Spoken Word no. 185
Just a Few
Brian Kocourek, Pastor
September 1st, 2010
1 Peter 3:20 Which sometime were
disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah,
while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by
water.
Matthew 24:37 But
as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
And then I would like to read from The Spoken
Word is the original Seed pp. 40 The
Baptists wants to outdo the Methodists. The Methodists wants to outdo the
Lutheran. The Lutherans want to outdo the Catholic. They're every one wants to outdo somebody. See, that's the... That's the spirit of the organization.
Jesus said, "But few there'll be that will be saved. Strait is the gate and
narrow is the way, but few there'll be that'll find it." Just a few. If He
said few , that's the Word of God, that Seed, there'll be a few. Won't
be no tens of billions and billions. It'll
just be a few that'll find it. Them
that's predestinated to it, they hear it. The former rain has went forth now.
Dear Father we come in
reverence and Godly Fear tonight knowing that there is coming a time when as it
was in the days of Noah the doors of the ark will be closed, and no one other
than those predestined to be in that ark will be there. Help us Dear father on
that day to be numbered among those you consider chosen and few, for we ask it
in the name of Your eldest Son in Your Vast family of children. Amen
From Brother Branham’s message called, Queen of
So we see that it will be in the minority, because it has always been
that way. From his sermon, Queen of
Faith is our victory 58-1004 P:14 When
you join church, you should first seek out, and find out what that church
stands for. Is it just merely a place that the people go together for
fellowship, or is it a place that
preaches the Word of the living God, and stands for every principle that Jesus
died for? You should do that. Just
don't float in and go with the tide, because, "Straight
is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth to life, and but few there'll be
that'll go there in thereat. Because broad is the way that leads to
destruction, and many will there be go in." We've got to have a
purpose of something. Now, it wasn't so in days gone by or in this day, that
when a man come to God, he had a purpose of doing it. If your purpose is just
to drift with that congregation, or is it to look up toward God?
HEBREWS 11:7
By faith Noah,
being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark
to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became
heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
LUKE 17:20
¶ And when he was demanded of the
Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The
kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
21 Neither shall they say, Lo
here! or, lo there! for, behold, the
How was it in the days of Noah? "As it was in Noah's day, so shall it be when the Son of Man's
revealed."
GENESIS 6:1
¶ And it came to pass, when men
began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto
them, 2 That the sons of God saw the
daughters of men that they [were] fair; and they took them wives of all
which they chose. 3 ¶ And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always
strive with man, for that he also [is] flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred
and twenty years. 4 ¶ There were giants in the earth in those days;
and also after that (or
following this), when
the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare [children] to
them, the same [became] mighty men which [were] of old, men of renown. 5
And GOD saw that the wickedness of man [was] great in the earth, and
[that] every imagination of the thoughts of his heart [was] only evil
continually. 6 ¶
And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it
grieved him at his heart. 7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom
I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the
creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made
them. 8 ¶ But Noah found grace in the eyes of the
LORD. 9 These [are] the generations of Noah: Noah
was a just man [and] perfect in his generations, [and] Noah walked with
God. 10 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and
Japheth. 11 ¶
The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with
violence. 12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold,
it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. 13
¶ And God said unto Noah, The end
of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through
them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14
Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and
shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
15 And this [is the fashion]
which thou shalt make it [of]: The length of the ark [shall be] three hundred
cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty
cubits. 16 A
window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above;
and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; [with] lower,
second, and third [stories] shalt thou make it.
17 And, behold, I, even I, do
bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein [is] the
breath of life, from under heaven; [and] every thing that [is] in the earth
shall die. 18 But with thee will I establish my covenant;
and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy
sons' wives with thee. 19 And of every living thing of all flesh, two
of every [sort] shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep [them] alive with thee;
they shall be male and female. 20 Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle
after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of
every [sort] shall come unto thee, to keep [them] alive. 21
And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather
[it] to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them. 22
¶ Thus did Noah; according to all
that God commanded him, so did he. 7: 1 ¶ And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and
all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this
generation.
PREPARATION
53-1111 033 Now, God in His preparation. Back when God
was going to destroy the world. Before He destroyed the world, He sent forth a
preparation for the saving of the people that desired to be saved.
He always does it. He shows mercy before judgment. And if men spurn
mercy, there's only one thing left and that is judgment. And God don't
judge you; you judge yourself. That's true. As long as you're under
this spray of blood that's around the world, you have a right for mercy. God's... The Blood of Christ keeps God from
killing you, or He'd kill you just as soon as you sinned. But that's
still... holding God from you, from your death. You're a free moral agent now.
But when you die and your spirit goes beyond that, then your already judged.
You don't have to wait for judgment; you're judged already. God done
said, "The day you eat thereof, the day you die." And that
settles it. Then when God sent forth Noah to preach... Wasn't it strange, never
had rain? No water, was only but beneath the earth. And an old man come out
there, an old holy-roller, with a beard hanging down like this, and got him a
hammer and begin to build an ark--a boat.
034 Could you imagine the people
down in the city talking about it? Why, they'd say, "Hey, what do you
think about that rain story that old guy is telling up there?" But he
had the will of God. And he knowed where he was. And no matter what the
world, how ridiculous it seemed to the world, God had a man He could put His
hand on. And he built the ark. The people laughed at him. That didn't stop him.
He just built right ahead. And any
man that really knows the Divine will of God, is borned again, they could call
you a holy-roller, fanatic, whatever they want to, you'll build right ahead on
the ark. It doesn't make a bit of difference. That's right. You get ready
for it.
035 Now, I can see the time Noah
said there's going to come a storm, the rains are... "Oh, how is He going
to do it?" I don't know. Why, it never did do it. And they were much
better scientists than we have today. Go down in
036 I can just imagine... Let's
look at this just a moment. God was preparing, Noah's preaching. And the first
thing you know, why one day there come a thunder. I hear someone say, "Oh,
a blast went off somewhere." But a cloud begin to rise. Now, I can see the
great big Polly Parrot setting out there, looking over to the mother Polly
Parrot and say, "Mother, that's what Noah said." I can see the little
monkey drop the cone there and say, "Come on, Mammy, we're headed for the
ark." The old camel eat and say, "Come on, let's go." Two by two
they went into the ark led by the Holy Spirit. It goes to show that man hasn't
got the gumption of a wild animal sometimes. That's right. Those wild animals
heard the sound and took the warning of God by the Holy Spirit, and went to
safety. And today man hears the sound of the coming of the Son of God and
rejects and refuses to hear it. Amen. You know that's the truth. But
God preparing... Seems ridiculous. I can
hear someone say, "Well, if it does rain, I'll get on me a big poplar log
and ride." But the big poplar log sunk. And so will every poplar log sink
when Jesus Christ returns. Everything that's not in the Body of Christ will
be left here. "As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the
coming of the Son of man."
037 Jesus never asked this,
"Will I find righteousness? Will I find people that's living good?"
Goodness and righteousness is what-what... Jesus said, "Will I find faith
when I return? Will I find..." Somebody, oh they say, "I got
faith." Well, faith without works is dead. "Will I find somebody
who'll stand at My Word and say, 'Every Word's right.' I'm not scared whether
this one says so, or that says so, or nothing. I believe in God, and I'm
accepting It, and standing right there on It." That's the thing. God is
preparing a Church today to be saved just as He did in the days of Noah and
that ark. And the Body of Christ today is that ark.
Why, you say, "We all believe
that."
038 If I asked you how'd I get
across the
Now, I would like to examine the days of Noah for a
moment this evening. Because after all, God told us that as it was then, so will it be in the day when
the Son of Man is Revealed. And I do believe with all that is within me that we are now living in
the days when the Son of Man has come and has been revealed. Then what does
that leave but one thing and that is destruction.
Notice what Jesus tells us of that day. He lays out
the attitude of the people in a way that
there is no mistaking what their days were like.
Matthew 24: 37 But as the days of Noe [were], so shall
also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before
the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and
giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew
not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also
the coming of the Son of man be. 40 Then
shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41 Two [women shall be] grinding at the mill;
the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Notice, they were eating and drinking. Daily life was
good, their needs were being met. They had food to eat and things to drink. And
they were planning, they were planning marriages and weddings and all sorts of
things. They were so caught up into
their everyday life that they failed to recognize the impending judgment until
it was too late and the rains had already started.
In Luke 17 Jesus said, 28
Likewise also as it was in the days of
But would they listen? Would they become serious about
this being the end-time? No! They didn't have time to worry about that.
Besides, what were the odds of one man being right in the face of such
scientific evidence that said contrary to His Message. The scientists disagreed with this man, and
if the scientists disagreed, then so did the teachers who taught the students
science, and so did the students who listened to their teachers and therefore,
by rejecting this man, they did not realize they were rejecting God and His
Message. Because it was not Noah's Message,
He was just the messenger. He was the message bearer only. The Message was from
God.
II PETER 2:4 For
if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast [them] down to hell, and
delivered [them] into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;5 And
spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth [person], a preacher of
righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 And turning the cities of Sodom and
Gomorrha into ashes condemned [them] with an overthrow, making [them] an
ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;7 ¶ And delivered just Lot,
vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 (For that righteous man
dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed [his] righteous soul from day
to day with [their] unlawful deeds;) 9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the
godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to
be punished:
1) Noah meaning "rest" was the
tenth in descent from Adam, in the line
of Seth, and was the son of Lamech and grandson of Methuselah. (B.C. 4948 -- 1998.) We
hear nothing of Noah till he is 500
years old, when it is said he begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japhet. In consequence of
the grievous and hopeless wickedness of
the world at this time, God resolved to
destroy it. Of Noah's life during this age of almost universal apostasy we are told but little. It is
merely said that he was a righteous man
and perfect in his generations (i.e. among his
contemporaries), and that he, like Enoch, walked with God. Peter calls him "a preacher of
righteousness." 2 Pet. 2:5.
Besides this we are merely told that he had three sons, each of whom had married a wife; that he built the
ark in accordance with divine
directions; and that he was 600 years
old when the world wide flood came. Gen 6:7. He lived about 350 years after the flood.
The times of Noah were degenerate and this finds
pathetic expression in the words of Lamech's at the time of Noah's birth. "GENESIS 5:28
¶ And Lamech lived an hundred eighty
and two years, and begat a son: 29 And he called his name Noah, saying, This
same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the
ground which the LORD hath cursed.
30 And Lamech lived after he
begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and
daughters:
Notice, Lamech lived for 595 years after the birth of
Noah, and Noah did not enter the ark until 5 years later, after the death of
his father. All of Noah's brothers and sisters inter married with the sons and
daughters of man.
GENESIS 6:1
¶ And it came to pass, when men
began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto
them, 2 That the sons of God saw the
daughters of men that they [were] fair; and they took them wives of all
which they chose….8 ¶ But Noah found
grace in the eyes of the LORD. 9 These are
the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man [and] perfect in his generations,
[and] Noah walked with God.
Notice, Noah was a just
man, the Hebrew word is tsaddiyq,
pronounced {tsad-deek'} 1c) just, righteous (in conduct and character) 1d) righteous (as justified and vindicated
by God)
And the only way he could be justified is if He was in
God to begin with and the life in his was Lamb-Life.
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?
And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in
the days when the Son of Man is Revealed.
Greatest
gift in bible 57-0811A P:52 Brother,
I'll tell you now, "Broad is the way that leads to destruction;
many there be that go in thereat: for straight is the gate, and narrow is the
way, and dim is the trail that leads to life, but few that'll find it."
Don't go with the crowd. Go with
Christ.
Uncertain
sound 55-0731 P:25 There's
where so many people today, is going to
be so terribly disappointed at the day of judgment: to know that they've lived in church, to know that they have done good
deeds, to know that they have treated their neighbor right, to know that they
have been loyal to the people, loyal to the church, and in their mind have
believed that Jesus Christ the Son of God and be condemned at the day of
judgment. Jesus said, "Many are called and few are chosen. Straight
is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to Life, and but few there will be
that find it."
Jesus
Christ the same 54-0824 P:27 There's thousands
today that would reject It if It was right before them. Millions would reject it. God already said they would, because "Straight
is the gate and narrow is the way; but few there will be that'll find It."
That right?
Seal of
God 54-0514 P:110 Be
honest. Be sincere. Come down and talk to Him, as face to face with a brother.
He will reveal you. He will tell you. Tear your soul apart, and lay it out
there, and say, "Lord Jesus, if it
cost me my family, if it cost me my life, if it cost my job, if it cost my
membership, if it cost my prestige in the city, I'll take the way with the
Lord's despised few." Now remember, Jesus said, "Straight
is the gate, and narrow is the way, and but few there will be that'll find it.
For broad is the way that leads to destructions." "A million more
in '54." Broad is the gate that leads to
destructions, and many there be that go in thereat."
That's right. "He
that will lose his life for My sake shall find it. He
that loves father, mother, sister, brother, or anything, better than Me, is not
worthy to be called My disciple. He will put his hand on a plow and start
forward, even turn to look back, is not worthy of the plowing."
Expectation
51-0930 P:14 Sometimes
the church has got to a place to just a
very few left, believers. But God
has always had a remnant of people somewhere who would believe Him. Did you
know that? Look at the antediluvian world. There
was just a few, Noah, his sons, his daughter-in-laws, and his wife. That
was all went into the ark. Is that right? Jesus said, "As
it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the coming of the Son of
man." "Straight is the gate, narrow is the way, and but few there'll
be that'll find it." Oh, Christian, make yourself one of the
few; you have an invitation, just move on. "As it was in the days of
Noah." Look at the morality, "Eat, drink, be merry, and giving in
marriage, and knew it not, till the day that Noah entered into the ark."
Be one of them that goes in. Pray for me that I'll be with you. I want to be; I
sure want to be; that's my heart's desire to go in at that day with you all, be
represented.
Matthew
7: 13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and
broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in
thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate,
and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Who do you say this is? 64-1227 P:42 There'll be just a very few that'll ever
know about it. That's right, just a very few. It's always
was that way.
Why it had to be shepherds 64-1221 P:92 No
wonder, as He said, "As it was in the days of Noah, wherein eight
souls were saved by water, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of man."
See, very few, "For
strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leads to Life, and few there'll
be that'll find it. (That's right.) 'Cause
broad is the way that leads to destruction, many will go in thereat."
Presence of God unrecognized 64-0618 P:7 It
comes in and goes out, and people does not recognize it until it's passed, and
they--because that it never fits their theology, it never fits the time of the
day. You see what it is, they're always living in a glare of another age,
always. The reason they didn't accept Jesus, because they were living in the
glare of the law. And when Jesus came, was not contrary to the law, but come to
fulfill the law, well, they couldn't accept Him because His Message wasn't
exactly the way they had it all creeded out, and it was called then traditions.
And they--He didn't come according to their traditions. He didn't keep their
traditions. And really He upset it, and tore it up, and--and done things that
was contrary to it, insomuch that they thought He was breaking up the churches.
And they couldn't receive Him because of His Message. And we all know today
that He come exactly in the line of God's prophecy, but they didn't know it
then. And it could happen again, and we wouldn't know it. I imagine if He'd
actually appear tonight, it would be so contrary to what we've got all figured
up on our charts, and in our schools and things. It'd be a very few would
recognize what was going on. He said it would be, that how He come.
Turn on the light 64-0125 P:62 When
a man tells me that the Holy Ghost falling in them will deny the Word of God
being so, there's something wrong with it. There's something wrong with our
seminaries, and so forth, when they teach men all this here brainwashed
theology and stuff of today. Them men would done the same against the Word of
God and leading them right into that ecumenical slaughter down there? Why
certainly, it's wrong. I speak that in the Name of the Lord. You watch and see
if it isn't true: the Light, the Light of the hour. Those cold creeds can never
bring a harvest. We've got to have a Church that's washed in the Blood of the
Lamb, and become one with the Word, be the Church. Church glares of this day,
Jesus said, very deceiving, almost the elected if it were possible. Just the
elected... "But as it was in the days of Noah, when eight souls were
saved, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of man." Very, very few
will be saved at that time.
God's gifts always find place 63-1222 P:56 We
got people that's just as loyal, nice people, genuine people. But, you see, in
that, there's going to be something come forth, that God's always done to
identify this day. This is the day when these things are spoken to happen.
There won't be many, just a very, very few that'll be saved. The Bible said so.
There'll be just a handful.
Perseverant 63-0802 P:16 The
first thing you know, you're going to say, "Why, I thought there was
supposed to be a rapture before the tribulation." The tribulation's going
to strike, and wouldn't it be awful if you heard say, "It's
already been and you didn't know it"? "There'll
be one in the field; I'll take one and leave one," just somebody come up
missing. There'll just be a very, very few in that
rapture, that'll be changed. The sleeping Bride, the Bride that's been taken
through the age, she'll come forth first. And then we which are alive and
remain shall be caught up with them, just one here, and one there, and one over
here.
Is this sign of the end sir 62-1230E P:97 It
will take a prophet. The Bible says that he would be here. That's right.
Malachi 4 speaks that he'll be here, and we believe that he will. We're looking
for him, and we're looking for his manifestation. And we'll see the vindicated
Word of God. There'll just be a few understand it. "As it was in the days
of Noah, so will it be in the coming of the Son of man." What was saved?
Five souls. In the days of
Jehovah Jireh part 3 62-0707 P:29 Let
the Word, if the Word's in you... "If ye abide in Me, and My Word in you,
then ask what you will." The Holy Spirit... "Ye abide in Me, My Word
in you," that's the Word made flesh, "ask what you will and it'll be
done." That's the way. Get all creeds, all things away, and hold to the
Word because it is Christ. Notice, then it will manifest itself. Someone said,
"Brother Branham, how do you know those things. How? "These what you
see here in the meeting is amateur things. Anybody that travels with the
meetings here, you know. The Holy Spirit reveals things that comes weeks and
months between time. And ask anybody if it ever failed one time. It can't fail.
See? "How do you know it?" Because it's a promise of the Word, and
the hour is here. It's got to come to pass. Now, I don't know, there be a very
few, a minority will believe it, but it's got to go forth just the same. And
did you ever notice, it goes right over the people's head, and it's passed and
done before they recognize it: always that way.
Oneness 62-0211 P:105 This
thing of this Council of Churches is nothing else in the world but a--a stir of
the foolish virgin, to be left here on the earth for a picking for the
antichrist. But the real
Perfect strength 61-1119 P:147 O
Father, that day is near; that's the ending up of those Seventy Weeks. And the
time is at hand, Lord. O God, may the voice, the voice of the true prophets of
God cry out against this modern lady of the day, this modern church, this
modern church theology. Shake these preachers that's afraid to say the Truth. O
God, take these men and shake them like never before; make them ashamed of
themselves. But we know this one thing, and can rest with full confidence,
that, "No man will come except the Father draws him. And all the Father
has given will come." They'll reach just as far as You intend it to reach.
But You said, "Fear not, little flock; it's your Father's good will to
give you the Kingdom." We know that's true. You warned us all along that
there'd just be a very, very few that would be ready when that time come. Then
there'd be a great resurrection, and all the redeemed that had been redeemed
through the ages would rise. But in this last day, just at the end time, there
the Church would certainly be in the minority. So we see that, Father; we see
the Message of the day. We see the rejecting of It; we see the disassociations;
we see all these things. We find Your people confess that they're not--they're
nothing. They just want to be filled with You, Lord. Now, I pray that You'll
shake the world with them, just a few days before the coming of the Lord.
Jehovah Jireh 61-0209 P:9 One
of the most pathetic things that I ever seen in the Bible, was--the Bible
predicting, was this church age. This is the most horriblest church age of all
the church ages. Every church age... Watch Revelations in the Laodicean, the
Pentecostal church age, that Christ had been ruled out of His own church,
standing on the outside knocking, trying to get back in His own church. Now, it
looked like a call to sinners, but that's a church age, the Laodicean age. He'd
been ruled out by the organizations and things. They put Him outside, and
they'd took up the things of the world. And He said, "I stand at the door,
and knock." Of His own church, not another age did it, but this age. So
you see where we're standing. Any true, good, spiritual mind can catch that,
and pick it up, and go with it (You see?), because you see where it is. A very,
very few of this age will be taken, as we know it. Many people are looking for
great growth, outpour and things. Just remember; mark it in your Bibles: you
will not see it. That's THUS SAITH THE LORD. See? You'll not see it. And
it's... The church age is ending now. This is the hour. She's just about
finished, and God's pulling His Church. And He's predicted that Laodicean,
lukewarm enough to spew out of the mouth. And that's just exactly the age we're
living in, everything hanging just right for the end time and everything. We
see the church in that condition: slumpy, lukewarm, enough to, "Well, it
looks very nice, pretty good. Maybe I'll come back at the end of the week
again." See, there it is. That's the attitude of the church. It's at that
time that God picks one here and there, and one in the field and one... so
forth, to take. So as we see we're approaching that age, let's settle ourself
on God's Word. Get on God's Word, God's Spirit in the Word, and let's become
lively stones, built up in the house of the living God.