Preparation #23 (The Way into God's Presence)

Saturday Evening, June 26th, 1999

Brian Kocourek

Preparation PP. 22 Now, notice that Eve wrapped herself up in some fig leaves, and Adam. But when it come time to face God they were condemned. They realized that manmade religion wouldn't work. So when God called them... Now, how true it is today. When God first had prepared Himself to speak to Adam, and Adam, in a manmade way, was trying to prepare himself to speak to God. But God had to prepare Adam to speak to Him. So in order to do that, they begin to pass the buck one to the other, in the old street expression. And then what happened? God went out and got some skins and made them aprons.

Tonight I would like to speak on this subject of, "The way into God's Presence." In this Message Preparation, we hear brother Branham tell us that God had to prepare Adam to come into his Presence and talk to Him. He said, when Adam tried to prepare Himself, all he did was end up passing the buck. Now, why do you think that was? Why do you think he felt he had to pass the buck to someone else? What do you think he was doing that for?

I believe Adam knew he could never enter into the presence of God with sin and guilt on his conscience, and so if he could blame Eve for what he did, then he thought, at least he could somehow feel freed up from his guilty conscience. What did Eve do? She did the same thing. She passed the buck to the serpent.

Now, we al should understand the principle that Alpha has become Omega by now. And the Alpha is the first and the Omega is the last. And if you will notice, what took place in the beginning, the setting, God coming down to earth to talk to man, and man is found in the same condition, passing the buck. No one taking responsibility for their error. Everyone passing the buck. Clinton said, I didn't have sex with that woman, she did it all. And the woman saying the devil made me do it, the devil made me do it. And just like the television show, back in the 70's called "Laugh in", the woman would say, "The devil made me do it, the devil made me do it", and when did she say this? When they would be chanting, "here come's the judge!" "Here comes the judge!"

And so is it today. America represents all nations because she is a melting pot for all nations tongues and peoples, and Bill Clinton represents this nations people, and thus the peoples of the world. And when Judge Starr asked the question, he tried to hide his guilt by saying, "the woman did eat". I never had sex with that woman. Ands when the judge asked that woman why she had done this thing, her reply was the same as Eve's in the beginning,.

Genesis 3:13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What [is] this [that] thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. In other words, "the devil made me do it.

Everyone passing the buck. Why? To try and hide their guilt! And that is the picture of the conditions in this world today. No one wants to take responsibility for their actions. Everyone wants to blame someone else for their own actions.

It wasn't those awful delinquent kids in Columbine that killed those students, it was those awful guns, as if those guns somehow had a mind of their own and shot those kids. It wasn't those awful kids that made those some 60 different bombs, it was those television shows and movies that gave them the idea. And so we try to appease our consciences by passing more gun control laws, hoping that by doing so we might be appearing outwardly to be concerned. But what are we really doing? Trying to assuage our guilt. Trying to cover over our sin. The sin of commission, and the sin of omission.

And it will never work. As long as we refuse to confess our faults, we show that we have no standard. And we show that we think by some silly action we can atone for our guilt. And as the Scripture plainly tells us, there is coming a time when men will make lies their refuge.

Isaiah 28:15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:

This is a prophecy of the attitude of the people in the end-time, when they will think that they can hide behind their falsehood, and in lies, they can build their refuge. It speaks of a time when man will try to make a covenant with death, but God will not allow that covenant, until his great wrath is poured out upon all flesh. And that is the great tribulation.

Revelation 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; 13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. 14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; (Sounds just like Adam in the beginning) 16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

I hope you can see what brother Branham is telling us in this message about preparation. Man is preparing himself for the big blast, which is the great tribulation. By thinking he can take refuge in his lies, and hide himself in his falsehoods, he is actually setting up the conditions for the Tribulation to begin. But there is a way out of this great tribulation that is coming upon the earth.

Isaiah 28:16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner [stone], a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

Shall not make haste to do what? What does it mean to make haste? It means to be zealous and do it quickly. Do what? Repent, and admit your guilt. That is the message to Laodicea. Be quick about it and admit your guilt and come to the Rock, the sure Rock, the Rock which has already gone through the judgment, and cast yourself upon that rock.

Amplified Isaiah 28:16 Therefore, Thus saith the Lord God, I am laying in Zion for a foundation a Stone, a tested Stone, a Precious Corner Stone of sure foundation. He who believes - trusts in, relies on and adheres to that Stone - will not be ashamed or give way, or make haste in sudden panic.

In Romans 9:33, we read, As it is written, Behold, I am laying in Zion a Stone that will make men to stumble, a Rock that will make them to fall; but he who believes in Him ( who adheres to, and trusts in and relies on Him) shall not be put to shame nor be disappointed in his expectations.

I Peter 2:1 ¶ Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord [is] gracious. 4 ¶ To whom coming, [as unto] a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, [and] precious, 5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. 7 Unto you therefore which believe [he is] precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, [even to them] which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

Revelation 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Isaiah said, they Shall not make haste to run to this precious Stone, the Word of God. A Tried Stone, a stone that has already been judged, and found to be a sure foundation stone. In other words, as it speaks of a foundation stone that has been judged to be sure, it speaks of building up and not tearing down. It speaks then, of the only way to rid your self of guilt is by dashing yourself against this Stone which is the word of God. Admit your guilt, then rely upon the same judgment that vindicated this Stone, Christ, the Solid Rock; to be a true and unchanging judgment. Then run to this stone, and humble yourself by dashing yourself upon it, that in doing so, you might break up your haughty indifference, and you might become soft and supple again.

Luke 20:17 And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? 18 Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

Luke 8:17 For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither [any thing] hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.

Oh the tragedy of it all. People running from the Truth. They will run and hide, and when they are discovered for what they really are, they will run and hide again, and again, and again until they end up receiving far worse than had they stood up and be accounted for. JAMES 5:16 Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Luke 12:2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.

Confession is good for the soul. It brings healing. I JOHN 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Isaiah 28: 17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. 18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. 19 From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only [to] understand the report. 20 For the bed is shorter than that [a man] can stretch himself [on it]: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself [in it]. 21 For the LORD shall rise up as [in] mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as [in] the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act. 22 Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth.

But God made a way for Adam to come into His Presence, and that was through the Shed blood of an innocent one. So God took a Lamb and slain it and gave the skins to Adam and eve, allowing them to enter into His presence. When God looked upon Adam and Eve, He would not see their naked condition but He would see the Sacrifice that He Himself had chosen, and this would be the first thing that would catch His eye.

In this Message Preparation, we hear brother Branham tell us that God had to prepare Adam to come into his Presence and talk to Him. He said, when Adam tried to prepare Himself, all he did was end up passing the buck. So we see that we can't do this on our own. We can't justify ourselves, because our justification will only pass the buck. Now, we know the word justify means that you never did do it. And yet the only way we have in our own right is to pass the blame onto someone else. We know we have sinned, and yet to justify ourselves as though we never did sin is to pass the buck and say someone else sinned. And that has never worked, and never will work in God's eyes.

We can not in any way justify our own selves without passing the buck. But God can. He can justify you and I. He can say we never did do it. He can completely absolve us from all our sin, but you and I can't and had better not even try.

I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

David was a man who would know. He committed more sins than most people do in a lifetime. At least worse sins than most men would do, and yet he did not try to hide his sin. Oh, he did one time and he got caught red handed. But David was quick to learn his lesson, and he cried out to God for mercy.

Psalms 86:1 ¶ A Prayer of David. Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I [am] poor and needy. 2 Preserve my soul; for I [am] holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee. 3 Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily. 4 Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. 5 For thou, Lord, [art] good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. 6 Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications. 7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me. 8 ¶ Among the gods [there is] none like unto thee, O Lord; neither [are there any works] like unto thy works. 9 All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name. 10 For thou [art] great, and doest wondrous things: thou [art] God alone. 11 Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. 12 I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore. 13For great [is] thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.

Psalms 103:1 ¶ [A Psalm] of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, [bless] his holy name. 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 4Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

Psalms 32:2 Blessed [is] the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit [there is] no guile.

Now, in closing. How did God make a way for Adam to come into His Presence to talk with Him?

He came down, and prepared for Adam a sacrifice. One that was dripping with Blood.

In Exodus 12:13 He said, " And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye [are]: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy [you], "…

Queen Of The South 60-1127E How can we look at a symptom? I look at Jesus. Not what--not what this looks like, but what that said. Look at Calvary; look what a price was paid for. Person come said, "I'm too low down, Brother Branham; God never saved me." Don't look how bad you are; look how good He is. Don't never look at yourself; look at Him. The priest never did see the--the--the one that the sacrifice was made for.

Investments 63-1116B The Jew put his hand upon the sacrifice to connect himself with the sacrifice... One day you laid your hands upon Jesus and connected yourself with the Sacrifice. The Life of the Sacrifice has come back on you. Which I may be speaking tonight at the church, "the Token," and it's upon you now.

Abraham's Seed 59-0423 020 Well, that's the way it is with us. We're imperfect, no good, borned in sin, shaped in iniquity, come to the world speaking lies. We're no good to begin with. But God don't look at you; He looks at the sacrifice. He looks at the Lamb. He doesn't see you, because He sees Christ. Jesus died for you. Now, if you can find some fault with Jesus, then your healing might not be right. But if you don't find no fault with Him, it's perfect. Sure. God called you by His grace, not that you would, but if God would. The Scripture said He was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. That was God's Word. When God speaks, it's as good as finished right then.