Token no 37
One Focus
November 18, 2015
Brian Kocourek, Pastor
Last Sunday in our study of
brother Branham's sermon on the Token, preached September 1, 1963, we got as
far as paragraph 147 but there was something in paragraph 144 that I would like to go over
again, because it is such an important part of the end time message of Christ,
and it is such an important part of receiving the Token, the Baptism of the
Holy Ghost that I would like to spend a little more time on it tonight.
In paragraph 144 brother Branham said, "Age means not a thing. You done passed from age; you're in eternity; 'cause you're
in Him. He's eternal. Don't mean a thing, whether you're young,
old, middle-aged, or whatever you are. Pretty, ugly, short, fat, what, don't
matter a thing. It doesn't...You don't go around, and all these other things.
You done passed from that. You're dead. You're life is hid in God through Christ. You're
sealed in there by the Holy Ghost, walking
in Christ. The only object you see is Christ.
That's all. That's all you want. Oh, my. No wonder we used sing that song: Fill
my way every day with love, As I walk with the heavenly Dove; Let me go all the
while, with a song and a smile, Fill my...
Notice Br.
Branham quotes from Colossians 3:3 For
ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. and then he says, You're sealed in there by the Holy Ghost,
walking in Christ. The only object you see is
Christ.
Now, notice the order. You must die to self
first, and be raised in newness of Life, and then you will only see Christ.
The
Apostle Paul said in Galatians
2:20 (Notice Paul
acknowledges first his death to self, I am crucified with Christ: (then Paul speaks of
the fact that although he is dead, yet he is living,) nevertheless I live; (But then Paul
acknowledges that actually it is not he that is alive, but Christ has become
alive in Him.) yet
not I, but Christ liveth in me: (and
then he tells us that His entire focus is Christ) and the life which I now live in the flesh I
live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
We find the Apostle Paul in the book of
Hebrews quoting Scripture concerning that Life of Christ that is living in him,
and shows what was preeminent in that very life of Christ Itself.
Hebrews 10:7 " Then said I,
Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. 8 Above when he said,
Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest
not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish
the second. 10 By the which will we are sanctified through the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And
every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same
sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice
for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made
his footstool. 14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them
that are sanctified. 15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for
after that he had said before,
16 This is the covenant
that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws
into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
This evening I would like to focus on this one
focus that Jesus had, and that is He was totally dependent upon, and obedient to the will of God His Father.
When Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, he
showed them the importance of not only acknowledging God’s will but yielding to it as well. Luke 11:2 1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a
certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach
us to pray, as John also taught hisdisciples. 2 And
he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Notice Jesus showing us that in our prayer we
should begin by acknowledging the supremacy of God our father, and then the
very next thing he brings us to is to acknowledge also God’s sovereign will. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, not only as it is in heaven, but even so as it
shall be upon the earth.
Once you've acknowledged the supremacy of God’s
will, then you can ask your petition from God, because then your petition is
governed by that principle of sovereignty, as in God’s sovereignty, not yours,
you have none.
3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive
us our sins; as we also forgive every one that is indebted
to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
Then in the book of Luke 22:39 we see Jesus put his instructions into
action with his own prayer to God. And
he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his
disciples also followed him.
40 And when he was at the
place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. 41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast,
and kneeled down, and prayed,
42 Saying, Father, if
thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine,
be done. 43 And
there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and
his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
Again in the book of Matthew 26:41 we see this same scene take place
again. Watch and
pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 42 He went away again the second time, and prayed,
saying, O my Father, if
this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be
done. 43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their
eyes were heavy. 44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed
the third time, saying the same words.
Matthew 7:21 Not everyone 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.
Now, in Matthew 12 Jesus gives us a hint at
what attribute God looks for most in sons and daughters.
Matthew 12:50 For whosoever shall do the will
of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and
mother.
John 5:30 I
can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just;
because I seek not
mine own will, but the will of
the Father which hath sent me.
John 6:37 All
that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in
no wise cast out. 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do
mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me,
that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it
up again at the last day. 40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that
every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life:
and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 8:28 Then
said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know
that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these
things. 29 And he that sent me is with me: the
Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that
please him.
Notice Jesus has but one focus, and it is not on
Himself, but to please His Father always.
KJV Isaiah 42:19 Who is blind, but my
servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is
perfect, and blind as the LORD'S servant?
Rothetham Translation Isaiah 42:19 Who is blind if not My servant? Or deaf like
my messenger that I send? Who is blind like an intimate friend is blind, or
blind like the servant of Yahweh?
The wording for Isaiah 42:19 in the NIV is much better for it reads,
"Who
is blind like my servant, and deaf like the Messenger I send? Who is blind like
the one that is committed to me, blind like the servant of the Lord?
You have seen many things but have paid
no attention, your ears are open, but you hear nothing. You Pleased the
Lord for the sake of righteousness, to make His law great and glorious.
In other words, God is
saying to His son, you are blind to everything but my will, and that is what
makes you such a wonderful son. You see much but pay no attention to what you
see, because you only pay attention to my Will. You hear much but you have
closed your ears to all but My own words. God testifying of that one focus,
that single focus of His son.
And brother Branham said
in his sermon, Total deliverance 59-0712 pp.
55-56 55 Jesus was completely, totally man. He could cry like a man, He could
eat like a man; He could become like a man. He was completely, totally man in
His physical being. And in His Spirit, He was completely, totally God, so He made His flesh submissive to
the Spirit that was IN Him. You see, He was tempted
in all manners like we are. He was man, not an Angel. He was a man. He had
desires and temptations just like we do. The Bible said He did. He was
a man, not an Angel above temptation. Hebrews 1 said that He was... Hebrews 1:4 said He was made lower than the Angels. He was man, completely man,
that God took a complete man to bring total deliverance; and He filled
Him with His Spirit; the Holy Ghost was in Him without measure. And He was
tempted like we were. And He was completely God. He proved it when
He raised the dead, when He stopped nature, the roaring seas and the mighty
winds. When He spoke to the trees, and so forth, they obeyed Him. He
was God inside. And He could've been man, for He was Man, but He totally and completely delivered
Himself as a Man into the hands of God for the service of God.
And He is our
example. 56 We are men and women. We're also Christians. If He's our example, let us
completely deliver ourselves into the hands of the Holy Ghost, that we might be
subjects of the Kingdom of God. He was totally man; He
was totally God, but He
surrendered His natural parts and His physical parts, and His Own thinking, and
His Own doing, and His Own cares, and "I do only that which pleases the Father." There you are. Totally delivered from human beings... The priests come to
Him, the great men, and said, "Rabbi So-and-so," and tried to bribe
Him into their affiliations and denominations, but He was totally delivered because He trusted in God. Did not the Psalmist say, "Thou will deliver Him, for He has
completely trusted in Me"? See?
Jesus was so committed to his Father, that He did
nothing, but what God showed him to do., He spoke nothing but what God
commanded him to speak, He taught no doctrine but what doctrine God gave him to
teach and He did not do his own will, but the will of Him that sent him. Let me
give you a few Scriptures as examples of this.
John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I
hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine
own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
John 14: 10 the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father
that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
John 14: 24 the word which ye hear is not mine,
but the Father's which sent me.
John 14: 31 But that
the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me
commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence. And look, his entire
motive was that the world might know that He loved the Father. he didn't want
any guessing at all. He made it so clear that His entire purpose was to please
His Father, and He is our example. Oh, if everyone would look at you and me and
see this same purpose in our hearts, that all we wanted to do was to please our
Father. Then everything we wopuld say and do would be governed by this one
focus.
John 12: 49 I have not spoken of myself; but the
Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
John 7:16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his
that sent me. 17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine,
whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.18He that
speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that
sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
John 4: 34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat (my
source of energy comes from doing the will of my Father.) My meat is to do the
will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
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: 6In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou
hast had no pleasure. 7Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is
written of me,) to
do thy will, O God.
Now, this what Paul quotes here was taken from the
book of Psalms
40:6 Sacrifice
and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering
and sin offering hast thou not required. 7Then said I, Lo, I come: in the
volume of the book it is written of me, 8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy
law is within my heart. 9I have preached righteousness in the great
congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.10I have
not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and
thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the
great congregation. 11Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let
thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.
Now, let’s get back to Hebrews 10:8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and
offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither
hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He
taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10By the which will we
are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once
for all. 11And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes
the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12But this man,
after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right
hand of God; 13From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his
footstool. 14For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are
sanctified. 15Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he
had said before, 16This is the covenant that I will make with them after those
days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write
them; 17And their sins and iniquities will I remember no
more. 18Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for
sin. 19Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the
blood of Jesus, 20By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us,
through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21 And having an
high priest over the house of God; 22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance
of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and
our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast
the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that
promised;) 24And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good
works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of
some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day
approaching. 26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the
knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Now, how can you possibly forsake the assembling of
the saints when you see the Life of God openly manifesting in flesh today. The
problem is that the people have lost focus on what God is doing right now.
Brother Branham said they miss God by always
looking back and always looking forward but failing to recognize what God is
doing now. And when it doesn’t come to their little group then it doesn’t come at
all according to their perception, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not
happening right now.
You see, what I believe to be taking place in this
hour is that God is coming more and more into His
church, and sons are becoming more
and more in the image of their elder brother, which means they are coming more and more into the image of the Source
of Life which is their Father.
Now, if Jesus, our elder brother in a vast family
of brethren came forth in the exact image of His Father, which is Hebrews 1:3, then if we are to be conformed to the image of the eldest son in a
vast family of brethren, then we are to become the very image of our Father also.
Isaiah 42: 19 Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as
my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as
the LORD'S servant?
And
that is the question the Holy Spirit is asking tonight. Who listening to this
message is blind to everything but the will of their Father God.
Speak to this
rock 53-0512 P:40 Now, He said, Saint John 5, that He couldn't do nothing. They was questioning Him, I suppose,
about why He didn't heal all those people, see Him pass through the pool
of Bethesda. I was noticing them checking the prayer cards here of these
twisted and afflicted laying here. Don't be weary. Now, if some unbeliever come
by and say, "Heal that man that's crippled up, twisted up, then I will
believe it." Look at Jesus going through the pool of Bethesda where
the lame, halt, blind and withered was laying: never healed a one of them,
walked right by every one of them, full of love and virtue. Is that right? And
walked over to a man laying on a pallet, and said... For Jesus knew he was
laying there, the Father had showed Him. And He healed that man, went away.
Results of Decision 55-1008 P:91 And we find Him going through the Pool
of Bethesda, and many places, or other places in the Scripture. And we
find Him there at the Pool of Bethesda, going through there; a few days
after that, woman touched His garment. There that had a great multitude, hundreds
of people of lame, halt, blind, twisted, withered, waiting for the water to
move. And Jesus went down through them, never said a thing, and went
over... For He knew... See, the Father had showed Him. That... He knew where there was a man
at was going to be laying on a pallet. So He found him and said, "Will thou be made whole? "He said, "I have no one to put me in the water." Said, "Take up your bed and go unto your house." He picked up his bed and went
walking away. The Jews questioned Him. And He said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do
nothing in Himself, but what He sees the Father doing: that doeth the Son
likewise." Now, if Jesus told the
truth... You believe that? Yes, sir, we could take it from Genesis to Revelations. No
prophet, no time, no time did Jesus, at any time, ever done anything without
first it being revealed to him.
Then we must ask the
question this evening. What about you? Are you doing things that you know are
outside the will of the Father? If so, then you must die to that, you must die
to your own will to be conformed to the image of the first born son, because he
died to his own will to please the Father.
Who do you say this is? 64-1227 P:61 God had called Moses. He didn't
want to go. Those prophets had such things to do till they, It was a hard
thing to do. They didn't want to be going out and be scorned at. They
wanted to have fellowship, and go in with the rest of them, and go along with
brothers. But you see, just like... I believe... I forget what prophet it
was, said, "If... I don't want to do this (in other words), but my whole
heart will catch afire. God has spoken and I must deliver it." Whether they liked it; whether
they crucified him; whether they stoned him; whatever they did, God has spoke
in his heart, and he must say it, not to be different, but be obedient.
"Obedience
is better than sacrifice; hearkening, unto the fats of rams." See, It was in his heart. He must do
it. It was his life. He couldn't hold it. There was
something, a pulsation, that pushed them. They couldn't bless it or
curse it. God had so much complete control of them till He was their voice,
their action. Hallelujah. Give me a Church that's so completely anointed with God till their
every action and move is THUS SAITH THE LORD, right in that Shekinah Glory,
I'll show you a Messiah (anointed one of God) standing upon the earth.
You know these words brother Branham are remarkable,
but he is not saying this would be a desire, he is telling us what that church
would be like. And yet in the Spoken Word if the
Original Seed, he said the bride
would come to the place that she had this “thus saith the Lord” or she would keep
still. Now, that is harmony with God. That is the true oneness with God.
Spoken word original seed 62-0318E P:175 Notice, what
harmony. Jesus never did anything until seen of the Father
or the Father showed Him first:
(Harmony between God and Christ. See? John 5:19) So will the Bride, and He
shows Her His Word of Life (He
shows Her), and she receives It. She never doubts it. Nothing can harm Her, not
even death; for if the Seed be planted, the water will raise it up again. Amen.
(Now, I got a great big "Hallelujah.") Here is the
secret: the Word is
in the Bride and the mind of Christ to know what He wants done with the Word,
and She does it in His Name. She has THUS SAITH THE LORD. Then it is germitized; so
the Holy Spirit waters it until it is grown and serves its purpose. They do only His will. (Amen. I'll believe that.) No one can persuade
them different. They have THUS SAITH
THE LORD, or they keep still. Then they will do the works of God. For it is Himself in them, continuing His Word to fulfill as He did complete in His day. All
things when He was here--He did not complete all when He was here, for it was
not time yet.
Now, I ask you, what did he just say? Did he not
say the bride will do God’s Will? Did he not say that She does it in His Name? Did he not say, They do only His will. Did he not say, They have THUS SAITH THE LORD, or they keep still. Then they will do
the works of God. For it is Himself in them,
Now, seems to me that this is not one person he is
talking about here. It is a bride that is so surrendered to the Spirit of God
in them, that they have laid their own will on the altar of God and have come
to the place of complete obedience and submission to God that He can use them
as He used his own Son, and as he used his end-time prophet William Branham.
Men who were so surrendered to God that his will was the preeminent will in
their life. Emptied out vessels yielded to God to do his bidding.
This is not latter rain, this is what brother
Branham said would come into the Bride. A yielded vessel, yielded to God. Now,
I know people say we may never see this in the bride, because there is so much
intellectualization in this Message and the people seem stone cold to the will
of God anymore. But the fact is that it will happen because God spoke it, and
whether only a handful do His will, or a large number will do His will, it
matters not, just yield yourself to God, and make sure you are among that
handful.
There was only a handful of people that were
yielded to the Holy Spirit when Jesus came on the scene. There was Anna,
Simeon, Elisabeth, Mary, Joseph, and the few believers that were so yielded to the Holy Spirit that their
hearts were in tune to the Coming Son of God. And my prayer is that we will see
a bride who will be so yielded to God that when He leaves this earth to go meet
His Son, that we will go with him.
We've already read where the Scripture says, "Who in all the world is as blind as my Servant? Who
is designed to be my Messenger of Truth. Who is so blind as My dedicated one,
the "servant of the Lord"?
And we have seen also from Scripture that Jesus
Christ was absolutely blind concerning anything that was contrary to God's
Word, God's Will and God's purpose.
Brother
Branham said in his sermon, Patriarch Abraham the
64-0207 P:2 What a promise because of obedience. Obedience is what God wants. It was once said,
"Obedience
is better than sacrifice." To obey the Lord is better than any sacrifice that you could do. We're facing now a grand text tonight:
"The Patriarch Abraham," which was called the father of the faith,
because that God made him the promise to inherit the earth, and his seed... And
it's through Abraham, we being dead in Christ, become Abraham's seed, and are heirs
with him according to the promise.
Souls in
prison now 63-1110M P:94 May no woman's blood be upon me at that day, or no
man's. I've told you the Truth. I've hated to do it, not hating because I don't
want to do what God tells me to, but I love you. I don't want to hurt
you, so what am I going to do? But pure Divine love will drive you
to do it. Jesus even prayed to dodge the cross.
"Is
it possible that the cup should pass," said, "nevertheless, not My will, Thine."
Communion 57-0418 P:14 Now, if God did not spare His Own Son
from the cruel testing, then He will not spare you or I from the cruel testing.
And Jesus was here confronting the greatest test that He had
ever had. Gethsemane laid just before Him, where that once and final
all-sufficient test must come, when the burdens of the entire world laid upon
His blessed shoulder. There was no one in all heavens or earth could ever stood
it but Him. And to know that all of the sins, of past sins, and present sins,
and future sins, rested upon this decision. And it was one of the most
greatest victories that Christ ever won or proved His great Messiahship, as
when He said to God, "Not My will; Thine be done." That was the greatest
victory He had ever won. All the demons of torment was around to tempt Him
and try Him. And when we get right with God, when our hearts become pure and
the Holy Spirit has taken Its place in our heart, it's the most glorious thing
to have testing. The Bible tells us that our testings and trials are more
precious to us than silver and gold of this world. So we should be thankful.
SPOKEN WORD ORIGINAL SEED 62-0318M P:23 The Word of God continually goes on. I'm told that
if we could pick up an instrument that could catch it, that a man's voice, my
voice that I speak today, ten thousand years from now could still be picked up in the air. It's
like dropping a pebble in the middle of a pond. And the teeny little waves after they fail to be
seen by the eye, continue on till it hits the bank. And the air-wave of our voices continually travels
around and around the world; therefore, then our voice, what we say will be our
judgment. Our testimony will
rise right against us. Our own voices will
echo in our own ears at the judgment bar of God when His great instrument
catches every voice that's been spoke--every word that's been muttered.
So what Life are you echoing today? What focus are
you projecting today. What words are you echoing today? Because what you echo
today will be played back at the white throne judgment. Then if all our words
are the Words of our Father, God, then won't it be a wonderful experience at
the White throne judgment? Won't it be wonderful for our Father God, and all
the saints, and all the angels to hear our Father's words being repeated back
at that time as our Life is reviewed before all to see? Then what will your echo
be? Will it be His own words being spoken from your mouth? Or will it be
worldly echoes? Worldly songs of lust and sin? Will we all hear songs of
praises at that day? Or will we hear country song lyrics when your life is
played back for everyone to hear?
1 John 5:12 that says, He that echoes the Son echoes life; and he that echoes not the Son
of God echoes not life.
In other words our life in Christ
becomes an echo of the Father's Words for everyone to hear. For the Son of God
echoes forth the Words of the Father and when we echo His Words we are echoing
the Words of Life.
And did you know that the Son of God was so single
focused that He shut out everything that was not from the Father?
Jesus said in Matthew 6:22 The
light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body
shall be full of light. I and remember
when we studied this parable we found that he is not speaking if we have but
one eye like a Cyclops, but rather when he says : if therefore thine eye be
single he is speaking of our being single focused. And if we are single focused
as Jesus was single focused, then we will be full of light. 23But if thine eye be evil, (that means if your focus becomes deviated from the Truth) thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If
therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
To see Jesus 54-0718E P:52 Now, you know me, that I only have a grammar school
education. I know nothing of psychology. I know nothing about medics. I know
nothing about the anatomy. Only thing I know, I love the Lord Jesus Christ with
all my heart. That's all I know. I'm uneducated, illiterate, and I have no
abilities of my own, not even, a normal personality. That's right. But I know
one thing, and I'm thankful for that: I know how to submit myself
that Jesus Christ can work through me. I'd rather have that than all your education that
there is in the world. I'd rather know how to submit myself to the Spirit of God, and say,
"Lord, here I am."
I'd rather have that
secret in my heart, than have the secret of every hydrogen and atomic bomb in
the world, or could be made. For it's more powerful than all the atomic bombs
that could be thought of. So under His everlasting wings, I take my refuge
tonight, and in the Name of Jesus Christ, I minister to the sick. The Lord
bless you.
Questions and answers COD 54-0103M P:67 Now, look, if there's... If this church... If I'd
say, this morning in this little group of people and I... God say, "Now
look, William Branham, I'm going to make you answer for that group of people,
what you tell them. Now, do you want them all to shout?" "Sure, I
want them to shout." "Do you want them all to speak with
tongues?" "I want every one of them to." "Do you want them
all to dance in the Spirit?" "I want every one of them to."
"All right, well, that's very good, but what would you rather have them to
do?" Uh-huh." I'd rather have a
church that had such a burden on their heart for prayer that they just stayed
at this altar and would be here day and night, and everything else; and in
their house, was constantly in prayer, and humble, and trying to get people to
come to God, and making calls at the hospital, and visiting the sick, and
trying to get people to come to church and do right. I'd rather have that than all
the other put together;
although the other is right, it belongs in the church."
I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision
49-0718 P:12 I'd rather be poor and
live in a shack and have favor with God, and the feeling that I had the
satisfaction I love Him, than all the wealth the world owns.
Abraham and his seed after him 61-0423 P:23 Now, there's many people that actually think that
they're right. But if they'd just stop and watch your life, you'd see the
Spirit of God isn't in there. If it doesn't cope with this Bible, then there's
something wrong with the experience that you have. So you must come back and
line up with the Word to see if the Life of God is in you. If you love the world better than you love prayer
meeting, if you'd rather watch a television program than to pray, there's
something wrong with you. If you'd rather take a Sunday afternoon ride instead
of going to church, there's something wrong with you somewhere. "Because
where your heart is, there your treasures are also," said the Lord Jesus. Your heart is built
into it. You're a part of it. You
become a part of Christ, because you're built into the structure of Christ, because you're the Bride of Christ, if you love
Him.
Presuming 62-0117 P:83 I'd rather separate myself from a group of people
that calls themselves Christians that'll call me old fashion (if I was a woman)
'cause I had to wear--wear long hair and decent looking clothes. I'd rather
separate myself and be a fanatic, than to associate with such people that would
laugh and make fun of such things as that. Why, it's an abomination in the
sight of God. That's right.
Be not afraid it is I 61-0123 P:38 I had another call said, from a group that said,
"If you let another group set on the platform with you, we'll have nothing
to do with it." That's worse off then ever. What's the matter? Gone off
without Him. The love of God in our heart constrains us to reach to every
denomination in every place. When
it gets to a spot that you can't have a tender love for every human being, something's
happened to you. God so loved you
when you was a sinner, an alien, away from God, a enemy of the commonwealth of
God, He so loved you that He gave His life for you, sure. If you get a spirit in you, you're better than
someone else, then you're worse than anybody else that I know of. I don't care
if you're ever so correct in your theology; your motives and objectives is
wrong. I'd rather be wrong in my theology, than
be wrong in my heart.
That's right. Spirit of God dwells in your heart. In the garden of Eden man
took his--go--his... He compromised. Now, in the garden of Eden there was a
choice made by the man. The devil took his
head; God took his heart. Then
he sends him off to a seminary, freezes him up with some good theology and dehydrates him in there, and
he comes back out, his head all puffed up, too big to wear an ordinary hat. Then he comes out with bitterness in his heart
against the fellow citizen of the Kingdom, that ain't God. That's right.
Uncertain sound 60-1218 P:58 I'd rather be a pastor of a little old rackled-up building like
this, where the power of God meets with
the people, where the Church comes together with those things like that,
than to have the biggest cathedral there is in all the world to preach in, with
a lukewarm bunch of cold, professed, so-called Christians, that have to watch what every word you say. And you
can't preach by inspiration; you have to have it so-so, and watch every judge
and every doctor and everything in there, so you don't say something to hurt their
feelings, because they're big
payers on the church. I'll take the way with the Lord's despised few. See? You
can't evaluate it. There's no way of doing it.
One more thing on this One Focus. Brother Branham
said in his sermon, Oneness pp. 199 God's gathering the Elect from the
four winds of the earth. He said He'd send angels and gather them. Is that
right? Gather them together, separate them
from the tares. Amen. The tares will be burnt, not the wheat. Right.
So there is going to be a gathering he says, right? Then how will the Elect be gathered? And
we find brother Branham tells us the gathering begins with a separation first.
Therefore, any gathering shows two things. Any
gathering shows two things:
Number 1 is in order to gather there first must be a focal
point. And a new focus must be given in
order for the people to have direction.
Number 2 Once the people are focused then they can begin to
move. So number 2 is movement.
Because you cannot have movement until you have focus.
Notice in Matthew 3:11-12 I
indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is
mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with
the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 12 Whose
fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge
his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but
he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
Notice the direction of movement is into a
definitive place. gather his wheat into
the garner. and the word the in front of garner tells us there is
but one garner and we find out whose garner it is in ...
Luke 3: 17 Whose fan is
in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the
chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.
Notice that the word gathering suggests a coming
together. It doesn't mean everybody is moving but also doing their own thing.
Gathering shows coordination and cohesion. It shows oneness of purpose and
oneness of place.
Luke 17:37 And they answered and said unto him, Where,
Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the
body is, thither will the eagles be
gathered together.
Matt 24:28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be
gathered together.
Notice, gather together - that means from many
one.
Ephesians 1:10 That
in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one
all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in
him:
Philippians
1:27 Only let your conversation be as it
becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be
absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one
spirit, with one mind striving together for the
faith of the gospel;
Notice the Scriptures speaks of being gathered
together into One. In One. So who is this One?
2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, In Him! How?
2 Thessalonians 1:7-10
And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall
be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking
vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ: 9 Who
shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord,
and from the glory of his power; 10 When he shall
come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe
(because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
This is actually a continuation of 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 For the Lord himself shall 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.
Mark 13:37 And
what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch. Now
the word "watch" means: to be alertly on the lookout, to look attentively, or observe, as to see
what comes, is done, or happens: 2. to look or wait attentively and expectantly
(usually followed by for): to watch for a signal of for an opportunity. 3.To be careful, cautious:
Watch when you cross the street.4 keep awake, especially for a purpose; remain vigilant, for
protection or safekeeping to watch with a sick person.
5. to keep vigil, as for devotional purposes.
Matt 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet,
and they shall gather together his
elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
So we see this gathering shows that those who
are being gathered are becoming focused. And once our focus is one, it
draws us to that single place which is Christ.
Notice that your body can have many members yet have
a single focus. Notice, How many eyes
does a person have? 2 right? Yet why don't we
see 2 of everything when we look with our two eyes? Because our eyes are focused together to see one. So
our eyes must focus and work together to see just a single
object.
If you see double, you are not focused
on one. You see more than one. That is why brother
Vayle always taught us to get our eyes off the vessel and keep them on the God
who is using the vessel. Then although there be many vessels that God uses, yet
there is only One God that is using them. So we must train ourselves to see
only One who is behind everything that is working together, and that is God who
is the all in all.
Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon
earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures
in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where
thieves do not break through nor steal:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
But the parable doesn't end here. Notice in verse
22.
Matthew 6:22 The light of the body is the
eye: if therefore thine eye be single,
thy whole body shall be full of light. Now, Jesus is not
speaking of only having one eye, but he is speaking of having but of being single-focused.
23 But
if thine eye be evil, thy whole
body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be
darkness, how great is that darkness! This word evil is translated from the Greek word poneros which
means diseased.
Now, what happens when your eye become
diseased? You loose your sight? Right? Your vision becomes
dimmed, filmed over, and corrupted. And that's what happened to
Cain!
1 John 3:12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And
wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil,
and his brother's righteous.
evil or diseased. And what happens when
you lose sight of the promises of God? You begin to separate
yourself from God and His gathering.
Genesis 4:6-7 And
the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be
accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. 16 And Cain
went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on
the east of Eden.
Notice that Cain lost his focus, and then he went out
from the presence of God.
And we are warned the
same in Hebrews
3:12 Take
heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in
departing from the living God.
Notice, In departing
from the living God. And when
you lose focus, then this Word which He is the Living Word, becomes
nothing too you. No more than just attending church. And
then you are lost. When that happens - you're gone.
The Life has left you. The oil is gone out of your lamp. You've
sprung a leak.
Matthew 25:1-3 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: 4But 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.
Notice they said, "our
lamps are gone out", they lost their ability to see and focus
because the oil, the Holy Spirit left them. The condition of the church today
is "ichabod" The glory of the Lord, the presence of the Lord has
departed from them.
Sign of the time 58-0520 P:46 The
Bible teaches that the Church will be raptured before the tribulation. You know
that. Everybody knows that. Jesus said, "As it
was in the days of Noah, and in the days of Lot, so will it be at the coming of
the Son of man." In the days of
Noah, not one drop of water fell from heaven till Noah went in the ark. In the
days that Lot, not one bit of fire fell from heaven till Lot got out of Sodom.
And not one bomb can drop until His blessed Church be
resurrected and taken in the rapture to see her Lord. And if
destruction is this close, how close is the coming of the Lord? It has to happen before the destruction and
annihilation. It has to happen. Can you see the handwriting on the wall?
Here we are, the handwriting in the sky, "Ichabod"
on the church, "the
Spirit of the Lord has departed."
Where are we standing? What's the matter? This is a horrible time.
Planting the vine and where to plant it 59-0920 P:24 The thing of it is, they
haven't got spiritual joy, and the joys of the
waters of Life can flow through. That's
the whole lot's the matter with the Branham Tabernacle. Because that
unbelief, the cares of the world has bound the people until
it cannot produce spiritual growth. That's what's the matter
with our nation. That's the matter with
our churches. They have no joy, and
the joy of the Lord has departed, as was written one time in the Scripture,
the Hebrew word of "Ichabod," which means, "The Presence of the Lord has departed." That's over our churches, because that we left off of the original foundation, and placed ourselves into creeds and
denominations, and permitted the things of the
world to dry up our experience with God.
Now, Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:22 The
light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole
body shall be full of light.
Matthew 6:23 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy
whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be
darkness, how great is that darkness! But if
your lamp is diseased, dying, then it
becomes darkened and separation and death sets in.
Ephesians 4:17-18 This I say therefore, and testify in the
Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of
their mind, 18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated
from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the
blindness of their heart:
Notice,
They lose focus first, and thus they lose what understanding they might have
had, then they become separated
from the Life of God. Now, remember, the lamp represent the Word of God.
Psalms 119:105 Thy
word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my
path
Proverbs 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is
light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of
life: Notice the tie
between lamp and light, Light and
life.
John 1:1, 4-5 In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the
light shines in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
When we see the lamp goes out for the foolish
Virgins, it's because the Life of the Word has left
them. And in 2
Samuel 22: 29 we read, For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the
LORD will lighten my darkness. But by our setting aside His
lamp, His Word, His Life, His Presence, we cut ourselves off from
the Light of Life that only His Presence can bring.
Proverbs 13:9 The
light of the righteous rejoices: but the
lamp of the wicked shall be put out. Let us pray