprehend what it is you have witnessed in this hour. And if you do not understand what you have witnessed then you become a false witness not understanding what it is you saw or heard.  And if you do not understand what the appearing is, and  so you may confuse it with the literal coming of Christ you will become a false witness  of what took place in this hour as about 99.9% of Christianity themselves have no clue.

 

Hear ye Him 58-0126 P:21 We know that there's false; I know there's mental illusions; I know there's all kinds of illusions. Because the Bible said there would be. But where the church has let down, it ought to have the church taught and set up in such a way that it would know the right from wrong. See where we're at? Then the Holy Spirit has to bring that type of a message to the Father. Oh, my, what must He say? A certainly, if that boy or any teacher knows, in the Bible, that if that boy wasn't an obedient child, yet he was a son, he never inherited anything. Any Bible reader knows that. Read Ephesians, 1st chapter the 5th verse. God predestinated us unto the children of God by the adoption of Jesus Christ, adopting and placing a son.

 

And then you will place off in the future what is taking place right now. A mirage is nothing but an illusion, and it is always out in the future somewhere out of reach. And there is a danger when you are walking in the desert looking for water and you see it further out, and so you keep walking trying to catch up to the mirage or illusion. And the danger is that you place yourself in great danger because you walk further into the desert chasing after the illusion.  

 

That is why those how do not understand the difference between the appearing and coming are chasing after am illusion and they place the events that are supposed to be taking place right now off into the future somewhere and in the meanwhile they are dying of spiritual thirst.

 

From the Rapture the 65-1204 P:110 brother Branham said, 109  And then I heard something like a "Onward Christian Soldiers." And I looked, and here come that sainted bunch of little girls just exactly the way they was, all correctly dressed, their hairs hanging way down on their back, smooth, clean, marching like this to the step of the Gospel. She was the Word. And it looked like one out of every nation. I was looking at it as they passed by, and seen them pass by. Instead of going down, they started going up. And I noticed one of them trying, two or three of them trying--getting out of line; I screamed, "Stay in line." And the vision left me, and I was standing in this room screaming, "Stay in line." Line that... 110 Wonder, could it be already passed? Could the Bride already be called? Is that what we're going through today? She's has to be molded and made into the image of Christ, and Christ is the Word. That's the only thing. See, it's in there, in the Word, it's just... See, there cannot be one thing added. It can't be a woman with one hand like a man and the other hand with a paw like a dog; it's got to be exactly the Word of the Lord, like He is the Word. The Bride is a part of the Bridegroom. The woman is a part of her husband, 'cause she's taken out of the husband. Eve was a part of Adam from his side. And so is the Bride, not taken from a denomination, but taken from the bosom of the Word of God for this day.

 

So brother Branham at the end of the Rapture sermon, tells us the only thing left is that she has to be in the image of Christ, which is what the Apostle Paul said, she has to be conformed to the image of Christ, the first born son.

 

Indictment the 63-0707M P:85 Man always praising God for what He has done, looking forward for what He will do, and ignoring what He's doing, and being condemned by it. See? They think God's wonderful, how great He is. What He's going to do, He's going to come, and be a rapture someday and go home; and denying the very signs and wonders right here at the time that the Scripture says that He'll be doing it; miss the whole thing. "If the blind lead the blind," Jesus said, "they'll all fall in the ditch." Just pray God to open our eyes in this last days. All right.

 

Notice when the reality is happening, they are caught up into the illusion of still looking down the road for it to happen somewhere in the future, and they are missing what God is doing right now.

 

Expectations and what love is 54-0228A P:41 The one thing that I find that's one of the greatest hindrance among us, is that you're trying to place the great things of God, yet to come, when you're right in the middle of it now. That's right. Now, you say, "Just wait till some..." Well, that could be the millennium where we won't need any healings and things. That's the next age to be issued in. Now we're in the Holy Ghost age. Now you are the sons of God. Now we're seated together in heavenly places, not we will be, we are now, this afternoon, right here now, sons and daughters of God seated together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. There we are. See? All things are possible then.

 

Notice the reality is not carnally minded, or carnally focused, but it is spiritually minded or Spiritually focused. It can see by Faith what God is doing right now, being conformed to the Image of the first born so, but the illusion of some is that it will be somewhere in the future.

 

Lord just once more 63-0628A P:31 So many people today gets caught away in mental illusions, never think to search the Scripture, see whether it's right or not. Others try to say, "It doesn't make any difference."Paul, in Acts 19, thought it made a difference. And he said, "If an Angel from heaven preached any other thing, let him be cursed." See? It does make a difference.

 

The present Truth is the reality, the illusion believes it but places it off in the future like a mirage is always out in the future.

 

The Apostle Peter said in  2 Peter 1:12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.

 

Then what is the Message to any age? It is the Revelation of Jesus Christ as it comes forth in a manifested way to the people, but under the moving or guiding hand of the God's Holy Presence.

 

In fact Brother Branham said in his audio letter to Brother Vayle, "Would it be, you think, advisable in here, to say that God then, in order to proclaim this, has to send a prophet in order to inject this, make this real again, show the people the hour we're living in? Because if they only see it in the hour past, then there's no hope for the church. The church must see it in the present tense. So God sends His prophet to manifest, present tense of it."

 

And that is the key to our understanding the Message of God for the hour. We see God manifest His Word through His Prophet and then it brings the Word into a present tense understanding to us, making it real and live out again amongst the people. Then as the Omega reflection moves from the prophet into the people, they begin to reflect Christ as He reflected Christ because it is the same life.

 

And notice how br. Branham said, "Because if they only see it in the hour past, then there's no hope for the church. The church must see it in the present tense."

 

And from his sermon, Where I think Pentecost failed 55-1111 P:12 So if you could ever get real good fundamental faith amongst Pentecostal people, or fundamental doctrine with the Pentecostal people, and the... or vice versa, I'd like to see what the meeting would be. When the people realize that you are,  not you will be, you are, present tense, right now, sons and daughters of God. You're pushing it way off out to the millennium somewhere, all the blessings out in the millennium. Why, it's right now. We won't need Divine healing in the millennium. Now, is when we have it. We won't be sons of God, but now you're sons of God, and heirs, joint heirs with Jesus. And everything that Jesus died for at Calvary is your possession. Amen. Brother, Satan don't like that, because... If the people would only realize and just be willing to take God at His Word, you would, you'd just hard... Well, it's unlimited.

 

And again from Explaining healing and Jairus 54-0216 P:37 The devil's just trying to scare you out of something. He's trying to put something off somewhere else, say, "Some of these days you'll be this." You are now. Now, we're sons of God. Now, we're seated together in heavenly places. Now, we have all powers in heavens and the earth. See? Now, we have it. Not in the millennium, we won't need it then. We got it now. We're... Right now we are the sons of God. "It does not appear what we shall be, but we know we'll be like Him."What you are here is a reflection of what you are somewhere else. "Those who He called, He justifies." Is that right? "Those who He justified, He has glorified." Already in the Presence of the Father, we have a glorified body. Whew! Wasn't that deep? All right. We'll find out whether it's right or not. "If this earthly tabernacle be dissolved, we have one already waiting." Is that right? That's right. So right now, and what we are there, is a reflection. Here, what we are here, is a reflection of what we are somewhere else. So if your deeds are evil, you know where it comes from. You know where your other body's a waiting.

 

Therefore the reality is now, and the illusion is putting it off to somewhere in the future, for some other time. and that is how people miss what God is doing, always looking back at what he did do, and looking forward to what he is going to do, and missing what He is doing right now.

 

Now, remember, God's prophet taught us "there is a difference between the appearing and coming of Christ." And he said we are already witnessing the Appearing of the Lord. So when we read these four Scriptures we know and understand they are referring to what we have already witnessed in this hour.

 

Notice what he said in his sermon Perseverance 62-0608 P:95 Did you know that the Bible speaks of "the appearing of the Lord", and also "the coming of the Lord", and it's two different works? Search it and find out if that's right. The appearing and the coming is two different things. The appearing of the Lord is now. He's appearing amongst His people. We see Him in His same works, the appearing, His Holy Spirit. But His coming will be in a physical being. It'll be to catch the church up. But see, we've been down through the Word, justification, sanctification, baptism of the Holy Ghost. And now the church is getting in such a condition, ready, waiting. The offices... And the offices of the church is coming into its place. The teachers are placing the places. The gifts are manifesting themselves. Oh, there's a lot of impersonations. That's right. We expect that. But there's real too. Before there can be a bogus dollar there has to be a real one for it to be made off of. That's right. We have all those carnal comparisons, but that don't take away from the real. It only makes the real shine out.

 

Notice brother Branham said the appearing and coming are two different works, two different things, which are two different events altogether. And in understanding that difference we can recognize the real and differentiate it from the carnal comparison. Therefore there is a real and there is the illusion.

 

The Apostle Paul said in Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; (to be carnally focused is death) but to be spiritually minded  (spiritually focused) is life and peace.

 

In other words as brother Vayle always said, "get your eyes off the vessel and get them on the God who used the vessel."

 

Because if you have your eyes on the vessel you are carnally minded, that means you are carnally focused, you are focused on the vessel, but if you understand the vessel can do nothing but what the Father shows him first, then you are spiritually minded because you are focused on the God who is doing, and not the vessel in whom he does it. And to be spiritually focused is life and peace.

 

Now, remember we read from Matthew 24 that the great illusion will be that many will say, "His presence is here with us in the desert" You've got to come here, and others will say, "His presence is with us in the secret chamber", and his presence is there and he says do not listen to them for his presence will be universal.

 

Now in getting back to the four Scriptures we read concerning the crown of "Glory" that the Apostle Paul and the apostle Peter both speak of is the "Doxa" of God, which is defined as His opinions, values, and judgments of God. Another thing is if you have been taught by God's prophet the Message Doctrine, you will understand there is a difference between the appearing and coming, as brother Branham taught us. Then and only then you will have a certain understanding of what these scriptures are speaking of and you will  actually see that this crown of Glory is the same as the crown of righteousness or the crown of right-wise-ness which is the same as the crown of life, and they are not in the somewhere off in the future but this is actually happening right now.

 

So with a correct understanding of the difference between the appearing and coming we can see what is taking place in Colossians 3:34 is not in the future but is right now.

 

In Colossians 3:4 We read,  "When Christ, who is our life, (that is not somewhere in the future, but is present tense, "Who is our Life" When He) shall appear, (when he shall phaneroo, when he shall manifest in His true character) then shall (when? Now. When He shall phaneroo in His true character,) ye also shall appear with him in glory.

 

When? NOW!!! Notice as he appears we appear. When He phaneroos it is because we are phaneroo. Why? Because He is our Life, not will be, but now are we sons. Now, are we being conformed to His image. Now are we phanerooing as He is phanerooing.

 

And again we see in Revelations 2:10b Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of Life.”

 

When? after our death? That is not what the apostle James tells us.

 

James 1:12 Blessed is (that's present tense) the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. When? After he dies from his trial? NO!!! When he is tried he receives the crown of Life.

 

That is what the trial produces in us, Praise honor and glory as we taught a couple weeks ago. It produces the glory and that is the doxa of God, the crown of Glory.

 

And let's read also 2 Timothy 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

 

And we know that the word righteousness comes from the old English word right-wise-ness. Which is the doxa of God, his opinions, his values and his judgments.

 

And let's look at 1 Peter 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.       

 

Notice he says and when... the chief Shepherd shall appear. Not off in the future somewhere, but when or while the Chief Shepherd is appearing, during His appearing,  we receive the crown of Glory. That is the reality, but many people are living after an illusion or like a mirage they see these events out in the future. And that is where they have placed them. But we who are present tense being positionally placed in the e family see them right now before us this day. And we have stepped into that scene and have become the manifestation of the revelation.

 

We see, the same Life that was sown in the Original Seed, Christ Jesus, has returned in this hour, not only among the people, but That same life that was in the first born son has entered into the people as well making us conformed to the image of the first born son. Making us manifested sons, filling us with the spirit of adoption.  That is the reality, but the people walking after the illusion see it like a mirage that one day we will be. And that is the difference. 

 

The Complete Seed, meaning the complete Life that was in the Seed has got to come back into human flesh in a Bride in this hour. That is what brother Branham said is rthe last thing before the rapture can take place.

 

Rapture the 65-1204 P:110  110 Wonder, could it be already passed? Could the Bride already be called? Is that what we're going through today? She's has to be molded and made into the image of Christ, and Christ is the Word. That's the only thing. See, it's in there, in the Word, it's just... See, there cannot be one thing added. It can't be a woman with one hand like a man and the other hand with a paw like a dog; it's got to be exactly the Word of the Lord, like He is the Word. The Bride is a part of the Bridegroom. The woman is a part of her husband, 'cause she's taken out of the husband. Eve was a part of Adam from his side. And so is the Bride, not taken from a denomination, but taken from the bosom of the Word of God for this day.

 

So we are speaking of the Original Seed, the original Life back in human flesh again. And that is why we are told our New Birth is to be an incorruptible one which shall never fade away. Now this is not true of so called Pentecost today. Those people who claim a new birth seem to need a new filling or refilling each and every week. Why? Because they have received a new birth based upon a corruptible see, which is a corruptible word.

 

But 1 Peter 1:23 tells us if you have been truly born again, you cannot fall away. So how do you receive the true new birth? By receiving the True Revelation of Jesus Christ.  Once a woman conceives, she doesn’t need any further insemination to bring forth Life. All she needs is to wait the nine months while human cell is being added to human cell. And that is the same thing with the Word of God. We do not need to be born again more than just one time. But what we have need of is Word piled upon Word to grow our Glorified Body around the Predestinated Word Germ Seed given by God to us.

 

Therefore, the difference between seeing the present truth and an illusion is whether you are born again or not. Because if you are truly born again, we will have a Divine Revelation in our heart, and you would be so miserable in your heart if you knew that your actions were not pleasing to God. I don’t care who we are, we will never make it in on someone else’s coat tails.

 

We all, every one of us, both young and old, must be born again or we will never see, nor can we see,  the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said in John 3:13 except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  And what does it mean to see the Kingdom of God? To see means to understand and perceive, so we ask, to understand what? The Kingdom of God. And what is the Kingdom of God? It is His ruler-ship, His Lordship, His Sovereignty, His Power and His Dominion.  And you will never get this by just going to church. You have got to be born again.

 

65-3  Christ is the Mystery of God Revealed  We're not suppose to make converts to Christianity by a government, but by the revelation of Christ in you as God was in Christ.                        

 

E-28  Earnestly contending for the Faith  Intellectual faith is not enough. That's all right, but it only brings you to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a personal experience of the birth, the new birth, regeneration, making a new creature in Christ. 

 

36-4 Christ is the Mystery of God Revealed   Look, Christ in you makes Him the center of Life of the revelation. See? Christ's Life in you makes Him the center of the revelation....What is the new birth then... It is the revelation of Jesus Christ personally to you. Amen. See? Not you joined a church, you shook a hand; you done something different; you said a creed; you promised to live by a code of rules; but Christ, the Bible... He is the Word that was revealed to you.

 

Now this is the key, right here. If you are truly born again, Christ is the center of your life and everything else is a distant last. You job, your family, your friends, your homes, your cars. Whatever there is in your life is a distant last when Christ is preeminent on the throne of your heart.

 

I hope you all remember our message on the almost Christian. How that King Agrippa, after hearing Paul’s testimony said to him, ‘Paul, thou almost persuadest me to be a Christian”, and Paul answered him, “I would that you were altogether like as I am except without these bonds why? because almost is not good enough. An almost Christian is still a lost soul. An almost Christian is still headed for the lake of fire. And so we find that there are those who will come forth at the great white throne one day and they will hear those notorious words, “Depart from me for I never knew you, ye that work iniquity, for I never knew you.” “ye that know better but had your own thoughts about it. I never knew you, I never had an intimate relationship in your heart with you, so depart from me.” 

 

Now, look, I am not talking works here. I'm talking about Eternal Life. We’re not talking about church and theology, we are talking about life. Eternal Life.

 

45-1 Christ is the Mystery of God Revealed   Not your theology; it's a revelation of Jesus Christ...  the revelation of Jesus Christ in a new birth. He injects His own Life, and your life is gone, and the Life of Christ is projecting Itself through you with the preeminence to the people that they see the very Life,

 

In his sermon, Super Sign PP 78 Brother Branham said, “Now, let me tell you. Anything outside of being born gain will never reach the Rapture. Unless there is a germ of Life inside you, you’ll perish. You cannot rise up again.”  And so I hope you will understand why I constantly bring these things to you attention. Because after all we will all have to give account of what we have done with this great Message that God has Given to us. Every one of us, both small and great, will have to give an account for what we have done in our bodies.

 

So much for those preachers who said "we don't need to do the works of Christ, brother Branham did them and we are riding on that."

 

They don't even believe what Jesus said or the prophet William Branham.

 

Romans 14:11-12 For it is written, ‘As I live Saith the Lord, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

 

Matthew 16:27 For the Son of Man shall come in the Glory of His Father with His Angels; and He shall reward every man according to his works.”

 

And what is our reward? The crown of Glory, the crown or righteousness which is the crown of life.

 

And there is one more crown and that is the crown of rejoicing.

 

1 Thessalonians 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?

 

And when do you receive it? It is being in his presence at his Parousia, which is His appearing.

 

As I just read where brother Branham said, "one day soon we will all have to give an accounting for what we have done with this great Message that God has Given to us."  

 

And this is what I would like to point out this morning. we are all going to have to give an account one day for our stewardship before God.

 

In the parable Jesus tells us in Luke 16: 1-2, 1  And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. 2  And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. 11-13 11  If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?  12  And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own? 13  No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

 

We are all going to have to give an account of our stewardship to God. Now what does it mean to give an account. You are going to have to show what you did with what He gave you.

 

You are going to have to be accountable for the riches he has given to you. And if you cannot show progress in what He has given to you, then what you now have will be taken from you. That is what He is telling us here. 

 

2 John 1:8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have struggled for, but that we receive a full reward. 

 

And so you say, what sort of things can I lose? Well, let’s just see for ourselves.

 

Revelation 3:1111  Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

Well, you say, what crown is this? Paul tells us in 2 Tim 4:8 that this crown is a crown of righteousness which is a right-wise-ness.

 

And Peter told us in 1 Peter 5:4 it is a crown of Glory which is the same thing as Paul said because the Glory is the right-wise-ness which is the very Doxa or opinion, assessment and judgment of God.  

 

And we are warned that we shall lose this crown, ever by Jesus Himself. IBut if you recall Jesus said in Luke 18:8 When he comes will he find Faith? Will he find people wearing this crown of glory, this crown of right-wise-ness, this crown of life and this crown of rejoicing? Yes, he will find it but these ones that really do lose it never had it in the first place, they only thought they had it. It was always just beyond their reach, always in the future but they were not wearing it.

 

That is the same as the foolish virgins, because they could have had the oil but they put it off and when he actually appeared they still were looking out in the future to get their oil in their lamps and they missed going in to the marriage supper of the lamb.

 

That is what that word seems means. It is the Greek word dokeo which means: It seems to be, or appears to be,  but there is some question as to whether or not it really is. The same word is used in Matthew 6:7 in reference to the Pharisees who only think that God hears their prayers.

 

Matthew 16:25-27 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 27  For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

 

You see, it all depends on your motives. Are you looking out for number one? Or are you looking out to please your Heavenly Father. Now if you are His, It is impossible that you will be lost, but it does not mean that you won’t go empty on the other side.

 

John 6:39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

 

Revelations 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

 

1 Corinthians 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.” 

 

Luke 12:42-48  42  And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? 43  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 44  Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. 45  But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; 46  The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

 

Here we find God calling the ministry a steward, and then he also tells us that those who knew to prepare themselves for His Coming and don’t, they will get tribulation. Now to have to go through the tribulation does not mean you will be lost, but you will certainly have to pay for your neglect. And how will you pay for your neglect? With your very life, that’s how.  God doesn’t play our little games and He certainly doesn’t fool around. he says what He means and He means what He says.

 

Now what does this all come down too? It all boils down to recognition and understanding what we are here for. Remember the Title of Brother Branham’s Message called, “Hearing, Recognizing and Acting upon the Word of God.” Well, that is exactly what it means. And it all comes down to the innate ability to be able to recognize God and His Word, or Revelation of Himself which is His Message.

 

Webster tells us that the word Recognize To recall to the mind, "re" meaning again, and "cognition" which is a knowing; therefore to recognize is to be aware of, to know by some detail, as appearance; or identity, to beware of the significance, to acknowledge the existence, validity, authority or genuineness, to accept and acknowledge as worthy of appreciation and approval, devotion.  

 

Now, brother Branham said, “To dislocate the Scriptures,... You might have now, our age teaching Pentecost, the Pentecostal message. You see what a mess it would be in? Pentecost has already showed its colors. And that is exactly what has happened.  He said, those little Ricky’s have come in and messed up everything. He said, “Every time it organized it died right there; there never was no more to it. It become a worshipper of the god of this world. It went off into organisms, and organizations, and denominations, and illusions “A bunch of Ricky’s got into there and put their own objections into it, or injected their own thoughts, rather, into it. And what did it happen? It become a mess.”

 

Now, first of all he tells us that to preach a Pentecostal Message today just makes a mess out of everything. Then he tells us to interject our own thoughts will only bring us an illusion.

 

And what is an illusion but a false idea or conception; belief or opinion that is not in accord with the facts. An deception that is not real, a misleading appearance or image. A false perception, conception, or interpretation of what one sees. A misleading image resulting in a wrong impression.  So we see again that these thoughts of a false interpretation . And Brother Branham further called them an illusion which means the Word is interpreted in such a way as to make it appear to be different than it really is. Like a mirage in the desert that you think you see but is not really there.

 

In Isaiah 29: 8 we read,  "It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion".

 

Notice that these men are living in an illusion. They eat from the Bread of Life but it is only in a dream. When they awake from their dream they will still be empty, because they are living in an illusion. A false vision of deception. And what has caused this? Their own opinions are held in more esteem to themselves than the Word of God. Notice that in verses 10-12 10  For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.  11  And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:  12  And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. 13  Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

 

We are told that they will be in slumber, sleeping virgins, and the Lord will have brought on this deep slumber and their dreams (their illusions) will not produce anything for them. Now, remember 2 Peter 2 tells us they will come into the Message  with their own opinions and turn the Message into a Mess-age and present to the people  an illusion. We further see evidence of this in ...

 

Jeremiah 23:32 32  Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.

 

Notice they dream but their dreams will not profit the people any. Therefore, what purpose is there for these men to keep up with their own lies?  

 

Isaiah 66:4-5 4  I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.  5  Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.

 

Notice that God will send them their own delusion. Now God Himself does not place these lies in them, but He allows a lying spirit to enter into these men who are false, and to lead them further away from the Truth by tempting them to turn further.

 

And since they themselves already have turned down the Truth, God then only allows to happen to them what they have already shown a desire for, and that is for a the lying spirit to come down and lead them further into their own deceit as we see in 2 Chronicles 18:18-24 18  Again he said, Therefore hear the word of the LORD; I saw the LORD sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left. 19  And the LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner. 20  Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will entice him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? 21  And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the LORD said, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail: go out, and do even so. 22  Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil against thee. 23  Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah upon the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee? 24  And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see on that day when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.

 

2 Thessalonians 2:10-13 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 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 I want you to know the difference here between those who are Elect and those who are not. And that is why God gave us a ministry as Paul and Martin Luther pointed out who will not bring forth delusions or illusions, but will speak the Truth in Love as we see in Ephesians 4: 11-15 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:  14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

 

And so we see how God will put the people to the test to see what they really believe.

 

1 Thessalonians 2: 3-13 3  For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: 4  But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. 5  For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness: 6  Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.  7  But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: 8  So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. 9  For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. 10  Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe: 11  As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, 12  That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. 13  For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

 

Let us pray...