Token no 46

The Token brings stability

December 27, 2015

Brian Kocourek, Pastor

 

1Corinthians 16:13-14 Be on the watch, always, and stand fast in this Revelation, and quit being like other men, be strong. And let everything you do be done with Love in your hearts toward one another.


Philippians 1:27 Let your manner of life be more abounding and fruitful in Jesus Christ as it becomes the Gospel of Christ: That whether I come and see you , or else be absent from you, I may still hear of your affairs, that you are standing fast and firm in one Spirit, with One Mind striving together for the Revelation of the Good news brought to you in this hour.

 

Let us pray...

 

Wednesday evening we spoke from paragraph 160 of the Token where brother Branham spoke concerning John 14:12 as the identifiable characteristic of the believer and to contrast this we examined also the identifiable characteristics of Serpent seed.

 

I thought it was quite an eye opening study, and if you missed it, you would do good to go back and listen to it. 

 

Now, this morning we're going to take a simple message from paragraph 161 of brother Branham's sermon The Token.

 

161  And all these that's honest in heart, down through that... Without you they won't be made perfect, but in you... It's like... The head has to go to take the foot. The head has to go to take the hand. The head has to go to take the heart. The head has to go to take the mouth. See? The head has to go. And now, we're at the time when the token was applied on the lintel of the door (See?) and on the post. And then, "When I see the Blood being a token, I'll pass over you."I'll hurry now, just as quickly as I can now. Just about five more minutes or ten, we'll be done.


Now, let's stop here and look at what brother Branham just said. He said the head has go, and then he lists how the Head operates the foot, the hand, the mouth, and controls the heart.  In other words, there has to be a control tower that we rely upon in our own body, and if our natural body must have a control tower in our head to control the movement of the foot, and the hand, and the mouth and the heart, then what about the body of Christ? We must have a control tower as well, and that control Tower is the Token, the Holy Ghost, the Holy Life of God living and moving within our being.

 

Acts Chapter  17  Verse 28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

 

Therefore, in speaking of what controls the body, brother Branham speaks of two things over and over again throughout the Message. One term he uses is headship and the other term is control tower.

 

In his sermon, Christ is the Mystery of God Revealed 63-0728 244 he tells us, "And here He is today in His Word, manifesting the same thing He did there. She can't recognize another headship. No, sir. There's no bishop, no nothing. She recognizes one Headship; that's Christ; and Christ is the Word.

 

And again he says in his sermon, Christ is the Mystery 63-0728 77-5 His Word, which He is has began to be risen. The Word that down through the age of Luther, Wesley (See?) has begin to raise up to its power. There it begin to move. Then it moved a little more. Now, it's coming up to identification. See? Watch. Now, to the Life in the Body is a vindication of the rapture is at hand. When you see the Headship and the Body becoming one and the Fullness of the measure of His manifestation, shows that the Body is about ready to be received to the Headship.

 

Now, what does this mean? Well, it means that the rapture is ready to take place when you begin to see the manifestation of God's headship living itself out in the people.  

 

And from his sermon, Thirst 65-0919 he said, "there is a control tower in your soul, that tells you the spiritual things that you have need of, something in your spirit, and you, by this, can tell what kind of a life is controlling you. When you can see what your desires are, then you can tell, by that, what kind of something that's in you, that's creating this desire that you have. See, there is a certain thing that you thirst for, and it can tell you in your soul what this desire is, by the nature of the thirst that you have. I hope that you can understand that.

 

Therefore, God has made us to receive His Word with our minds first and then He will anoint our understanding of that word to come into manifestation. He gives us His Word first to our mind, then it drops down into our Soul and becomes a Spiritual Revelation. When that happens, then the Holy Ghost is in the control tower of your life. So we are dealing with the mind here first and that is why we see Brother Branham pointing to the deteriorating condition of the minds in the people. You see, but if that Word only stays in his mind, and does not drop into His heart, although it is a correct word it still has no life in it. It must be quickened by the Spirit in the heart, then it becomes a dynamic revelation.

 

Proving His word 65-0426 P:2 He is, the Holy Spirit is the Dynamics that comes into the mechanics, the Words, that make it live. And it all has to work together, or it just won't work. It's got to take the whole Bible, the whole Christ, the full Gospel.

 

Blasphemous Names 62-1104M 56 Number one, coming to you, your mental faith, right here, comes the Holy Spirit, coming down into your mental faith making it a spiritual faith. Then the spiritual faith only recognizes the Word. Now, and number three: Then you'll have spiritual, you'll have the Holy Spirit, and will seal all these things into you, as that Holy Spirit covers this. From your faith up to the Holy Spirit seals you in with Christ; then you become one. Amen. You become one. See, you and Christ live together. "At that day you'll know that I'm in the Father, the Father in Me, I in you, and you in Me." See? Then that's a sealed unit of the Lord God. Now, and then they are vindicated and placed. When that time takes place, they become vindicated sons and daughters of God.

 

So notice that brother Branham is telling us here that when the Holy spirit comes into your mental faith, he anoints that mental faith and it becomes a spiritual dynamic Revelation, and then it is sealed in there and no one could ever take it from you.

And he said it makes us one with Christ. And notice he said when we come to that place we are ready for the placing as sons and daughters of God. In other words, we must be in that condition where our mental faith has been anointed with the Spirit of God and it has dropped down into our soul sealing us in and making us One with the mind of Christ, and we must come to that condition in order to be placed in the adoption of sons.

 

Looking at the unseen 59-0410 8 Man's always trying to achieve something by his head. He's supposed to achieve, but by his heart. That's the control tower where God controls him, and directs his thoughts, directs his walks, directs his emotions. Sometimes I get so happy I just have to let it loose. And if I'd look around and see somebody, then, see, I got my eyes on people then. But God help me to keep my eyes closed. I want to just be led by the Spirit of God that the flesh will have nothing to do into it. Usually ministers when they get into the pulpit, they begin to think, "If I speak on a certain, certain thing, here is a certain member of my church that's a good pay in this church; they'll leave the church." And then you go to looking at the flesh again. Then God can't lead that minister. You've got to say what the Spirit says to say. Then we are led by the Spirit of God. And we find that this man is controlled by a control tower. And that tower makes him what he is. It moves him. It's his emotions. He lives by it.

 

Power of transformation 65-1031M 131 That little inside of the inside, that's where you start, which is your soul; then come from that, you're a spirit; and then you become a living being. Now, the living being has five senses to contact; the second has five senses. That's the outside body; see, taste, feel, smell, and hear. The inside body has love and conscience, and so forth: five senses. But the inside of the inside, the control tower, it's either God or Satan. And you can mimic any of these things you can contact, like the Christian; or you could cast out devils, like a Christian. But the inside control tower, the beginning, the origin isn't of God, it'll never return to God. You understand it? Did not Judas cast out devils? Did not Caiaphas, the one who condemned Him and put Him to death, even prophesy? But he couldn't stay with the Word. See? That's right.

 

Therefore you should conceive in your heart to have a purpose in your heart, and that you will set your sights on obtaining that purpose. You should make your purpose the centralized focus of your being. And your purpose should reflect the season which you live. Even God has guided His own thoughts by His Purpose. Yes, God must also have a purpose to guide and direct the sum of His own thoughts. For without purpose our thoughts only drift into the oblivion. When you have purpose guiding your thoughts, then your thoughts coupled with your purpose becomes the control tower of your thinking, taking over the control of your actions and speech as well.

 

Isaiah 14: 24 "The Lord of Hosts hath sworn, saying, surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand."

 

So unless we have purpose we will never stand, for even God said he must have purpose for his words to stand. And too many people in this hour just wander from pillar to post with no purpose in life. Like dumb driven cattle, from pasture to pasture, but no real purpose in life but survival. And that is no condition for the children of God to be in. We must have one Purpose and that is God's purpose to motivate us and align our body, soul and spirit to.

 

From The Messiah 61-0117 18 Brother Branham said, "Now, for instances when a man gets saved, he's just about like... The Light that comes into him is about like this little white button on my shirt. That's when God comes into the inner part of a man. In the inner part of a man or... A man is made up in the system of a tabernacle: in the outer courts, then holy place, and the holiest of holies; the Shekinah glory on the inside, the veil. Now, on the outside gates of a man is his five senses that enters to his body. On the inside, which is his soul, or the... The soul is the nature of the spirit that's on the inside of his heart; produces his soul, which makes the atmosphere around him. He has also five entrances. Then on the inside he has only one gate, one entrance to go into the Shekinah glory, where God can enter into him and take over in the control tower. And that way is through self-will. Whether you will to or not, that's up to you. But that's the only avenue that's open to the man that God can come into his heart, is by self-will. Puts him right back like Adam and Eve on free moral agency again. You can choose right or wrong, either one you want to.

 

I am not so interested in how to perfect this flesh of mine, because I know that no matter how many sermons I hear that talk about perfecting this behavior or that behavior, unless I am born again, it is all in vain anyway. Psychology is fleeting and temporary. Oh, it might make you feel good for the moment, but the only thing that will change your behavior is to be born again. Then you have another Spirit, guiding your control tower.

 

Thirst 65-0919 173 A vulture wants dead things. That's right. And that's dead. That's exactly right. Plainly shows, it just plainly show here what is their head and their control tower, what it's giving them (See?), what's in their soul. Their soul longeth for things like that. Their soul longeth for a high intellectual church, where the people dress real fine, and the pastor takes fifteen minutes, or twenty. And if you go over that, they throw him back on the deacon board. And he mustn't say nothing about sin. He mustn't say anything about wearing shorts, and wouldn't say nothing about people doing this, that, or the other. He mustn't mention that at all. If they do, the board will have him throwed out. See what it is? That's their thinking man's filter. The Bible said in I John 2:15, "If you love this world system, or the things of this world, it's because that the love of God's not even in you."

 

So we know we are perfected by the blood of the lamb and "washed by the washing of water by the word." And notice what this Word will produce in you. Hebrews 13:21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

 

Jesus commanded us to Matthew 5: 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. But how could we be perfect in this flesh? You see your own works could never bring you unto perfection, and neither could the law with it's do this and don't do that's. Therefore it is not the action we do, but the heart that is doing it that becomes perfect. Why, because it has the mind of God in it's control tower.

 

Now, anyone who thinks that we are not expected to live a Life worthy of the Gospel has not been born again. Because when you are born again you can't help but to live the Life of Christ. If the nature of God comes into you, You cannot help but to manifest that Life in your walk and in your talk and in your thoughts. You are the only thing that can hold yourself back.

 

From that time 60-0302 24 Things change when man meets God.

I'd love to take a sermon on that sometime. Show many of the believers throughout the Bible what they were before they met God and what they were after they met God. And brother Branham said Things change when man meets God.  A man can never meet God and ever be the same again. You will either be a better person or a worse person. You'll be better off, or worse off after you meet God. It depends on what you want to do about it. But a man can never meet God and ever be the same. Whatever you attitude is towards God, seals your eternal destination. Now, the Life we live is very important to God. So much so that God took Enoch up in a rapture because his life was so pleasing to God. And the Life you live is only an expression of what is in the control tower of your Soul.

 

Therefore, the Holy Ghost will take any man and bring stability into their heart first and then everything that proceeds from the heart. And In order to be stabilized we must know to what we are and should be fixed or stabilized to. We must have an absolute, and that absolute is our control tower as we hear brother Branham so many times tell us, and once we have our focus clear as to the purpose in Life then this purpose and being fixed to that purpose is what will govern our ship, or our vessel through the sea's of life.

 

From the book of II Chronicles 20:20b we read, "Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.  Prayer." 

 

And from his sermon, Christ Revealed in His own Word pp. 161 brother Branham said, “Do you see Him now in His Word and all of His Word made manifest right here before us? Oh, church of the living God, get to your feet; believe Him with all that's in you. Hold to that little Wheel in the middle of the Wheel; let It stabilize every move and every motion that you make.  Every thought that you have, may it be controlled by this Power on the inside of you, because God is setting right in His Word of this hour in the evening Light, showing forth the Light.  Then he went on to say,

 

Therefore This morning I would like to look focus our attention on what it means to stabilize every move, every motion and every thought.

 

In order to do this we must first understand what it means to stabilize something.

 

And according to Websters Dictionary, the word stabilize means: To make stable, to keep from changing or fluctuating. and we find that the word stable means : Not easily moved or thrown off balance, firm; steady. Not likely to break down, fall apart, or give way; fixed. Firm in character, purpose, resolution; steadfast. Not likely to change or be affected adversely; lasting, enduring. Capable of returning to an equilibrium (balance), or original position  after having been displaced. 

 

Now, what I see in these definitions is a person that is resolute, with a fixed purpose in mind and not wavering to far from that purpose.

 

Therefore, in order to be stabilized as brother Branham is telling us here we must know to what we are and should be fixed to. We must have an absolute, and that absolute is our control tower as we hear brother Branham so many times tell us, and once we have our focus clear as to the purpose in Life then this purpose and being fixed to that purpose is what will govern our ship, or our vessel through the sea’s of life.

 

The first time in the scriptures that we hear the word stable used, or a derivative of it used is when God gave Noah the Token and promised that He would establish this token between Himself and man forever.

 

Genesis 9:17 And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.  Now, the word established that is used here is from the Hebrew word, quwm pronounced (koom) and it means: to raise up or bring on the scene, and  it also means to constitute, establish, confirm, or fix in order to  fulfill

 

Our own constitution is what governs this nation and it is a fixed and firm document that is supposed to give purpose to this nation and it’s form of government. But man is trying to change it from being a fixed document to what they call a living breathing document, which is hogwash. They want it to change with the times, but in doing so they have altered the true meaning and purpose for which it was written. In fact when the purpose is not known then the wording has little or no effect any more. And that is why we have seen so many changes to our constitution over the last few decades, just as the church has altered their actions and doctrines because they have failed to understand the purpose behind the word of God.

 

And I have seen this happening in the Message as well. Because men do not understand why God came down with a shout, they try to change it to fit their own understanding. Therefore we are looking at a very important principle this morning if we are going to be stabilized and ready for the rapture.

 

First of all, we must come to an understanding that our stability rests in one thing and one thing only, and that is our purpose in Life is His purpose. If we have the right purpose which is His purpose, then we will have the right motives and objectives, and thus we will be stable in what we do and say. Because we will have our stabilizer on.

 

Brother Branham said, let It stabilize #1) every move and #2) every motion that you make. #3) Every thought that you havemay it be controlled (Stabilized) by this Power on the inside of you, because God is setting right in His Word of this hour in the evening Light, showing forth the Light.

 

Therefore we can see that there must be something that controls and stabilizes and that is PURPOSE. If our purpose is God’s purpose then we will do what that purpose points us to.

 

Webster's Dictionary defines PURPOSE : something that one intends, intention or aim, 2. resolution or determination. 3. The object for which something exists, or is done.    And this third definition is the one I want to focus on this morning. What is our purpose of being, or our purpose for living?

 

You know, Jesus was the example of stability, and he knew where he came from, and he knew where he was going,  He said, "I have come from God, and I will go back to God." And he said, "the Father sent me, goes with me," so He knew where he came from and where he was going and who He was walking with in between. If we only believed that we are walking in the light as he is in the Light, it would bring stability to each and every one of us, but we've got to believe He is here. And When I look out among the people who claim to believe the Message and see they don't even walk as though God is here, I have to wonder just what they do believe.

 

But Jesus knew His purpose in Life. He said, "for this purpose have I come into this world." So he knew His purpose in life. And when any son or daughter of God knows their purpose in life it brings stability into their lives. And you will weather any storm when you know where you've come from and where you're going and for what purpose you have come for.

 

And another thing, Jesus rejoiced in the will of His Father. He said, "My meat is to do the will of my Father." And he said, "I always do that which pleases my Father." So Jesus knew His purpose in life was to please the Father, and he pointed us the way for he's our example.

 

Psalm 112:1-10  Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endures for ever. Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. A good man shews favor, and lends: he will guide his affairs with discretion.  Surely he shall not be moved for ever: In other words, he is stable. The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. He shall not be afraid of evil tidingshis heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies. He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endures for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honor. The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.

 

Now, this Psalm that we just read sounds almost identical to what Brother Branham was saying,  telling us that we need to be unmoved, fixed and established. And the only one who is capable of establishing anything is God through His Word.

 

Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

 

And we know that "he which began the work in you shall finish it", "for he is the author and finisher of our faith." and "unless the Lord buildeth the house, they that build will build it in vain." And "it is not of him that runneth, nor of him that willeth, but God that showeth mercy".

 

In the testimony of Job 22:28 we read, and He’s Speaking to God, "Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.

                           

And we find this to be the testimony of David as well. Psalms 40:2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. Again here we see that David had his beginnings in a not so suitable place, but it was the Lord that took Him and established Him.

                         

Proverbs 3:19 The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. So we see here that it was through His, the Lords, understanding that He set forth His plan and established the world.

 

Psalm 96:10  Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.

 

Proverbs 24:3 Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established

Therefore any stabilizing that will be done, must not come forth as an afterthought, but as a pre-planned purpose. It is planned out and then through council it is worked out through many different paths that it could take and finally it is set forth and established.

 

Solomon acknowledged this in Proverbs 4:26  Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. The word ponder here is a word which means to way out and take into balance. So we see that the feet will stumble unless the path is first taken into consideration, and weighed out. This then deals with making the right judgments, and decisions based upon what that path will lead to. We should never walk down the path of life just blindly. But we should fully weigh out what it is that we are here for and we should walk in the light of that decision.

 

I sat in a courthouse one time listening to several cases that came up that day, and it amazed me that every one of those cases involved men who just didn't think of what the reaction to their action would be. They just hadn't even thought what repercussions would result for the actions they had taken. And we as Christian people ought to know better, because we all know that "what you sow, you will surely reap". And he that lives by the sword shall surely die by the sword." Therefore,  as brother Branham preached a message called, "A reaction to an action" we should know that  "for every action we take there will always be a reaction." In fact that is even a law of Physics. And surely it is a law that God laid down to govern his Universe.

 

Reproach for the word 62-1223 P:33 Now, you see, I believe that all these things had a meaning. What would you do with the power? How would you... See, the reaction of an action, something that is come as an act, then how do you react to that action? Do you understand what I mean? What would you do?

 

Speak to this mountain 59-1123 P:32 And then when I was turn, I said, "Don't..." And Something said to me, "Say what you will, and it'll be done." I stood there. Mr. Mercier, the tape boy, and all of them standing, Brother Fred, and many of them standing present, the perspiration was just running from me. Something said, "Say, 'Blindness,' it'll be blind. Say, 'Death,' and they'll pack them out. Say what you will." I couldn't speak. I couldn't move. And it just left. I thought, "God, what must I do?" And I turned, and he stood there, and his face white, looking at me. I thought, "What must I say?" Then I turned, and looked like, before I knew what I'd said, I said, "I forgive you of your act."And it must have been just the right thing to say. It was God trying a reaction on an action. That night it was revealed to me that I'd said the right thing. I knew it was all leading to something, but what was it? What to do? You know you have to watch what with a Divine gift what you do with it. Remember what Moses did? So I must've said the right thing. "I forgive you." For you know John, young John, wanted to burn up Samaria one time because they wouldn't feed them. Jesus said, "You don't know what kind of a spirit you are. The Son of man came to save life, not to destroy it." And I... Them Scriptures just kept pouring over, all night. I didn't sleep. But that was a trap set that Satan would get me all worked up and then make me say the wrong thing. But the Holy Spirit was there and told me beforehand to be careful what I said. Oh, the goodness of God, how it was. It was just His mercy. "Be careful what you say." And from then on there was a relief come. Then about... I begin to notice the different things that I would speak out unconsciously, not knowing what I said, and it would happen that way. I begin to speak about it.

 

Conferences 61-0410 P:62 And Moses saw that the conference he was holding with God, or God was holding with him, was exactly Scriptural, because God made the promise and He said He would deliver them. And God said, "I chose you, Moses, and you're going down to do it." Moses goes right down into Egypt and performed the miracles that God told him. We haven't got time to go into it as I'd like to, but you understand. When he come back out, bringing the children of Israel out to the promised land, right in the path of duty laid the Red Sea. It's strange how that God will lead His children right into traps sometimes wheelchairs, sometimes with heart attacks, sometimes... He leads His children. Why? To see what they'll act, see what a reaction they'll have on an action, see what they'll do.

 

1 John 1:7 if we walk in the Light as He is in the Light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. 

 

But walking is not just something that we do that we take no thought of our doing. There is a certain path here that is spoken of, it says if we walk in the light, as he is in the light. So we must be walking in the same path where the Light is because when we do this, then we know we have fellowship not only with Him, but with those who are also on the same path.

 

Proverbs 12:3  A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved. And if it is not moved then it is established. And what establishes it is Righteousness which is right-wise-ness.

 

Proverbs 20:18  Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war. 

 

And Proverbs 15:22 Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counselors they are establishedNow, this is not to say that any council will do, but we know that He is called the Mighty God, the wonderful Councilor which is  Isaiah 9:6. Therefore if we would just commit ourselves to Him, and our work to Him, he will make sure that our thoughts will follow His Purpose.

 

Proverbs 16:3 Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be establishedAnd remember, He promised if we be any otherwise minded, He would reveal it to us.

 

Philippians 3:15  Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

 

Proverbs 30:4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?  Therefore, nothing can be established without the Lords doing it. And all He requests from us is this, if we want to be unmovable, if we want to be stabilized in our actions and in our thinking, then we must use the same thing that God Himself uses and that is His Word. Then if we just believe His Word, we will not be moved.

 

Psalms 121:3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.

 

Isaiah 7:9b  If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be establishedTherefore, unless you believe you cannot help but to  be shaken and moved, and driven like the wind, vascillating back and forth.

 

II Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

 

God wants us to check our motives, and our purpose. Isaiah 1:11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD:

 

Romans 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  So therefore, His purpose is the only one which will work everything out for our benefit and for our good. Then what would I want my own purpose for?

 

Romans 9:11 For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth; 17  For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

 

II Timothy 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

 

Daniel 1:8  But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

 

I John 3:8 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.

 

Isaiah 14:24  The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:

 

Isaiah 46:11b  yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.

 

Jeremiah 4:28b  because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.

 

In closing let's look at God's purpose, because he tells us in the Book of Ephesians that His purpose stands in election.  1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself10 That in the dispensation of the fullness 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: 11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

 

Ephesians 3:11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

 

Let us pray...