Your Character is a Reflection
January
27th, 2002
II Cor 5:1 ¶ For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were
dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal
in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed
upon with our house which is from heaven: 3 If so be that being clothed we
shall not be found naked. 4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being
burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality
might be swallowed up of life. 5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame
thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 6
Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the
body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We
are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be
present with the Lord. 9 Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent,
we may be accepted of him.
ROMANS 12:1 ¶ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is]
your reasonable service. 2 And be not
conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of
God.
Let
us pray, Dear Father w are thankful
once again to b assembled together in one place to dine from Thy Word. It is
This Word, which You have brought down to us in the form of the Shout or
Message, that we are so thankful to receive. Because we realize that through
the instrument of Your Word, You are bringing forth our body change as we are
being transformed by the renewing of our minds. We thank You, Father for this
is the fulfillment of Your Great Plan. And we ask Your guidance once again as
we look further into your Word concerning this Great plan, for we ask it in
Jesus Christ's Name.
This
morning I would like to continue in this thought that we have been looking at
here of the Resurrection and change of the Body. As you know the past few times
we have assembled together to this Word, we have taken our thoughts on the
Resurrection and change of the body. Mostly to this point we have looked at the
order of the resurrection, how that the dead come forth first, and then we
assemble or gather together with them for a period of time, perhaps a month or
so, and sometime during this time, we receive our Body change, and then we go
up to meet the Lord halfway between Heaven and Earth, somewhere in an elevated
place, or dimension that is greater than the three that we are now living in.
SEVEN CHURCH AGES 54-0512
97 His great, glorious Presence shall
strike the earth. "He cometh in clouds." Oh, I love that.
"Clouds," there will be wave after wave of His glory will come across
the earth, and the resurrection of the saints shall come….
LETTING OFF THE PRESSURE 62-0518 E-112 See where we're living, friends. What's
the matter with people? Can't you see we're at the end time? It's all over.
The next thing will be a sweep will...?... that little group together. In a
month or so she'll be gone, as soon as she's gathered together. Well, we're
at the end. There's no hope left nowhere. Run to Christ, people.
SEVEN CHURCH AGES 54-0512
97 "He
that was last will be first, and he that was first will be last." How can
it be that way? That's the order of the resurrection. I won't know nobody in
the generation before me or the generation after me. I'll know those in the
generation of this. And every generation will come successfully, right as it
went down. "They which were last will be first." Sure, it has to be.
See? I'll know my people. The next fellow, my dad will know his people; his
grandfather, his people, on down like that. Wave after wave, after wave,
after wave, and the saints arising from everywhere, won't that be wonderful
So
we are looking forward to a wonderful time ahead, when the time of the
Resurrection sets in an we which are alive and remain will be caught up
together with them, and then we will go to meet the Lord in the air. We get our
change first and then we go to meet the Lord in the air. That is what we have
been speaking of for the past few weeks.
Now,
as we found in our study that the apostle Paul said, and brother Branham taught
as well, that we have already been spiritually resurrected from the dead. That
is why we all do not have to die first. There is a group who will be living,
and we that are alive and remain to the Parousia of the Lord will be changed in
the moment, in the Twinkling of an eye, when the Trumpet sounds.
I CORINTHIANS 15:51 ¶ Behold, I shew you a
mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment,
in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and
the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this
corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on
immortality. 54 So when this
corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on
immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is
swallowed up in victory. 55 O death,
where [is] thy sting? O grave, where [is] thy victory? 56 The sting of death
[is] sin; and the strength of sin [is] the law. 57 But thanks [be] to God, which giveth us the victory through our
Lord Jesus Christ. 58 ¶ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye
stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye
know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
I THESSALONIANS 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we
which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them
which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a
shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead
in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so
shall we ever be with the Lord. 18
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
And
what comfort these words bring to us who are tired of this old pest house. But,
the thing of it is, is that the Shout has already begun. The Lord has already descended
with a Shout. And that Shout is a Message quickly gathering His people. Then
the next thing is the Voice which if you will remember in the Alpha Ministry of
Jesus Christ, when He cried with a Loud Voice, the graves were opened and many
of the sleeping saints arose and came out of there graves after He was
resurrected. Therefore the Voice, the Loud Voice is to waken the sleeping
virgins as we also saw in Matthew 25, the Wise are awakened out of there sleep,
and as Paul said in Hebrews 11 they must have this ministry for they without us can not be
made perfect.
This
morning we are going to look at this process of the body change. We know a loud
voice is a shout, therefore, I believe that the resurrection has already began.
It is a process that happens over a period. The living are spiritually
resurrected or awakened from a deep sleep, and then those that sleep in the
grave. But the Living are quickened first, then the dead come froth in Life.
EPHESIANS 2:1 ¶ And you [hath he
quickened], who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Now
the word quicken means to make alive again. The God life that we had in Him
before the foundations of the Word is made alive, quickened, or re-animated.
Animation coming into these bodies, the Soul being quickened begins the process
of our returning to the way God planned before the foundations of the earth for
us to dwell in His presence for all eternity.
Questions & Answers - 64-0823 1M Now, the first thing happens when we're
resurrected ... The ones which are a-living will just still remain ...
The resurrection will set in first, the
resurrection of those that are asleep. There'll be a wakening time, and those which are asleep in
the dust now ... will be awakened first, and they'll - these corruptible
bodies will put on incorruption in the rapturing grace of the Lord. And
then we'll all get together. And when they begin to get together, then we which
are alive and remain shall be changed. These mortal bodies will not see death,
but just of a sudden, there'll be like a sweep go over us, and you're
changed. You're turned back like Abraham was, from an old man to a young
man, from an old woman to a young woman. What's this sudden change? And after
while you're traveling like a thought, and you can see those then who are already
resurrected. Oh, what a hour! Then we'll gather with them and then be caught up
with them to meet the Lord in the air.
Yes, the Church will all be together, but after, after the resurrection
and the rapture has set in.
Easter Seal - 65-0410 And now, if that
same Spirit that was upon Him to be the Redeemer in that age, that we have
accepted... Now, the promise of in this last days what would take place, if you
become part of that Word, you are redeemed with Him, because the same Spirit
that dwelt in Christ is dwelling in you, quickening your life to this age. And
it will also in the end time quicken your mortal bodies, resurrect them, bring
them up again. That takes the gloom away when we look at it in that, and
that's the truth.
Romans here, Paul has proved it to us. See? "If the
Spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, it will also quicken
your mortal bodies." This is the same Spirit that raised Him up that
quickened the true believer to Eternal Life. The Spirit that raised up Jesus
from the dead dwells into the believer, quickens the believer to Eternal Life.
Rising of the Sun - 65-0418 1M 50-6And now (see?), now you are already resurrected. When God
raised Him up, He raised you; the Son is just now on you. And now you're
growing into a blossom Life like He was, to be resurrected completely in
that last day. Your potentials you have now. Why do you know? Your soul
changed, didn't it? Your body come in obedience to It, didn't it? Into
obedience to what? A Church? The Word, which is the Life. Then you are now
resurrected from the dead. You
potentially have the Earnest, the waiting. Now, when you get the Dynamics, you
have been quickened from mortal to immortality. It makes the whole body come
subject to the Word. It'll make you act different, look different, live
different; It'll just make you different.
Then notice, it's just like a little seed
laying in the ground. Now, potentially, you are resurrected. You're resurrected
when you receive the Holy Spirit in you; you're resurrected right then. Your
body's potentially resurrected.
II CORINTHIANS 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man
perish, yet the inward [man] is renewed day by day. And this renewal comes by the Word of God living and
abiding is us, adding cell upon cell to our glorified bodies.
EPHESIANS 4:21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as
the truth is in Jesus: 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the
old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed
in the spirit of your mind; 24 And
that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and
true holiness.
EXPLAINING HEALING AND JAIRUS 54-0216 E-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.
EPHESIANS 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated
according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his
own will: 12 That we should be to the
praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 13 In whom ye also [trusted],
after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom
also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
14 Which is the earnest of our
inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise
of his glory.
FUTURE HOME 64-0802 34-3 "You wasn't saved on any day. You was always saved.
Amen. Jesus just come to redeem that, but you was saved from the beginning,
because you had Eternal Life to begin with."
JAMES 1:2 ¶ My brethren, count it all
joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3
Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But
let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire,
wanting nothing.
The Entombment - 57-0420 Our own
life is just a pattern. It's just a shadow, and not the real thing. It's the
negative side. It takes death to develop the picture, to put us
back in the theophany we come from. Then in the resurrection we come in His
likeness, a resurrected body, what a beautiful, not only beautiful but it's the
real, solemn truth of God's eternal Word, that we'll be like Him.
Q & A 54-0103E 143-191 What you are here... Get this in your mind
now. I'm going to close. But what you are here is a sign that you are
something else somewhere. You've always wanted to be in perfection, you
Christians. There is a perfection, and that perfection is not in this life.
But every man and woman here that is a Christian, every person that is a
Christian here now is already glorified in the Presence of Jesus Christ. And
you've got another body. You won't have some other time; you have right
now. Right now there's another body waiting for you if this one should perish.
Could you think of that. Study that just a minute.
ROMANS 8:29 ¶ For whom he did (already a done deal) foreknow,
he also did (another done deal) predestinate
to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the
firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did (done deal) predestinate, them he also called (again it is in
the past tense) : and whom he called (past
tense), them he also justified (past
tense): and whom he justified (past tense), them he also glorified(past tense). Therefore it is finished. It's a done deal. You
can't change the outcome, no matter how hard you try.
Now this word conformed comes from the Greek Word, summorphos {soom-mor-fos'} and means conformed to -- fashioned
like unto having the same form as
another, similar, to describes what is the essence in character and thus
complete or durable, not merely a form or outline.
I JOHN 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear
what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him;
for we shall see him as he is. Notice he said, now we are. Not in the future, but
already are sons of God.
God Rich In Mercy 65-0119 42 Now, if you've got Eternal Life
tonight, if we have Eternal Life, then we always were, because there's only one
form of Eternal Life. We always were. And the reason we were, because we are a
part of God.
Now,
we are still talking about the order of the resurrection, but what I want you
to see is that you have already been quickened. You have already received a
spiritual resurrection which is an earnest of a body change. Them without us
can not be made perfect. They've got to
have what we have, and that is this message of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
Now, the thing I want to focus our thoughts upon this
morning is that brother Branham said what we are here is a reflection of where
we are going.
EXPLAINING HEALING AND JAIRUS 54-0216 E-37 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.
Then
what is it we have here that is the same over there? Notice, he said what we
are here. So we need to know what this means. What we are here is a reflection
of what we are over there. I do not believe what he is saying is that our body
here reflects that body over there, but he is saying our nature or character
here is reflecting what nature or character we have over there.
351-3 LAODICEAN CHURCH.AGE
- CHURCH.AGE.BOOK CPT.9 Listen to me, "Naked (physically) we
came into the world, but naked (spiritually) we will NOT leave it." Oh no,
we are going to take something with us. What that something is, is ALL we can
take with us, nothing less and nothing more. So we had better be real careful
now to see that we take something that will make us right before God. So,
then, what will we take with us? We will take our CHARACTER, brother, that
is what we will take with us. Now what kind of character will you take with
you? Will it be like HIS Whose character was molded by suffering in the fiery
furnace of affliction, or will it be the softness of this character-less
Laodicean people? It is up to each one of us, for in that day every man
will bear his own burden.
What
a tremendous question that he lays before us this morning. What are we going to
take with us. There is only one answer and that is our character. And what we
are here is what we will be over there. Not the body, but the character. Our
Character. Therefore we want to find out about this character, and our
character, and what character is fit to enter into the presence of God. And
then we must answer the great question, how do we get or develop this
character? And our answer is simple. Character is a reflection of your nature.
And if you are never born again, you will never develop the character of God's
only begotten Son. As children in this world, our parents work with us to
develop our character. They mold us and fashion us. They child train us, and
teach us what is right and what is wrong. When we err, they correct us in a way
that we will remember. And yet today we live in a time of Laodicea which is a
characterless time, when the emphasis is getting material things, and no focus
is placed on developing character which is the only thing you can ever hold
onto throughout life and into the grace and over onto the other side. Then how do we develop that character? The
same way we develop our bodies. In fact the word develop tells us it is already
there but needs to come froth and mature.
I develop a picture, it is already there on the negative. It just needs
to be placed in the washing of water and then exposed to the light.
117-1 SMYRNAEAN CHURCH AGE
- CHURCH AGE BOOK CPT 4 Romans 8:17-18, "And
if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be
that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon
that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the
glory which shall be revealed in us." Unless we suffer with Him we cannot reign with Him. You have
to suffer to reign. The reason for this is that character simply is never made
without suffering. Character is a VICTORY, not a gift. A man without
character can't reign because power apart from character is Satanic. But power
with character is fit to rule. And since He wants us to share even His
throne on the same basis that He overcame and is set down in His Father's
throne, then we have to overcome to sit with Him. And the little temporary
suffering we go through now is not worthy to be compared to the tremendous
glory that will be revealed in us when He comes. Oh, what treasures are laid up
for those who are willing to enter into His kingdom through much tribulation.
ROMANS 5:1 ¶ Therefore
being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and
rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only [so], but we glory in
tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience;
and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is
shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. dokime tried character
I PETER 1:6 ¶
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:
Notice Peter speaks to us of the Trial of your faith
or the testing of your faith. That is how God develops the picture in us!
Through the trials and testings, and those trials and testings are for the
purpose of approving us. You don't do all that work with the negative just to
wash it clean. You do all that washing and follow the process to develop that
image that is in the negative with the purpose of bringing it into a positive.
In the Church age Book brother Branham quotes again
from Pweter concerning this development of character. 117-2 SMYRNAEAN CHURCH AGE
- CHURCH AGE BOOK CPT 4 "Think it not strange concerning the fiery trials that
are to try you." That is what Peter said.
Is it strange that God wants us to develop a Christ-like character that
comes through suffering? No sir. And we all have trials. We are all tried
and chastened as sons. Not one but goes through that. The church that is not
suffering, and is not being tried, hasn't got it--it isn't of God. Heb. 12:6, "For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and
scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. But
if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards,
and not sons."
224-1 THYATIREAN CHURCH AGE -
CHURCH AGE BOOK CPT 6 "I know your faith." Now he does not say here as He did
to the church in Pergamos, "you hold MY faith". He is not talking
about His faith now, but He is commending them for their faithfulness. And as
He does He also mentions their 'patience.' Now faithfulness and patience go
together. In fact patience is the outcome of faithfulness, for it says in James
1:3, "The trying of your faith worketh patience." There is absolutely
no other way in which to gain patience. It has to come by the trial of our
faith. Romans 5:3, "Tribulation worketh patience." How highly God
regards this outworking of our patience is seen in James 1:4, "But let
patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire lacking
nothing." God's will for us is Perfection. And that perfection is
patience--waiting on God and waiting for God. This is the process of
character development. How highly God has commended these saints of the
Dark Ages. Patient as lambs led to the slaughter, lovingly, faithfully they
served God. That is all they wanted out of life, just service to their Lord.
How great was to be their reward.
In this next quote we hear brother Branham refer to
the resurrection Power of the Holy Spirit in our midst is to do one thing, and
that is to bring forth a quickening that will begin the process of character
development.
QUEEN OF THE SOUTH 60-1127E
E-80 God, I pray that in this prayer line
somewhere, or somewhere in the meeting, that You'll show that sign of the
resurrection that You promised through Jonah. And may that hour, or that
moment, may the power of God seal them in their heart with the Holy Spirit and
make them sons and daughters of God, that their character would be changed,
their desires, and their objectives, and motives, and everything in their life
would be changed. Grant it, Lord. We're waiting farther on You; the service
is Yours. It's in Your Name. And we're waiting to see what You will do. Save
these Lord; don't let them leave this building, tonight without salvation.
Grant it, Lord.
LUKE 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls.
ROMANS 2:6 Who will render to every man according to
his deeds: 7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory
and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8 But unto them that are contentious,
and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
II CORINTHIANS 2:8 Wherefore I beseech you that ye would
confirm [your] love toward him. 9 For to this end also did I write, that I
might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.
LUKE 8:11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the
word of God. 12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the
devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe
and be saved. 13 They on the rock [are they], which, when they hear, receive
the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in
time of temptation fall away. 14 And that which fell among thorns are they,
which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and
pleasures of [this] life, and bring no fruit to perfection. 15 But that on the
good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word,
keep [it], and bring forth fruit with patience. 16 No man, when he hath lighted
a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth [it] under a bed; but setteth
[it] on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light. 17For
nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither [any thing] hid, that
shall not be known and come abroad. 18 Take heed therefore how ye hear: for
whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall
be taken even that which he seemeth to have.
CHOOSING OF A BRIDE 65-0429E
10-2 So you must make the
right choice. Again, the kind of a woman that a man would choose will
reflect his ambition and his character. If a man chooses the wrong
woman, it reflects his character. And what he ties himself to shows truly
what's in him. A woman reflects what's in the man when he chooses her for
wife. It shows what's down in him. No matter what he says outside, watch what
he marries. I go to a man's office and he says he's a Christian, pinups all
around on the walls, that old boogie-woogie music going on, I don't care what
he says; I don't believe his testimony; because his spirit's feeding on them
things of the world. What say if he would marry a chorus girl, or what if he'd
marry a sex queen, or just a pretty modern Ricketta? It reflects; it shows what
he has in his mind of what his future home's going to be, because he took her
to raise his children by, and whatever she is, that's the way she'll raise
those children. So it reflects what's in the man. A man that takes a woman like
that shows just what he is thinking of the future. Could you imagine a
Christian doing a thing like that? No, sir, I could not. A true Christian
will not look for such beauty queens, and chorus girls, and sex queens. He'll
look for Christian character.
CHOOSING OF A BRIDE 65-0429E
28-2 God choose
by character. Character, there never was a Character like Jesus Christ. It
lives in Him, manifests in. We see it true. It's not worldly beauty of Him that
attracts His Bride; it is His character, the character of the church that Jesus
looks for; not whether it's big buildings; whether it's great denominations;
whether it's big membership. He promised to meet with wherever two or three are
gathered together. Truly. That's where the true believer rests his hopes, is
upon that Word of God being vindicated in truth, what it is. Choose by His
Word.
HEAR YE HIM 56-1215 E-53 So notice, this
fellow, he just wanted to be smart. And every time he'd see a little fawn, he'd
shoot it. And I said, "You cruel hearted man." And he said, "Aw,
you chickenhearted preacher." See? He said, "That's the way with you
fellows; you're a little sissy." I said, "No, Burt, that's not it.
There's such a thing..." Man is not measured by how much muscle he's got;
that's beast. I've seen men that weighed two hundred pounds and didn't have an
ounce of man in them: throw a baby out of a mother's arms and ravish her.
That's not a man; that's a brute. Man's measured by character. There never
was a man like Christ Jesus, never was a character like that. Man's measured by
character. And I said, "Man's not measured by his big arms, but by the
bags of the knees in his pants, whether he's been praying or not."
That's right. And he said, "Aw, you preachers, you'll get next to
yourself." And he...
100-1 EPHESIAN CHURCH AGE -
CHURCH AGE BOOK CPT 3 Before Adam ever had carnal knowledge of Eve, the serpent had
that knowledge ahead of him. And that one born of it was Cain. Cain was of
(born of, begotten of) that "Wicked One". I John 3:12. The Holy
Spirit in John could not in one place call Adam the "Wicked One" (for
that is what he would be if he fathered Cain) and in another place call Adam
the "Son of God" which he was by creation. Luke 3:38. Cain turned
out in character like his father, a bringer of death, a murderer. His utter
defiance of God when faced by the Almighty in Genesis 4:5,9,13,14, show him to
be absolutely unhuman-like in characteristics, seeming even to surpass any
account we have in Scripture concerning a confrontation of Satan by God.
"But unto Cain and to his offering He had not respect. And Cain was very
wroth, and his countenance fell. And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy
brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? And Cain said unto
the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, Thou hast driven me
out this day from the face of the earth; and from Thy face shall I be hid; and
I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass,
that every one that findeth me shall slay me."
JOHN 8:37 I
know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath
no place in you. 38 ¶ I speak that which I have seen with my
Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. 39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham
is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would
do the works of Abraham. 40 But now
ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of
God: this did not Abraham. 41 Ye do
the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication;
we have one Father, [even] God. 42
Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I
proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
43 Why do ye not understand my speech?
[even] because ye cannot hear my word. 44
Ye are of [your] father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will
do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because
there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for
he is a liar, and the father of it. 45
And because I tell [you] the truth, ye believe me not. 46 ¶
Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not
believe me? 47 He that is of God
heareth God's words: ye therefore hear [them] not, because ye are not of God.
MATTHEW 23:31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves,
that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 32 Fill ye up then
the measure of your fathers. 33 [Ye]
serpents, [ye] generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
199-1 PERGAMEAN CHURCH AGE -
CHURCH AGE BOOK CPT 5 Now it is a well known historical fact that when this error crept
into the church, men began to vie for the office of bishop with the result that
this position was being given to the more educated and materially-progressive
and politically-minded men. Human knowledge and program began to take over
Divine wisdom's place and the Holy Spirit no longer controlled. This was indeed
a tragic evil, for the bishops began to maintain that it no longer required a
transparent Christian character to minister either the Word or the rites in the
church for it was the elements and the ceremony that counted. This allowed evil
men (seducers) to rend the flock.
I CORINTHIANS 9:24 ¶
Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the
prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery
is temperate in all things. Now they [do it] to obtain a corruptible crown; but
we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not
as one that beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring [it] into
subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself
should be a castaway.
PHILIPPIANS 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have
apprehended: but [this] one thing [I do], forgetting those things which are
behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press
toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15
¶ Let us therefore, as many as be
perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall
reveal even this unto you.
HEAR YE HIM 58-0301E E-57 God's searching for real man. I don't mean how big his muscles
are. Man is never judged by his muscle. That's brute. Man is judged by
character. I've seen man that weighed two hundred pounds and solid muscle, and
didn't have a ounce of man in him; will throw a baby from a mother's arms and
ravish her. That's a brute. But man is measured by character. There never was a
man like Jesus Christ. And the Bible said there was no beauty we should desire
Him, but a character like it has never been molded. That's right. "Hear ye
Him."
IDENTIFICATION
63-0123 E-28 You
cannot no way ever produce a Character like that, only accepting that Character
in you. A church cannot do that. A creed cannot do that. A denomination
cannot do that. An education cannot do that. It must be a birth. It's got to be
a--a dying out, and let God in it. By the grace of Christ, mold this type of
character in you, that you become Him. And your life and His is the same. Then
you are sons and daughters of God.
MARRIAGE AND
DIVORCE 65-0221M 22-7 Not pretty, but character, God looks at
character. Man looks at natural beauty. It's deceiving. And that's why a
woman was given that beauty for deception, to deceive. A beautiful woman, if
she don't use it in the right way, it's a curse to her. … 22-7 Notice now, but God is featured in character. There was no
beauty we should desire Jesus, but there never was a character like Him on the
earth. Now, we find out today that the church character, Satan and his
group, look after big beautiful churches, beautiful things. That's what the
world looks at today. Oh, if the pastor, the great So-and-so times So-and-so,
so priestly and Godly, walking out in these big robes and things like that;
they call that beauty. But the real saints of God looks for the character of
the vindicated Word. That's what the saints did in that day when they seen
Jesus. He wasn't nothing to look at, but they seen God was in Him; they seen
God was with Him.
CURTAIN OF TIME
55-0302 He
said, "My sheep know My voice." See, they were spiritual inside, and
when they seen Him, they recognized that He was different from them priests,
and teachers, and so forth. So they followed Him wherever He went. They loved
Him. They couldn't understand Him. He was a mystery, even to the Apostles. No
one could understand Him, because there was two people talking all the time.
The Person Jesus Christ was talking, and God was talking in Him, also. Sometimes
it was Christ himself; sometimes it was the Father that dwelt in Him.