The Masterpiece 97
Geared to the Gullibility of those who are
persihing
November 25th, 2006
Brian Kocourek
1. This morning I would like to address our thoughts again from brother
Branham’s sermon THE MASTERPIECE 64-0705 and we will read from paragraphs 177 and 179. We will not read from 178
this morning because we actually took that in Masterpiece 95 the Solitary God.
177
After... The other day standing up here at the Christian Business Men...
Many of you, I guess, was there. When I heard that Lutheran priest (or
preacher, was supposed to be) stand up there and say that ridiculous thing, and
make fun of what we believe in... And them Full Gospel Business Men having that
man there, and saying that... He wore his collar turned around. Lots of them do
now. He said, "Now, the people ask me why I turn my collar around."
Said, "How can they tell you from a Catholic priest." He said,
"There is no difference, and there shouldn't be." He said,
"We're all God's children." He said, "I know a Catholic priest
that's omnipresent (See?), that could be present everywhere."
Then in paragraph 178 brother Branham dealt with this
concept of omnipresent and showed that the only way you can be omnipresent is
that you are omniscient. We covered this thought in the Masterpiece 95 called Omnipresent by Omniscience, of
which we subtitled it The Solitary God.
Now notice that
brother Branham is not too happy about what this Lutheran minister was saying
to the Full Gospel Business men.
And so let’s read now from paragraph 179. And then we... What
is it? It's the devil, taking them right straight to that slaughter, every one of them going in... Exactly
what the Bible said. And here it is. See, come
right in amongst the Pentecostals and just pulled them right straight, just
as... What a time.
Now, let’s stop for a moment and look at what
Scriptures brother Branham is referring to here. Also, these thought’s here
that brother Branham is saying are not easy words to speak on because this
concerns people being lost and left for the destruction that is coming on the
earth. And I am sure it was not an easy thing for him to say either, but it had
to be said. But just always remember, the Lords ways are never the easy way,
but He seeketh only those who obey Him and say what He has already said.
Now, let’s turn to 2 Peter the 2nd chapter…
Now, before we read this, I would like to tell you about the first time I
really studied this scripture. I was going to go to as ministers meeting in a
certain place in 1983 and there was to be a whole bunch of ministers that
claimed to believe the Presence of Christ, and the things brother Vayle taught
concerning the ministry of Christ in brother Branham’s ministry.
Now, these brothers really did not believe what
brother Vayle taught back then, but it was convenient to their own ministries
to claim to be in the circle jut like it was convenient for the full Gospel
business men to invite brother Branham to help them open new branches or
chapters of their organization. But once
they built their congregations, they had no more use for either of these men of
God.
When I told brother Vayle that I was thinking about
going to this ministers meeting, he at first tried to talk me out of going, but
then he changed his mind, and said, before you go, I want you to read 2 Peter
the 2nd chapter, and then when you go keep your ears open for such
and such. I agreed to do so because I would have anyway. The next time they met
at the same place he also warned me that they would try to do away with his
ministry and say there is no more five fold ministry, that all is left is just
pastors. So I did not go to that one.
Now, at the time of this first meeting, I might have
been young in the ministry having only been pastor of this church for one year
at the time, and was only 30 years old, but I may have been young but I was not
stupid concerning what was going on amongst these brethren.
Now, let’s read the warning from 2 Peter the 2nd
chapter. 2 Peter 2:1 But as there were false prophets among the
people, even so there shall be (that’s
future tense) false teachers among you,(So we
see that as there were in past times false prophets among the people, he is
telling us in the future, at the end-time, there will be false teachers among
the people. And notice what else we are taught to look for concerning these
false teachers.) who privily shall bring in damnable
heresies, even denying the Lord that
bought them,
Now, if they are going to bring in, then they had to
get it from somewhere else outside the Message in the first place.
The Wuest Translation says: 2 Peter 2: 1 But as there arose false prophets also among
the people, even as also among you there
shall be false teachers who will be of such as to bring alongside of true
doctrine destructive heresies even denying the Lord who purchased them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
2 And many shall follow their
licentious conduct to its consumation; on account of whom the way of truth
will be reviled. These men
will come into the Message and give a wrong understanding of the Word of God
and the people will be caught up into what these men say as evil interpreters
of the Word of Truth.
3 And in the sphere
of covetousness with fabricated
words they will exploit you, from whom: for whom from ancient times their
judgment has not been idle.
Now, this licentious conduct is their pattern. They do
not follow the pattern that Jesus set forth to be followed or the pattern that
Paul gave as a true steward of the Good word of God. No, these men will have a
licentious nature. And the word licentious means: Lacking moral discipline or ignoring legal restraint, especially in
sexual conduct. 2. Having no regard for accepted rules or standards. Like
lying and telling completely false statements in order to bring the way of truth
into disrepute. Saying things against the character of the Prophet of God or
Brother Vayle as one who was indicated by that Prophet to know the doctrine and
that if any man had any questions they should ask brother Vayle.
No, instead they make up lies against brother Vayle
and the church age book, and his ministry even to the point of telling others
that he preaches two Gods, because he is not a Unitarian like they are.
Now, let’ take a look at this Scripture because there
are several points that I would like for us to see that Peter warned us would
take place in the end time.
But as there arose false
prophets also among the people, even as also
among you there shall be false teachers…
So we are told that there is to come a phenomena of
false teachers that are to come in amongst the end time church. Now, we must
know to whom he is talking if we are to understand whom these false teachers
will come into the midst of.
2 Peter
1: 1 Simon
Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the
righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ:
Now the Apostle Paul warned us of the same thing. He
said they would be a falling away from The Faith.
Hebrews
6:4 For
it is impossible for those who were once for all
enlightened, (now, there is only one
time that there is a once for all enlightenment, and that is in this hour when
God has come to restore it all.) and have tasted of the heavenly gift, (Now, we
know the heavenly Gift is the Holy Spirit Himself) and were made partakers (and this
word partaker means companions, or ones called alongside) of the Holy Ghost, 5 And
have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
(and this world to come speaks of
the coming age, which is the Millennium, in what ministry outside of that of
William Branham have we seen the powers of the coming age. Bulls turn away,
squirrels spoken into existence, bees turning possums, coming for prayer,
storms turned back by the words of a man. That is millennial power if we have
ever seen it.)
6 Having fallen away it is impossible
for them to ever come to a change of the mind; seeing that they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an
open shame.
Now, in what other age
has the Son of God been done away with as He has in this age, and amongst the
people who claim to have witnessed this millennial power and the Presence of
the Holy Ghost, as no other age has witnessed it. And all these things that
Paul is talking about here that could not have come in any other time as they
have come in this hour through the ministry of this end-time prophet of God. And
we are told that they crucify to themselves the
Son of God afresh. It does not say they actually crucify Him, but to themselves
they do.
They won’t even admit
that God had a son. They say that God was His own Son, or that Jesus was His
own Father, and they crucify the son of God to Themselves. That is the key
here, to themselves they do this.
You see? This does not
say they will actually crucify Him, but to themselves they do. They deny the
Son and to deny the son they must deny the Father. That is what John said.
I JOHN 2:23 Whosoever
denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [(but) he that acknowledges the
Son hath the Father also.
And Paul teaches us
that they bring upon them their own destruction in doing so. Now, we have spent
45 sermons showing you the benefits of the Son of God to us, but those benefits
are given only to those who believe in the Son of God. Al who do not believe in
the Son of God and would deny that God had a son, are not given even one of
these blessings from God.
7 For
the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth
forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: 8 But that
which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is
to be burned.
And Peter said the same thing about those who would
deny the Son of God.
2 Peter 2:3 who will be of such a nature as to bring
alongside of true doctrine destructive heresies even denying the Lord who purchased
them, bringing
upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their licentious conduct to its consumation; on
account of whom the way of truth will be reviled. 3 And in the sphere of covetousness with fabricated words they
will exploit you, from whom: for whom from ancient times their judgment has not
been idle.
So we see that destruction is what follows those who
turn down the Son of God. And that is what Brother Branham was saying about the
Pentecostals and Full Gospel business men who turned down the once for all
enlightenment.
179. And
then we... What is it? It's the devil, taking
them right straight to that slaughter, every
one of them going in... Exactly what the Bible said. And here it is. See, come right in amongst the Pentecostals and
just pulled them right straight, just as... What a time.
Notice he said it’s taking them right straight to the
slaughter. If that isn’t destruction, I don’t know what is? Paul said it in Hebrews chapter 6, Peter said
it in 2 Peter chapter 2 and Jude tells us the same thing in chapter 1.
Jude
1:3 Beloved,
when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was
needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you
that ye should earnestly contend for the
faith which was once delivered unto the saints. Notice that Jude speaks of The Faith. Not
faith in general but The faith and Paul told us in Ephesians 4 that there is
only one faith and William Branham taught us in the Rapture sermon that Faith
is a revelation. Therefore, there is only one Revelation and that is the
revelation of Jesus Christ.
Now, notice in verse 4
Jude tells us the same thing peter And Paul told us. 4 For
there are certain men crept in unawares,
(crept into where? That’s the
question. They crept in unawares, which means no one noticed them coming in.
Who were these ones that crept in without notice? They are the ones who brought
into the Message destructive heresies, even denying the One who bought them.
That is the Son of God they are denying. He is the one who paid the price. He
is the one who bought them, and yet they deny that He is God’s Son, by trying
to make Him God Himself. And if that Body was only a carcass then it was not a
man, because a man has a soul and a spirit.
Then if Jesus did not
have a Spirit and Soul, what did God raise up?) Romans 8:11
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in
you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal
bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
And Jesus had the same
Spirit as His Father, the Same Life. 1 Corinthians 12:
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we
be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to
drink into one Spirit.
And Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6: 17 But he that is
joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
Now in getting back to Jude 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this
condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness,
and denying the only Lord God, and
our Lord Jesus Christ. (Now, these men not only deny the Lord God but they deny His Son as well.)
5 I
will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the
Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed
them that believed not. So
you see what is left for those that believe not, there remains only destruction
for them to look forward to.
2
Timothy 2: 18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying
that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. (The
Revelation of Jesus Christ, the Doctrine of Christ)
Ephesians
4: 13 Till we all come in the unity
of the faith, (The Revelation of Jesus Christ, the Doctrine of
Christ) and of
the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the
stature of the fullness of Christ:
2 Timothy
3: 8
Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also
resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. (The Revelation of Jesus Christ, the Doctrine of
Christ) 1
Timothy 6: 10 For the love of
money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred
from the faith, (The
Revelation of Jesus Christ, the Doctrine of Christ) and
pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
1
Timothy 4: 1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in
the latter times some shall depart from
the faith, (The Revelation of
Jesus Christ, the Doctrine of Christ) giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; And
what was the doctrine of the devil in the beginning? He tried to make himself
equal with God. And what did he say to Eve? You will not surely die, for God knows that the day you eat
thereof, that day you will be like God. The People being seduced
into believing The Lie and then they
are damned by it. Why, Because you can't turn them away from it. They love a
lie and will be damned by the thing they love.
1 Timothy 6: 21 Which
some professing have erred concerning the
faith. (And what is The Faith?
There is only One Lord and One Faith, therefore it is The Revelation of Jesus
Christ, the Doctrine of Christ, for without it you hath not God, you echo not
God.)
2 Corinthians 13: 5 Examine
yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; (The Revelation of Jesus Christ, the Doctrine of
Christ, because it is Life, eternal Life and without it you have not life.) prove your own selves. Know ye not your own
selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
2 Thess 2: 10-12 10 And with all
deceivableness of un-right-wise-ness in them that perish (those that are in the act of perishing); because they received not the love of the truth,
that they might be saved. (and who do you receive this Love for the Truth from? God either ordained
you to it, or He did not. Acts 13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and
glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life
believed.
11 And
for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe
the lie: 12 That they all might be damned who
believed not the truth, but had pleasure in un-right-wise-ness. 13 But
we are bound to give thanks always 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 (Notice, God chose you from the beginning to Belief of
the Truth, and sanctificiation of the Spirit? And how does a young man cleanse his way? By taking
heed to the word of God. Psalm 119. For we are cleansed by the washing of the water by the Word.
Ephesians 5)
The Wuest Translation says that this deception is
geared to the gullibility of those who are perishing and that this gullibility
is caused by the fact that they did not have a love for the Truth. 2 Thess 2: 10-12 “Of every kind of
wicked deception geared to the gullibility of those who are perishing. This
gullibility being caused by the fact that they did not accept the love for the
Truth to the end that they might be saved. And because of this God sends them a
deluding influence resulting in their believing the lie, in order that they all
might be judged who did not believe the truth but took delight in wickedness.”
So if they are geared
that means they were made that way. I like his illustration of them that are
perishing are geared to the gullibility which if you understand what a gear is,
it is made in such a way that it fits itself to the gullible delusion. And in the Book of Romans Paul said, Romans 9:22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power
known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to
destruction:
So if they are fitted
for destruction then they were made to be taken and destroyed. John 3: 19 – 20 19 And
this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved
darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that
doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should
be reproved. 21 But
he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest,
that they are wrought in God.
2 Timothy 3: 7 Ever
learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. They
can't come to the understanding of the Truth because they will not give up
their own thinking. Then in Paragraph 180 he
continues, Oh,
after that testimony, someone said to me,… It's
a good thing I didn't say very much, 'cause they'd probably have me in jail up
there; but I just thought, "There it is." The people who's taught, knows. "The wise shall know their God in that day," it said in Daniel.
Yes, sir. See? The wise will know their
God; they're watching for these things.