CHRISTMAS 1989

jesus your heavenly

father realized that when jesus was born there were so very few did believe the report given by those who were privy to who understood they not even understanding very much as it were but knowing by visitation that this one was born who was promised to israel and lord As very few were unaware of it, did not know how this would be, so at the end time we also know now that the appearing was veiled from everybody and the announcement was made, Lord. But thank God there was vindication this particular time to know that one who came here in flesh is returned in the form of the Holy Spirit and has now done the same works that he did when he was back here in flesh. vindicating that very presence, that presence now here to raise the dead and to bring forth a people immortal unto you, O God, to reign and rule for a thousand years and enter into a glory which, again, we know not of except we have read it and understand by the truth revealed that it is so. So we thank you for the privilege of being here this morning in your presence. knowing that we can celebrate a true Christmas in the sense, Lord, of an understanding what this is all about. Help us to that end. We'll give you the praise in Jesus' name. Amen. You may be seated. Now, I want to bring a little Christmas message that has to do with Christmas as being a time of communicating or communication. And I would believe that if Christmas means anything at all, It is without doubt a time of meaningful and sometimes not so meaningful, but it is a time of communication. Now, I doubt if there's any one occasion celebrated or known in Christendom where people communicate to the degree. that they do at this particular time of year, December 25th, which we call Christmas, and of course celebrate about a week or so ahead of it. Now, you'll notice, first of all, that people write cards and letters, and they remember each other. They're communicating. Secondly, they make phone calls. Sometimes the lines are so busy you can't even get through. Thirdly, they pay visits. Such visits as perhaps they never paid any other time, they give presents. and that builds up communication friends they have parties many people are invited you have all kinds of office parties that we know are not the best things but people have them number six they reach out even to strangers and to charities as well as their families and friends seven they make up differences people get reconciled this time of year they don't like to have uh problems going on you know the angel saying peace and her goodwill toward men and so people like to think in terms of peace and happiness eight they make sacrifices even going to debt which of course is foolish but i know most people do actually go into debt at christmas time because they make sacrifices uh to be good to people and nine they all go out in some way They all go out of their ways, just about everybody does, to do something nice for somebody. And that's the way the spirit is of Christmas. And then again, for number 10, families come together as at no other time. You say, what about Thanksgiving? Well, that's true, but I don't think it's like Christmas. I think that's a time of coming together even more so. Then 11, they celebrate religiously the birth of the Son of God in 12. All denominations in Christendom put aside all doctrinal differences and meet and communicate on the common ground of God manifest in flesh, even though some few have chosen December 25th apart. Now the only day that rivals that, where they come together forgetting differences, is in the understanding of Easter that Christ rose from the dead. Although there is a tremendous difference of how people actually believe that and what comes out of it. Though Christmas... It's very, very simple. It has to do, of course, with the understanding of what we mention here. They commune on the grounds of the common understanding of God made manifest in flesh. Now, there is something most interesting about all of the interrelationships of this day that we call Christmas. And that is that this proposition is interesting. Because the people are not quite aware of what they are doing. In fact, they are not really aware of what they are doing. Cannot help but be done when you celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It's something people are doing. This community spirit, this fellowship, this coming together, this interfacing, this doing deeds of kindness, this communication is all something that people are doing. unaware that this is really what Christmas is all about, and they're doing it because of the birth of Jesus Christ. That birth was the start of a new and different way in which God began communicating with His children, and not just His children, but the whole world. because Christmas actually is celebrating Christ who is the great communicator now man may not know what he is essentially doing at this time of year because I'm sure man doesn't but he can't help being a part of it being a communicant in it because God is sovereign in all his ways and he has ordained whether people believe it or not that Christmas types This very thing we're talking about. Now let me go to scripture because I haven't read any scripture yet. And I want to show you exactly what I got in mind. It's in Hebrews, beginning in Hebrews 1, where Paul the apostle is speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now listen, God in many parts and in many ways spake in time past unto the fathers in the prophets. Now notice, hath in these last days spoken unto us in son. not by the Son, not by the prophets, but in the prophets, and now God in the Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the ages, who being the effulgence or outreighing of his glory, the expression of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, this one came into the earth, worshipped by angels, and manifested unto men. So you're noticing here now that When Christ was born, he was born with the understanding that God would begin to communicate in and through him. Right? That's exactly what the Bible says. All right? Let's go here to the book of John.

And in John 1, that's a gospel, 1 to 2, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. Then notice verse 14, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. That's just what Paul said. Now watch verse 18. And no man has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him or led him forth by words. In other words, we see once more communication, the great communicator. Then notice the voice of God speaking. from the ineffable glory on mount transfiguration in matthew chapter 17 and in verses 1 to 5 after six days jesus taken peter james and john his brethren bringeth them up into a high mountain apart that means he literally carried them up in the face of gravity he rose from the earth and he bore them up in his arms which must have been a tremendous thing And was transfigured before them, and his face did shine as the sun, his raiment was white as the light. And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then answered Peter and said, Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here. If thou wilt let us hear three tabernacles, one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah. And while he yet spoke, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed him. And behold, a voice out of the cloud which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear you. him now that establishes the fact of the great communicator that god was communicating by jesus christ and man is doing this communicating unaware of this major premise that is set forth by god in christ now number four we go to revelations chapter 10 and notice again

The process of communication. I saw another mighty angel, messenger, come from heaven, close to the cloud. A rainbow was upon his head, and his face as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire. Now this is not an angel as you know angels. This is a messenger. And this is the same one in Revelation chapter 5 and 1, which is God himself, God as his own messenger. As we have said, God in Christ communicating. And this one comes down. And he has in his hand a little book open, sets his right foot on sea and left on earth, cries with a loud voice as when a lion roars. Now, it doesn't say it is. It says as when. And when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. Now, in heaven, seven thunders uttered their voices. I was about to write. And I heard a voice in heaven saying, seal up those things with the seven thunders uttered and write them not. Now, you will notice that the voices have been sealed up. But if you go to 1 Thessalonians, the fourth chapter in verse 16, you will find, for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout. Now, over in Revelation, it doesn't say it was the voice of a lion. It says as the voice of a lion, and we know it's the lion of the tribe of Judah that comes back. And sets up the kingdom. Now you'll notice in here again it does not even say that this is the voice of the Lord. It is not said to be. It says the Lord descends and there is a voice. And you notice as the voice of a lion will signify that whoever is speaking has to be speaking for this one.

He is standing in his stead. Then it says there will be the voice of the archangel, there will be the trump of God, the dead in Christ shall rise, and this will absolutely bring about a rapture. But notice now, again in Hebrews the 12th chapter, and watch it says in verse 25, in speaking at the time of a great exodus and egress into a promised land,

just before which preludes the literal coming to the new Jerusalem, which prelude is the millennium, 1 ,000 short years, like a 24 -hour a day. It says in verse 25, at that particular time, when time mingles with eternity, when Revelation 10, 1 to 7 comes to pass, which is 1 Thessalonians 4, 16, see that you refuse not him that speaketh. communicator for if they escaped not he refused him that spoke on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven now they got the word speaking in there's in italics you can see it's not in the original the one from heaven is speaking whose voice then shook the earth that's way back in the days of Moses but now he had promising yet once more shake I not the earth only but also heaven And notice how he's putting it right in there at that time, the shaking down in heaven and earth, according to Peter, where they get dissolved and are recreated by Almighty God. So the voice that is speaking at this time is a voice that understands what Brother Branham told us. The millennium is simply a further sanctification. We are like Abraham looking for the city, and if you miss this voice, you miss the city. Now, you can say what you want. But let's understand this, that God told Abraham where to go, and Abraham was looking for a city, and there's only one way that Abraham could possibly know he'd arrived is because God would have told him so.

You understand what I'm saying? We're not babies. We know the way Scripture works and where the laws of God are. All right, now. it says yet once more signify the removing of those things that are shaken and things which are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remain wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved and you'll notice starting with the millennium there is no moving there is a time of sanctification or further setting apart because at the end of the millennium comes the white throne judgment comes all of those in the second resurrection that are serpent seed whose names never were on the book or taken off of the book, but taken off and judged out of the books, those ones will rise up with the body commensurate with their part in the resurrection, which will not be destroyed until God wants them destroyed in the lake of fire. Those will rise up against God and his people.

They'll be shaken down.

Now, I know people don't like what I'm saying. They say, well, this is muddly, puddly stuff. That's fine by me. It's just as clear as crystal God himself. You know why? Because it's by faith. I'm in a bit of trouble with it. We receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved. Notice the progression. Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear for our God is a consuming fire and that takes place in Malachi 4.

Immediately after the visitation of Elijah, which people reject.

The tribulation sets in three and a half years, and the bride goes to a millennium. Now, that's what you're looking at. Now, all of these scriptures which we have read, all of this in communication, all of this where God is making himself absolutely known to the people is told exactly how it comes to pass in Deuteronomy 18, 15 to 22, and I don't know why people don't believe it.

That's why I have no use for organization. I don't care who the person is. He can be the archbishop at Canterbury. He can be the pope. He can be the metropolitan of the Greek Orthodox. He can be the president of any denominational Protestant church. I don't care two bits for him because he is lying in his teeth when he tries to give you a revelation in this hour because the book in this hour is all tables are full of vomit. And from the time of Paul, darkness came in until there's utter darkness at the end time. And the church is so taken up with this fantasy of being what is it, what it is not. It says we're rich, increased in goods. We don't lack a thing. And God says you're wretched, you're miserably blind, you're naked. Now what are you going to do?

Come on, look it over. Who are you going to choose? The metropolitan, the pope, the archbishop, or some president? What? If you want to burn, you burn. That's your business. Every one of these people say they believe the Bible, but they're liars. They believe it to con you. They use the Bible to con you. Now, let's find out what God said who's not a conning artist. Moses says here in 1815, the Lord thy God will raise up a prophet. unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee of thy brethren like unto me. Unto him you shall hearken according to all that thou desirest of the Lord thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, neither let me see this great fire anymore that I not. Now, they said that in Exodus 20, 18 to 22. When Moses came back from the mountain where they had seen God in the pillar of fire of Mount Sinai, had heard the thunderings and the rumblings, had felt the earth tremor, tremble, and know that they were in imminent danger of destruction, they said, Moses, we don't want to see, we don't want to hear, we want nothing to do with God except by a mediator. You go up there and tell him and see if he will accept it. And God said, they've well spoken what they have spoken. That's the way it's going to be from now on. Now, I'm going to tell you one thing. Why do you believe this Bible, you don't believe that?

Well, let's find out if you're liars this morning. I don't think anybody here is a liar in the building, but I got to preach this way. It's my job to throw it out on the, cast it out and see what you're going to do with it. To check your faith, to check what you really believe.

Can you really take this? Or they say, well, the point is this, that refers to Jesus. I got news for you. It doesn't just refer to Jesus. It refers to everybody that's called a prophet.

The Lord said to me, they have well spoken what they have spoken. I will raise up a prophet from among their brethren like unto thee. And I'll put my words in his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I command him. Now that has nothing to do with the man's mind. Nothing to do with the man's mind.

In other words, this is going to be devious and tricky.

Open your mouth at your own expense.

Let's find out if the Metropolitan, the Pope and the Archbishop can do it or anybody else. But the prophet which shall presume to speak a word in my name. And that's what these people are. They're prophets to the people. Which I have not commanded him to speak, or shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. And if thou say in thine heart, how shall he know the word which the Lord hath not spoken? Now listen, here's the little catch. When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet spokeeth presumptuously, thou shalt not be afraid of him. You don't listen. In other words, the man comes with thus said the Lord. And that's the key for you to sit up and listen. All right, tell me who's got it. Do you know that no prophet was without it? And Paul the apostle himself had it. And he said, you know, from Jerusalem to Lyricum, everybody knew my ministry vindicated to God. He never came and said, listen, you people, I'm going to tell you something, some philosophy. You know, I get lots of magazines. Because I'm a bit of a nut. You know that. I like Brother Brannon because he was a bit of a nut too. He didn't mind looking into anything because he was afraid of nothing. People are so scared. You read a book called East -West, which is a health magazine full of Hindu baloney.

Theosophy is nothing but Eastern baloney sliced Western style. That's all. And if it's over in Greece, you put in pita bread.

It's the same junk. But you know, I look at all that stuff. I read all that stuff, and I am amazed at the people that are constantly suckered. I mean, S -U -C -K -E -R -E -D, not helped. You know, that's another sucker, but that's helping somebody. It's a word nobody uses. We use the vernacular, sucker, you're suckered. And you know somebody comes in, well, you know, I heard something last night. I was waking up, a tap on my shoulder, and I'm telling you, this person appeared to me. And you'd believe the thousands that followed that stupid idiot.

You say, you shouldn't talk like that. I was born to talk this way. Don't tell me how to talk. That I should be so sweet as to say stupid idiot, you should marvel at.

Because God's going to throw him in the lake of fire.

One thing for me, he's not. Listen, they will listen. They will write books, and thousands, if not millions, will follow them. And some sleight of hand artist for years has been down in Trinidad and these places. And he'll stop his car while you're driving with him. Oh, he's such a wonderful guy. He'll stop a little sand pile, and while you're looking, he'll muddle his hands in a bit of sand and pretty soon bring a little image of Buddha. A little sleight of hand, and they'll be suckered and say, well, he created it.

I want you to understand our saying this morning. People will believe anything but the word of God. And those who claim they believe the word of God and stand in a preeminent position are the biggest liars of all. Because they'll stand and tell you things in the face of a man that is vindicated. Oh no, he's got to be wrong.

I'm telling you how God communicates.

And the same God that communicated in these prophets. and said, I will put my words in his mouth, not in his head, in his mouth.

So the prophet prophesying could actually be hearing himself the same time you are hearing him, and he would only be aware of it many times, no sooner than you are.

Now, that's not the way it happened all the time, but that's an example of how it could actually happen. All right. This is why the elders of Israel came to John. They understood prophets. And they understood that Moses said that Messiah would be a prophet Messiah. And they said to John the Baptist, hey, are you the Messiah? And he said, no, I am not the Messiah. And you can find that over in the book of John, the first chapter. And I'll try to read as fast as I can because I've got a lot of notes here. I didn't mean to scare you. 19 to 23. And this is the record of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, who are you? And he confessed and denied not but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they said, what then? Are you Elijah? He said, I am not. Are you that prophet? See? Now, notice how they double -crossed. They were cross -examining. See? They said, are you Messiah? Are you that prophet? Coming right back because Messiah and that prophet is one and the same thing. He said, no. He said, who are you? We've got to give an answer to those that. uh have sent us and he said i'm the voice of one he said i am the voice of one columnist make straight