Masterpiece 51
Resurrection
Preparation
March 4th, 2006
Pastor, Brian Kocourek
2. THE
MASTERPIECE 64-0705
76 As we see the days darkening, as we see
the shadows falling... When I predict it's just a few more turns of the sun
this nation's gone. Do you know, yesterday, fourth of July, where Thomas
Jefferson had signed the Declaration of Independence, him and the other board
that was with him, and the Liberty Bell rang, and we was declared an
independence as a nation... According to history there has never been a
democracy at any time last over two hundred years. And that was 1776, July the
fourth. And we're just eleven years left. Will it make it? No, can't. Eleven
years, and if it does, it'll break all history.
3. Based on the way that things were going then, Cuba
building up nuclear weapons just 90 miles off our coast, it didn’t look like
this country would even last those 11 years until 1976, but by the grace of God
it has.
4. Now, if we look at those past 40 years we can see
both the Loving hand of Jehovah, the Mercy of God and yet we can also see the
atmosphere is getting ready for judgment.
Remember, brother Branham told us in the sermon “Preparation”,
5. Preparation 53-1111 P:16 And may I stop right here just a minute and
say: I believe that the people are in the preparation of the last great
destruction this world will ever know. I believe we're at the end. You can
speak to people; you could put a Billy Graham in every city in the
6. What has the last 40 years done for this country? It
has brought forth absolutely nothing when you consider the backslidden
condition that they are in. At least in 1976 there as a cry amongst the people
of God to get closer to God. There was a real revival going on amongst the
young people in this country beginning in 1974. Something took place in 1974
and many, many young people gave their hearts to the Lord that year and many
came into the Message that same year. But things began to turn in 1977. That
was the year that many began to slide back into complacency.
7. That was the year that
8. As a whole our
nation fell into the slippery slope of materialism, more than at any other time
in its history, even including the roaring 20’s. Because at least back then
there were not that many goods available to the people, and they didn’t have
the delivery systems that they have today to make the goods available as
quickly as they are available today. And so with the onset of materialism, the
people set their eyes on things rather than the Creator, and as Paul said in Romans 1: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and
served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
9. Now, Communion is
supposed to be a time when we reflect upon our lives before God and we take inventory
of our lives and the condition of our heart before we come and take of the Body
and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in a symbolic way. When we see the cup with
the wine our thoughts should be upon how that Jesus Christ, our Older brother
poured out his own Blood, his own life so that we might have access to the
Father and forgiveness for our sins. When we see the bread broken into pieces
it should remind us of the body of our Older brother Jesus and how that Hs body
was broken for our sake, that we might receive his inheritance.
10. You see, what I
believe has happened to the Bride in this Message is that they have backslidden
from their first love, and their vision has changed and they can no longer see afar
off, but all they are interested in seeing are those things that are near.
11. Yes they have
become near sighted and can not any longer see the goal that is set before
us. We are looking at how we can store
up treasure on earth instead of how much treasure we can store up in heaven
where moth can not devour and rust can not corrupt.
12. I remember those days of 1974 through 1976 and I
remember with fondness the sincere desire to please God in all that we do, and
the sincere belief that time was about to end, and that our sole purpose back
then was to come together to fellowship and talk the word with one another and
we didn’t worry too much about the bills ext month, or the next car, or what
kind of housing we had. We lived a simplistic life, and I do not believe it was
for the worse either.
13. We prayed long each day, and we got together often
to discuss the Message, and the worlds conditions and going home, and how much
we all longed for that to happen. But I am afraid many on this message have lost
sight of those days, and the attitude has become less sincere about going home,
and more earnest about staying here and accruing as much as we can so we can
live a good life when we get older.
14. Well, let me say that an attitude like that is
wrong focused. Our focus should not be on how much we can store up here but how
much we can store up over on the others side. And even not so much how much we
can store up over there, but our focus should be on just making sure we get
there.
15. You know the resurrection will not be a public
show, but it will be by invitation only. Brother Branham received a vision from
God concerning a Tent and we were told to watch the resurrection in there.
16. From Jehovah Jireh 56-0224 P:50 he said, When we get our big tent up out here
somewhere, we'll take plenty of time and go through them in-between the lines.
Watch the resurrection thing how it moves in there, just beautifully. Just get
in love with Him and He will reveal it to you. And then, I noticed that...You know
God what did to Abraham and Sarah there? I'll tell you what He done. [Blank
spot on tape--Ed.]...?... He turned them back to a young man and woman again?
"Oh," you say, "Brother Branham, that's ridiculous." But He
did. He turned them back to a young man and woman. He made...
17. We need to come back to the place where we are
willing to lay anything aside that even seems to conflict with our soul being
right with God, and get ready for the going home. Now, if you all recall in the
vision, there was a little room inside
that tent and people entering into it on one side halt and lame and all kinds
of afflictions, but when they came out the other side they came out completely
healed.
18. Why are people so tossed about 56-0101 P:18 Then He taken me
from there, and I seen a great huge tent. I never seen such a tent. And it was
packed and lined everywhere with people. And I walked out to the... Looked like
I was standing above the people, looking down, where I'd just made an altar
call; and hundreds and hundreds of people were weeping and rejoicing after they
had accepted the Lord Jesus as their Saviour. And I looked, and then heard a
man get up and say, "Call the prayer line." And people begin to line
up over on this side, the left from where I was looking down towards the
platform, and they lined all the way up and down the street for a prayer line.
I noticed to my left, which would've been to my right if I was on the platform,
a little wooden building. And I seen that Light, that all--they have the picture
of, you know, that's always in the meetings; I seen that Light leave me, and go
to that building, and go in that building; and a Voice said to me, "I'll
meet you in there; that'll be the third pull. "I said, "Why? "He
said, "Well, it won't be a public show like they had it." And I came
to.”
19. So you see we are coming to a time when we shall
have a repeat of the Alpha when Jesus was raised from the dead and many of the
saints which slept arose with Him when he came forth in that resurrection and
we are told that they were seen in the street by many witnesses.
20. MATTHEW 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice,
saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast
thou forsaken me? 47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard [that],
said, This [man] calleth for Elias. 48 And straightway one of them ran, and
took a spunge, and filled [it] with vinegar, and put [it] on a reed, and gave
him to drink. 49 The rest said, Let
be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. 50 ¶
Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the
bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the
saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection,
and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.