24-0916P_FAITHFUL SERVICE UNTO THE LORD PT-2
Jud 1:1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:
Heb 13:12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.
Heb 13:13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Psa 107:43 Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.
Rom 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.
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*HE'S ADDRESSING THIS TO THE CHURCH, NOT TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD.
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E-23 …..Jude's
addressing that group of people:
... to those that are sanctified by God the Father and
preserved in Jesus Christ and called.
Now, he's addressing this to the church, not to the outside world. Just like in Ephesians, Paul, fixing to speak of grace through redemption, through election, he addresses his letter directly. Now, the Acts of the Apostles are showing what the acts, the Holy Spirit did by the apostles: how He showed signs, and wonders, and give visions and so forth. That is kindy like the history of what the Holy Spirit did. But these letters are directed to the saints in the church, this letter directed directly to them.
*"EARNESTLY CONTENDING FOR THE
FAITH."
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E-24 Mercy be unto you, and peace, and love, be
multiplied.
Beloved,... (I just like that word.)... Beloved,... I gave
all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me
to write unto you, and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the
faith that was once delivered to the saints.
Now, let's stop here a few moments. "Earnestly contending for the
faith." Now, what
is it to contend? "Contend" is "to--to
debate or stand there and hold fast on your conviction."
For what? Earnestly contend for "the" faith, not "a" faith, "the" faith.
Now, if someone says, "Well, Brother Branham, that's--that's
not my faith. I don't believe in that." There's
only one faith: "One faith, one Lord, one baptism," and that's the
faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. See? Only one faith...
Now, we have lots of religions, lots of ceremonies, but
there's only one faith that you should earnestly contend for, "The faith that was once delivered unto the
saints."
Now, they wasn't called saints until they become sanctified. The word, "sanctified," I believe, means "saintly," or "saint" means "sanctified." Until they was sanctified through the Blood of the offering of Jesus Christ, once for all, they were the saints then.
*IF WE CAN ONLY FIND OUT WHAT KIND OF A
FAITH THE FIRST SAINTS HAD, THEN WE CAN FIND OUT WHAT KIND OF FAITH TO CONTEND
FOR.
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E-25 Now, if we can find out what kind of... Now remember, this is just thirty-three years after the inauguration of the church at Pentecost. Thirty-three years later, there has been such a falling away until Jude, here, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is sending the letter to the churches to earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints. Now, if we can only find out what kind of a faith the first saints had, then we can find out what kind of faith to contend for. Is that right? But we must remember what kind of faith was it.
*THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY TO BE SAVED; THAT'S THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD, BEING BORNED OF THE HOLY GHOST, FILLED WITH HIS SPIRIT.
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E-28 ….. Down... If we could pass by the Ganges River today, they'd throw little black babies in there and sacrifice them to crocodiles. You say, "Well, Brother Branham, I'm sincere." So are they; more sincere than you are or I am, on that heathen worship. But that don't mean they're saved. There's only one way to be saved; that's through Jesus Christ, the Son of God, being borned of the Holy Ghost, filled with His Spirit. Then you are saved by the Holy Ghost.
HE KNOWED THE HOLY SPIRIT HAD ALREADY SPOKE THROUGH PAUL, SAYING,
"IN THE LAST DAYS HOW THEY'D BE HEADY…
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E-29 Now, Jude's writing to the
people. They have begin falling away, breaking up in
creeds, denominations. And they say, "Well, we the group of these
believe this. We, the group of this, believes that."
Jude said, "I'm writing to you, to exalt you--to
exhort you, rather, that you should earnestly contend for the faith that was
once delivered to the saints." He knowed the Holy
Spirit had already spoke through Paul, saying, "In the last days how
they'd be heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof." God has always...
Amen. Brother, you're on that
thing. Don't let me deafen the people.
But look, I want to tell you something. Every time in every age since the beginning of time, God has a vindicated His believers with signs and wonders. I challenge any historian to tell me a time that there ever struck a revival of God Almighty on the face of the earth, 'less there was great phenomenal, and miracles and signs and wonders accompanying it. Every time, every time, through all the historians, Josephus and the whole group will write and tell you the same. Though the Methodist revival, and--and all other revivals, they had signs, wonders, and miracles.
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E-30 Some of you Methodist people
here, that don't believe in Divine healing, you ought to be ashamed of yourself
to call yourself a Methodist. That's right. I stood by
that great shrine in London, England, there, where it's a memorial of John
Wesley preaching Divine healing. Turned a fox loose
in amongst them like that and run the people and scattered them, he pointed his
finger in his face, and said, "The sun will not set on your head three
times till you call for me to pray for you." And he died that evening with
cramps in his stomach, calling for Wesley to come pray for him.
When he was over here with Asbury and so forth, why he fell on his horse one day, and horse broke its leg, and got his bottle of oil out of his pocket, and anointed the horse in oil, and got on it, and he rode him away. Yes, sir. And you'd say that in the Methodist church today, and testify of Divine healing to a human being... Why, Wesley would turn over in his grave if he knowed how formal and ungodly you'd got. That's right.
*THE THING IT IS, YOU JUST LET THESE LITTLE OLD THINGS CREEP IN, CREEP
IN, CREEP IN…
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E-31 And then another thing, I forget the old Methodist father who got so
old he couldn't hardly preach; he preached a short sermon of two hours and a
half. And he got up there and he said, "You know
it... Oh, it's such a disgrace." He said, "Just think, the Methodist
women are even wearing jewelry on their hands." What would he say today to see them in
shorts and carrying on the way they are now? You see?
Satan might've went out of fashion, but he's not out of
business; he's still on the job. Brother, the thing it is, you just let these little old
things creep in, creep in, creep in, till the devil has blinded the eyes of the
American people, and Communism has swept every church, and every school, and
everything else. Yes, sir. That's true.
Oh, I wished I could scream it out to the people. We are finished; as a nation we're finished. That's right? We're... After the revivals and thing that's swept this land, and people still walk along the way they do, ignoring the Holy Spirit? How can you expect anything else but ruination and damnation and judgment?
* WE'VE REJECTED THE REAL CHIEF
CORNERSTONE, WHICH IS GOD'S POWER IN DEMONSTRATION OF HIS LOVE TO HIS PEOPLE.
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E-32 Here's what's the matter with
you builders, you ministers setting out there. Here's what's the matter. When
they built the temple of Solomon, they started putting the temple up, and they
found a freak stone, they said, "We can't use that
thing," and kicked it out over in a weed pile. And they went on
building the building, and come they got into end at the end of the road. They
couldn't go any farther. They had a hole in the wall
that they couldn't make the rest of building fit with. And come to find out, the
very stone that they rejected was the Chief Cornerstone. And today,
we've built Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, and everything else,
and to find out, we've rejected the real Chief
Cornerstone, which is God's power in demonstration of His love to His people.
Segregating the people: "I'm Pentecost; I'm better than you." "I'm Methodist; I'm better than you." Oh, brother, when you got that attitude, you need an old fashion altar somewhere to pray through at. That's right. Amen.
*WHAT WE NEED TODAY IS A CONTENDING FOR
THE FAITH. CONTEND FOR THAT FAITH. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE CONTENDING FOR TODAY.
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E-33 Notice, what we need today is a contending for the faith. When they went up there in the upper room that day, they wasn't saying, "Now look, I'm a Sadducee," and, "I'm a Pharisee," and, "I'm a proselyte," and, "I'm this, that, or the other." They were all in one place and one accord. Then suddenly there came from heaven, as the sound of the rushing mighty wind, filled all the house where they were setting. Then the Methodists, and Baptists, and all, consolidated together. Contend for that faith. That's what we're contending for today.
*BUT HERE'S ONE THING
I NEVER INTEND TO DO IS TO SPEAK AGAINST THEM THINGS, BUT IT'S THE SIN THAT I
SEE THAT'S EATING THE CHURCH UP.
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E-34 Now,
watch.
... that you should earnest...
For there are certain men crept in unaware, who were
before... ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our
God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and... Lord Jesus
Christ.
Could you think of it? Now, look what type of men these are. I'm not a 'spiser, friends, against people, against churches. I'm just only... I never spoke evil, as I know of, but--but against one minister. That was twenty-three years ago and God give me such a whipping about that, I never done it before--or never done it afterward. Pardon me. But here's one thing I never intend to do is to speak against them things, but it's the sin that I see that's eating the church up. It's the thing that's being permitted in the church, and the people are going right on with it, thinking they're right. It's because it's not preached at the platform.
*WHAT WE NEED IS AN OLD TIME SCRUBBING, SCOURED OUT, REVIVAL. I MEAN COME DOWN AT THE ALTAR AND PRAY THROUGH TILL YOU STRIKE HOME,..
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E-35 What we need is an old time scrubbing, scoured out, revival. That's right. Not just people raise up and say, "I accept Jesus as my Saviour," and go on back home. I mean come down at the altar and pray through till you strike home, like we used to do at the old fashion Baptist church down here in Kentucky. We got one another down and beat one another in the back till they come through. We had something when it was over. That's the kind of a Baptist you need today instead of some of these you got around Louisville, here, coming in by letter from somewhere else. Hallelujah.
*YOU HAVE TO BECOME CRAZY TO THE WORLD TO
FIND YOUR RIGHT MIND IN GOD.
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E-41 Now, I used the word
"holy-roller." I--I'm--I've sailed the seven seas, and I never seen a
holy-roller yet. That's just a dirty name that the devil tacked on the
chu--holiness church. That's all. No such a thing as a holy-roller. Nine hundred and sixty-nine different denominations in
Washington, DC recorded now, and none of them's called "holy-roller."
They just call it that. See? It's just a slang
name, like they did to Paul. "In the way that's called heresy," said Paul, "that's the way I worship the Lord. The way that they
call crazy out there, all that bunch of people screaming and hollering and
carrying on, that's the way I worship the Lord," he told the king
Agrippa. That's right. "That's the way I worship
God; in the way they call crazy: heresy."
Now, well, I like to shake his hand this morning, say, "Amen, Paul. I'm standing with you. Nineteen hundred years has passed but we're still got the heresy on us." Amen. So it's foolishness to the world. You have to become crazy to the world to find your right mind in God.
*YOU SAY, "WELL, I'M A BELIEVER, I'M SAVED." THAT DON'T MEAN
YOU'RE SAVED. "EXCEPT A MAN BE BORN OF WATER AND SPIRIT, HE'LL IN NO WISE
ENTER THE KINGDOM."
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E-42 So, notice. Here they go. I... And
here comes Moab out. Now, look what--what he did. Balak went down there and
Balaam the prophet; he said, "Build me seven altars." Now, any of you
teachers know. Listen close now. Seven altars... And he put seven rams: seven
bullocks, and seven rams. Seven rams and seven bullocks is clean sacrifice.
Seven rams spoke of the first coming of Jesus Christ. Fundamental? That's the
very same offering they're offering down there in that camp of holy-rollers:
same offering: seven altars, seven bullocks, seven rams. Now, fundamentally
speaking, Moab is just as right as Israel is.
Now, you might be a good Baptist brother preacher setting in here, and I know you. Let's get down to--right down to the showdown now. Speaking... If fundamentalism is right, God should never refuse Balaam's offering. And if fundamentalism is right, God should never rejected Cain. Cain was just as religious as Abel was. He made a offering. He went to church. He paid his tithes. He built an altar. He was sincere. He was a believer. You say, "Well, I'm a believer, I'm saved." That don't mean you're saved. "Except a man be born of water and spirit, he'll in no wise enter the kingdom." It is also written. That's right.
*AND GOD, WHEN HE GAVE HIS PEOPLE THE
BEST THING THAT HE COULD TO COMBAT SATAN WITH, WAS HIS WORD.
THE.CONTEST_ JEFF.IN V-10 N-7 MONDAY_ 62-1231
10 Now, this great contest has been going on for many years. It started in
heaven, and Satan was kicked out into the earth, and then he become a enemy to
God's people. And since then, he's used all of his strength and his strategy to
try to pull God's people across the fires, or, into his fires.
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Rom 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Rom 8:12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
Rom 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Rom 8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Rom 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Rom 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Rom 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Rom 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
Rom 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Rom 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Rom 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.
Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
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