Token no 61
Evidence the Blood has been applied
February 7, 2016
Brian Kocourek, pastor
This evening we will close
our study of brother Branham sermon "The Token" which he preached
September 1, 1963 by reading his closing prayer.
181 While you pray, and we're going to
hum this song, or sing it low and together, "I Love Him." And you remember, it comes by love, for He is love. While I'm
holding my hands over these handkerchiefs, 'cause the people might get them
before the night. I love Him, I love
Him, Because He first loved me; And purchased my salvation On Calvary's tree.
I love Him, I love Him, Because He first
loved me; (Now, just surrender your life.) And purchased my salvation On
182 I raise up my hands with the audience
to the music, if I have sinned, if I've done anything wrong... I'm praying for
you now myself. If I've done anything wrong, my hand to You, Lord, means I'm
sorry. My hand to You, Lord, means that I didn't want to do it. And I know I'm
dying, Lord. I've got to leave this world in physical form. I want to meet You.
My hand means, take it, Lord. Fill me with the Spirit. Give me
the Token of Your love upon me, the Holy Ghost, that'll make me live sweetly,
gently. Make me live the Life
that was in Christ, that my heart will
burn for others, that I'll just not rest hardly day and night, till I can
get everybody that I can.
183 I'll be like the messengers at
Jericho; I'll go to every person that I
can and see if I can get them to come under the Blood covenant, under the Blood
of the Lamb, that they might receive the
Token. See? The Blood cleanses. The Spirit is a Token that the Blood's been applied. See? The Spirit is the Token that the Blood has been applied. Until the Blood's applied, the Spirit cannot come. But when the Blood is applied, then the Spirit is a Token, sent it back to
you, that your faith in the Blood has been accepted. Your fare's
paid. Your fare's paid. It's all over. The case is closed. You're a Christian. You are a believer. Christ is in you, and you're in Christ.... first loved me; And
purchased my salvation, On
184 With your hearts bowed now before
God. Your pastor, Brother Neville, with his closing words, what he's going to
say... Remember the services tonight, healing service. Come early. Let's begin
at seven. Let me on the platform at seven-thirty. All right, Brother Neville?
Then I'm going to have communion (You see?) tonight. Come. This afternoon. Stay
right with it. Don't let this message
depart. Remember, never let this message depart.
The Blood shall be a Token that the Life has been given.
See? And when I see the
Blood, I'll pass over you.
The Holy Spirit is a Token that the Blood has been
applied to your heart, and it's the Token that the Blood has been applied. If it never has been applied, then the Token won't come. You understand, say,
"amen." The Blood must be applied, and
then the Token comes. It is the Token that the Blood of
redemption has been applied, and your
fare is paid. God bless you. Brother Neville.
This evening as we close the study of this wonderful
sermon, I would like to focus our thoughts on something brother Branham repeats
several times in his closing remarks.
In
paragraph 183 brother Branham says, The Blood cleanses. (1)The Spirit is a Token that the Blood's been
applied. See? (2)The Spirit is the Token that the
Blood has been applied. (3) Until the
Blood's applied, the Spirit cannot come. But (4)when the Blood is applied, then the Spirit is a Token, sent
it back to you, that your faith in the Blood has been accepted.
And in paragraph 184 he continues with
this thought. Don't let this message depart.
Remember, never let this message depart. The Blood shall be a Token that the Life has been given. (5)The Holy Spirit
is a Token that the Blood has been applied to your heart, and
(6) it's the Token that the Blood
has been applied. (7)If it never has been applied, then the Token won't come. You understand, say,
"amen." (8)The Blood must be applied, and
then the Token comes. It is (9) the Token that the Blood of redemption has been applied,
and your fare is paid.
I believe it is very significant that brother Branham
hammers this point nine different times in his closing words of this sermon.
Because without first coming to justification, which is when you realize that
you are a sinner and that it is the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses you
from all sin, then you will realize as Paul taught us in His letters that it is
by Grace alone we are saved.
Ephesians
2:5 Even when we
were dead in sins, hath quickened (made alive) us together with Christ, (by grace ye are
saved;)
Ephesians
2:8 For by grace
are ye saved through faith;(revelation) and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of
God:
Acts
15:11 But we
believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved,
even as they.
2
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,
Acts 15:1 And
certain men which came down from Judaea taught
the brethren, and said, "Except ye be circumcised after the
manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved."
2 When therefore Paul
and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined
that Paul and Barnabas, and certain
other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto
the apostles and elders about this question. 3 And
being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and
Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy
unto all the brethren. 4 And when they were come to
Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of
the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them. 5 But there
rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it
was needful to circumcise them, and to command them
to keep the law of Moses.
Notice that there
arose up certain sect of the Pharisees
who still claimed they were Message believers yet all the while holding onto
their Pharisaical doctrines.
Now, I want you to see
the damage that this group in the Message had on new people to the message in
that day, because they wanted to inject their own doctrines into the Message of
Christ, and in doing so they troubled the hearts of many. Now, if they would
have presented their opinion as simply an opinion, it might not have done the
damage it did but they were very dogmatic and went as far as saying if you do
not believe our doctrine you are lost and you cannot be saved.
The Apostle Paul
describes what happened when these pharisaical brothers came among the people
he had converted to Christ in his letter to the Galatians.
Galatians 2:1 Then
fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus
with me also. 2 And I went up by revelation, and
communicated unto them that gospel which
I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of
reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in
vain. 3 But neither Titus, who was with me, being a
Greek, was compelled to be circumcised: 4 And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have
in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into
bondage: 5 To whom we
gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. 6 But of these who
seemed to be somewhat, (Paul is
speaking of the big shots now) (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:) for
they who seemed to be somewhat in conference
added nothing to me: (in other words, they sat around in their
conference like big shots and as if to impress me, but I wasn't impressed,
because they were just men, and I had met the Pillar of Fire, God Himself, and
got the revelation of Christ whereby I live directly from God, and not from
man.)
7 But
contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the un-circumcision was
committed unto me, as the gospel of the
circumcision was unto Peter;
8 (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship
of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)
9 And when James, Cephas,
and John, who seemed
to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and
Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should
go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.
10 Only they would that we should
remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.
11 But when Peter was
come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be
blamed. 12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. (Paul noticed the political move on Peters part, and I can imagine the
disgust he had in his heart to see this man who seemed to be a pillar of the
church tremble and fall in the presence of these men, who thought the message
revolved around them.)
And
notice what else Paul saw take place because of Peter's political move. 13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with
him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. (hypocrisy).
Notice Peter was a
hypocrite along with these other Jews who had accompanied him, because they
acted in complete variance to how Jesus acted. They were respecters of persons.
So I would like to know how men, Pharisees, came into the message and held onto
their pharisaical doctrines, and the
people just allowed it. In fact not just allowed it, but succumbed to it. I
means look, Peter was the leader in Jerusalem, and yet he coward to men who
Paul recognized right off as False Brethren who came in to spy out the liberty
we have in Christ.
So Paul
who was a respecter of no man but God continues by saying, 14 "But when I saw that
they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto
Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, live
after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, the why are you
compelling the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
In other words, "Peter, I thought you
were supposed to be a pillar in the church, but you are nothing but a
hypocrite". "You've come here and you have lived with us, and you
have eaten with us and you have drank with us, and you have fellowshipped with
us around our tables, and now, we are not good enough for you?" "Now,
when men come from Jerusalem who are nothing but puffed up brethren with false
motives come around you, you cower down to them in fear of your position in the
church? What are you a man or a mouse?"
And I have seen that
same kind of attitude in this Message today. Look, you have got to be yourself,
and not be moved by someone else's attitude, because if you are moved by what
someone might say or not say about you, then you are not led by the Spirit of
God, but you are nothing but a pawn of men and their political aspirations.
That is why I hate politics
so much. The Democrats love you if you say what they say, but the minutes you
speak contrary to their main stream views you are cast out. And the republicans
are no different. And that is a religious spirit that guides those kind of
actions. And it's not the Holy Ghost that leads either party.
Notice what Paul says, 4 But
when I saw that they were not maintaining a steady, straight course according
to the Message, I spoke up to Peter in front of them all: “If you, a Jew, live like
a non-Jew when you’re not being observed by the watchdogs from Jerusalem, what
right do you have to require non-Jews to conform to Jewish customs just to make
a favorable impression on your old Jerusalem cronies?”
15-16 We Jews know that we have no advantage of birth over “non-Jewish sinners.”
We know very well that we are not right with God by rule-keeping but only
through personal faith in Jesus Christ. How do we know? We tried it, (and we
had the best system of rules the world has ever seen!) But I am convinced that
no human being can please God by self-improvement, we believed in Jesus as the
Messiah so that we might be set right before God by trusting in the Messiah,
not by trusting in ourselves.
KJV 16 Knowing
that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus
Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by
the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the
law shall no flesh be justified.
17-18 Have some of you noticed
that we are not yet perfect? (No great surprise, right?) And are you ready to
make the accusation that since people like me, who go through Christ in order
to get things right with God, aren’t perfectly virtuous, Christ must therefore
be an accessory to sin? The accusation is frivolous. If I was “trying to be
good,” I would be rebuilding the same old barn that I tore down. I would be
acting as a charlatan.
19-21 What actually took
place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and
it didn’t work. So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man. Christ’s life showed
me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him.
Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is
no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good
opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life
you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that. Is it
not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing
religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my
relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God’s grace. If a
living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died
unnecessarily.
The problem that I see in most any religion is that
men think that they are saved if they have a certain doctrine. And so we have
thousands of denominations that all believe you have to see it the way they see
it to be saved, and that is just a lie from Satan to destroy our peace with
God. Doctrine is intellectual, that's all it is. But Life, the Life of Christ
in you is supernatural.
But men think it is doctrine that saves you and it
isn't. Doctrine is just a tool of God to help you progress in your walk by
knowing and understanding his ways. How he does what he does, and how we should
live accordingly. But if you have doctrine and all knowledge what good will it
do you if you have not the Token, which is the very Life of Christ in you.
Brother Branham explain how doctrine is important as
a help to us, but we are not saved because we have the right doctrine.
From his sermon, Seventy
weeks of Daniel 61-0806 P:13 Brother
Branham said, "And the seed of the serpent, that's the killer. Many
people don't believe that. But if you'll just read in Genesis, the Bible
said that the serpent had a seed, "And I'll
put enmity between the serpent's seed and the woman's Seed." So the serpent had a seed. And if the serpent's seed
was spiritual, then Jesus was not a man, so the woman's Seed was spiritual. They
both had seeds, and the enmity is still there. The serpent had a seed. And if
you'll just take your Bible and get down and be real reverent before God, I
believe God will reveal it to you. And if you do not understand it, I'm available
anytime to do my very best to help you by letter, or by personal interview, or
anything that I could do to help you. 'Course we realize that that doesn't save a man, neither
does it condemn a man, but it only brings light upon the subject that we're all
trying so hard to get the people to see. It only brings light.
Now, to the audience that's visible, I said this because the tapes. You see?
And these tapes go everywhere.
So he says it is important because it helps us to
understand the workings of predestination, but if you do not understand it, it
will not condemn you, and neither will it save you by understanding it.
Paul said we are saved by Grace.
Ephesians
2:8 For by grace
are ye saved through faith;(revelation) and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of
God:
Acts
15:11 But we
believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved,
even as they.
Listen to the wisdom brother Branham shares with us
in his sermon, Evening Messenger 63-0116 P:41 Each man sees
different; each person sees different; no two minds is exactly the
same. No two people is perfectly the same, they claim; no two noses, no two
thumb-prints. See, we're made different; that way we should have different
groups. But God always works with an individual. He don't save you because
you're Methodist; He doesn't save you because you're Baptist; He
doesn't save you 'cause you're Pentecostal. He saves you because He has dealt personally with
you. And you're saved on that basis, that you have accepted it.
So therefore God could deal with you. He doesn't deal with you in the order
of His church; He deals with you as an individual. Therefore, when God
sent forth His prophets, His messengers of the Testament, He spoke to one man
and that man had to bring the message. Others went from him, everywhere, bringing
the same message. But there had to be one headquarters. God's always had it.
I'm thankful He's got it tonight; that's the Holy Ghost, of course, we
all know. Now, not some group, but the Holy Spirit is God's
Headquarters, that's God's Messenger of the hour.
Now, here is how false doctrines come in and control
the way people live their lives.
Questions and answers COD 64-0823M P:168 There's
no justice no more in this world. One thing pulls against another, and yet it's
just so worm-eaten till there's no soundness in it. You said the whole body
has become like putrefied sores. Truly, every table is full of vomit. You said, "Who can I teach doctrine? Who will l make understanding in that day?" The whole table of the Lord is full of vomit. We see it, Lord. We see the hour here. Help
us, please. Dear God, so many of these questions here about the people coming
to Arizona. Oh, dear God, let those dear, precious people... They'll listen to
this tape out there. Let them know that I'm no dictator to tell them where
to live, what to do. And may they clearly understand it. If they love that
country, so do I, let them be there, Father. But when they're teaching that
the rapture must come from there, and there alone, or they must be with me, a
poor, unworthy, filthy sinner saved by the grace of God--have to be around
me... Lord, I want to be around, I want to be around Paul; I know he's
going. And Peter, and James, and John, they're in Palestine buried somewhere
there. I know I'll go with them if You've just had my name on that Book since
the foundation of the world. I'll be there. And I pray, God, that each one of
them will be there. Help me, Lord, to gather them all back here somewhere,
where they can... They want to hear the message with these great teachers as
Brother Neville, and Brother Capps, and all these other brothers here:
"Junie," and Brother Ruddell, and oh, J. T., and all them, all of
them: Brother Collins, and Brother Beeler, and Brother Palmer, and... God, I
pray that You'll just grant this to these... they...Let them come here where
they really hear it, if they want to hear it, not run off out there in that
desert. They're trying to do exactly what the Scripture told them not to
do. "Lo,
it's in the desert; believe it not. Lo, it's in the secret chamber; believe it
not." Lord,
I'm trying my best to warn them, but it all indicates that the hour is close
now. The evening shadows are falling.
Now, brother Branham always taught what Paul taught
and that is you are saved by Grace.
From Questions and
answers COD 59-0628E P:35 he said, "Now, watch, why this Scripture--how Paul says
here. But let a man examine himself, and so let
him eat of the bread,...Eat of the bread... Now, I
know Jesus is the Bread of Life; that's true. But this is a symbol just like
baptism. Baptism doesn't save you; baptism is only a sign that you're
witnessing to the congregation that you believe in the death, burial, and
resurrection of Jesus Christ. It doesn't save you. Water will not save. It's your faith that saves you.
But baptism is an order, and it must be carried out, 'cause God can't say be
baptized, and then turn around and say it doesn't need to be done. He cannot
issue taking communion, and turn around, and say there no need to taken it.
You've got to do it. It's an order forever with God.
Again in his sermon, Jesus
Christ the same 55-0603 P:6 Now, that's the Gospel, friends, as clear as I know it. Now,
it's the individual. Now, maybe say, "Well, what's the use in preaching?"
That's what a minister's for. God sent preachers to preach the Word. When you
hear It, search it, see it's the truth, accept it. Now, the preacher doesn't
save you. His message doesn't save you. Your personal faith in a risen
Lord Jesus is what saves you. No matter how much you'd cry. How
loud you would holler. How much you would take on. It'll never save you
until you believe it with all your heart, and stand up, and confess it. For
He's the High Priest of our confession, Hebrews 3, or what we confess He's the High Priest to make intercessions upon what we
confess is the truth. Anything that was
included in the atonement is the personal property of every believer. When a man gets saved or a
women, boy, or girl, God gives them a check book, as it was, with Jesus' Name
at the bottom of every check for anything redemptive blessing that Jesus died
for. It's your personal property. Don't be afraid to fill it out.
The bank of heaven will recognize it. Jesus said, "Whatsoever things you desire when you pray, believe you will
receive it. Whatever you ask the Father in My Name that I will do," the unlimited unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ in
that promise.
And from Expectation
54-0220 P:22 Now. Now, if your church is a believer in Divine healing,
and believing the blessings of God... See, your church doesn't save you.
Jesus is your Saviour. But You'll do a lot better if you get among
people... And if you do believe in Divine healing and living among those who doesn't
believe in Divine healing, you're a detriment to them. That's right. Always
said... You know, people say, "Do I have to quit this, Brother Branham, if
I'm going to join the Full Gospel churches? Will I have to give up shows,
dances, and so forth?" No. Don't have to give up anything. Not a
thing. We're nearly all northern people here. We have little scrub oaks out
here; they hold their leaves all winter long. When springtime comes, you all
don't have to go out and take off the old leaves so the new ones can come on. Just
let the new life come up, and the old leaves goes off anyhow. So you
don't... You don't have to have a measuring stick; just get new life in there; it'll take care of
itself. That's right. The old things just fade away and the new
life comes on.
From that time 60-0302 P:34 The church has only got one key; that's prayer.
The church doesn't save you. You're a member of the Church by birth, but
the church doesn't save you; it's Christ that saves you. It's not coming in
contact with the church. It's coming in with Christ, and then automatically
you're in the church.
United under one head 58-0326 P:34 That's the way it is with the true born again
experience of God. Man says there's no such a thing as the baptism of the Holy
Ghost. It shows he hasn't got It. He trusts his creeds. We trust what God said.
Now, what happens? You can't stand neutral. You've got to be filled with
something to survive. Notice, you might be filled with one thing over another.
You say, "Brother Branham, I'm kind of on the fence." No, you're not.
The Bible plainly says that all that was not sealed with the Holy Ghost
received the mark of the beast. All that didn't have the seal of God in
their forehead, had the mark of the beast. You've got one of it now. I'd like to
test it just a little bit and see where we're standing. Oh, the mark of the
beast, remember, is a religious mark. Certainly it is. And you might be
filled with religion. You could have all kinds of religion. That doesn't
save you at all. You can just be a religious fanatic, if you want to be.
Touch not, taste not, handle not, smell not. That don't have one thing to do
with the Holy Ghost.
Second coming of the Lord 57-0417 P:52 I believe in coming to the altar; that's good; but that doesn't save
you. It's your opinion,
your decision of Christ.
Position in Christ 60-0522M P:75 And to you Baptist brethren that tries to poke that
down the people's throat, and said the original Greek said, "Did you receive the Holy Ghost since, or when you believed?" I challenge you to bring me the Greek. I've got the
original Greek in my own possession. I have also the Aramaic, and the Hebrew
also. Each one of them says, "Have you received the Holy Ghost since you
believed? "By faith are you saved; that's your faith in God.
The Blood keeps you clean from sin, because it makes a sacrifice. The Blood doesn't save you; the
Blood keeps you clean. How do you say--saved? By faith are you saved,
and that by God's foreknowledge, calling you. You are saved, and the Blood
makes an atonement, constantly keeping you clean. And then by one Spirit
you're baptized into the Holy Ghost, into the fellowship of the believers, and
into the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, to be led by the Spirit, doing signs,
wonders.
Hebrews Chapter 5 and 6 57-0908M P:13 God does not judge you by your sincerity. I never seen any more sincere people than the
heathens. Many of them even kill their own children and thing for sacrifice to
an idol. It's not the sincerity. A man could take carbolic acid, sincerely
thinking he was taking something else. Sincerity doesn't save you. "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but
the end thereof is the ways of death." Paul was sincere when he gave witness in his
own authority to stone Stephen. Later on in years, I like the apology of Paul;
he said, "I'm
not worthy to be called the disciple or to be called an apostle, because I
persecuted the Church even unto death." With sincerity...
Message of grace 61-0827 P:33 We are saved by grace, that through faith, not by
works. Works
shows that you have been saved. But what saves you is the grace of God.
Grace saves you. Grace is what God does for you. Works is what you do
for God to show appreciation of what God did for you. But by grace are you saved.
Perfection 56-0610 P:17 Look at it. In the world today, where all this ism
rises up. Watch on all the cults of non-meat eating, and a legalist
that, "I've got to do so-and-so. If I don't speak
with tongues; if I don't do this; if I don't shout; if I don't dance, there's
something wrong with me."
That's legalism. We are saved by grace through
faith.
Nothing what you done.
It's what He did. He did what you couldn't do. If you
could've saved yourself, then He wouldn't have had to die. But He died in order
to save you, where you could not save yourself. That old God dishonoring
proverb says, "God helps those who can't help themselves," or
"God helps those who help themselves," they say. That's just vice
versa. If you can help yourself, God expects you to do it. God helps those
who cannot help theirself. And you can't help yourself to be saved, so
God by His grace saved you.
let us pray...