God’s Only
Provided Place of Worship # 1
Sunday Morning
November 6, 1994
1 GOD'S.PROVIDED.PLACE.WORSHIP - SHP.LA -
V-7 N-4 - 65-1128.1M
Morning! Happy to
be here this morning. And we're glad, enjoying this great fellowship around these
old songs of faith. We love that. Don't you? The Amen chorus. That's what He is, the Amen, see. He's got
the last word to say.
Now
the last Word is the Omega Word. And that is what Brother Branham tells us here
that Christ is the last Word. We find the scripture speaking of this Omega Word in…
Rev 1: 8 - 11 8 I
am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is,
and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. 9 ¶ I John, who also am your brother, and
companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was
in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony
of Jesus Christ. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me
a great voice, as of a trumpet, 11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first
and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send [it] unto the
seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto
Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto
Laodicea.
Again we find other
Scripture speaking of this same Omega principle.
Revelation 21:
3 3
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the
tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be
his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God.... 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things;
and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Revelation 22: 3 -
14 The
Omega, the end of it all, the last
word! He has the last word. You don’t
argue with Him. He is sovereign.
Romans 9: 17 ¶ For the scripture
saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I
might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all
the earth. 18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will [have mercy], and whom he
will he hardeneth. 19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault?
For who hath resisted his will? 20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest
against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed [it], Why hast thou
made me thus? 21Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to
make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 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: 23 And that he might
make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore
prepared unto glory,
The hardening of the heart
shows obstinacy & then rebellion.
It means the one who exhibits obstinacy just doesn’t quite understand what is
going on and neither do they understand God.
Let's look at Balaam for an
example. Let's turn to 2 Peter 2: II 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 in damnable
heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves
swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of
whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3 ¶ And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make
merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their
damnation slumbereth not. 4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but
cast [them] down to hell, and delivered [them] into chains of darkness, to be
reserved unto judgment; 5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the
eighth [person], a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the
world of the ungodly; 6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes
condemned [them] with an overthrow, making [them] an ensample unto those that
after should live ungodly; 7 ¶ And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy
conversation of the wicked: 8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in
seeing and hearing, vexed [his] righteous soul from day to day with [their]
unlawful deeds;) 9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of
temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
10 ¶ But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and
despise government. Presumptuous [are they], selfwilled, they are not afraid to
speak evil of dignities. 11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and
might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. 12 But these,
as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the
things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own
corruption; 13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, [as] they that
count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots [they are] and blemishes,
sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; 14
Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable
souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
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; 16 But was
rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the
madness of the prophet. 17 These are wells without water, clouds that are
carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. 18
For when they speak great swelling [words] of vanity, they allure through the
lusts of the flesh, [through much] wantonness, those that were clean escaped
from them who live in error. 19 While they promise them liberty, they
themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the
same is he brought in bondage. 20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions
of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they
are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them
than the beginning. 21 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. 22 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 wallowing in the mire.
Jude 11 Woe unto them!
for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of
Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
Noticed, he felt nothing in
his soul about arguing with God. No remorse, no guilt, no condemnation.
Nothing.
Let's look at
Nebudchadnezzar. God allowed him to get puffed up and then wham. God let him
know who is the boss. God will have the last word, and that’s final.
Again, we see Dathan and
Korah in the book of Exodus. These men had a pride, an arrogance, and showed
they were obstinate to argue against God and His prophet.
And finally we see the False
brethren come against God's prophet of the hour; the Apostle Paul in Acts 15.
ACTS 15:1 ¶ And certain men which came down from Judaea
taught the brethren, [and said], Except ye be circumcised after the manner of
Moses, ye cannot be saved. 2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small
dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas,
and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and
elders about this question. 3 And being brought on their way by the church,
they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the
Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. 4 And when they were
come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and [of] the apostles and
elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them. 5 But there
rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it
was needful to circumcise them, and to command [them] to keep the law of Moses.
6 ¶ And the apostles and elders came
together for to consider of this matter.
Notice these men claimed to
be Christian and yet still held to their Pharisee "tag". That's like
those who claim to believe this message and won't leave their Pentecostal tag
behind them. The Apostle Paul called them False brethren as we see in Galatians 2.
Galatians 2:1 ¶
Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas,
and took Titus with [me] also. 2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated
unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them
which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.
3 But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be
circumcised: 4 And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came
in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they
might bring us into bondage: 5 To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for
an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.
2 GOD'S PROVIDED PLACE WORSHIP 65-1128 1M I was setting over
there talking to my old friend, Brother Brown, while the songs was going on.
And he said, "Brother Branham, I never seen till yesterday, what you've
been talking about." He said,
"If people could just get into what you're speaking about,"
said, "every obstacle would move out of the way." That's exactly
right. That's right. It's exactly right. If you could just grasp It and catch
It. See?
Now it all boils down to
just one thing. God....& God alone.
Therefore it is incumbent upon us to know Him and to understand His
ways. That man spoke to brother Branham and said, "If
people could just get into what you're speaking about," said,
"every obstacle would move out of the way."
Now let’s just see what God
Himself said about this in His Word.
Psalm 95: 1 - 11 ¶ O come,
let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our
salvation. 2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a
joyful noise unto him with psalms. 3 For the LORD [is] a great God, and a
great King above all gods. 4 In his hand [are] the deep places of the
earth: the strength of the hills [is] his also. 5 The sea [is] his, and he made
it: and his hands formed the dry [land]. 6 O come, let us worship and bow down:
let us kneel before the LORD our maker. 7
¶ For he [is] our God; and we [are] the people of his pasture, and
the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your
heart, as in the provocation, [and] as [in] the day of temptation in the
wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. 10
Forty years long was I grieved with [this] generation, and said, It [is] a
people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: 11 Unto
whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.
Because they don’t know His
ways they become restless.
Psalm 103:1 ¶ [A Psalm] of David. Bless the LORD, O my
soul: and all that is within me, [bless] his holy name. 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not
all his benefits: 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy
diseases; 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with
lovingkindness and tender mercies; 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good
[things; so that] thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. 6 ¶ The LORD executeth
righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. 7 He made known his ways
unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. 8 The LORD [is] merciful and
gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. 9 He will not always chide:
neither will he keep [his anger] for ever. 10
He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to
our iniquities. 11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, [so] great is his
mercy toward them that fear him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, [so]
far hath he removed our transgressions from us. 13 Like as a father pitieth
[his] children, [so] the LORD pitieth them that fear him. 14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth
that we [are] dust. 15 [As for] man, his days [are] as grass: as a flower of
the field, so he flourisheth. 16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone;
and the place thereof shall know it no more. 17 But the mercy of the LORD [is]
from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness
unto children's children; 18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that
remember his commandments to do them. 19 ¶
The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth
over all. 20 Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his
commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. 21 Bless ye the LORD, all
[ye] his hosts; [ye] ministers of his, that do his pleasure. 22 Bless the LORD,
all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.
Here David tells us God’s
ways, but it is apparent the people never understood God’s ways as we see in
verse 7.
Psalm 103: 1 - 22 ¶ [A Psalm] of David. Bless the LORD, O my
soul: and all that is within me, [bless] his holy name. 2 Bless the LORD, O my
soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;
who healeth all thy diseases; 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who
crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 5 Who satisfieth thy
mouth with good [things; so that] thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. 6
¶ The LORD executeth righteousness and
judgment for all that are oppressed. 7 He
made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. 8 The LORD [is] merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in
mercy. 9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep [his anger] for ever.
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our
iniquities. 11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, [so] great is his
mercy toward them that fear him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, [so]
far hath he removed our transgressions from us. 13 Like as a father pitieth
[his] children, [so] the LORD pitieth them that fear him. 14 For he knoweth our
frame; he remembereth that we [are] dust. 15 [As for] man, his days [are] as
grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. 16 For the wind passeth
over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. 17 But
the mercy of the LORD [is] from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear
him, and his righteousness unto children's children; 18 To such as keep his
covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. 19 ¶ The LORD hath prepared his throne in the
heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. 20 Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that
excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his
word. 21 Bless ye the LORD, all [ye]
his hosts; [ye] ministers of his, that do his pleasure. 22 Bless the LORD, all
his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.
Psalm 100:1 ¶ A Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto
the LORD, all ye lands. 2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his
presence with singing. 3 Know ye that the LORD he [is] God: [it is] he [that] hath
made us, and not we ourselves; [we are] his people, and the sheep of his
pasture. 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, [and] into his courts with
praise: be thankful unto him, [and] bless his name. 5 For the LORD [is] good;
his mercy [is] everlasting; and his truth [endureth] to all generations.
Psalm 90:12 ¶ So teach [us] to number our days, that we may apply [our] hearts unto wisdom.
Psalm 86:11 Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.
Psalm 84: 11 For the LORD
God [is] a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good [thing]
will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
We could read hundreds
perhaps thousands more that would express His desire for us to know Him, but
let’s just see what are His benefits. We already saw in Scripture that knowing
Him brings rest. Now the Word tells us Moses knew
God’s way but the people only saw His acts. They didn’t know His
ways. Now it wasn’t always that way with Moses. God had to train Him on the
back side of the desert 40 years. Beat him down, mold him and make him. Let him
know what it is to stand alone. Then and only then, did he learn to trust God.
Look at Jonah: He ran from the presence of
God. But finally he learned that God will have the last Word. How did he learn
this? He learned obedience by the things he suffered.
And what of Paul? He even fought against God
thinking he was serving God. But God just had His own way. And Paul learned
obedience by the things he suffered.
The same with William Branham! God had to beat Him down
until he realized God will always have the last word. Therefore, he learned
obedience by the things which he suffered.
And we know the same was true for our pattern, Jesus. Hebrews 5: 8 tells us that
even He learned obedience by the things that He
suffered.
You see, we have just got to
come to the place where we learn to just shut up. He said, “Be still and
Know That God is God!”
He hasn’t asked for our opinion yet because He doesn’t want our opinion.
He wants us to have His opinion.
When you don’t know the
equation how can you give the answer. When you don’t even know the facts, how
can you be expected to have the solution. We are just dumb sheep period. Dumb
sheep, no opinion, just baaaaa abba
aaaaa Father....
Habakkuk 2: 1 ¶ I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will
watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I
shall answer when I am reproved. Not, I shall answer, but I will
listen to hear what answer I am to give. If you are given a test and the one
testing you tells you what the questions will be on the test and then also
tells you what the answers you should reply, then how can you fail the test. I
did that for a man once. I had determined that I wanted to hire this man, so I
told him what questions I was going to ask him in the interview and I also told
him what answers I wanted him to give, so he would shine in the interview. You
say, that's stacking the deck! And I'll say, yeas sir, and that is what Grace
is all about, God stacking the deck in our favor.
1 Peter 1: 3 - 7 ¶ Blessed [be] the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten
us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away,
reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith
unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 ¶ Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a
season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That
the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth,
though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory
at the appearing of Jesus Christ: We are to
receive the trial of our revelation, but since it is revealed to us and the
revelation is what is being tested, then we already have the answers.
Revelations 10: 1 - 7 ¶ And I saw another mighty angel
come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow [was] upon his head,
and his face [was] as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: 2 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and [his] left [foot] on the
earth, 3 And cried with a loud voice, as [when] a lion roareth: and when he had
cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. 4 And when the seven thunders had
uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven
saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and
write them not. 5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the
earth lifted up his hand to heaven, 6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and
ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and
the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein,
that there should be time no longer: 7 But in the days of the voice of the
seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be
finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. He has come down with the book open. Then the trial of our
faith, (or the trial of our revelation) is an open book test. And since time
shall be no more, this is not a timed test. We stay here till we pass.
Habakkuk 2: 2 And the LORD
answered me, and said, Write the vision,
and make [it] plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. 3 For the vision [is] yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall
speak, and not lie: though it tarry,
wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
1 Peter 1: 13 ¶ Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be
sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the
revelation of Jesus Christ;
Hebrews 4: 9 - 11 9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10 For he that is
entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God [did]
from his. 11 ¶ Let us labour
therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man
fall after the same example of unbelief.
Notice
he is telling us that we are to enter into His rest, and yet he uses the word
labor as if it is a work that does it, but a closer look at this word tells us
there is an earnest press and a study of the Word of God that brings forth the
rest. The Greek word is spoudazo pronounced {spoo-dad'-zo} and it means
endeavor, do diligence, labor,
study to exert one's self, to give
diligence. In other words this suggests to us that we atre not to take the word
for granted but we are to delve into it and bath our mind in it and lay in it
night and day, and the rest will come. I think perhaps that is what Brother
Branham meant by laying in the presence of the sun to ripen.
Finally
in closing we read from 2 Peter 1: 2 Grace and peace are multiplied through the
knowledge of Him. Yes, that is what we just read there. Grace
and peace come through receiving the knowledge of Him. And they are multiplied
through that knowledge.