Spoken Word no 135

Predestined to Believe Every Word

Brian Kocourek, Pastor

December 23, 2009

Acts 13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

Let us pray, Dear father we come humbly tonight before your Great throne of Mercy knowing you are the author and finisher of our Faith and if it was not for Your great love, we would be here condemned sinners tonight. But we thank Thee Lord for you are a God who is rich in Mercy and Grace. Help us then to also be filled with so much Grace that your grace will overflow to others and help us to be so thankful for the mercy you gave to us that we will have mercy the same for all others who desire mercy, for we ask it in Jesus Christ’s name, amen.

Sunday, we closed with reading from paragraph 112 of brother Branham’s sermon, The Spoken word is the Original Seed where brother Branham said,

112 Now, wait a minute. I can't pass this by. See, Jesus was the Seed of Abraham (fleshly speaking... Is that right?), a predestinated Seed of Abraham. And when the Spirit fell on Him, what kind of a Life did He bring? He brought a faith life. What kind of a life?" You mean He was going to be a sojourner like Abraham?" That's where people get so mixed up today. They try to think that a man of God has to do this, and follow this, and do that. Oh mercy, no. How was Christ the Seed of Abraham? Not so much in His body, 'cause Isaac, that seed of Isaac, finally fell and died. It backslid and hybrid too. We'll get to it directly. See? But the faith seed of Abraham that he believed God's Word regardless of what the circumstances was... There you are. Whew. You know, I feel like shouting. Look. See, look, the faith seed of Abraham... What was it? Not Abraham's body, but Abraham's faith. Abraham's faith in what? The Word of God. No matter what come, he called anything contrary to It as though it wasn't even there. Oh, me, wouldn't that rip these denominations to pieces? It sure would.

113 If the truth of even marriage and divorce was only brought out in its Light that it's in here in the Bible, it'd break up every church in this city, any other city: try to get back to it. They're both sides wrong. I can prove it by the Word. They're both wrong. All right. Whether a man should do this or do that, or a woman this or that, I'm not going to say it, because I got enough confusion now amongst them. See? Jesus said, "Let them alone. The blind leads the blind, why..." They'd just fuss about it; they wouldn't believe it. If they was born to Eternal Life, they'll believe the Word. See? That's right. If they don't, God will manifest Himself to them. If they don't believe it, why, they won't believe it; that's all.

114 Let's get to this first. We might get to that later sometime, but let's take care of this first and see why we must believe these things, how we got to believe them. You must believe them. If you don't, you're lost; you are." Believe what, Brother Branham? You? "No, sir, not me. You believe me and... I'm saying the Word. I'm not putting anything here. I'm just telling you what the Bible says about believing this Word. And that's what I've done is try to believe that Word just the way It's wrote. I don't add anything, take anything; I just read It just the way It is and believe It just like that. And by the grace and help of Almighty God, He's confirmed It, and I ask anybody to disprove It. Now, you on the tapes, come do it. Tell me one time I ever told you anything wrong... it didn't come to pass. Tell me anything anytime that God never confirmed and worked it just exactly according to the way it was said.

115 All right. Predestinated as he was, makes the Word Seed the same water on what? This church today is a Bride predestinated? Did God say He would have a Bride without spot or wrinkle? Then it's predestinated, isn't it? See? Well, Christ was predestinated. He was a Royal Seed of Abraham, and what did it do? When the Spirit come on Christ, He bore record of the Word of God, and when the Water, Spirit, falls on the Word Seed, the Royal Seed of Abraham's faith in God's Word will produce the same kind of a crop. Say, "I don't believe that." All right, let's find out. Let's go now and see; if are we Abraham's seed? Genesis 17. Go back in Genesis and get the 17th chapter. I'm leaving a lot of these off here, but I've got to hit some of them in here, 'cause some critic might come along and say, "I don't believe that," so we'll just place a little bit in there so He can stop him from saying it. See? All right, 17:7. Let's start at the 6th verse. And I will make thee exceedingly fruitful... (Abraham's seed)... and I will make many nations... (Gentiles and all)... and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant... (Now watch.)... between me and thee and Thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

Now, Sunday we showed you both seeds, the seed of Abraham and then those who claimed to be his seed, but as Paul said, not that which is physical is counted for seed, but that which is by promise. Romans 4:13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, (It did not come through the law, and in fact the law had nothing to do with the promise God made.) but through the righteousness (the right-wise-ness) of faith. And we know that Faith is a revelation, something that has been revealed.

14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:15  Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. 16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

Notice he tells us that if it were not by promise, but if it were by the law and what we do or do not do, then it would not be a sure thing. But being that God promised it unconditionally, it is a sure thing for God can not lie. 17 As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations, before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

In fact that is exactly what the apostle Paul tells us also in Romans 9:7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.

In his sermon, Abraham's covenant confirmed 61-0210 P:28 brother Branham said, And we find that we being dead in Christ, we are Abraham's seed and are heirs with father Abraham to the promise. Then if we are Abraham's seed, we find out that we have to have the faith of Abraham, or we are not Abraham's seed. And what is the Seed of Abraham? The Holy Spirit (amen), which comes through Christ Jesus. That makes us, as we receive the Holy Spirit then, we are not no longer Gentiles, but we are Jews. And the Jew, by birth, is not a Jew. Paul said, "That which is Jew is not that outwardly, but that inwardly," that has the faith of father Abraham. And if we are father Abraham's seed, then we take every promise God made, no matter how ridiculous it looks like, how it could not happen; but if God said so, we believe it anyhow.

From his sermon, Who Is This Melchisedec 65-0221E  140 Then we find out the Jews, some of them received Him; some believed it; some didn't. Why didn't they believe it? They was not ordained to Life. They wasn't part of that attribute. Now, remember, them were priests and great men. And Jesus... Think of those theologians and priests, men that you couldn't find a flaw in their life. Jesus said, "You are of your father the devil, and his works you do." Said, "If you'd be of God, you'd believe Me. If you can't believe Me, believe the works that I do; they testify Who I am." Now, the Bible said that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Jesus said, "The works that I do shall he that believeth on Me do also." That right? Notice, that was the real Melchisedec now.

Now, Why didn't they believe it? They was not ordained to Life. They wasn't part of that attribute.

Romans 9:18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardens. 19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault?For who hath resisted his will? 20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that replies against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonor?

Paul is telling us, " Look, the fact remains that God is Sovereign whether you like it or not, and He will show mercy on whomever He wishes to, and whom He also wills to harden, they will be hardened whether they want it or not. Then he uses the illustration of the potter and the clay." That is the example Paul gives us. Do we then say to the Potter, why do you make the vessel of honor out of this piece of clay and why do you make the vessel of dishonor out of the same lump. And Brother Branham was making this same point when he said, some believed it; some didn't. Why didn't they believe it? They was not ordained to Life. They wasn't part of that attribute.

Then he went on to talk about those men who were ordained to condemnation. He said,  Now, remember, them were priests and great men. Think of those theologians and priests, men that you couldn't find a flaw in their life. Jesus said, "You are of your father the devil, and his works you do." Said, "If you'd be of God, you'd believe Me. If you can't believe Me, believe the works that I do; they testify Who I am."

It has been said of those men, the Pharisees, that some of them lived so perfectly concerning the law that you could never have pointed a finger against them concerning their lives.  These were remarkable men, they were not wicked men, at least outwardly they weren't. These were not men who dwelt in dens of iniquity. These were God-fearing men, who thought they were living lives that were pleasing to God in every way. They tithed of all, they gave to the poor, they studied the Word of God to the point they could pass a needle through the scroll that had been rolled tight, and they could tell you every letter it passed through. They knew the Word of God backwards and forwards, and yet they were rejected, because they were not His own.

Matthew 7:21 ¶ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

It all comes down to election and Predestination. And what brother Branham was saying here is that if you are not seed of God, then you never will believe because you are not ordained to believe. Then if we look at this same thought we can also apply it this way. If you were ordained to life you will believe. (Period) In fact the God told us that very same thing in the Book of Acts.   ACTS 13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed Now, you can read that any way you wish to, but it all says the same thing. Those ordained to eternal Life will believe. Why?, because they are ordained to believe, and the others are not ordained to believe.

Did not Jesus Himself say, in John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, … Did not the Apostle Paul teach us, I Corinthians 2:6 ¶  Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, [even] the hidden [wisdom], which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known [it], they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God. 12    Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

Notice that Paul tells us that the Wisdom of God was ordained before the foundations of the world for our glory, and it was kept hidden from others. And then He goes on to tell us that all those who receive the Spirit of God in them through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, will know and understand the things of God, but all others will not. The he quotes the Prophet Isaiah saying the very same thing.  In fact Jesus Himself even quotes this very same quotation of Isaiah in Matthew 13, Mark 4 and Luke 8.

Let's read it for our selves, beginning at Matthew 13 and verse 10. Matthew 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 13    Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14    And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with [their] heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen [them]; and to hear [those things] which ye hear, and have not heard them. 18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. 19    When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catches away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. 20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but endures for a while: for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, by and by he is offended. 22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also bears fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Now, look, we just finished hearing Jesus tell us that there are those who are ordained to hear and understand and there are those who are not ordained to hear and understand. I don't think he could make it any plainer in telling this parable. He sums it up by saying those who hear and understand will bring forth fruit, and all others will not. Then the fruit that God wants for us to produce can only come as a result of understanding His Word. And if you do not understand it, you cannot bear this fruit. Oh, you might have fruit all right, but not the fruit He has ordained for you to bear.

That can only come through understanding His Word, and to understand His Word does not depend on your individual prowess, but upon His giving you that understanding.

That is why he tells us in I John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.  And again in I John 2:20 ¶  But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

So we see that there are those who have been ordained to Life by God and these have also been ordained to believe His Word. All others that have not been ordained to Life will not believe, but will deceive and be deceived.

Matthew 24:4 ¶ And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.  So we see there is coming a time of deception.

Matthew 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

Notice Jesus is telling us the deception will take in many. It will not be few, but many, and look at the effect that it will have upon all mankind.) 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

Now, as we continue to read on in the Book of Matthew, Jesus tells us even more about the great deception that is coming.

Matthew 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. 23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe [it] not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25 Behold, I have told you before. 26    Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe [it] not. 27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shines even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Now, that carcass is the fresh kill. That is the Food for the hour, not the food that has laid around from one generation to another.

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

Notice here that Paul warns us to mark them that do not teach the doctrine as was taught by Him. Then he tells us to avoid these people because their purpose is to deceive. And furthermore, don't place yourself in a position that you allow yourself to be deceived. Because a man can repeat to himself a lie so many times that he will finally believe it himself.

Lean not unto thy own Understanding 65-0120  118  You know, the Bible said you can believe a lie and be damned by it. See? That's exactly the truth. They form, no matter what the Word of God says, they lean to their own understanding. They lean on it; they believe it; they think it's the Truth. You can keep believing a lie over and over and over till it's the truth to you. That's right. But how do we know whether it's Truth or not? God proved it's Truth, 'cause it's in His Word and He a-vindicates It. He does His own interpretation of It. How do they do, get to this? They do it by their culture, their education, of their understandings of their, the degree of doctor's degree, and so forth, that they have come from some certain seminary and learned these things.

So you can believe a lie to be true that you once knew was a lie. Paul said in, I Corinthians 3:18 ¶ Let no man deceive himself.   So you can deceive yourself. That's why The Bible speaks of a willful ignorance. And the Apostle John said, I JOHN 8 ¶ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

And what is Sin? It is unbelief. Because we believe not, that is what sin is. Jesus said, so. John 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10    Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

And God set gifts in the church to remind the church of these things and to teach us the truth, that our own natural unbelief will give way to the truth, because once you have received the Truth and then are able to be deceived, it shows you are not seed. 

Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, [and] cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;  15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

So don't think there are not men out there whose motives and objectives is not to deceive, because God's own Word says they lie in wait to deceive.

Ephesians 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Notice we find again that the deception only comes upon the children of disobedience.

II Thessalonians 2:1¶  Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 ¶ Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

The deception comes on those who have fallen away. Why? Because they open themselves up for it. II 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. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Now, we have been talking about unbelief. Brother Branham said, some believed it; some didn't. Why didn't they believe it? They was not ordained to Life. They wasn't part of that attribute, I John 3:4 ¶ Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6  Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.  8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. Some believed it; some didn't. Why didn't they believe it? They was not ordained to Life. They wasn't part of that attribute.

Let us pray, …