Satan’s Eden no 10

Perfect Faith for Rapturing Faith

September 26, 2021

Brian Kocourek, pastor

Minneapolis, Minnesota

This morning I wish to speak on Rapturing Faith and show that Rapturing Faith isthe culmination of our perfect faith which comes by a perfect trust in a perfect God through His perfect Word.

Now, let's take for our text this 1 Thessalonians 4:16 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, (and we know the Shout is the Message, according to what brother Branham taught us in his Rapture sermon.

Rapture the 65-1204 P:75 Three things happen, a shout, a voice, a trumpet, has to happen before Jesus appears. Now, a shout. Jesus does all three of them when He's descending. A "shout,"what is a "shout"? It's the Message going forth first, the living Bread of Life bringing forth the Bride. Now, God has a way of doing things, and He never changes His policy. He never changes His... He's the unchanging God. In Amos 3:7 He said He would do nothing on the earth until first He revealed it to His servants the prophets. And just as certain as He promised it, He'll do it.

Rapture the 65-1204 P:82 He ordained these things to be, and He must send this. The first thing come when He starts descending from the heaven, there's a shout. What is it? It's a Message to get the people together. A Message comes forth first. Now, "Lamp trimming time. Rise and trim your lamps." What watch was that? The seventh, not the sixth, the seventh. "Behold the Bridegroom cometh. Rise and trim your lamps." And they did. Some of them found they didn't even have any oil in their lamp. See? But it's lamp trimming time. It's Malachi 4 time when you come... It's Luke 17. It's--it's Isaiah... All those prophecies that it can perfectly set in order for this day in the Scriptures, we see it living right there.

And it is a Perfect Word, because a perfect God came down to bring us a perfect Word to bring a perfect Faith or Revelation to usher in a perfect Rapturing revelation.

And we know that while His Presence is still here that he also came) with the voice of the archangel, (And we know according to God's vindicated prophet that "the Voice is the resurrection", and that His Presence will lead us from the Message (Shout) into the Resurrection, (Voice) and then as the apostle Paul says) “and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

Now, this entire Rapture scenario that the apostle Paul speaks of here says not one word about our having a thing to do with any one of these events. You simply don't have a hand in it. It is all about what God is here to do. The 23 scriptures which speaks of the Parousia of Christ was first spoken by Jesus, and then by the apostles Paul, Peter, John and James who all spoke of it. And if we add up all the signs and events that Jesus and these four apostles mention in their writings, we see that during the time of this Parousia (Presence), there will be 84 signs and events that will take place that will identify the event of the great Parousia of Christ is at hand. And if we look at each one of these signs and events, we will see through examination that 79 of these signs and events have already taken place. So we are living in the closing moments of His Great Parousia. And none of those events constitute what we do, they are all what He is here to do or bring on.

Br. Branham said in the following two quotes words which must be examined closely if we are to understand this day that we are living in.

Trying to do God a service 65-1127B P:88 Now, He promised that, so that sets the Bible just exactly to this day, and the Sodom and Gomorrah. And Elijah was not... That wasn't Elijah; that was the Spirit of God on Elijah; Elijah was just a man. Now, we've had Elijahs, and Elijahs' coats, and Elijahs' mantles, and Elijahs' everything. But the Elijah of this day is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is to come according to Luke 17:30. It... The Son of man is to reveal Himself among His people: not a man, God. Butit'll come through a prophet. And He never had two major prophets at the same time, never in the world. See? No matter how much there's... Two--two heads can't... It has to be one head. God has to get one man under His control. See? There's one God; there was Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, but one God over it all, notice, and just used them offices. So has He with Elijah, the Spirit of Elijah; he used that Spirit, but the same God controlling It all the time, to fulfill His Word.

So we see that the Spirit of Elijah is actually the Spirit of Christ that according to the bible would come upon 5 messengers of God. The problem is that people focus on the vessel and by doing so they miss the one who is actually doing and fulfilling of what He promised He would do.

Br. Branham said that “the Holy Spirit who gave us the promise is here to confirm it.” Therefore the Parousia of Christ is God Himself, His Presence, but he used a vessel to manifest Himself to this generation. The problem is that people have tried to make that vessel God, but God is Spirit.

In his sermon From that time 62-0713 P:2 brother Branham said, “if we can just see, the One Who made us all these grand promises is here to confirm those promises.

Yet we find among Christians and even into this Message so many people think that Rapturing Faith is something that the bride will either create within herself, or somehow she will muster up this faith for herself.

But I see no Scripture for that interpretation. The Bible simply says "For the Lord himself shall..."And He does all three things Himself, and those things constitute the full Rapture events, therefore we wish to talk this morning about Rapturing Faith. Which is rapturing revelation, because faith is s revelation. So we are looking at the revelation of What God Himself is here doing and performing.

Now lets look this morning at that faith or revelation that will be necessary for the rapture of the saints.

Now, brother Branham said in his sermon, Spiritual food in due season 65-0718E P:2 But we are dedicating this service tonight for prayer for the sick. And I want you to get built up now in the holy Oracles of God,... "in the faith, the faith of this hour. And what is The Faith except the Faith of the Son of God. Having the same Faith as he had for his own resurrection. And what is faith but a revelation as William Branham taught us.

You see that is what the apostle Paul taught us in Galatians 2:20 where he said, “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I am living, yet it is not I that am living but Christ is Living in me, and the Life I am now living in this body, I am living by the faith, by the revelation of the son of God, the same revelation he lived by.”

And what is that revelation? “I must die to self that He might live in me”. And brother Branham taught us that Jesus had to die to himself in Gethsemane in order to die for you and on that cross. That is why Paul said it was not anymore Paul living Paul’s Life, but Christ was now living His Life, and Christ is the Word. “He said, “The Words That I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are life”.

And then brother Branham adds, The faith,…it's going to take more faith than ever was in any age, for this has to be rapturing faith, to be taken up. Now, if we were taught in the Rapture sermon of brother Branham’s that Faith is a Revelation, something that has been revealed. Then if it going to take more faith to make the rapture, that means it is going to take more revelation to make it.

And whose revelation do we live By? His Faith, which is His revelation. It was revealed to Him what his role was and what He was to do, and He stepped into that vision or revelation and became the bleeding dying lamb. And he said, “for this purpose have I come into the World.” So if you have His faith which is his revelation to believe in your role as a son, then it will take the same revelation he had to step into the Promise that God has for you which is a rapture and change of your body.

Now, I want to go a little deeper into this so let’s continue with what he was saying here…”And so we want you to believe tonight in all that you have seen, and heard, the Word that you have heard preached, the signs and wonders that you've seen done. We want you toaccumulate all that together in your heart andconsider it whether if that be God or not.

So I ask you this question, "how much of what you saw and of what you heard did you produce yourself?" And the answer is “None of it”, right? But you were a witness to it. So you are just required to believe what you’ve heard preached and to believe what you’ve seen with your eyes. So what did you see and hear?

You saw and you heard what God was doing through a vessel. And that vessel didn't do any of those things, because it was God willing and doing those things. The vessel, William Branham is not the one who came down with a Shout, it was the Lord Himself, it was God Who descended with the Shout.

1 Thessalonians 4:16  For the Lord himselfshall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

And William Branham said in his sermon Anointed ones at end time 65-0725M P:193 “Now, I want you to know this is sure. And you that listen to this tape, you might have thought today that I was trying to say that about myself, being that I was packing this Message. I have no more to do with it than nothing, no more than just a voice. And my voice, even against my better judgment... I wanted to be a trapper. But it's the will of my Father that I declare to do, and determined to do. I wasn't the One that appeared down on the river; I was only standing there when He appeared. I'm not the One that performs these things and foretells these things that happens as perfect as they are; I'm only one that's near when He does it. I was only a voice that He used to say it. It wasn't what I knew; it's what I just surrendered myself to, that He spoke through. It isn't me. It wasn't the seventh angel, oh, no; it was a manifestation of the Son of man. It wasn't the angel, his Message; it was the mystery that God unfolded. It's not a man; it's God. The angel was not the Son of man; he was a messenger from the Son of man. The Son of man is Christ. He's the One that you're feeding on. You're not feeding on a man. A man, his words will fail, but you're feeding on the unfailing Body-Word of the Son of man. If you haven't fed fully on every Word to give yourself strength to fly above all these denominations and things of the world, will you at this time do it, while we pray?

And notice that the same God who came down with the Shout will also perform the Voice and Trump of God. So we see it is all about what God is doing, not what we do.

Brother Branham says in Spiritual Food in Due season, "It's like Elisha of old said, "If God be God then serve Him." And if Jesus is the Center of all things to the Christian, then I think we ought to let loose of everything else and cleave to Him. Remember, He is the Center; He is the North Star; He is the Ultimate; He is the Absolute. And if He is the North Star... There's only one thing that'll point to the north star; that's your compass that you're sailing with. And the Compass that I'm trying you to sail with is the Word, and the Word always points to Him.

So when these brethren point to the vessel, the prophet, they are not pointing to Christ the Word. In fact if you tell them that the Word is your absolute, they will cry,, then you don’t believe the message, as if the Message is something beyond the Word. And I find that so disingenuous when I hear that, because William Branham said that His absolute is the Word of God.

From his sermon Possessing the gate of the enemy 64-0322 P:20 “every true achievement is tied to an absolute, and my Absolute is the Word. And everybody else that's really born of the Spirit, their Absolute is God's Word. I'm tied to It. I laid my hands upon It, and It took my place. I've identified myself with Him. We knew that He promised to identify Himself with us. That brings genuine faith, not your own faith, but His faith, something that you don't control. He does it. Now, notice. Then, and then only, when the--is the promise made to you.

Now, we read from brother Branham's sermon Perfect faith - 63-0825E 45. where he says, "And so when a man lives by faith and walks by faith, I mean substance faith, he is isolated from the entire world and becomes a new creature in Christ. There, now you're getting into Bride material. You see, see? You're getting into Rapturing condition now. That means for each one of us, not just the pastor, deacons, trustees; that means for the laity, every individual walks in a world with God alone. You're baptized into this Kingdom, and there's nobody in there but you and God. See? He gives the orders, and you pack them out. Whatever He says, there's not a shadow of doubt nowhere; you walk right on. If the Lord says this, there's nobody in the world can talk you out of it; you go right on just the same. Now, you're coming into perfect faith, perfect perfection that cannot fail. That faith never fails. Yes, He was a mystic to them with His perfect faith; and so is it now with those who have perfect faith are a mystic to others.

Notice then he is not talking about what we do, but who we are focused on. And that is what I want to make clear this morning.

And notice he used the words “substance Faith” and of course the apostle Paul taught us in Hebrews 11:1 that “Faith is the substance of things hoped for”, and therefore in order to understand what this thing is that we hope for, let’s go over to Hebrews 1:3 and we will get our answer. Because that word “substance” wqs translated as such from the Greek Word “hupostasis”. And so this Greek word “hupostasis” is translated as the word “substance” of our faith.

But if we examine Hebrews 1:3 this same apostle Paul in speaking of Jesus said, 3  Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of His (God’s)person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Now, isn’t it interesting that this Word “person” was translated as the word “person” from the very same Greek word that the apostle Paul used when speaking of Faith as being the “substance.” So if Faith or Revelation is the “Hupostasis” which is the “substance” and Jesus Christ is the exact image of God’s “Hupostasis” which is God’s “Person”. Then why can’t we read Hebrews 11:1 as “Faith is the Person of things hoped for and the evidence or confidence of that thing which is not yet seen. Because God is Spirit and no man has seen God and lived. And Jesus said, “No man hath seen the father except the son, and he to whom the son shall declare him.”

The Apostle Paul also said in Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. And God is invisible, yet he is working in us to will and then to do his Good pleasure.

This same Apostle said, our focus is to be on the one who is the author and finisher of our faith.

In Hebrews 12:2 we read, “Looking unto”(in others words, focusing our attention upon) “Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;”And then he tells us how that Jesus had to have the same faith that we are to have and that having that faith he was able to endure until the end. "who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

The same Bible that tells us inLuke 1:17"He will make ready a prepared people", also tells us, "He which began the work in you will perform it"letting us know how we should approach Him and His Word."

Philippians 1:6Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good Work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: 

You see there are those who will read Revelation 19:7 and say “the wife has made herself ready” and think it means they are the ones doing it. But the same one who spoke those words also said, in Luke 1:17"He will make ready a prepared people",

So there are two things here, a prepared people and to make that prepared people ready. And so how are the people prepared? Do they prepare themselves? No

God prepared them in the same way he prepared his first born son.

Hebrews 10:5. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

Therefore if God prepared him for his role as first born son, won’t God also prepare you to be made ready as well? Or do you think God is a respecter of persons?

So how did he prepare you?

Romans 8:29-30 Romans 8:29. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.  30. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.  31. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 

Now let’s look at this rapture scene as it is told in A parable that Jesus told concerning the wise and foolish virgins in Matthew 25.

Matthew 25:1. Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.   2. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.   3. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:   4. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.   5. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.   6. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.   7. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.   8. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.   9. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.   10. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.   11. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.   12. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.   13. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

And so the Wise virgins when they heard the midnight Cry which is the shout, She just went out into His Presence and went in with Him into the wedding supper of the lamb, knowing that She was made ready by “the washing of water by His Word”, while the foolish began looked for a vessel and looked and could not see it, and so they looked at their own vessel and saw they were not made ready, Why? Because they looked at the flesh instead of what the Word said. And so they went to them that sell. In order to find the vessel they were looking for t get them into the presence of the Groom, which is the Word.

The Apostle Paul told us in Philippians 1:6Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Now, this does not tell you that you will perform it. It tells you that He which began the work in you it is this same one that will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Well, the day of Jesus Christ is the day we go to meet Him in the air.

The Apostle Paul also told us in Romans 4:21And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform.

Now, the Apostle Paul is talking here of Abraham who so entered into the promise that God had given Him, that he realized if he was going to have that Baby which was promised by God, that God himself would have to not only give him a body change but God would have to also have give him the seed to bring forth. "And being fully persuaded that, what He(God) had promised, He(God) was able also to perform.

And we as the bride of Jesus Christ in this Hour, the elect of God must also come to that same place where we are fully persuaded that whatsoever God has promised for us, God is also able to fully make it happen.

Again in his sermon Perfect faith 63-0825E P:66 we read this morning where brother Branham said, "Are we going to walk into eternity like it was in the days of Noah, with eight souls saved? Are we going to come like Lot, with three out of Sodom? Are we going to come, like in the days of John the Baptist with six believers? Let us believe, for His works is perfect.They're manifested daily and perfectly before us, showing that He is the Word: the Word. Hebrews, the 4th chapter, says the word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword, and even a Discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Think of that! The Word of God is That, a Discerner of the intents of the heart. For the Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and of spirit, and of the joints and of the marrow, and is a Discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. The Word made flesh (Hallelujah.), the Word operating in human flesh by physical signs, by material signs, by Scriptural signs, perfectly, to bring to you a perfect faith for a perfect rapture.

And again in his sermon Perfect faith 63-0825E P:78he said, This is coming into that Third Pull! I'm believing it. And I want to ask you a sincere question, you that passed through the prayer line. Can you actually believe and feel now, that there is something happened in you since you've had hands laid on you? Raise your hand. There it is. This is what we've waited for. Now, this is not... This is just starting to bloom now (See?), just started to bloom. I did this for a purpose. I did this for a purpose. I'm working out something; it's taking this charge of faith and going right back to begin and come in (See?) to kinda raise faith in a bracketwhere you've never noticed it that way before. Not a faith, but a perfect faith, built it up in here. And watch a perfect God, with a perfect heart, keep a perfect promise, by His perfect Word,which is sharper than a two-edged sword and a Discerner of the thoughts of the heart. What? We're coming now to the perfection, because the people has to come to this in order for the rapture. That's what's holding it away right now, is waiting for that church to come into that perfect raptured faith. I'm looking for it. It means a lot of shaking down for me; it means a lot for you; but together we'll make it by the grace of God.

Now we hear words like, "We're coming now to the perfection,"and again we look at that as being something we will do or we will accomplish, but He is not talking about what we will do but rather what God has promised concerning us, and what God who is the Word was doing, was the sign of Messiah which you and I had nothing to do with that at all.

And then we hear words like "because the people has to come to this in order for the rapture. That's what's holding it away right now, is waiting for that church to come into that perfect raptured faith. I'm looking for it. It means a lot of shaking down for me; it means a lot for you; but together we'll make it by the grace of God.

And when we hear him say words like "a lot of shaking down for me and for you", we automatically think we are the ones that have to do the shaking.But then if that were so, then where could we even begin.

No, it is God that does the shaking as God promises he will do in Hebrews 12:26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.

So if it was the Voice of God that shook the earth in the past and He is the same and changes not, then it will be His Voice that does the shaking for us as well. For we are both of the earth and also of heaven.

I am afraid that when we try to place ourselves as having to do anything to merit Rapturing Faith, we are getting off the beaten path of the Word of God. For Rapturing Faith is Rapturing revelation, and revelation comes from God alone. Therefore revelation is not a mental thing, and it has nothing to do with our abilities.

The dictionary definition of revelation is “a manifestation of Divine Truth.” So revelation is manifestation.

Therefore, I want to read this next quotation from brother Branham so you can see that "it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do," as the Apostle Paul told us in Philippians 2:13.

In his sermon Countdown 64-0209 P:64 brother Branham says"The church is just moving up, Holy Ghost power. It's the Holy Ghost that we're justified by. You ministers know that, don't you? The Holy Ghost sanctifies. The Holy Ghost fills us. The Holy Ghost gives us rapturing faith (See?) as we move up. Now, I wouldn't leave this country here, and you all thinking that, "Oh, Brother Branham's something."I am not. I ain't even worthy to set with them pastors. I have no schooling. I'm one out of season. And that's the reason God just lets me do this little thing here just to confirm what your pastor's been teaching you. They're men of God.

So all these people who place their trust in a man are not even sure if they are going to make it or not. He said "the same Holy Ghost that justifies you is the same Holy Ghost that sanctifies you and it is the same Holy Ghost that fills you and it is this same Holy Ghost that will give you rapturing faith."

So what have you got to do with it at all then, except to simply receive what He gives you.

Br. Jesse, you believe you are justified? Why do you believe that? Because God's Word said so, and that settles it. Right? Well, then how were you sanctified? The Word tells us "by the washing of the water by the Word".

And Psalms 119:9 tell us "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word."

So did you do it? No, we are simply washed by the Word. And Jesus said, "My Words are Spirit and they are Life".

So if “the Holy Ghost justifies you,” and if “the Holy Ghost sanctifies you,” and “if the Holy Ghost fills you,” then naturally or according to the nature of the Holy Ghost “he will also give you rapturing faith.”

So what is the process then you might ask? By the same process that saved you, and the same process that justified you, and the same process that sanctified you, and the same process that filled you with His Spirit. And it is the same one through the same process that will also glorify you.

Just look at the promise of God inRomans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinateto be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them He also called: and whom he called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified.

Who does the calling, and who does the justifying, and who does the sanctifying, and who causes us to be conformed to the image of the first born son, and thus glorified, or filled with the doxa of God?

God does it all.

Then Paul adds, 31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33  Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

From his sermon Look away to Jesus 63-1229E P:18 brother Branham said, “It is so sacred that I mustn't not say much about it, as He told me in the beginning. Said, "This, say nothing of it." You remember that years ago? It speaks for Itself. See? But I've tried to explain the others, and I made a mistake. This will be the thing that, to my opinion (I don't say the Lord tells me this.) this will be the thing that will start the rapturing faith for the going away. See, see? Now, and that... I must lay quiet for just a little while. Now, remember (and who's listening to this tape) you might see such a change in my ministry right away, dropping back... Not going up, dropping back... We're right at the age now, and it can't go any further. We have to wait here just a minute until this happens over here to catch up, then the time comes. But it's thoroughly identified.”

Now, he is talking about the third pull which in all his experiences of it, there was a speaking of the Word and then Life was projected, or imparted.

So what did the squirrels have to do with being created and given life. Not one thing.

What did the little fish do to be resurrected?

Not one thing.

What did Hattie Wrights boys do to get saved?

Not one thing,

one minute they were snickering and the next they were crying over their mothers lap.

It’s all about God Who is the Word and His Words are Spirit and they are Life.

From his sermon The Token 63-1128E P:12 brother Branham said, "I'm looking for a time of a break forth of the Spirit of God in these last days that we're now living in, for another surge of the Holy Spirit into the Church for a rapturing faith, just before it comes. And everything is setting straight in order for that. And I believe that we're now at the time that the Word should have preeminence. I believe that the time to lay aside our creeds and our thoughts and come back to the Word...

So again we see that Br. Branham was looking for Rapturing Faith in the church to be brought about by the Holy Spirit Itself.

And from his sermon Once more 63-1117 P:78 he says basically the same thing, that it will be a move of the Holy Spirit among the people that will produce Rapturing Faith, which is Rapturing Revelation."Lord Jesus, great Master of Life, the Shepherd of the sheep, come forth, Lord. These people are hungering. They're thirsting. Lord, years I've wanted to see this happen, maybe it will. Just once more, Lord, one more great move of the Spirit. One more time, Lord, and the Church might receive the rapturing faith to go in. Grant it, Lord. Make known that You're with us, and we'll praise Thee for it. In Jesus' Name we ask it. Amen.

And from his sermon Why cry speak 63-0714M P:21 he said, "Now, hundreds and hundreds of years before God had said that Israel would sojourn and be mistreated in a strange country and would stay there four hundred years, but God, with a mighty hand, would bring them out. So you see with this burning bush, Moses knowed this intellectually, and the seed that was born in him was laying in his heart. And he tried through his intellectual experience with the Word to try to bring them out, to deliver them, because he knowed he was born for that purpose. He knowed that the time the Scriptures all said that they'd already been there four hundred years...Just as we know now, as a man asked me a few moments ago about the coming and the rapture. We know we've lived the time out. The time of the rapture is at hand. And we're looking for a rapturing faith that can pull the churches together and give it some supernatural strength that can change these bodies that we live in. We see a God that can raise the dead off the floor, or out in the yard, and bring him back to life again, and present him before us. When we see a God who can take a cancer that's eat a man to a shadow, and raise him up to a strong healthy man, that ought to give rapturing faith to the people. That when that Light flashes from the sky, and the trumpet sounds, the Body of Christ will be quickly gathered together, and changed in a moment, and taken into the heavens. Yes, there's got to be something like that happen, and our schools of theology can never produce that, yet they intellectually are all right; but you've got to meet that Light. You've got to find that something.

Again we see that it will not come by an intellectual thing, or as we read in Zechariah 4:6"Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts."

And from his sermon Lord just once more 63-0628A P:73 brother Branham said, "We've got the members, but they're weak. They love things of the world better than they do the things... You say, "No." Oh? Look upon the churches and find out. Don't try to deny it. Your actions speaks more than your words does. Oh, yeah, got more members, bigger muscles, but where is the strength of the Lord? Your big muscles won't meet the challenge of this hour, the rapturing faith to take the Church out of this thing before judgment strikes the earth. And judgment's fixing to strike, I'll say, as my friend Jack Moore said; if God lets America get by with the things it's doing now, He'll be morally obligated to raise up Sodom and Gomorrah and apologize to it for burning her up. Right. Judgment is next.

So then if the church doesn't have the power to get her out of here, then our only hope is that he that made the promise will perform it.

As brother Branham said in his sermon, Unrecognized Presence 6 - 18 - 64, listen carefully to his words, "Working for this one purpose; for you to recognize the Presence of Jesus Christ, See? If He is present then, why everything is settled. He made the Word, He's here to confirm it."And then he said in the same message, "If we could realizeHe is Appearing to us in these meetings for one purpose and that'sto release our desires that we have in Him to us. But we've got to recognize His presence. And how you recognize His presence, is when the promised Word for this age is made manifest."

Again from his sermon God's provided way 64-0206E P:2 brother Branham said, "We are in His Presence tonight. And He's here to confirm and make good any promise that He made for this day. And He's the same yesterday, today, and forever.

And from his sermon Influence 63-0803E P:83 brother Branham in quoting God to Abraham said, "He said, "I made you a promise, and now I'm here to confirm it." And now, how we know that promise is good... Watch that. They were waiting. Just before the fire fell, Abraham and Sarah was waiting for a promised son. God appeared in human flesh and done signs before them, that Jesus referred to would be the same thing at His coming, that He the Son promised. And we've noticed that now for going on fifteen years. And still the church gets worse. No wonder we can actually see we're in the Laodicea age.

And from his sermon, From that time 62-0713 P:2 brother Branham said, "And if we can just see, the One Who made us all these grand promises is here to confirm those promises...

Don’t you realize brothers and sisters, the Parousia of Christ is not about putting on a show. The Parousia of Christ is about fulfilling what He promised you. He which began the good work in you will perform it. So it is not you performing it, it is He working in you to will and do the performance of the promise.

And from his sermon Jesus Christ the same 63-0627 P:115 Do you believe someday He'll come in and make us free? I do too. Come to the grave and open the doors, I'll come out from among the dead. I'm trusting Him. He's here tonight. Isn't it wonderful to know that we don't have to take some human philosophy; we got a Bible here that speaks of this. And here He is to identify His Church, to give itrapturing faith to be taken away.

So we see by all these quotes and more that if it was God who called you, and God who justified you, and God who sanctified you, then it will be God who will give you Rapturing Faith or revelation that will glorify you. And He is here to do it.

Now, in the First seal the 63-0318 P:38 brother Branham makes a statement that many have wrestled to their own destruction. He said, "And then there's coming forth seven mysterious thunders that's not even written at all. That's right. And I believe that through those seven thunders will be revealed in the last days in order to get the Bride together for rapturing faith; because what we got right now, we wouldn't be able to do it. There's something we've got to step forward; we can't have enough faith for Divine healing hardly. We've got to have enough faith to be changed in a moment and be swept up out of this earth, and we'll find that after while, the Lord willing, find where it's written."

And as a result of that quote we have had many come on the scene and say they have the answer, they know what the seven thunders are and that will produce the Rapturing faith, and they are so very, very wrong.

The same Holy Spirit who came down with the Shout will also bring forth the Voice that resurrects the dead and He is the same Spirit that will produce the Trump that will glorify us and catch us away, so just set back my friends and keep your focus on His Spirit, and walk in the light as He is here walking in that same Light.

SONG: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of this earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his Glory and grace.”

From his sermon Accepting God's provided way 63-0115 P:103 brother Branham tells us that God has a provided way to bring us to rapturing Faith."God provided a way that He might bring the believers to a rapturing faith: God's way, His provided way to bring believers to rapturing faith."

And in his sermon Is this sign of the end sir 62-1230E P:139 He said, “Is the mystery all finished? Has the sounding all over? Is that really them seven thunders fixing to utter out something that the little group that He's gathered together will receive a rapturing faith to go in the rapture when He comes; for we'll be changed as quick as those Angels come: in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and shall be caught up together with those that is asleep to meet the Lord in the air. My prayer is: God if this be so, I don't know Lord; I just telling the church. If it is so, Lord, prepare our hearts. Make us ready, Lord, for that great hour that all the history of time, all the prophets and sages has looked for that time. Lord, I don't know what to say.

Notice, it is not the bride making herself ready, He is asking God to make us ready. But we read in Scripture that the Bride has made herself ready, and we think there is something we got to do.

So let’s read it for ourselves. Revelation 19:7 “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.So how did dhe make herself ready? Well as usual just read on…8  And to her was granted(given) that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the right-wise-ness of saints.”

Now, remember she is dressed in the Word, and that is how she is made ready. And that is Jesus prayer in

John 17:22  And the glory(The Doxa, the opinions, values, and judgments) which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.24  Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; (theres your marriage of the lamb, there’s your spiritual union of the bride) that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

And it was given to her, the garment of righteousness which is the doxa of God was given to her, it is a gift. God came down with a gift, a shout which dresses us in the robes of righteousness, and all we have to do is to put it on.

The Apostle Paul said inRomans 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

1 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. And who made you the righteousness of Him? He did it.

God keeps His Word 57-0407M P:26 Now, if you'll notice, He said as it was in the days of Noah, in the days of Noah before the flood, how it would be. And God was not willing that any should perish, but that all might come to repentance. Then He suffered long. The flood stage was way past due. Down in Egypt, it was way past due. Do you get it? In the antediluvian destruction now, way past due, the destruction and judgment, and coming out of Egypt, way past due, forty years overtime. But God was determined; God was determined that His Word would not return to Him.He was going to keep His Word. He has to keep His Word.He must do it in order to be God. If He has to make a change of everything, and by grace He will do it. That's the reason I say, if the church does not get herself ready, that's your duty to get ready, "The Bride has made herself ready."The garments is paid for. They are ready, but you must be ready to wear those garments. The Church has made herself ready.

We read in Scripture again he speaks of the thunders but then says you prepare us Lord. So, God will do it by His word and By His spirit but woe to him who thinks he has it all figured out how it will be done. so don't try to make it this, that, or the other. Just let go and let God. “Sons of God are led by the Spirit of God” and when God opens the door for us, if you are a son of God you will be led right into it.

Again in his sermon Is this sign of the end sir 62-1230E P:124 Where are we at, sirs? What's all of this about? I'm asking you. The other angels was messengers, men of the earth. But this Angel... This said, to the angel of the church of Laodicea; to the angel of the church of Ephesus, messengers of the earth (See?), men, messengers, prophets, and so forth to the church. But this One didn't come from the earth; He come down from heaven, because the mystery's all finished. And when the mystery's finished, the Angel said, "Time shall be no more," and seven thunders throwed their voices out. What if it is something to let us know how to enter in to the rapturing faith. Is it? Will we run and leap over walls? Is there something fixing to happen, and these old marred, vile bodies are going to be changed? Can I live to see it, O Lord? Is it so close that I'll see it? Is this the generation? Sirs, my brethren, what time is it? Where are we at?"

In this next quote I want you to look at the assurance we have, because he is talking about Rapturing faith and he says, don't worry, it will be there.

QA on the Holy Ghost COD 59-1219 P:12 Hattie Wright, the other day, she didn't ask for nothing. She was just setting there, but she said the right thing, which pleased the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit spoke back and said, "Hattie, ask anything that you will, whatever you got and you want. Find out whether this is real or not. Ask anything (the healing of her little crippled sister setting there all drawed up; ten thousand dollars to keep her from digging on them hills over there; the youth restored to her well run-down body); whatever you want to ask, you ask it right now. If It don't come and give it to you right now, then I'm a false prophet." That's something, isn't it? Jesus said, "Say to this mountain..." And you've heard about what's been taken place; that's the ministry that we're entering into. We're way up the road now. Soon the coming of the Lord Jesus. And we've got to have rapturing faith in a church that can be changed in a moment in a twinkling of an eye to go out, or we'll not go. But don't worry, it'll be there. It'll be there. And when the power of this church rises, it'll bring its brethren; the power of that church rises will bring its brethren; the power of that church will bring the other brethren; then there'll be a general resurrection. We're looking forward to it.

So don’t worry my brethren, it will be there, for God who made the promise is here to confirm them, that‘s His Parousia Presence, that is why The creator of all the earth is here, just like in the days of Abraham when God who made the promise came down to ensure that promise even to the point of changing Abraham and Sara’s Bodies back to the time of Life again in order to fulfill the promise. And he is here to do the same things for the Royal Seed of Abranham.

SONG: you now we teach our children that beautiful song, but why don’t we sing it ourselves. “Father Abraham had many sons, many sons had Father Abraham, and I am one of them, and so are you, so let’s just praise the Lord.”

And finally in his sermon God has a provided way 54-0404 P:12 brother Branham said, And now we're moving right on into another great age, coming for the rapture of the Church. And in this, we're living in the time of the restoration of the gifts. It stumbled many of the big fine churches; it sent Nazarene backwards; it made fanatics out of a lot of Pentecost. But just the same, God's moving right on, bringing in the rapturing faith for His Church. That's right. So tonight I represent that faith, the faith that was once delivered to the saints, in the way of a Divine gift. Which, to my opinion, "Gifts and callings..." Not my opinion; but the Bible says that gifts and callings are without repentance. There's nothing you can do about it. You can't make yourself with blue eyes when you got brown. You're just what you are, by the grace of God. You can't even come to God without God calling you first. You can't seek God without God seeking you first and calling you. "No man can come to me, except My Father draws him." So God is seeking.

Therefore brothers and sisters, all I can tell you is to just relax and stay focused on him, for when the time comes "He which has begun the work in you will finish it", for as the Apostle Paul said, "it is God that works in you both to will and to do his good pleasure". And since “He is the author and finisher of our Faith” and the finished faith is that faith that will finish our journey here and clothe us in immortality, and that is “Rapturing faith”. So my brothers and sisters, If you were justified by His Spirit working in you, and you were sanctified by His spirit working in you, then you will also be glorified by his same Spirit working in you. So just let go and let God.

Romans 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Finally in closing this quote from brother Branham's sermon says it all. From his sermon Man that can turn on light 63-1229M P:131 he said, "I've seen it come to the spot to where I didn't know where to move next. But He's always present. The never failing Presence, He's always there. He can turn on the Light. Yes, sir. He's just waiting, see what you're going to do. He can flip the switch any time He wants to. Yes, sir. There's a Man here that can turn on the Lights. Those who set in the regions of the shadow of death, some of them under cancer, some of them under the death of denomination, some of them under creed's death, some of them under traditional death, and all them kinds of death, and they have seen a great Light. The Man that flashed the Lights then is the same One Who said in the beginning, "Let there be light."That same God yesterday, today, and forever, He's present today right here now. Don't get scared; He can turn on the Light. When the persecution comes, don't get scared; there's a Light said He'd catch His people away. She'll not go through the tribulation. She'll never do it; He said She wouldn't. She'll be caught away. "How they going to do it, Brother Branham, looks awful dark?"No matter how dark it gets, if you can't see your hand before you, just remember, there's a Man here that can turn on the Light, can rapture that church.

Let us pray...