Best wishes to you and your loved ones for the coming festivities. Today we'll read some Scripture concerning the Angelic visitation to the shepherds who bore witness of Messiah.
Luke chapter 2 describes how the Lord visited shepherds, who were living in the field, guarding their flocks. As Israelites, these men were anticipating the advent of Messiah. So although this announcement of His birth may not have come as any great surprise, they must have wondered, that the great God should choose men of such lowly station as themselves, to vindicate this message, and proclaim to the world, the birth of the King of kings.
Stinking shepherds, the people would hardly have them around. They laid out here and slept with those sheep, and on the same ground, and tended them, till you could smell them coming a mile off, as if they were sheep.
In the old countries the shepherd puts his sheep inside a stone enclosure, then lays down among them in the door. I've encountered these structures when prospecting on the old properties north east of Broken Hill. Jesus said, "I am the door to the sheepfold." The sheep can't get out without crossing over him. The wolf can't come in without crossing over Him. The shepherd is the door.
I'm so glad Jesus laid down in the door of our heart. We can't go out, or do anything, without Him knowing it, and nothing can come in, without Him knowing it. He makes everything work together for good to them that love Him. It ought to make us cry and shout, and praise God, for a Savior, a shepherd that will lay at the door of our heart, and warn us of any danger coming up.
He said that the evidence of the baptism with the Holy Ghost which is our new birth, is that He will guide us into all truth revealed for our day, and show us what must come to pass in our day. This blessed assurance of foreknowledge, gives us peace, and rest.
God uses humble people who identify with nature, and are separated from the world, and man's achievements, because they can hear His voice. We find God in nature because He created it. This explains why the Angel of the Lord was received by shepherds in the fields, that April night when He announced the birth of Messiah.
Across the world, God signified this first Christmas to a group of humble "stargazers", or wise men, called Magi. These Magi, sleep through the daytime. At night, they burn fires, and talk about the rise and fall of kingdoms; then climb a high tower, where they study the heavens. They're believers who worship the one true God; descendants of the Medes and Persians, back in the days of Daniel.
Of course, they're Muslims today. These Magi were in India, east of Palestine, when they saw the shekinah in the form of a Star. So they traveled westward for two years, to worship Messiah, who was by then a young Child.
Peter said, in Acts 10:35, "I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation Godfearing men, who live righteously, are accepted with Him." Look at those Magi over there. They saw God's Star sign, and they recognized it, before the priests of the religious people; preachers, and all in the temple at Jerusalem.
I can picture them, squatting around that fire one night, talking. they knew every star by name and its position in the heavens. They knew every move. One night, sitting there, maybe singing hymns before climbing this great tower, a Stranger appeared among the heavenly bodies. They wondered, "What's this! There's something new, it's Supernatural!"
Now, they knew the Scriptures. The second chapter of Daniel tells us, he was made chief over them. So he taught them. No doubt, they read how Daniel beheld all these kingdoms as Babylon was conquered by the Medes and Persians who in turn fell to Greece which fell to Rome, the Gentile world empire of that day. Daniel saw Rome become a church power that ruled the NWO. Finally, he 'saw a Stone, cut out of the mountain without hands', smite this last kingdom. And the Magi said, "It must be about that time." Then they remembered the prophecy way back in the days of Israel's journey, when Balaam said, "There will arise a Star out of Jacob." And about that time when they were considering those things, the new Visitor appeared.
It's usually when you have your mind on Christ that He appears. When you're thinking about getting right or doing something right, that's when He comes to you, to help you.
It must have been about that time they looked up, and saw this new Visitor. And It began to lead them towards the west. Quickly It started. Westward; leading across the Tigris River, through the desert, over the mountains, on and on! They knew the Supernatural was taking place.
"Surely, if this is Daniel's prophecy, Jerusalem, the Capital of that religious nation, will be ready to receive their King. They'll know what it's all about. We don't understand, we're just Magi, poor, humble people. But, we've been looking for something Supernatural." Oh, my! they were ready! Hallelujah! These humble men went out to follow God's Star Messenger `til they came to that perfect Light.
Revelation 1:20, speaks of "the stars of the seven Church Ages." We must find the star that reflected the Light of His glory, His power, and deity, to this last day, and follow that, until we find that perfect Light of Christ's parousia! "Keep westward leading, still proceeding; guide us to that perfect Light." Just keep moving, no matter what the price is; over the mountains, through the jungles ....wherever it leads.
We have so very much to be so very happy about. Although the government's Equal Opportunities and Racial Vilification Acts have officially outlawed the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ, God's grace is still available, rich and free. You can be born-again today. We have so much to feel so happy about.
Wise men have followed the light for the past 2,000 years. But we read the Words of our Lord in Matthew's Gospel, how they slumbered and slept in denominational cities of refuge along the way. And at midnight when the Laodicean age entered the blackness of apostasy, there came a shout from the angel to that seventh Church Age, "behold the Bridegroom! Come out of Babylon to meet Him."
Those who were truly virgins to the Word awoke, and, receiving the star messenger and his message, trimmed the man-made tradition and dogma that was darkening the light of their faith. Christians walk by faith and not by sight. Unfortunately, most of the congregation of that city scoffed in unbelief, and slept on.
Now some of the virgins were wise, with Oil of the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Some were foolish, and had no Oil of the Spirit. These were justified and sanctified, but not born-again. Saved, but they will not be translated, and must be martyred under the tribulation of the coming days. They'll miss the Wedding Supper, and the great Millennium, and stand before Christ and the wise virgin at the White Throne Judgment.
The foolish virgin have gone back to buy Oil; that's when He came. they're speaking with other tongues without the Holy Spirit. They have the wrapping without the Gift. How close are we now, when we see these great churches going back, saying, "Maybe we've left off Something. We'd better find It"?
They'll never get it. Remember that. They'll never get it. They're dead. And they'll never come to Life. Jesus said so!
That's why I'm not interested in their programs. I'm interested in one thing, blasting just as hard as I can to "Whosoever will!" Not trying resurrect a denomination, but to bring back a Jesus Christ! never in a denomination; it's against God, always has been, always will be. It binds God outside, rejects everything that's Godly. It never will come to life. So it's no different this Christmas to what it was that first Christmas, it's the same thing; believers are going up-and-down the city like the Magi crying, "Where is he? Where is he?"
Oh, "come out of Babylon, and be filled with the real Christmas Spirit that lived in Jesus Christ!"
The churches haven't got the answer today anymore than they did at His birth. What's the matter? We're at the end-time, brother! Churches are Luke-warm about God's Word. Apostate! Neither hot nor cold. the evening Light is shining, the Power of the Holy Ghost is back in the church again, just as it was at the beginning. The prophet said "It shall be Light in the evening time." The churches don't know why they're uniting. They haven't got the answer. The atomic bomb has the answer for them. Sure! We're in the evening time, it's later than what we think.
They know nothing about the Supernatural. They won't follow God's compass to that perfect Light. Westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to that perfect Light, oh Star of Bethlehem. Christians today have seen His star in the west.
What kind of a star? His Church star, the Holy Spirit moving in a human being. "The seven stars in God's right hand are the angels of the seven Church Ages". We have seen His star, and we've come to worship him. Amen!
So long as the Magi were in denominational realms, the Star never appeared to them. Religious circles know nothing of It today. As soon as they got out of the city, there stood that Star.
"Come out of her, my people," says the Lord. "Come out of Babylon." Confusion! Come out of your creeds and your self-styled things! I will receive you, "touch not their unclean things."
They know nothing about the Supernatural today. The Methodists know nothing about Divine healing. When John Wesley was preaching Divine healing, some of the high Church of England came and made fun of him, turned a fox loose, and a bunch of hounds. He pointed his finger in that bishop's face, and said, "the sun will not set on your head three times, unless you call for me to pray for you." He died that evening, calling for John to come pray for him.
Why don't they get the Spirit back again? Because they're dead! They're afraid to look in that Package, because it'll reveal their sins. I call you Methodists, Baptists, and you Presbyterians, you Pentecostals, Catholics and all, to look back to God's Christmas Gift. Look back to the Present! Throw away the box, and take the Present! Yes sir! Get away from the tinsel of Santa Claus. Get back to the Gift of God! Get back to the Holy Spirit! Oh, I know it'll reveal a lot of things, but that's what you need, a cleaning up, scouring out. I know that's awful hard folks, but it's God's Word. And it's good for you.
The Magi knew that there was something wrong when they hit that city, and the Light went out. As soon as we enter a denomination, the Light goes out. "What's the matter?" They began to scream, "Where is He? Where is He? Surely I'll find Him here, this is an old denomination, it's been here a long time. It's the Capital of denominations, the Vatican City, I ought to find Him here. Where is He? Where is He, the Christ who said He's the same, yesterday, today, and forever? Where is He, the one that said there will be Light in the evening time? Where is He that said, 'The works that I do shall you do also'? Where is He? Where is He?"
And the Light stayed out. When they walked outside the city, the Light appeared again.
Yes sir! Repent of all your sins, the Holy Ghost, God's gift, will surely enter in. He's at the door, saying, "If you'll let me in, I will sup with you, I'll reveal these things to you, I'll show you the Supernatural, I'll heal your sickness. I will take care of all these things for you, if you'll just let Me in."
He was wrapped up, called the SON of Man and crucified. God's gift package was then taken up, RE-wrapped, and sent back as the Holy Ghost. Amen! It was wrapped up as the Son of God then. Today It's wrapped up in SONS of God, called the Church. That's right! God's Gift Package is wrapped FROM the people. And they refuse It today, just as they refused It then.
"If they called the Master of the house, 'Beelzebub,' a fortune-teller, because He could discern the thoughts, how much more will they call you?"
And the last Sign promised before the end of our dispensation was God, veiled behind the flesh of man again, discerning the thoughts and intents of people's hearts ... "as it was in the days of lot".
What it must have meant to Barabbas, when he saw the Gift take his place in death! I felt the same when I caught the revelation God's gift had taken my place in death. How about that dying thief on the cross?
Today, Christmas means a carton of cigarettes, a bottle of scotch, wrapped in pretty Santa Claus paper. But they still refuse God's Christmas gift. They don't want It.
I want it. I'm glad I received it. O Emmanuel, God made flesh and dwelt among us, rejected and condemned down through the ages, yet His mercy extends to every heart that will receive Him today.
Let us be like the common people who heard Him gladly and received Him into their hearts. Like the humble shepherds and Magi who were despised by the world, but put the Supernatural and Truth first in their lives, and followed the Light.
Well, Christmas is upon us once again. That means we're due for a new calendar. The old year has almost passed away. How little it seems I've accomplished in His service. Whatever time remains is one year less than when I pinned that calendar to the wall.
As Christians, we should be conscious of time, because it will not go on forevermore. Symbolized by the Angel of Revelation 10:1-6, Christ placed His feet in judgment upon the beast from the sea and the beast from the earth, and swore "that there should be TIME no longer". That was in 1963.
This signified there'd no more delay of intercession for the part-Word saints. Because all seven Church Ages are over. That part of the body is made up. Mediation ended at Revelation 4 and 5, before Christ opened the Seven Seals, and revealed their mystery to us, through the prophet of Revelation 10:7, and Malachi 4. William Branham was that prophet, the seventh star in the hand of God.
Friends, that was 34 years ago. and you know what? The churches of today know nothing of this ministry. They're not even looking for a prophet. Yet He was promised by Joel, Malachi, Zechariah, Jesus, Peter and the Gospels.
Another year has passed and churches say, "Where is the promise of Christ's parousia? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation". That's II Peter 3:4.
Christ's parousia began 34 years ago. Blind leaders of the blind are unaware Christ said His coming would be a parousia. One more year has passed. One more Christmas, and once again they take the wrapping and reject the Gift.
2,000 years ago another religious group were promised Messiah, and when He would come. They rejected God's messenger, killed Messiah, and have been groping in outer darkness ever since.
Just consider? 2,000 years of apostasy. 2,000 years of spiritual blindness, of wandering in a spiritual wilderness with no water of the Spirit; no Food of the revealed Word. And they don't know it.
Jesus Christ said the Gentiles end in apostasy. Jesus said they'd be naked of the blood, blind to the faith, spiritually bankrupt - miserable and wretched in His sight - and know it not.
One more year of our Gentile dispensation has passed, and most who call upon the lovely name of the Lord Jesus don't know if there be any `Gentile dispensation'.
Jesus Christ knew. He said, "The Millennium will commence before the generation that sees Israel restored to the Promised Land can die of old age". Israel was restored to the Land in 1948. Seventy years is a life span, and if the age of accountability is 13, the youngest of that generation is 62. Now Christ translates His tiny Bride seven years BEFORE Armageddon and the Millennium. It's later than you think.
Almost nobody can discern the signs of the time which Jesus called the evidence of the Holy Spirit, or new birth (John 16:13).
Another year has passed. Not one in a million nominal Christians has the faintest idea what Jesus is doing now. Or His promises for our day. There won't be many in the rapture. There may be five from Sydney, and a handful over the rest of Australia. There'll be so few, they'll not be missed in that hour of trouble that comes upon the world.
We find time to lie to our children about a mythical Christmas and mythical Santa Claus. But not to seek God for the understanding of His Word. And without faith, it is impossible to please God.
Another Christmas sinks into the west. Time is running out for the world. Time is running out for you, and for me. Soon God will say, "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still".
One of these Easters, it will be all over for we Gentiles, and the close of our dispensation will be marked by a massive earthquake.
As you celebrate this Christmas, look beyond the religious tinsel and lying traditions of the false church, to God's unchanging Word and the Life It contains, a Life surrendered on Calvary for you, and for me. That's God's Christmas Gift - if we can receive It.
Let's be mature, and be serious. This isn't play-church, it's Life or DEATH. Write me with questions and suggestions so I can serve you spiritual food in due season. radio053.html