Rock of Offence Pt.2
ROMANS 9:33
33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence (Zion symbolises the bride of Christ, and this rock of offence that is laid in the heart of the bride is the revelation of Jesus Christ that has been revealed personally to her through the word for this age, it is He that is within her - the word is in the bride as it was in Mary): and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Notice here that this rock of offence is a person - so he that hath within himself the revelation of the person of Christ in this hour shall not be ashamed of the failure of a false hope.
*The revealing of the son of man that has come to us in these last days through the ministry of the seventh angel’s message is not a false hope that will fail us at the end – but to many on the outside it will look like it has failed just as many thought that Christ’s ministry ended in failure at his crucifixion on the cross, but it wasn’t a failure, it was the greatest victory that brought about the greatest resurrection up to that time.
MATTHEW 24:12-13
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. (This is the time we are living in now – the time of abounding iniquity)
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
This word “endure” means “to hold fast to one's faith in Christ under misfortunes and trials – to bear bravely and calmly: ill treatments.
So if we are to endure, then we will need to be anchored to a rock that will hold if we are to bear ill treatments and to hold fast to the truth of this hour under the misfortunes and the offences that we experience along the way” – that’s what endurance means, to bear the reproach and the offence of the word.
MARK 4:16-17
16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. (Notice that they failed in their endurance, they couldn’t bear the offence of the word when the afflictions and trials came alone that arose because of the word, the word became a rock of offence to them. We have seen many people leave the message over the years because they became offended along the way – a Rock of Offence, and remember that that rock of offence is now in the bride, it has been laid in Zion.
Rock of Offence Pt.2
ISAIAH 28:16 (Scripture from last week)
16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Make haste means that you will not be shaken, you will not be disturbed, you will not have to run off quickly to the next thing that comes along because you are in doubt of what you have – He that believeth in Christ the rock of the revealed word of this hour shall not be ashamed of failure. This message will either become a sure foundation or a rock of offence.
II TIMOTHY 4:3
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
*Paul is prophesying here of a time coming when people that would start out professing to be believers would not last the distance to endure the sound doctrine of the truth of the message of this hour. As the pressures of Laodicea advance then these people would begin to heap to themselves teachers that would begin to teach them the word in the way they want to hear it like Eve did at the beginning. After a while Eve didn’t want to hear about the day that you eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil the same day you will die, she wanted to hear it taught different so that it would fit in with what her idea of a loving God was, so she got another teacher to teach it to her in a way that was pleasant to her ears and that satisfied the itch of what she wanted to hear.
I PETER 2:20
20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
**This word patiently is the same word endure in the Greek – in other words, can you endure under the ill treatment of others in the message in exchange for the good that you have done as a believer of the message.
If you do bad things against people, then maybe that is why people don’t like you too much, but if you have only tried to do good things and you’ve only tried to be been nice to people and then you get treated bad by some, then if you endure that, then that is acceptable with God.
*Jesus only did good but he was rejected and received bad treatment in return for his good.
*Brother Branham only did good but he was also rejected and treated bad in return for his good.
*So how can our experience of being involved with the truth of this hour be any different?
***It can be a common thing for even true believers as the travel along the journey of life to become offended at God in the ways of his dealings with us because of how we misunderstand him. We forget that His ways of dealing with us are in order to perfect our character for that great life that is to come after this life is over.
*This earth is a school, and our bodies are our uniforms, and so we are in the school of hard knocks because character is only developed by trials and testings.
MATTHEW 16:17-18
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
***This rock is the revelation of the word that has come to us in this age, but this same rock of the revelation of the word for the age is also at the same time become a rock of offense to the nominal religious people of this age.
MATTHEW 11:4-6
4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
Brother Branham refers to this scripture as the forgotten beatitude.
We know of the beatitudes - the blessings promised by Jesus in Mathew Ch:5
MATTHEW 5:2-12
2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
3 ¶ Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
But then in Mathew Ch:11 we find this forgotten beatitude of a promise of blessing.
MATTHEW 11:6
6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
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E-41 Oh, my. And "Blessed is he who is not offended in Me." Now, don't be offended. I believe there's more people offended in Jesus than any other person that ever lived on earth. They get offended too quick. Jesus now in this misplaced beatitude, slipped over there so we could get it tonight.
Why, He said, "Blessed is he who's not offended in Me. Don't be offended in Me. No matter what takes place, I'm... Everything's working right on schedule. So you just--just go ahead and believe it; that's all. Everything's all right. Just go ahead and believe it."
You know, there Jesus didn't rebuke John for that. He didn't say, "Well, I'm ashamed of My apostle. I'm ashamed of My prophet." No, He never said that. He didn't say, "What's the world going to say about this when you've come preaching, oh, such a great Messiah, and such a great Messiah, and then you send out to ask if I'm the Messiah." He never rebuked him.
E-42 But when John said the worst thing that he could say to Jesus, Jesus said the best thing that John ever had said about him. Yes. Jesus... John said, "Go, see if He is that One." And after they left, Jesus said, to them... He said after the disciples of John left, said, "What did you go out in the wilderness to see? Did you go out to see a man dressed up in fine..." No. He was too far from Hollywood for that.
So he said, "Did you go to see a man in fine raiment?" Said, "They're of king's palaces." He said, "What did you go to see, a reed that just any denomination could blow any way it wanted to?" Oh, no. Certainly didn't. "So what did you go to see? A prophet?" Said, "Yes. You went to see a prophet. And a greater... He's more than a prophet." Said, "This is that Elias. This is that One that is said by the prophet, 'I send My messenger before My face.'" Said, "Verily, I say unto you there's never been a man borned of a woman as great as John the Baptist."
E-43 He never condemned him. He knowed that he was anointed with the spirit of Elijah. And that spirit was on him. That's what did it. He knowed everything was running all right, everything was running according to schedule. John... Why, was he a greater than--than all the prophets?
Now, if you're spiritual, you'll catch something. Why was he the greatest? All the other prophets had spoke of the Messiah. But John introduced Him. He was the one that presented Him.
So will it be in the end time. Everything's running according to schedule. Don't be offended. Just believe. Today the churches are offended in Him. The churches are offended. The people are offended. They're all flusterated. They don't know what to think. "Mental telepathy." Something else and all... No, don't be offended.
E-44 …Don't get scared. He's right on schedule. He's here. Don't be offended in Him. "Blessed are they who's not offended in Me."
Opening scripture… Pick up from last week…
ROMANS 9:33
33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
This scripture is of course a compound scripture in that it also applies directly to this hour of the word being place in the bride, but this same word revealed truth that has been received by the bride of Christ in this hour has become a stumbling stone and a rock of offence to the rest of the religious world just as the word of Jesus day was a rock of offence to His generation.
WHAT.WAS.THE.HOLY.GHOST.GIVEN.FOR_ JEFF.IN V-4 N-3 THURSDAY_ 59-1217
162 … There was a Stone cut out of the mountain without hands that rolled into the world and smashed it out, and it become like wheat--or chaff on the threshing floors. Let that Stone, the Christ Jesus, that Stumbling Stone to the world, a Stone of an offense, a laughing Stone, a Stumbling Block to the church; but a precious and a Lodestone to the believer (a lodestone is a naturally occurring magnetic stone that in the old days was used as a compass in navigation), a Stone of assurance, a Stone of rest (Oh, my.), resting... I know that I've passed from death unto Life. My soul is at rest. Oh, "Come unto Me all ye that labor and heavy laden, and I'll give you rest to your soul." "A--a Sign that's to be evil spoken of," said the--the prophet to Mary. It'll be a Sign. Sure it will. But It'll be an assurance; It'll be a love. It'll be a satisfaction. It'll be something that you know you've passed from death unto Life.
163 My brother, my sister, as your brother, as your servant in Christ, let me persuade you with all my heart, don't you let this go over your head, or go by you, or under you. Receive It into your heart, and you'll be a happy person on earth. I'm not promising you you'll get a million dollars. No, sir. Brother Leo, I think there's been too much of that promised now, millions of dollars and things that... Different ones said, "If you'd be a Christian, you'd get a million dollars, and you'll be a rich man." I'm not promising you nothing. I'm promising you this. The only thing I can promise you is salvation. His grace is sufficient for every trial.
LUKE 20:17-18
17 And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?
18 Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
Did the denominations of this end time age find the teaching of Malachi 4 ministry offensive? Did they stumble at the truth that he was trying to bring to them? Yes they certainly did.
Like Cain, they were not willing for their denomination ideas to be broken upon this stone of the revelation that God has sent to them through the ministry of the seventh angel. When the truth of water baptism was proven to them, they were not willing for their Catholic false baptism doctrine to the broken upon that stone. When serpent seed was preached to them, they were not willing for their ideas of Eve eating apples to fall down and be broken on that stone – so this stone of the true revelation of the word became a rock of a revelation of offence.
***Many people over the years have even left the message because as they have gone along they have come across something that has offended them in some way that they were not willing to let it be broken upon the stone of the truth of the word – many have refused to fall upon the stone of the revelation of this hour to have their denominational ideas broken.
MATTHEW 13:20-21 (This is the parable of the 3 grounds – remember that the seed is the word of God, and when it is sown into the minds of man it tests the type of ground that it falls on – it is not the seed that is being tested, it is the ground that is being tested)
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21 Yet hath he not root in himself (in other words, the truth of the word never becomes anchored down by the root of revelation in order to afford them sustaining power – these are people that don’t go deep enough in the word and consequently do not develop a root of the truth within themselves, they stay too shallow, and so they have no root within to keep them sustained when the troubled times come), but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
Good News Translation of this verse
21 But it does not sink deep into them, and they don't last long. So when trouble or persecution comes because of the message, they give up at once.
***We have seen many like this over the years. This is why when you see ministry purposely keep their people away from the deeper things of the food of the word, then you will see that many times these same people will become confused and fail under the pressure of the age.
**Remember that this is the age of when all that can be shaken will be shaken.
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172 …You know, everything that can be shook, will be shaken now. "But we receive a Kingdom that cannot be moved." That's Christ.
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35 … Everything that can be shook will be shaken. But we receive a Kingdom which is the Word of God Himself, and God is His Word. He don't shake Himself. Amen. Oh, my. But we receive a Kingdom that cannot be moved; it's unshakable, said Paul the Hebrew writer.
***That unshakeable kingdom is the word of God himself that has been revealed to you in this day – that is the only thing that cannot be shaken and that will withstand the pressure of this age.