The Parables of Christ no. 36

The Unjust Judge

Sunday, May 9, 2004

Rev. Brian Kocourek

 

Prayer…

 

LUKE 18:1  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Now, this is an interesting parable in that we are told up front what outcome Jesus is expecting to see as a result of telling this parable.  The Wuest translation says,

 

And he was giving them an illustration which had for its teaching point that it is necessary in the nature of the case for them at all times to be praying and not to be losing courage.

 

So we see that this parable or illustration is being used to bring home the point how important it will be that we continue top pray and never become discouraged and lose hope.

 

Now, then, the next question we ought to ask is why does he tell us this parable about an unjust judge, and a woman. Who are these two people that he is speaking about?  Now, in reading from verse 2, we read,  2 There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, (Now, first of all since he does not mention the name of the city, this  parable has universal implications. Because it can be any city in the entire world.  And this judge that Jesus is speaking of is not God, nor is he the Son of God, because the Son of God had a reverent fear toward God and this judge does not. So this is speaking of an authority figure, and it could be any government over any nation, or simply it can represent any government over any people.

 

Now, it is not the Son of God because in the Book of ISAIAH 11:1 we read    And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; 3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: 4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. 5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

 

Now, Jesus tells us this judge did not have a fear of the Lord,  and then he tells us neither does he regard man: (That means he does not respect men either. Now, this then is the condition of those in power at the time when the Son of Man comes. You will see this in just a minute. But before we look at this we are introduced to a second party in this parable.) 3 And there was a widow in that city; (Notice she is a widow. Her first husband had died… And she was not remarried at this time for she is called a widow. Now, remember the woman always throughout scripture represents the church. Either the nominal church, which is the whore church, or a woman can be the type of the True Bride of Christ. Now, we are told that this woman had been married, and her husband had died. And she was left on her own without a head at this point. ) and she came unto him, (the judge over this city where she lived) saying, Avenge (this word is translated from the Greek word ekdikeo  {ek-dik-eh'-o} which means to vindicate. So she asks this Judge to vindicate her before her adversary) she says,   Avenge me of mine adversary. 4 And he would not for a while: (notice this one was not interested in her problems at all ) but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

 

Now, it was not for her sake that he decided to act, but for his own sake. 

 

There is an expression that says, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease”) and that is apropo for this parable. Remember, Jesus’ teaching point is that we pray always and faint not.

 

Now, the Wuest translation says, Now, there was a widow in that city, and she kept on coming to him at recurring intervals, saying, “protect me by an equitable administration of justice from my opponent in a lawsuit”. And he kept on being unwilling to do so for a considerable time, However, afterward he said in himself ,  Although God I do not fear, or man respect, at least because this widow is continually furnishing me trouble, I will see that justice is done her in order that lest by her continual coming finally she may be assaulting me.

 

6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

 

So we see here that Jesus is telling us to look with a clear view to understanding what the words of the unjust judge are saying.

 

7 And shall not God avenge (vindicate) his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge (vindicate) them speedily.

 

Let me take a moment to read this from The Wuest translationAnd God, shall He not most assuredly accomplish the vindication of His Chosen out ones who are crying aloud to Him day and night. Exacting justice in their behalf even though he is longsuffering in their case, (That of the enemies of the chosen out ones). I am saying to you, He will exact justice in their behalf speedily.

 

Now, this last part of the parable is the most important. Because up to this point we are told that we must have a persistent attitude of prayer and we must not faint which means to become discouraged. But this next portion of the parable, the last portion of this parable, is the most important point for us to understand. Jesus says,  Nevertheless (and that means, in spite of all this)when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

 

Now, this does not say, upon His arrival will He find Faith already present? But the word when is used which should thus have made this translation read,  “The Son of having already arrived and being present for some time, will He find Faith anywhere in the entire world?.  And the word find means to find by inquiry, thought, examination, scrutiny, observation, to find out by practice and experience, 

 

So we can see by this parable that the Son of Man when he comes will be examining the faith of all, and will be observing our Faith or lack of it.

 

Now, remember, Brother Branham taught us that Faith is a Revelation. Therefore, when the Son of Man cometh, when he is here, shall He find revelation throughout the earth?

 

Now, I can say that I am certain that is what Jesus is talking about because brother Branham used this verse of scripture in this very way, and asked the same question Jesus did.

 

From the ANOINTED ONES AT END TIME  65-0725M  123    "Oh, America, how oft God would've hovered you, but now your hour is come. You lead the world in filth."... blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affections,... (No true love even for one another, man to woman, woman to man, not even natural affections: filth sexually.)... truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, and despisers of those that are good, (In other words, say "You bunch of holy rollers." Someone asked the other day about coming up here to the church, said, "Don't go up there; all it is a big bunch of noise and carrying on." See? Despisers of those.) Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; (You say, "Brother Branham, that's Communists. What's the next verse say?) Having a form of godliness,... (But what?)... denying the power thereof:... (The Word, Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever manifested a promise for the day... Just exactly like Hananiah, just exactly like Zedekiah, just exactly like Balaam, on back, other false prophets)... Having a form of godliness,... (Anointed. See? Having a form, anointed, ordained ministers)... having a form of godliness, but denying... That He's the same yesterday, today, and... denying His Word. How did they deny Jesus in that day? Who did they deny when they denied Jesus? The Word. They were religious. They taught from their Bible but denied the present day Word. What are they today? Same thing, anointed, preaching the Gospel of Pentecost, but denying the present day promise of the Word being vindicated: Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do you see it? For this is the sort are they which creep into houses, and lead... silly women laden with sin, led away by divers lusts,…"Our sewing parties and our so-and-so's." Somebody come around trying to misinterpret the Word, and saying this, "It's all right, sister, for you to have short hair. Don't pay any attention to that nitwit." See? "Aw, if you--you wear this... It's not that, it's what comes out of a man's heart that defiles him." See? And do you realize that you are anointed with an evil, lustful, dirty spirit?... care, you might sing in a choir with short hair, but you got an evil spirit. That's contrary to the Word. That's right. It's what the Bible says. And you say, "Well, I wear shorts, it don't condemn..." Whosoever... If a woman puts on a garment that pertains to a man it's an abomination in the sight of God. The unchanging God said that.

  124    Oh, so many things, how could we just go through it, our time would be away. But you know enough to know what's right and wrong. And how can I make them do it? How can I do it? You say, "Well, what you hollering about?" I'm a witness against you. Someday in the day of the judgment you'll have not a corner to go into.          

  125    How could Micaiah stop that? How can Moses screaming, trying to stop it, and Joshua and them running among the people; and Levi pulled his sword and slayed them even? They went on just the same. It's predicted that they're going to do it, and they're going to do it; for it's THUS SAITH THE LORD they're going to do it. You think them denominations will ever break up their denomination and come back to the Word? It's THUS SAITH THE LORD they won't. Will they go into the antichrist? Exactly, it's THUS SAITH THE LORD they will. So what are you saying about? I have to be a witness and so do you. All believers.

  126    Watch. "Silly women laden with divers lust..." "Oh, all the rest of the women do." False prophets. Now, listen. False prophets I'm speaking of. Now, what will they do in the last day? Lead silly women, led away with divers lusts. "Well, I know all the rest the women..." All right, go ahead. What'd I say just before this big happening here in California? "You people here in Los Angeles, every year when I come back there's more bobbed haired women and sissified men than there was in the first place. More preachers going into organization. You're without excuse. If the mighty works had been done in Sodom and Gomorrah was done in you, it'd be standing today. Oh, Capernaum, thou who callest yourself by the name of the angels, Los Angeles..." See what's happening? She's going right on to the bottom of the sea. When? I don't know when it's going, but it's going. You young people, if I don't see it in my day you watch; she's gone.  128    Ever learning,... never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (Now, here's the shocking part. Listen to this.) Now, as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobates concerning the faith... (That was once delivered to the saints, of course.)... concerning the faith. ("And he shall turn the faith of the children back to the fathers.") Reprobate concerning the faith... You know what reprobate means? If you got a Scofield Bible there's a "h" there. Right up there says, "Apostasy" an apostasy. That's what it is.

  129    Now, just a minute. I want to look up something here. I think I wrote this down right. I'm not sure, but I want to say it, and look it up before I say it. Now, just one minute. Reprobates concerning the Truth, concerning the faith, the faith. There's only one faith (That's right.), concerning the faith, reprobates. Now, I want to read Luke 18. Just a minute. You don't need to put it down; you don't have to read it. And he spake a parable unto them unto this end, that men ought to always pray, and not... faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, and regardeth not man: And there was a widow in the same city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of my adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterwards he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow trouble me, I will avenge her, lest by... coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall not God avenge his... elect, which crieth day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

  130    Now, that's the question. Here's where I want to get to. In Revelation 10, we will get to it in a few minutes to another Scripture verse, he said, "In the days of the message of the seventh Angel, the mystery of God ought to be finished." Here's the question, if you follow in that line in this hour: Will it be finished? "Will I find the faith?" Will Malachi 4 be fulfilled in this time: restore the faith of the children back to the faith of the fathers, the original, the Word? See?

131    Reprobates, Jambres and Jannes, as they withstood... Now, also listen. II Timothy 3:8: "As Jannes withstood Moses, also in the last days these same reprobates would come (Now, see where it says here?) having a form of godliness, anointed ones... Now, let's just, you go back and read it when you get home, so that I can finish out this morning if I can.

  132    Reprobates concerning. Not reprobates in living, they're fine, cultured men. Now, notice, when Moses went down to Egypt with a message of THUS SAITH THE LORD, and was vindicated, called on Israel, which was a people, not a church... Israel was a people; they never was a church, 'cause the word "church" means "called out ones." They were the people of God. Then when they become anointed under the Word and called out, they become the church of God, and then backslid, because they believed not the Word of God and listened to a false prophet. I hope that sinks in. Israel being a people of God, come out under the hand of God, anointed with the Word, with the power of God, seeing the signs and wonders of God; and then when God was moving on with them, a false prophet come in, anointed, and taught something contrary to the original Word of God, that they heard; and every one of them perished in the wilderness besides three people. Now, hold it.

133    "As it was in the days of Noah, wherein eight souls were saved by water, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of man. As it was in the days of Lot, where three came out of Sodom, so shall it be in the time when the Son of man shall be revealed." I'm only quoting Scripture, the Lord's Word; which heavens and earth will pass away... It'll be a minority.

 

So we see here that even brother Branham in reading from this parable places the emphasis on the last few words of Jesus, “When the Son of Man has come and has been present for some time, shall He find through observation and examination Faith, Shall He find Revelation?

 

Why do we think that God has not pulled the plug yet? He’s still looking to find Faith, Revelation among His Elect. He has been here for 70 plus years in the form of the Pillar of Fire, since at least 1933 and since then He has been coming more and more into the church by the Revelation of the Holy Ghost. That is what Brother Branham said from the sermon, …

 

SEVENTY WEEKS OF DANIEL 61-0806  67    It's laying back in that condition. And that only shows that this is just a period of time. Can't you see? God don't have things out of cater. He's just letting it run like that for a little time. And I truly believe that that thing was done, and at this last days is when God is going to reveal these secrets to the church. He hasn't done it before, and the reason He hasn't done it is to keep the church a-watching and praying all the time, not knowing when it was coming. But you remember in Daniel 12 He said, "The wise shall understand in this last days"? It's been given to him. The Spirit of wisdom comes into the church to make known to the church by the revelation of the Holy Ghost--bringing the church in and revealing what day that we're living in. Just the same as Gabriel come to Daniel, the Holy Spirit comes to the church in the last days to reveal these great, deep, secret things. Do you understand now?

 

What is so remarkable about this hour is that the Revelation of Jesus Christ is growing in two directions. There is a group of elect that are coming more and more into an understanding while the rest of the world is growing more and more into a cloud of darkness. Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit has brought with Him Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of Himself, the Bible also speaks of Gross darkness coming among the people until the light is almost totally gone.

  

 68-3 EPHESIAN CHURCH AGE   CPT 3 The basic error, or errors, that crept into the first church and were revealed in the Book of Acts and Revelation and also in the Epistles will become more and more visibly manifested in each subsequent age, until we come to a complete blackout of truth in the last, or Laodicean Age.

 

SHALOM 64-0119  17    Now, the prophet said, "Gross darkness upon this people," upon the people of the world, gross darkness." Have you noticed, in the last few years, some of you men and women around my age, that how each year, it seems like that darkness comes more and more? I was speaking the other day, and I said to my wife, "You know, it seems like that as the years go on, as it just seems like that people begin to get further and further away from the real thing that they should be coming closer and closer to." I've noticed amongst men. Look out on the streets, and most amongst the women, watch their desires and what they like to do, and they're--they're changing attitudes all the time. Men are becoming more like women, and women are becoming more like men, and seems like there's no way to stop it. I cross the nation, preaching against the thing, and come back the next year and it's worse than it was when I started. It's... Them people want to do right, but, they--there's something about it that won't let them do right. It just presses down on them, forces them. It's--it's like a heavy, dark fog over the whole earth. Not only in Phoenix, but all over the world, there seems to be just a grouping darkness that's gathering, getting more dense and dense all the time, just smothering out real manhood, real womanhood. I'm talking in the natural.

  20    And they, seems like that the--it's coming more and more into the churches. And then when you raise up and say something against it, then they condemn you for doing it. See, you can see it coming, and then when you speak against it, somebody misunderstands it. Sometimes women misunderstand it; men misunderstand it, take the wrong attitude. Men sometime, good men, have to cope with such things in order to hold their rights in the religious ranks that they belong to, because if they don't, they're excommunicated, and then they're--they're on their own. And then being once excommunicated from a certain people, then it's hard to get in with someone else, because they once knew that you belonged to this other group, then, "What happened over here?" Then you've got to stand to your convictions, or go on your own, or deny your convictions. So it makes it real hard for the people.

  22    And it looks like the time is, you can't see that real stand out, like men ought to be. I... Even in taking it back, from the spiritual now to the natural, I... It seemed to me that men wearing velvet pink shoes, and all kinds of things like that, it just seems like they've become more like women. And women smoking cigarettes, now they've got cigars, and they just... and cut their hair like men; and it seems like that the--the dainty, lady, feminish something is gone. And the real masculine man is gone; all he seems to think about is something evil on the other side. I think it's just about like it was in the beginning: every thought in a man's heart continually becomes evil. Our--our programs, television and--and radio is uncensored. Men can say anything, nearly, they want to, even swear and say dirty, smutty jokes that--that--that simply it's not ought to be, couldn't--shouldn't be said in a barroom. Yet they can say it on television, on radio, and send it right into the people's homes. It seems like that gross darkness covers the whole thing. The whole world seems to become polluted.

  24    Now, for years, I've been trying to hold a standard, God's Word. And I'm more determined this coming year to hold that standard than I ever was in my life (See?): stand right straight with that Word. Now, I hope that anyone that gets in their mind that I'm doing that to act smart, then, brother, sister, you're certainly wrong. I'm doing that because I'm duty bound to That. I am bound to stay with that Word. Whatever It says, put no private interpretation, just say It that way. Now, there's some that might be able to interpret It and make It sound a little different, but I can't do that. The only language I know is what is wrote on Here, just the way is this a-way.

  25    Now, a few, about three years ago, it will be now, that, at home, at my home church, the Holy Spirit spoke to me, said, "Go to Tucson; there's a--something waiting." I stood on this platform and told every one of you, "THUS SAITH THE LORD, something's fixing to happen." There's probably hundreds of people setting here that know it. I just told you what I saw. The message is on tape, "What Time Is It, Sir?" I saw a constellation of Angels like a--a pyramid come down just north of Tucson; up in this way, north of Tucson. And They spoke to me something, and I didn't know what it was. And one day there... There's men setting right present now, two of them, that was with me, back over there when that happened.

And they took the picture of It in the sky. It come out in--in the magazine. I thought I had a copy. I do. That's it. You see it here in "Life" magazine, this copy, just exactly the way the Holy Spirit said it would be. And there stood those seven Angels just as natural as you see me standing here, and told me to return to my home, that the mysteries that the reformers down through the ages had failed to pick up, the mysteries of the Bible, which the Seven Seals held, would be revealed. I challenge anybody, get in those Seven Seals and look them over, and find a fault with them. See, see? Because it's given by inspiration of God.

 

And if that Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation concerns the knowledge of God as we see in Ephesians 1:17-20,  That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set [him] at his own right hand in the heavenly [places],

 

Then the Cloud of Darkness over the people must also concern the same thing only in darkness and not light. For their is only One Faith, One Revelation, and John said, “if you do not have the Revelation of Jesus Christ, you do not even have God. And this is the hour that total separation from God will occur. And men will go plum into darkness and then into the lake of fire. And the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation as it concerns itself with understanding God, so does the spirit of gross darkness among the people concern itself with a lack of knowing God. And is not the doctrine the teaching of Christ? Is not the word doctrine mean the teaching? And what did He come to teach, but Jesus said, The Son can not do the works, whatsoever He seeth the Father do, that doeth the Son likewise. And in this Hour William Branham taught us the same thing. He said, I was just near when he tells you these things, and foretells these things. I am not the son of Man, I’m just near when he does these things. And he also said,   “My ministry is to declare Him, that He is here.”

 

Therefore, this pulling apart with a few coming more and more into Light while the rest of the world is groping more and more in darkness is bringing separation between the two groups of people. 2 Thessalonians 2: 3 " Let no man deceive you by any means": ( not by letter, nor by spirit, nor by word) "for that day", ( The Day of  Christ, His Parousia) "Shall not come except there come a falling away first,"  So we see the earmarks of the Parousia of Christ is that there must be a falling away. And notice that this falling away is at the time of  a gathering unto Christ at the time of His Parousia as Paul states in verse 1.  "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the Parousia of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him, that you be not soon shaken in your minds, nor be troubled in your spirit by any word or letter as supposedly from us," and then Paul tells us to watch for these earmarks of a falling away. Then we shall know that we are indeed at the time of this great Parousia of Christ.

 

We find in the book of Timothy the same warning. Here we find out where they are falling away from. It is THE Faith. Not just faith, but THE Faith. And there is only One Lord, And One Faith, and that is THE Faith. And Since Faith is a revelation, then they will be departing from THE Revelation. And since their is only one revelation and that is THE Revelation of Jesus Christ, then we must concur that these who are falling away from THE Faith are those who have become aware of His Presence and yet they fall away any how. This is of Course Hebrews 6, where it is said, that these people "were once for all enlightened, (which is Revelations 10, for the book is only opened at this hour ) and they have tasted of the Good word of God,  and were made aware of the power of the age to come, (which is the millennium), and  they were even made companions of the Holy Ghost Himself."  Now what other people could this be speaking of but those who saw the Millennial powers exhibited in God's Prophet with bees being talked to and a mad bull understanding the words of  God's servant and opossum’s coming for prayer, and even violent  storms being turned back by the words of  a man. And to clinch the nail, we see that these people were even made companions of the Holy Spirit just as the people who fell in the wilderness of Sin were made aware that they were following the Pillar of Fire, and yet they also fell away, because although they did not return to Egypt, yet their hearts had already turned back and they had the desire to do so,  and so God just let them die off one by one in the wilderness of Sin. 

 

1 Timothy 4: 1- 2 " Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from The Faith, Giving heed, ( paying attention to) seducing Spirits and doctrines of Devils; And Also Speaking Lies in hypocrisy; ( what lies?  these are lies that they know better and are even doing differently in their own actions, but they speak them to the people any how, because these are hypocritical lies) and the reason they do this is because they have no consciences, their consciences have become seared with a hot iron."   Now, this is not just the church because in Laodicea, it says, that the church is naked and blind, but they don't know it. But these know it and do it any way because they are hypocritical liars.  

 

We also see in 2 Timothy chapter 3: That the last days will be perilous time, times of great stress and troubles, hard to deal with and hard to bear, because although they will have a form of God likeness, they will turn down the power which is the Word according to  Romans 1: 16. So then, these will be a people who are ever learning but they will never be able to understand the Truth and it even says, they will resist the Truth by trying to do the same things that Vindicated the Truth when it came.  The paradox about these people  who fall away, is that they want the Truth, and yet they reject it because it doesn't come like they want it to come. So then, we see that what they really want, is a Truth that is convenient for them, and the rest of it they reject. The Scripture calls these people reprobates concerning THE Revelation.  And this word reprobate is a Greek word adokimos which means, "Not having stood the test."  

 

Now, this leads us to another thought about this sealing in. Because we find there is a group of people who will be sealed in, and then their will be another group who are not sealed in, and yet both  will be aware of the Presence of Christ or the Parousia of Christ, in the last days. Yet the Ones who are sealed in will not be deceived, and they will not go out from the presence of Christ, but those not sealed into the Presence of Christ  will not be able to stay in His Presence as we see in 2 Thessaloninas 1: 7 - 10 these two groups.  It calls them reprobates, and this word means as we said, "those who do not stand the test."  And since this reprobate condition is said to be concerning THE Faith, which is THE Revelation of Jesus Christ, then the test must also be concerning THE faith or THE revelation of Jesus Christ.

 

Now, if we would open our Bibles to 1 Peter 1: and read verse 5 we will see that there is to be in the last times a  Faith or Revelation that will bring forth salvation which is a deliverance. And then in verse 6 we see that there is to be all sorts of testing go on concerning this Revelation. Now, how does God ever test His People? The same way we are told to try or test the Spirit. Give them the Word test. And so the test of our Revelation will result in the Elect, a condition of Praise, which has to do with our lips acknowledging this Revelation. And then a condition of Honor, which is a sense of value or a high estimation, and so we see that those who speak this Word  also will esteem it of great value. In fact, they will esteem it the greatest value in their lives, and this will bring them to the place of Glory, which is the Doxa of God,  His very mindset  in the Elect.

 

Now if those who are considered reprobate concerning THE Faith, or THE Revelation of Jesus Christ and His Parousia with us, then this means that they have failed the test, which also means that although they know it is True, or The Truth, yet they will not speak it, and thus it shows, and the reason they do not speak it is because it has not the value to them that it has to the Elect. Hence, they will never receive the Mind of God which is His Doxa or Glory. And how could they ever receive the mind of God? For they are not sealed. So then as a broken cistern, they would only leak out what Living Waters they had poured in any way. That is why in Matthew 13 Jesus said, "To Him that Hath will I give, but to them that have not, I will not give,  because what they do have already is being taken away. It is leaking out and they are loosing what they thought they had." 

 

God's Only Provided Place of Worship.  250  You're sealed in there, you're beneath the Blood. You don't go out no more. And then what are you? God's son in God's family, sealed in by the Holy Spirit. The Devil couldn't get you if he had to; for you are dead, your old husband part is dead; and you are buried, and your life is hid in God through Christ, and sealed by the Holy Ghost. How's he going to get you? How you going to get out? You're there! Glory! Now, I will leave that alone; just enough so you'll know what I'm talking about.

 

Now, remember,  "if you walk in the Light as He is also in the Light, then the blood of Jesus Christ His Son Cleanses you from all sin (disbelief). And so then, as long as you are walking in the Vindicated Word, you are under the protection of the blood.  We are told in  Romans chapter 4,  that Faith is counted for righteousness. And so "Blessed is the man in whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered, and blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. " Now, he never said that you didn't do it, but he just tells you here that God just won't give you credit for it.  This doesn't mean that we have license to go out and freely sin, but it means when you have fallen, it is the Grace of God which causes you to get up and move forward again, all the while forgiving you seventy times seven in a single day. In 1 John 3: and verse 9 we read, "He that is born of God, ( He that has been sealed by God) Does not commit sin;" Now, this word commit is a word which means to initiate and habitually practice. You may backslide daily, but there is no willful intention to do so. You just got yourself into a trap. And so we see the Seal of God go unbroken. Why? Because it says, "His Seed remains in you." The Seed, His Seed is sealed in, and in Psalm 37 we read, " The steps of the righteous are ordained of the Lord: and the Lord delights in your way, although you may fall, you shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord shall uphold you with His own Hand of Power."  

 

Br. Branham said, from 251  God's Only Provided Place of Worship.  Then a new creation, not to a denomination but to the Word. You're a creation of the Word. Because the foundation stone was laid in you before the foundation of the world, predestinated to be sons and daughters of God.   It is all a work of Grace and Election. He seals us in, and we are sealed. So we mustn't ever desire to go out, but if you have His mind, how could you have such a desire? Remember, The greatest battle takes place in the mind and you have no thoughts coming. Your mind is only a filter and either God's thoughts  or satan's thoughts will filter through your mind down to your inner man. That is why the Token is so important. And the Life in that token must be displayed. Finally in closing let me read to you from the Token. 

 

28-1  The Token  63-0901M  Oh. Oh, it should make us be--should make our hearts... Oh, apply it, church. Don't--don't fail. Will you not? Don't--don't--don't let the sun set. Don't--don't--don't--don't--don't rest day or night. Don't take no chance; it won't work, children. It won't work. You must have the Token.  You say, "I believe, yes. I go... Yeah, I believe the message." That's all right, but... That--that's good. But you must have the Token. Do you hear, Branham Tabernacle? You must have the Token displayed. Without it, all your believing's in vain. See? You'll live a good life; you listen to what the Word says; you go to church; you try to live right; that's fine, but that's not it.  "When I see the Blood," that's the Token, and the Token here is not... 'cause what did... He had to see the actual chemistry, because the life had gone, he--had gone from it. It was an animal. But here it's His Own Life that was in the Blood, and the chemistry was only a signal, or sign of sanctification. But the Life Itself is the Token.  For without the circumcision, without the Token, you're not even in the covenant. The whole thing works together.  If you say you're circumcised to the Word, and It only, then you'll believe the Word. If you believe the Word, then the Token's got to come.  ( and remember, he said the Token is the Life of the Word).

 

For He said, "Repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." There you are. Oh, my. Notice, then the preparation for His promised land people... Notice, what he did. First, He had a people that He had made a land for them. He had prepared a land for them. And now, He sent down there a preparation for it, for the promised land people. It was only for those who were predestinated to that promised land. Right.  And how He done it, He sent a prophet with a message, identified it by a Pillar of Fire, and gave a token that they could rest assure that It was right. That's right. It was for consolation. Israel coming out of Egypt then was a type. This is the antetype of the church coming out of the denominations. Now, not all denomination... I mean the Bride. See? Some people, there's some of the independents are just as had as the denominationals, sometimes worse. I'm talking about the applied Token.  The Token agrees with every word. See? It's got to, because it is the Word. It's the Life that was in the Word. "My Words are spiritual; they are Life," said Jesus. See?

 

So we see then, that it all comes back to this one thing. If you are sealed in by the Word of God which is a Seed, then you are quickened by the Life of that Seed which is the very Life of God Himself, and you will not only recognize your day and it's Message, but you will be a part of it. For every Messenger that brings a Message, there has to be someone to receive that Message.  As brother Branham preached the message called, "HEARING, RECOGNIZING and ACTING on the WORD of GOD", we must also hear it, and that is to recognize, or understand it,  and then if we do, then we shall act upon it.