Questions and Answers no. 15

Perfect Love

August 25th, 2007

Brian Kocourek, Pastor

 

Let us pray,

 We come into Thy Presence under the shed blood of Your son Jesus this morning, and You said in Your Word “if we walk in the Light as you are in the Light, we shall have fellowship with You, Your Son and one another, and not only that but the Blood of Your Precious Son will cleanse us whiter than snow, and white than wool.”

 

We ask for cleansing O Lord, and we realize that cleansing comes through repentance, and repentance is a change of the mind. Help us to be soft enough in our hearts to receive Your corrective Love, and gentle enough to take Your Word into our souls and let it scrub us clean from all thoughts that are contrary to Your perfect Will. For we want nothing less than Your Perfect Will in our lives, and we know that this is made possible by the pattern that Your son Jesus set forth on our behalf.

 

Help us Father to be conformed to the image of Your son Jesus, for we ask it in His Name, that name which You gave to Him by inheritance. Amen!!

 

If you will open your Bibles this morning to 1 Corinthians 13:1, I would like to take my text this morning on a subject that is very vital to our going home. Now, while you have your Bibles open, I want to read something brother Branham said concerning our condition to go home.

 

God's only provided place of worship 65-1128M P:20 I believe the church is begin to hear the message, and beginning to understand. But, friends, listen, we've got to lay in the Presence of the Son; we've got to be ripened. Our faith isn't ripe. Intellectually we're hearing the message that God has give us, and seeing the signs that He showed us, and proving it by the Bible as that; but, oh, how the church needs to lay in His Presence till it tenders up, you know, and gets sweet in the Spirit so that it can bathe down. Sometimes in speaking the message, you get harsh, have to break it in like that, because you've got to clinch a nail to make it hold. But when the church once gets it, the Elected is called out and separated then in the Presence of God, I know it'll be something like the people was there when it takes its rapture.

 

Now, we need to know how were the people there? There, where? What people is he talking about? Well, we all know that Brother Branham was caught up to that other dimension and saw the saints of God assembled waiting for the resurrection.

 

Adoption or placing 60-0522E P:48 It's been so much to me since that what happened to me, I don't know. When I think there, when I stood there for those few joyful moments, and thought, "There's no tomorrow." There was no yesterday; there's no sickness; there's no sorrow. There's no little bit of happiness, then a whole lot of happiness; it's all happiness. Oh, my. Oh, when I stood there, and I said, "What is this?" That Voice said, "This is perfect love, and everything that you ever loved and everything that ever loved you is here with you now." "And you'll present us to the Lord Jesus when He comes, as trophies of your ministry." I seen those beautiful women standing there, all grabbing me and screaming, "My precious, darling brother." Seen those man with that shaggy hair around their neck here, running, grabbing me, and saying, "Our darling brother." And I thought, "What does this mean?" He said, "They're your people." I said, "My people? There couldn't be that many Branhams; there's millions..."He said, "They're your converts." Hallelujah. "They are your converts. They're the ones that..." Said, "You see that one standing there?" The most beautiful woman I ever seen... Said, "She was a past ninety years old when you led her to God. No wonder she's crying, 'My darling brother.'" Said, "She'll never be old no more. She's passed from that. She's in the splendor of youth. She's standing here. She can't drink a cold drink of water; she don't need it. She can't lay down and sleep, 'cause she don't get tired. There's no tomorrow, no yesterday, nor nothing. We're in eternity now. But some glorious day the Son of God shall come, and you will be judged according to the Word that you preached to them." Oh, brother, I said, "Will Paul have to bring his group?" "Yes, sir." I said, "I preached It just exactly like Paul said It. I never divvied; I never took into any church creeds or anything else. I stayed the same." And all of them screamed with one accord, "We know that. We're resting with assurance." Said, "You will present us to Him, and then we'll all go back to earth again to live forever." Oh, my.

 

I will never forget the great battle and struggle that Br. Vayle went through in the early eighties when every ministry in America, Canada and Europe had their guns trained on him, and slandered his name before people everywhere. It brought his spirit so low that he just wanted to end it all, and he took some medication, too much of it, and it caused him to nearly die. And when he went into a coma they rushed him by ambulance to the hospital . I was returning Br. Roger Smith to the Hospital when I received a call from sister Vayle that brother Vayle was in a coma in the hospital. I rushed there to find him laying on a gurney in the hallway, just as out of it as is possible without actually being dead. I went over to him, and laid my hands on him, and began to pray, and as I prayed, I spoke these Words, “Dear Father please do not let brother Lee go home at this time, for His hearts desire is to have that sweet spirit that you promised your people before we go into that other dimension. And then I said, Br. Lee, I do not know whether you can hear me or not, but God promised you would have that Sweet spirit and He is not through with you yet. You will have that sweet spirit because He promised it, so hold on until you receive it. And as I prayed, tears began to flow down his cheeks.

 

Let me tell you something that very few people know. Most people who have know him for years think of the rough tough, feisty man but only a very few people who have been with him like I have, have sent hat sweet spirit take over his vessel. He is a different man. You could take him for every penny he has and he would say nothing. You could tell him off and he would just pray for you. You could lead others down the wrong path preaching error and he will just pray for you. He doesn’t talk about people, an he doesn’t get involved in church matters that he knows might cause bead feelings. He just lets it go.

 

It reminded me of King David one time when a man came to curse him.

 

2 Samuel 16:5 And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came.  6  And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.
7  And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial:  8  The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man.  9  Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head. 10  And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? 11  And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him. 12  It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.  13  And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill's side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.  14  And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there.

 

From that time 60-0716 P:107 Just remember. I'll say this, with the faith that I have in that vision, whatever it was, I'll speak it in the Name of the Lord: Except you have that perfect love, you'll never be there, 'cause nothing could ever be there without it. Your spirit would be out of place there. It couldn't come; there'd be no way for it to come. No more then it would be for a grain of corn to raise up out of the ground without a germ of life in it. No matter how natural it would look, it could not raise. My friends, you old people, you young people, you don't know what time you're going to leave. We don't know that. But let me persuade you as a Christian brother, that one that loves you: Except you are borned again, and the Spirit of God of love comes into your heart, you'll certainly miss that place.

 

Adoption or placing 60-0522E P:53 THUS SAITH THE LORD, it'll take perfect love to put you in that place, for that's all there was there. No matter how many, how much religious demonstrations, how many good deeds you done, or whatever you done, that won't count nothing on that day. It'll take perfect love. So whatever you do, you lay aside everything else, until you are just so filled with the love of God, till you can love those who hate you. I'm just, as I said this morning, I was made... My whole makeup is grace. A lot of people say, "Now, you scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours. Yeah, you do something for me, and I'll do something for you." That's not grace. Grace is, if your back is itching, I'll scratch it anyhow, whether you scratch mine or not; you slap me on the face, and say, "my back needs itching, needs scratching," I'll scratch it. See? That's it; do something. I don't believe in works; I believe that works is love. Works is the manifestation that grace has taken place. I don't live true to my wife because I believe she'd divorce me if I didn't; I live true to her because I love her.

 

Adoption or placing 60-0522E P:51 I said, "O Lord, that's what I'm here at the church for, trying to set the church in order," telling you, brother and sister, there's only one thing that can enter that; that's perfect love. Not because you're loyal to the Branham Tabernacle, or the Methodist church, or Baptist church, them's all right; you should be. But, oh, friends, you've got... Not because you spoke with tongues, danced in the Spirit, because you cast out devils, or moved mountains with faith. That all's all right, for that's all right, but still unless that real perfect love is in there.

 

Rejected king 60-0515M P:63 All fear of death... I say this with my Bible before me this morning. I've got a little boy there four years old, to be raised. I've got a nine year old girl and a teen-ager that I'm thankful for, that's turned the way of the Lord. God, let me live to bring them up in the admonition of God. Above that, the whole world seems to scream to me. Ninety year old women and men and all kinds, "If you hadn't have went, we wouldn't been here." And, God, let me press the battle. But if it comes to dying, I am no more... It would be a joy; it would be a pleasure to enter from this corruption and disgrace. If I could make up yonder, one hundred billion miles high, a square block, and that's perfect love. Each step this way, it narrows until we get down to where we are now. It would be just merely a shadow of corruption. That little something that we can sense and feel that there's something somewhere, we don't know what it is. Oh, my precious friend, my beloved, my darlings of the Gospel, my begotten children unto God, listen to me, your pastor. You... I wish there was some way I could explain it to you. There's no words. I couldn't find it. It's not found anywhere. But just beyond this last breath is the most glorious thing that you ever... There is no way to explain it. There's no way; I just can't do it. But whatever you do, friends, lay aside everything else till you get perfect love. Get to a spot that you can love everybody, every enemy, everything else. That one visit there to me has made me a different man. I can never, never, never be the same Brother Branham that I was.

 

You all remember what they did to Jesus and yet what were his Words a she hung their grasping for breath. He said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

 

And what about the apostles  who got upset about others not in their circle doing what they were supposed to be doing, and were casting out devils. The Apostles got jealous and Jesus just said, “If they are not against us they are for us, don’t worry yourself about them.

 

And another time when it was very apparent that he was rejected, we see his response. Luke 9:52  And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. 53  And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. 54  And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? 55  But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. 56  For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

 

From his sermon The Rejected king 60-0515M P:60 Brother Branham said, And I heard a voice then that spoke to me that was in the room, said, "This is what you preached was the Holy Ghost. This is perfect love. And nothing can enter here without it." I am more determined than ever in my life that it takes perfect love to enter there. There was no jealousy. There was no tiredness. There was no death. Sickness could never in there. Mortality could never make you old, and they could not cry. It was just one joy, "Oh, my precious brother." And they took me up and set me up on a great big high place. And I thought, "I am not dreaming. I'm looking back at my body laying down there on the bed." And they set me up there, and I said, "Oh, I shouldn't set up here." And here come women and men from both sides just in the bloom of youth, screaming. And one woman was standing there, and she screamed, "Oh, my precious brother. Oh, we are so happy to see you here." I said, "I don't understand this." And then that voice that was speaking from above me, said, "You know it is written in the Bible that the prophets were gathered with their people." And I said, "Yes, I remember that in the Scriptures." Said, "Why, this is when you will gather with your people." I said, "Then they'll be real, and I can feel them." "Oh, yes." I said, "But There's millions. There's not that many Branhams." And that voice said, "They're not Branhams; them's your converts. That's the ones that you've led to the Lord." And said, "Some of them women there that you think are so beautiful were better than ninety years old when you led them to the Lord. No wonder they're screaming, 'Our precious brother.' "And they screamed all at once, "If you hadn't have went, we wouldn't be here."

 

Now, for our text, let’s read…1 Corinthians 13:1, If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. (That's both the tongues that is understood and the tongues that cannot be understood, or has to be interpreted.), I am nothing 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, Though I have the gift of knowledge and understand all the wisdom of God (to explain the Bible from... tie her together), I am nothing." Don't do much good to go to school then, does it? to learn the Bible?  and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. Healing campaigns don't mean very much then, does it? 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames of martyrdom,  but have not love, I gain nothing. though I give my body to be burned as a sacrifice. "Oh," they say, "that man's religious." "But he's nothing," Paul said, "never become nothing.

 

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

 

 8 Love never fails.

 

But where there are prophecies, they will cease;

where there are tongues, they will be stilled;

where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

 

9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when that which is perfect comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, because I thought like a child, and therefore I reasoned like a child. But when I became a man, I put childish thinking. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; when that which is perfect is come, we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

 

Hebrews  5 and 6 57-0908M P:58 ." "For where there's tongues, they shall cease; where's prophecies, it shall fail; where there's all these other things, will fail. But when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part will be done away with." See, that's perfect. What is perfect? Love. What is love? God. Let us lay aside all these little dead works and ordinance and go on to perfection. You see it? We're perfected through Christ. How do we get into It? By Holy Spirit baptism." All right, what happened?" You've passed from death unto Life." Well, do I shake? Jump? Do..." You don't have to do nothing. You've already done it. God brought you from death unto Life, and you're alive. Then your fruits of your life show it.

Beyond the curtain of time 61-0305 P:25 As I begin to move from that beautiful, joyful place, as far as my eyes could see, people were coming towards me to embrace me crying, "My precious brother." Suddenly I was back on the bed again. I said, "O God, help me. Never let me compromise with the Word. Let me stay straight on the Word. I don't care what anyone else does, Lord. Let me press on to that beautiful, joyful place. "I am more convinced than ever in my life, that it will take perfect love to enter that place. There was no jealousy, no tiredness, no sickness, no old age, no death, only supreme beauty and joy.] (Hallelujah!)[Whatever you do, lay aside everything else until you get perfect love. Get to where you can love everybody, even every enemy. No matter if the plane is rocking, the lightning is flashing, or the guns of the enemy are upon you, these things do not matter; get perfect love. If you're not saved, accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour, now. If you have not been baptized in water, be baptized now. If you have not received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, receive It now. Press on in that perfect love, which will take you to that beautiful and joyful place beyond the curtain of time. Hallelujah. Glory to God. Amen.

 

Beyond the curtain of time 61-0305 P:21 After this, Hope, my first wife, hugged me and said, "My precious brother." Then another young woman hugged me, and Hope turned and hugged the young woman. I said, "I don't understand this. This is something entirely different from our human love. I don't want to go back to that old body on the bed." Then a Voice spoke to me, "This is what you preached that the Holy Ghost is. This is perfect love. Nothing cannot enter here without it."

 

Ephesian church age 60-1205 P:39 Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus. In Paul's time it was a great church. "Ephesus" means, the very name "Ephesus" means "let go, relax, backslidden," called by God, "The backslidden church." God acknowledged first their works, their labor, and their patience. God rebuked their leaving their first love, for backsliding, and for no longer bearing Light. Ephesus was not a deceived church; it failed itself by not continuing in perfect love.

 

Remember the bull that went and laid down and the mad hornets that went to sting him? That man projected love and caused even angry animals and insects to turn away their anger.  And how about that man that was demon possessed that wanted to kill him right before the people in Oregon. We hear brother Branham tell us the story how instead of fearing the man he just loved him, and when he did God took over that scene.

Love 58-0313 P:20 And as he rushed out on the platform, I didn't know him. And he let out a great big scream, and he set his teeth together, and his eyes pushed back. And he stared walking towards me. And he said, "You hypocrite. You snake in the grass," he said, "upon this platform, posing yourself as a servant of God. You're nothing but a hypocrite." Everyone kept still. About that time, two little policemen that I had led to Christ back in the dressing room run out to grab him. And I motioned to them. I said, "This is not a flesh and blood affair." But the strange thing was, that when the man went up there, I wasn't afraid. Now, perfect love casts out fear, and that's the reason people won't take God at His Word for healing. They don't love Him well enough, because you're scared He won't keep His Word. That's the reason that people fear somebody else will say something against them if they receive the Holy Spirit. They're afraid somebody will laugh and make fun. But when love comes in...

 

QA Hebrews part 2 COD 57-1002 P:34 And God was this great Spirit. We pictured Him like the seven colors of the rainbow that covers... The bow would actually cover the earth if it didn't strike the earth. It's just a water in a circle of the curvature of the earth, what makes it. But now, as God is eternal, and He was the perfect: perfect love, perfect peace, perfect joy, perfect satisfaction... All those seven spirits (as we get in Revelations), they come out, made up God, was perfection. Everything else outside of that has been something that's been perverted from that. Now, the only way that we can come back to perfection, is to come back with that perfection, which is God. Then we come to perfection, then we have Eternal Life: without end, or without anything; it's just forever, Eternal Life.

 

Hebrews  7 part 2 57-0922 P:45 And in there we find out that He had seven varieties of Spirit. Is that right? The Bible said in the Revelation, that the seven Spirits before the throne of God (Is that right?), the seven manifold, seven Spirits. We find out there's seven colors; there's seven church ages, there... Oh, it--it just runs... Seven is complete, and God was complete in seven Spirits, and those Spirits were perfect. The first was a color of red, perfect love, redemption. And how if we had time to give those colors, and show that each one of those colors represents God's purity. Amen. Those colors, there's seven natural colors. Those colors represents the purity of God. And the... Those colors represent the motives of God, the attitude of God. Those seven colors, they represented seven church ages, seven stars, seven angels. All through the Scripture, seven ministers, seven messengers, seven messages, all in the sevens. Seven days; six days, and the seventh's the sabbath (perfect, complete). Oh, it's beautiful. If we just had the time to dig into it, and to bring it out, those colors...

 

Divine love and sovereign grace 56-0814 P:15 And among other people everywhere is fear, but love, perfect love casteth out fear. So you… The reason you’re fearful is because the right temperance of love has never entered yet. When there’s real love, all fear passes away. When you really love the Lord

 

Love 56-0726 P:32 We put so much stress on the evidence of the Holy Ghost. The Methodist said you have to shout ‘fore you got It. A lot of Methodist shouted and didn’t have It. The Pentecostal said speak with tongues when you got it. A lot of them spoke in tongues and didn’t have It. That’s right. But, brother, when you come to a place where you got love, it never will fail. That’s right. If my wife trusted me because I give her ten dollars every time I left, well, brother, that wouldn’t be very much sign I loved her. I’d be right or true. But when she knows that I love her, when I know she loves me, then there’s a perfect trust between each other. No worry at all. Then when you got perfect love of God in your heart, you don’t question God about anything. When the Bible said, “I’m the Lord that heals all thy diseases,” you say, “Amen, Lord, that’s right. That’s me.” ”Tarry in the city of Jerusalem till you’re endued with power from on high.” ”That was me, Lord.”

 

Now, in order to understand what Love is we must first under stand Who love is.

 

God is Love When explaining the Godhead we usually draw God as the Solitary God. We draw a circle with a list of many attributes, but there are three Main attributes that stand out in God. God is Life and God is Love, and he is The Word. Don’t ever forget that that Love is an expression. It must be expressed. And that Expression is an outward view of what it is intrinsically and essentially. The innate nature of God is Love, so how can we say we have His spirit and have not what He is by nature.

 

1 John 4: 16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

Jude 1: 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

1 John   4: 19 We love him, because he first loved us.

1 John   4: 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

Ephesians   5: 33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

 

Ephesians   5: 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

Ephesians   1: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Ephesians   2: 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

 

1 Peter 1: 8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

 

Then if God is Love and the law of reproduction according to what God said in Genesis 1:11 that every seed must bring forth after its kind of nature, then if you have God Life, you must have God Love. Love is an Evidence of God-Life (every seed after its kind or nature).

 

1 John   4: 7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

1 John 4: 6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Galatians   5: 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

 

Now, we all know that Love is Corrective but correction is not the ultimate, we correct because we love, and never forget that. We correct because we love, correction never brought forth Love, but Love brought forth correction.

 

Revelation 3: 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

 

And if we have Love, then it must be the Same Love as He had. Not our own version of what we think Love is.

 

Philippians 2: 2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

1 Peter 3: 8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

 

And Love works in us, Love produces something or it is not Love, because Love is an outward expression.

 

1 Corinthians 13: 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

 

1 Thessalonians 1:2  We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; 3  Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; 4  Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

 

2 Thessalonians 1:3  We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

 

Galatians 5: 6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Ephesians   1: 15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

Ephesians   4: 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Ephesians   4: 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

Ephesians   4: 16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Hebrews  6: 10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

Hebrews 10: 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

Romans 13: 10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

1 Thessalonians 5: 13 And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves.

2 Thessalonians 3: 5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

Philemon 1: 5 Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints;

1 John   3: 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

 

Adoption or placing 60-0522E P:53 THUS SAITH THE LORD, it'll take perfect love to put you in that place, for that's all there was there. No matter how many, how much religious demonstrations, how many good deeds you done, or whatever you done, that won't count nothing on that day. It'll take perfect love. So whatever you do, you lay aside everything else, until you are just so filled with the love of God, till you can love those who hate you. I'm just, as I said this morning, I was made... My whole makeup is grace. A lot of people say, "Now, you scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours. Yeah, you do something for me, and I'll do something for you." That's not grace. Grace is, if your back is itching, I'll scratch it anyhow, whether you scratch mine or not; you slap me on the face, and say, "my back needs itching, needs scratching," I'll scratch it. See? That's it; do something. I don't believe in works; I believe that works is love. Works is the manifestation that grace has taken place. I don't live true to my wife because I believe she'd divorce me if I didn't; I live true to her because I love her.

 

Not feigned

2 Corinthians   8: 8 I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.

 

2 Corinthians   6: 6 By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,

 

Expectations and what love is 54-0228A P:46

And you can’t do that until you have love. Perfect love casts out all fear. If I want to contribute anything to my success in the ministry amongst people, is this: I’ll admit I’ve had to butcher up meetings because I just couldn’t set it and—and… routine, like ministers do. And many times I’ve had to promise this, and take this back, and do this, and do that. Because God will make me do it. But if there’s one thing, is because that I have loved people. And people knows that.

 

Based on Faith and Knowledge of God

Philippians1: 9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;

Mark 12: 33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

Revelation 2: 4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

Ephesians   6: 23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians   3: 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

Ephesians   3: 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

1 John 3: 1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

Philippians 2: 1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

Colossians 2: 2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

James 2: 5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

James 1: 12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

2 Timothy 4: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

2 Timothy 1: 7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

 

One another

2 John 1: 5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.

1 John   4: 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

1 John   4: 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

1 John   4: 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

1 John 3: 11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

1 John   3: 14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

Hebrews 13: 1 Let brotherly love continue.

Luke 6: 32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.

1 Thessalonians 3: 12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:

1 Thessalonians 4: 9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

James 2: 8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

 

Love is Pure, sincere, genuine, and not feigned or put on

1 Peter 1: 22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

1 Timothy 6: 11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

 

Love is self sacrificial in nature

1 John   4: 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John   4: 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

2 Corinthians   12: 15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.

Galatians   5: 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Ephesians   5: 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

 

Ephesians   5: 2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

Ephesians   5: 33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

 

Ephesians   5: 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

1 John   3: 17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

1 John   3: 16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Colossians 3: 19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

 

Brother Vayle and Love Talk about how brother Branham said love is doing things for others because it is the right thing to do.

 

We express our Love by our obedience to God’ Word

2 John 1: 6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

2 John 1: 3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

1 John 5: 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

 

1 John  5: 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

1 John   3: 23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

1 John 2: 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

 

Must be the right kind of love

1 John 2: 15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

2 Corinthians   13: 11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

Mark 12: 38 And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,

1 Peter 3: 10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:

1 Timothy 6: 10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

2 Thessalonians 2: 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.

 

Love made Perfect

1 John 4: 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

 

Book of Exodus 1 55-1005 P:48 If He’s Almighty God, He does all things. If He can’t do all things, He’s not Almighty God. So I believe Him to be Almighty God. So I commit myself to Him, my soul to Him, my body to Him, my living to Him, my breathing to Him, my dying to Him, my resurrection to Him, and some glorious day, He will come. But while He’s in the coming, and His Church is in the making, I want to stand in the breach with my arms out and claim his resurrected power, that He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever, and His power has never ceased, and never will fail. He’s the same all the way around. Amen. I love Him, and I want you to love Him. I want you to believe Him. Perfect love casts out all fear. If you love Him with the right kind of a heart, you won’t have one speck of fear whether you keep His Word or not.

 

1 John   4: 17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

1 John   4: 12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

 

Oneness 62-0211 P:102 What is it? You've got to get with the Word, get yourself killed out. I'm persuaded that many of us, friends, have received the Holy Ghost, but we just receive enough Holy Ghost in us to make us to a place where we don't want to lie, we don't want to steal, we don't want to do anything. But God wants to fill every fiber of His church; He wants to fill your thinking; He wants to fill your mind. He wants to fill every bit of you, just make you completely, totally dead to yourself or to your thinking, just so surrendered in God till His Word's just living right through you. You don't know nothing else but God's Word; just stay right with His Word; It is Life. "My Words are Life," said Jesus. He's placed with them, teachers believing the Bible, prophets that say the truth, that say, show the same prophecy that they've always did down through the age. What's He done? He's showing Himself alive among them, confirming His Word. His Word, the Kingdom of God is God's Word made power.

 

And this same Prophet of God, vindicated by the very presence of God Himself said in his sermon, Modern events made clear by prophecy 65-1206 P:42 There's many people just can't believe it, even Spirit-filled people. I'm going to give you one that'll choke you. The baptism of the Holy Ghost don't mean you're going in, not at all, not on that, don't have anything to do with your soul. That's the baptism. See? Here's the inside soul in here, that has to come from God. But then on the outside you have five senses, and five out--inlets to your contact your earthly home. The inside, you have a spirit, and in there you have five outlets: your conscience, and love, and so forth, five outlets to that spirit. Remember, in that spirit you can be baptized with the genuine Spirit of God and still be lost. It's the soul that lives; that was ordained of God. Didn't Jesus say, "Many will come to Me in that day, and say, 'Lord, haven't I cast out devils, done great and mighty works, prophesied, the great gifts of God?'  He said, "Depart from me, you that work iniquity, I never even knew you. Many will come in that day."