WHO IS THIS MELCHISEDEC #31

The Great Deception

December 31,  2000

Brian Kocourek

 

REVELATION 13:8  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 9    If any man have an ear, let him hear.

 

WHO IS THIS MELCHISEDEC  65-0221E  52    Now, we find Him at the beginning, His attributes. And now, you were with Him then. Then is when the Book of Life comes into view. Now, we read over here in Revelations the 13th chapter, the 8th verse, that the beast that comes upon the earth in these last days will deceive all those people on the earth whose names were not written in the Lamb's Book of Life before the foundation of the world.

 

This morning I would like to look at this time of deception, that brother Branham is referring to and as we see in the book of Revelations.

 

Notice the ones who will fall for the deception are those whose names were not placed in the Lamb's book of Life that was written before the world was framed by the Word of God.  Now, this morning I want to look at this deception that is to take place and I want to show how it can deceive all that dwell in the earth with the exception of the Elect.  Now we are warned by Jesus Himself that at the last days, it will be a great time of deception.

 

MATT 24:4  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

 

Notice in verse 10… MATTHEW 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. Notice this is a time when we should draw that much closer together, but because there is so much iniquity, and we are so bombarded on a daily basis, we become exhausted, and because we have such a daily struggle and daily fight with iniquity, we are drained. And our love waxes, or hardens toward one another.  Now, let's jump up to verse 21…

 

MATTHEW 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 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; insomuch that, (that means for the very purpose of)  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; go not forth: behold, [he is] in the secret chambers; believe [it] not. 27    For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the Parousia of the Son of man be.

 

HOW CAN I OVERCOME 63-0825M  44    We see this age that we're living in. It's one of the grandest ages of all ages. This Laodicea church age is the grandest of all the church ages, because it's the ending of time and the blending of eternity. And then, it's the greatest sinful age. There's more sin in this age than there's ever been. And the powers of Satan is--is many times harder to fight against than it was in any age. See? Here, back there in the early ages a Christian could for his profession of being a church--of belonging to Christ could be beheaded for it. He could be killed and put out of his misery, and go to meet God quickly. But now, the enemy has come in in the name of the church; and it's so deceiving. This is a great age of deception when... Christ said so, the two spirits would be so close in the last days till it would deceive the very elected if it was possible. See, see? See? And remember, Christ spoke of a elected people for the last day. See? It would deceive the very elected if it were possible, so close.

 

MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE  65-0221M 20-2    Pretty... Did you know at the first destruction internationally of the world (or worldwide) was because of pretty women? "When the sons of God saw the daughters of men were fair, they taken unto them women." Is that right? Have you noticed the increase of beauty of women in this day? I have seen the picture of Pearl O'Brien, which was supposed to be the prettiest woman in the nation at one time. There isn't a teenage girl in this school but what would out-shadow her when it comes to beauty. The increase of the beauty of women is showing the time of deception. When did a church look any more prettier than it does today? Everything is featuring great, big, fine buildings and millions of this and millions of that. Don't you see, "she," the deception?

 

The better the church looks the better the deception is, just like the woman, fashioned by satan to be deceptive. If it wasn't a matter of looks, why we would all go for character. Therefore the looks are there to deceive.  You see the trap. Don't look for beauty that's skin deep, but look for a character that reflects an eternal life inside.

 

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. That'll send her to hell quicker than anything else I know of. If she just--if... She could be pretty, sure; as long as she stays with her husband and does what's right, and that--that's fine and dandy. But she can take that same thing, and, my, how she can deceive with it, for it was give to her to do so.

 

Again in the book  of MARK 13:3  we see the same seen unfold and the words of jesus warn us of this time of deception. ¶ And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what [shall be] the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled? 5    And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any [man] deceive you: 6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am [Christ]; and shall deceive many.

 

Notice, the main characteristic is not going  to be wars or earthquakes, but the main characteristic is deception. And what an hour of deception.

 

THINKING MAN'S FILTER  65-0822E  51    As I stood there looking at it and thinking of how deceitful it was, the question came to me and I stooped back, looked at the pack again, and I could--just seemed like something said to me, "But the slogan is all right: 'A thinking man's filter, a smoking man's taste.'" It came to me that that deceitfulness also in the natural realm there in the tobacco, is something on a order of the churches of today (See?), a deceitfulness. It's come till the whole world has become a great deception of what is really true and what's right. See, even in politics and in social affair, in school, in everything, it becomes a deceitfulness.

 

Look at the deception in politics, it's never been worse than in this age. Like brother Branham said, it doesn't do any good to vote when they already know whose going in there. And then the media, how it manipulates the minds of the people causing them to think the way they want you to think.

 

Look at the advertisements, and how deceptive it all is. We know the mainstream media is all polluted and deceptive, and so many think they can go to the internet to finally get the truth and there is so much garbage on it that no man can know the truth outside of what has been vindicated by God Himself.

 

REVELATION 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

 

REV 13:11   And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by [the means of] those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 15    And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six.

 

SATAN'S EDEN 65-0829  5-6    People, ignorantly worshipping Satan, thinking they are worshipping God. As we're warned by prophecy in II Thessalonians that... Let's just read that: II Thessalonians, the 2nd chapter. Let's just get it a moment, if I can right away. I'd like to read that just a... I believe II Thessalonians. I got the Scripture here and say...   Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of the Lord Jesus, and by our gathering together unto him, And see the coming of the Lord and the gathering to Him, as God will gather His people to Him in the last days: the gathering of the people to the Lord, not to the church, to the Lord. ... gathering together unto Him  That ye be not soon shaken in your mind, or troubled--troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as... the day of the Lord is at hand. 

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin... (man of sin, watch what he is now) ... man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, (That was Judas. See?)  Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God setteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

 

 

 

 

 

     6-1    That deceitfulness of the church of today... See, the son of perdition, the devil, the son of perdition, the devil... Then people worshipping Satan in this day, thinking they're worshipping God... But they're worshipping him through a creed, a manmade denominations and creeds that's brought the people right down to the greatest deception that the world has ever knowed of. No matter how much the Word of God promised for this day, is preached and vindicated, they still won't believe It. They won't believe It. Then why? We wonder why. Why doesn't it... Why won't they believe It, when God said He would do a certain thing, and He does it; and still they turn their back from it, and turn away from it? Just as Eve knew that what God said, God would do; but she turned her back on it to listen to what he had to say. Just remember, in other ages, it's always been the same thing. In every age it's always been that Satan tries to pervert that Word to them, making them see some other age.

 

Now, let's look at this scripture brother Branham is bringing out here in this quote from Satan's Eden. Notice he quotes Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2. so let's read.

 

II THESSALONIANS 2:1   Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and [by] our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word (notice a false word or false letter, that's deception working here), nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3    Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5    Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6    And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [will let], until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 [Even him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 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 the lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

 

Now the Wuest translation says this:  And then shall the lawless one be disclosed in his true identity. Whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of His mouth and render inoperative by the sudden appearance of His Personal Presence, the coming and presence of whom  the man of lawlessness is according to the operation of satan in the sphere of miracles demonstrating power  and attesting miracles and miracles of a startling, imposing, amazement-wakening character  which deceive, and whose coming and presence is in the sphere 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,

(Notice it's the same one told Eve) in order that they all might be judged, who did not believe the Truth but took delight in wickedness.

 

  ROMANS 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in [their] knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

 

Now there is a point here I do not want you to miss. And that point is that the deception comes from within. It first comes from the people turning down the truth. Why? Because as Jesus said in

       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.

 

The fact is that to be deceived, you have first got to turn down or turn away from the Truth, thus you deceive yourself. You don't believe the Lie because you were an innocent bystander who was tricked into believing it. You believe it because you want to believe it.

 

MARK 7:7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men. 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, [as] the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. 10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: 11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, [It is] Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; [he shall be free]. 12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; 13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. 14 And when he had called all the people [unto him], he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one [of you], and understand: 15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. 16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. 17 And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable. 18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, [it] cannot defile him; 19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? 20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

 

 

 

 

HEBREWS 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 15  While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. The people leave the word on their own account. Because they have an evil heart God says.

 

I JOHN 1:8  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  Notice, John tells us that we only deceive ourselves, we're not fooling anyone else, we're not deceiving anyone else

 

JAMES 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

 

JAMES 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion [is] vain.

 

Notice, when you deceive yourself, your religion is in vain.

 

I CORINTHIANS 3:18  Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. (in their own false wisdom) .

 

Therefore people get what they ask for.

 

GALATIANS 6:3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For every man shall bear his own burden. 6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.

 

ROMANS 16:17   Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. 

 

Now, these simple could not be in the election, because they are able to be deceived. They are simple minded people who are not out to hurt anyone, but they become deceived by what they hear, but a s I have already shown you, they can only be deceived because they do not have a love for the Truth. So they accept just anything that might sound right, but it isn't.

 

Notice what Pal says in EPHESIANS 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them. 8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now [are ye] light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

 

Notice, they have a choice because they have been warned. You see, God always sends warning before judgment, and when the people turn down his warning, all that is left for them is judgment.

 

II TIMOTHY 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned [them];

 

Notice the ones who are deceiving are deceived themselves, that is why they can be so sincere in their deception.

 

II CORINTHIANS 4:1  Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2  But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face (presence) of Jesus Christ.   7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

 

EPHESIANS 4:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 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:

 

II JOHN 1:7   For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. 9  Whosoever transgresseth (goes beyond the limits of true doctrine), and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 10    If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into [your] house, neither bid him God speed:

 

GOD OF THIS EVIL AGE 65-0801M  56    The two spirits, one of them God's Holy Spirit, the other one the devil's spirit working in deception. The people of the earth are now making their choice. The Holy Spirit is here calling out a Bride for Christ. He's doing it by vindicating His Word of promise to Her for this age, showing that It is Christ. If the finger's supposed to move in this age, the finger will move. If the foot's supposed to move in this age, the foot will move. If the eye is to see in this age, the eye will see. See? The Spirit of God, as It's growed into the full statue of God is... The age that we're now living in, the Holy Spirit is here vindicating the Message of the hour. And the Holy Spirit is doing this, so that the people that believe God will be called out of this chaos. The devil's unholy spirit is here calling his church by the error, as usual, by perversion of the Word of God like he did at the beginning. See it coming right back to that seed time again? From Eden, here it is again.

 

 

 

II CORINTHIANS 11:13 For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore [it is] no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

 

ROMANS 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13 Their throat [is] an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps [is] under their lips: 14  Whose mouth [is] full of cursing and bitterness: 15 Their feet [are] swift to shed blood: 16 Destruction and misery [are] in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known:

 

COLOSSIANS 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

 

I THESSALONIANS 2:3 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.

 

ROM 7:11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew [me].

 

I CORINTHIANS 15:33  Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

 

TITUS 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, [and] hating one another. 4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;