THE HOLY GHOST
CHAPTER SIX
<And when Simon saw that through laying on of the
apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
Saying, Give me also this power, that on
whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
But Peter said unto him, Thy money
perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be
purchased with money.
Thou hast neither part nor lot in this
matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
Repent therefore of this thy wickedness,
and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
For I perceive that thou art in the gall
of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye
to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon
me.
And they, when they had testified and
preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel
in many villages of the Samaritans.> (Acts 8:18-25).
We went through many messages
beginning recently at G.C.C., Grace Covenant Church of America. The Lord
supernaturally spoke to us on the subject of the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit,
and they are seven messages in all.
The Lord continued to bless us
and we spoke on the subject of Cornelius, receiving the Outpouring. And then
another little message followed and that was the Keys to the Kingdom. Kingdom
means, Outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Yes, the apostles said that the Kingdom
of God is not meat and drink but power in the Holy Ghost. All dealt with how to
receive the Holy Spirit. How to enter into this Outpouring of the Spirit: they
emphasized what kind of a preparation that we ought to make. How we must set
our hearts in order. The preparation of the heart - Upper room: heartÕs
condition.
We proved throughout those
messages, what kind of a people that we ought to be; our hearts condition. It
must be purified. And above all, the necessity of receiving this most important
article that we referred to as the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the fullness of
God, and in Bride language: the Token.
I want to remind all my
listeners, that we must of necessity, receive the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit in order to
qualify for the Rapture. There are things that can hinder you from receiving this
Outpouring. And there are things, that you can do that will bring you that
Outpouring in your life, when God pours out His Spirit.
The effort of all those messages
is to convince people, that there must of necessity be a return of dynamic
power to the church of God before the Rapture. (Church Ages page 377 to 380).
And, in addition is not only to know that there is going to be an Outpouring,
but to understand how to be a candidate to receive that Outpouring.
And we went through all those
messages and proved how they received the Outpouring on the Day of Pentecost.
We showed you how they received it in Samaria, and how Cornelius and his house
received the Holy Ghost, the article of Pentecost. Acts 19 showed how they
received it by the laying on of hands through Brother Paul. Then we came to
this subject that there is a Key to all of this.
Many
people realized that there is an Outpouring of the Holy Spirit to come, but
friends that is not all, no, you have to know how it is coming; about the time
that it is coming. You have to know what are the requirements to receive it,
otherwise you are not going to get it. That is why we spent much time upon
this subject.
There are many people who are
waking up around the world, both friends and enemies concerning this great promise
of God, called the Token and the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Overseas letters
coming in are all speaking with the same voice, that they are looking for that
Outpouring of the Holy Spirit. These tapes are going out to them to help them
to understand, how to prepare for this great Outpouring. It is not just saying that an
Outpouring is coming. I am labouring day and night with joy, gladness, and
great encouragement from overseas letters. When I hear the people of God with
one voice say that, there has got to be another Outpouring, ÒWe are determined
to stand, we will not turn back for anything, our eyes are now opened. We are
delivered and we are set free.Ó
I was told by a
witness, who was present that there were about four hundred ministers that
gathered themselves in Europe, lo and behold, their subject was ÒThe coming
Outpouring of the Holy Spirit.Ó Ministers cannot do anything with E.O.D.H.
books, that have highlighted an Outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and a BrideÕs
revival. Although some disagree with certain expositions of their heresies,
they cannot get away from this Outpouring: and the only way to save their
congregation is to come together and say, ÒYes, there will be an Outpouring of the
Holy Spirit.Ó Beloved, donÕt you forget in that vision, of two sowers that the
prophet of God said, there came a drought and the wheat lifted up their heads
and said, ÒWe want a rain.Ó And the tares lift up their heads and said, ÒWe
want a rain.Ó Not everybody that calls for this rain to save their churches,
and save their faces, and save their names are going to get it!
I turned my attention in a little negative manner, yet for
the edification
and encouragement of the church. I am not telling you, that you are not going
to get this Outpouring. I am trying to show you the other side, and turn your
attention to a certain man who did not receive the Outpouring of the Holy
Spirit, the fullness of God, which we call the Holy Spirit or the Holy Ghost:
itÕs the same thing. And then if we can see why this man did not receive the
Outpouring of the Spirit, then friends, we can beware, and we can learn from
that mistake and avoid such pitfalls that caused this man not to receive the
Holy Ghost.
I tell you friends, when we
have come to the end of the road and that Spirit is outpoured, you will be
without excuse.
For the teachings that you have sat under for better than three decades, and
almost have completed the fourth decade for certain people. You will be without
excuse. Your blood will be off my hands. I have not shunned to declare unto you
the whole counsel
of God. Every person should be able to receive that Outpouring when it comes,
if you donÕt it will be your fault and not mine. I am fully satisfied, and I am
satisfied in such a measure that I have to preach to you only by faith. You
must now apply the word in your lives, to be qualified for GodÕs promise.
My heart is set to the hungry ones and the hungry hearts overseas who
are crying night and day in prayer for me to come. Yet, I am His prisoner. I will go anywhere He bids me go. We
turn our attentions to find out why this man, the sorcerer, did not get the
Holy Ghost, thus we can save ourselves that pitfall. And if after you hear this you still
want to jump into the pit, who are you going to blame? There is no one to
blame. No, because the Word of the Lord is so plain to us. All the ministers
made it so plain over the years, yes, that a fool shall not err therein.
IÕm going to paint the picture. There were a people called, Òthe
JewsÓ, they were waiting on the promise of the Father since the days of
Abraham, but they did not even understand what is the promise of the Father.
They waited for two thousand years for the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which
is a type of the Promise Land. Do not think that you are waiting a long time?
The Lord does things in His own time.
There came a man called, John
the Baptist, and he preached,
Mark 1:15 <Éthe kingdom of God is at
handÉ>
There came another Man after
him called, the Lord Jesus, the anointed Messiah, and then He preached,
Matthew 12:28 <É the kingdom of God
is come unto you.>
He died, rose again; and the
disciples asked Him,
Acts 1:6 <Lord, wilt thou at this
time restore unto us the kingdom to Israel.>
He said,
Acts 1:7-8 <It is not for you to know
the times or the seasonsÉBut ye
shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost
is come upon youÉ>
And in another scripture He
said,
Luke 24:49 <Ébehold, I send the
promise of my Father upon youÉ>
The promise of the Father came
on the Day of Pentecost, after waiting for two thousand years. It eventually
turned out that the great promise of the Father was the Outpouring of the Holy
Spirit, the greatest of all promises.
When they asked Jesus, to
teach them to pray, He said,
Luke 11:2 <When ye pray, say, Our
Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.>
Thy Outpouring come, and when
the Outpouring comes,
<Thy will be doneÉ>
For the perfect will of the
Lord to be fulfilled upon the face of the earth, and all that He promised, we
must have another Outpouring of the Holy Spirit. ÒThy Token come, Thy Outpouring come, and Thy will
be done in earth as it is in heaven.Ó Perfect order will be restored by the
Outpouring of the Holy Spirit, likened unto heaven.
People were waiting on an
Outpouring of the Holy Spirit like we are waiting. This was preached throughout the
years in types and shadows. It was preached by John the Baptist. It was
preached by Jesus. They went up to the upper room and they waited for the
promise.
They were common people like
you and I. They had faults, they had mistakes: Peter cursed just about nine
days before that and also swore, but he repented. We have mistakes; they were
people like us. When you read the Bible do not put them in some kind of
super-holy category, like you learned about in the Catholic Church about
saints. They were common people with mistakes, and faults. Once Paul and Peter
contended and Paul refused to let Mark accompany him. Later he said,
II Timothy 4:11 <Take Mark, and bring
him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.>
They had their human weaknesses
and failures. Do not think that they were some super humans, and that you have
to become a super human to get this Outpouring of the Holy Spirit. All the
apostles fled, yes, and left Jesus alone, and some even fled naked.
They were looking for this
great promise of God, and I want you to understand that it finally came. There
will be a final
day when the Outpouring will be here, beyond a shadow of a doubt. As much
as you have heard over, and over, and over, there will be a final day.
The longer the Lord keeps this
promise away from us, is the more mercy He is showing to the people in the
message and the rest of the world. After this Outpouring takes place, friends,
it goes on for three to six months in a great BrideÕs ministry, and at the end,
the Rapture takes place, and the door of the mercy will be shut to all mankind
among the Gentiles.
Now, donÕt you see that
everyday that the Lord keeps back this Token itÕs the mercy of God for your
children to come to the age of accountability? For that backslidden brother, that
backslidden sister, that sleepy head Christian, itÕs the mercy of the Lord! One
more day, one more week, one more month, one more year; but friends, that time is going
to run out, when that runs out the Lord will pour out His Spirit, and when
He pours out His Spirit there is only about three to six months. There will be
such dynamic power in that ministry that it will evangelize many nations, and
as the Lord said,
Matthew 24: 14 <And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached as a witness unto all
nations.>
I
want to call your attentions to something: there were a people in Samaria that
were
expecting a great blessing, and Outpouring of the Spirit that they would
not have the need to go down to the well of Jacob for water. You say, ÒHow did
you come to that preacher?Ó Friends, the Lord Jesus, went down to Samaria. He
met a prostitute woman, and told her that out of your belly shall flow rivers
of living Waters. The Bible said,
John 7:39 <Éthis spake he of the Holy
Ghost É>
Now, but hold it, that is not
all, she went and called the people of the city, and they believed. That was
the same gospel that the Lord preached unto them, about an Outpouring of the
Holy Spirit, and they all believed with one accord. I am sure that they heard
what happened on the Day of Pentecost and somebody was praying. The little lady
knew that the time had come for her to receive that promise, that the Lord made
to her.
John 4:10 <ÉIf thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest
have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.>
The Samaritans are people that
were hybrid with the Jews. Half Jew, half gentiles, so they were in another
category and the gentiles were the other nations. And these people, no doubt,
heard that the Token
fell; let us talk BrideÕs language. Beloved, we will hear one day that the
Outpouring came. It doesnÕt come to the entire world at the same time, into all
assemblies and all nations, it cannot come that way. It got to follow the
pattern of Pentecost. And we will hear one day, that there is an Outpouring of
the Holy Spirit. We will muse in our hearts, ÒIs it true? Is it false?Ó There
would be people at that same time who have never heard that there was an
Outpouring of the Holy Spirit, though they belong to the message of John the
Baptist: Acts 19, a type of Malachi 4:5-6.
Acts 19:2 <And they said unto him, We
have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.>
But the fact is that the Outpouring did come.
The Outpouring of the Holy
Spirit had come in Jerusalem amongst a people that were looking for it and
prepared for it; their hearts were right within them. There was a great volume
of people in Samaria that was waiting for that Outpouring of the Holy Spirit,
and the Lord moved the deacon called, ÒPhillip.Ó How wonderful! Phillip was one
of the seven who was ordained by the apostles to keep tables, to share out
food, attend to the needs of Grecian women because they were murmuring for
their daily needs.
Phillip went down to Samaria by the leadership of the Holy
Ghost. He declared unto them the gospel, and he reminded them of Christ that
came to the woman at the well of Samaria. I wonder if he met her. He refreshed
their minds about the promise that was made, since they were a people already
believing in Christ in Samaria. Although Jesus never performed miracles in
Samaria, the Holy Spirit fell upon Phillip and he cast out devils left and
right. Mighty signs and wonders were done, and the Bible said,
Acts 8:6,8 <And the people with one
accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spakeÉ
And there was great joy in that city>.
My God! I want to see that! A
whole village came out and when they heard one preacher they said, ÒWe believe
that.Ó I believe it could happen again.
And at that time, something happened that was a notable miracle.
There was a man who had bewitched the whole of Samaria. What we have today is a
bunch of preachers over the radio, and over the television, and on the field,
and many organizations that have bewitched the people. Bewitched the people by
false doctrines, bewitched the people by money schemes. Bewitched the people,
through immoralities and through formalities. They have turned the gospel into
a matter of societies instead of a Holy Ghost presentation, that the people may
be saved. The people could receive Eternal Life only by obedience to the Word
of God. They bewitched them with false water baptism: in titles of Father, Son
and Holy Ghost. They bewitched the people by women preachers. They bewitched
the people by Bible schools. They bewitched them by preacherÕs licenses and by
many man-made institutions.
These preachers who today are bewitching the people are worse than
Simon the sorcerer. Oral Roberts is worse than Simon the sorcerer. Billy Graham
is worse than Simon the sorcerer. The Pope and the Catholic Church are worse
than Simon the sorcerer, and they have bewitched the people to help them to
trust in their organizations instead of the Word. They have bewitched the women
today to wear shorts, telling them that it is alright to wear pants, and mini
skirts, hug men right in the church and kiss them, who are not their husbands,
yes, breast to breast. Adultery, fornication, and stealing are going on in
churches and preachers have become millionaires and even billionaires from the
peopleÕs money and such ÒconsciencelessÓ sorcerers are leading them to the tribulation and
hell.
An example of that is right
down here with a man called, ÒCuffieÓ. Reports are
that millions of dollars were collected to build a church. The building is like a warehouse. About
two or three miles away from the church the man built a palace like NebuchadnezzarÕs. Popular
opinions are saying that is where the peopleÕs money went. YouÕre talking about
some building going on for two or three years. Now thatÕs a disgrace to
Christianity. It puts every preacher in a category as if they are money
swindlers, and money beggars. He is one of the poorest examples of Christ and
His servants.
Our Lord was a poor man, and
said,
Luke 9:58 <The foxes have holes, and
the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his
head.>
He was buried in a borrowed tomb, and He borrowed a donkey to
ride, and He was crucified naked, my God, but up from the grave He arose, with
a mighty triumph over His foes, He arose a victor from the dark domain and
forever with the saints to reign. Our home is not here, our wealth is not here,
yes, friends, our wealth is beyond.
Matthew 6:20 <But lay up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and
where thieves do not break through nor steal.>
Our Lord taught us that way.
Such preachers cannot represent
Jesus Christ under those conditions. No, they are not true examples, and the
preachers in this message are following the very same pattern. One of them in this country,
boasted six million dollars in the bank, and his ÒheiferÓ is giving away his secrets
everywhere. That was many years ago; I guess they have about thirty or fifty
million now. ItÕs is the same spirit of the Catholic Church. ItÕs the same
spirit of organizations.
Let me tell you with all this bewitchment,
I have hope. Simon the sorcerer bewitched almost everybody and convinced them
that he was the great power of God, in Samaria. But I tell you, that one deacon
went down there with the power of the Holy Ghost upon him. My God! And the Lord
anointed that man to do signs and wonders, and the demons that the sorcerer put
on those people, he cast out both left and right and caused the sorcerer to be
baptized. I am looking forward for great deliverance. As much as the preachers
of this world, organizations and religions have bewitched the peoples of the
world, I believe that there is coming a great time of deliverance. I believe that the yoke
will be broken.
In just a few days time of
preaching the gospel, Phillip broke the yoke of the sorcerer. My God, I want to
see that! I want to see the yoke broken from all those that are bewitched by
Oral Roberts, and Billy Graham, and by the Catholic Church, and by the
organizations of Pentecostalism and, all the organizations in the world. The
hour is coming and we are going to see such deliverance.
Yes, when that revival comes,
the prophet of God said, ÒItÕs going to shake Japan.Ó My God, he told one
campaign manager that. ÒThey will come out of the organizations screaming by
the millions.Ó What is
going to do it? The power of the Holy Ghost.
My God, imagine that kind of a
ministry. He said, ÒWhat the apostles done in the early church will be minor to what the
church of God will do in the end time.Ó I believe it with all my heart. Yes. I am
optimistic. IÕm an optimist; pessimists are preaching against the power of God,
from such turn away.
II Timothy 3:5 <Having a form of
godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.>
They say that weÕre looking
for something that is already past. No, it has not yet even begun. To
deliver the children of God. To deliver the elect out of Babylon. To deliver
them, out of all those organizations, and the gates of hell that have prevailed over
the people in the message, it takes Dynamic power. I believe that power will be
accompanied by creative
miracles. Eyeballs will be replaced, missing arms will be replaced, all
kinds of different organs that were cut out from people, will be replaced in
their bodies. I believe God for great things. So much signs and wonders and
creative miracles will be done today by the Bride of Christ that it will even
attract the attention of science.
Remember when that man
screamed upon the white horse with a voice that shook the earth? The vision
says, the scientists looked up.
How on earth science would not
be attracted when a man can speak, and create an arm, create a leg, raise the
dead, heal the sick, put back eyeballs in faces, when they know that they are
trying for all the years to do that and have not succeeded, and here is a
little man, with a, speak-the-Word ministry and it is happening? How on earth
they would not be attracted, when we say, ÒThe church is hungry: let there be a bull!
Kill the oxen and feed the churchÓ?
Brother Branham created
squirrels, but the Bride will create oxens.
John 14:12 <Éand greater works than these
shall he do; because I go unto my Father.>
Yes sir! I believe men will
walk again on the waters. I believe that they will break the bread again, and
feed the multitudes, and they will pick up, a million baskets of crumbs. IÕm
just believing it. IÕm a believer in God and nothing is impossible to Him. Oh
my Lord! Great things, are going to happen.
Simon the sorcerer has
bewitched the people again around the world, and even in the message.
And there was a man who arose
many years ago; he did some creative miracles, just like this man from India
called Lawrie; his name is, ÒNeil FrisbyÓ. I am now
studying his articles and ministry. This man has bewitched some of the people
in the message by his miracles even because they are so hungry to see the power
of God. He spoke eyeballs into existence, bones into place, and many fantastic
miracles of creative power.
Yes, and he wrote three
hundred and twelve mini scrolls, saying that he is opening the seventh seal. He
believes that Brother Branham is a prophet, but he is the next prophet who followed as an eighth
messenger. Many of the people in Nigeria fell for those kinds of miracles, and
they are bewitched by that Simon the sorcerer. This man said that he must be
alive, for the rapture. Brother Branham is not alive for the Rapture, because
he was not Revelation 10:7 he was supposed to be alive for the rapture. He
said, ÒBut the real Revelation 10:7 must be alive for the Rapture.Ó Lo and
behold, he died
in May 2005. Now who is Revelation 10:7? Who is the real one? I say William
Branham, GodÕs servant and prophet.
The Token had fallen; the
Outpouring had come at Pentecost. The Promise that they were looking for had
come. The Samaritans heard that. The seed was already sown. They were expecting
rivers of living waters to flow out of their bellies, springing up so much joy
in their hearts, that they would not be sad, lonely, despondent and It will
deliver from condemnation. They were promised a well of water, springing up
unto Eternal Life. Joy unspeakable and full of glory. They got a little
desperate and went into prayer, and Phillip came down there.
He was a mysterious fellow. The Spirit of the
Lord used to pick him up and carry him to his assignments. I tell you, that was some kind of a
deacon. The Holy Ghost fell upon that man, he went down and cast out devils
left and right, healed the sick. The Bible said,
Acts 8:7 <For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of
many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were
lame, were healed.>
One preacher man, my God! He
got the attention of all Samaria, and delivered many from that bewitchment of
Simon the sorcerer. Simon the sorcerer lost his members.
Now brethren, let us deal with
this fellow a little bit, Simon the sorcerer, the Bible said that he himself
believed, and was baptized, and
wondered as he beheld the signs,
the wonders and the miracles that were done by Phillip. The man joined himself
to the church, and there was great rejoicing in Samaria, because the sorcerer
even repented. I believe because of his testimony, many who were reluctant to
get baptize and serve the Lord, came and gave their hearts to the Lord. Do you
see why the Lord baptizes the sorcerers sometimes, make them testify, and then
find their rightful places? This man believed, he was baptized, he was a
follower of the message, and was very impressed. I guess he testified many days
and through his testimony others were saved.
When they heard of a revival
down in Samaria, the apostles sent down Peter, the man with the Keys to the
Kingdom, to minister to them. The Bible plainly said,
Acts 8:16 <For as yet he was fallen
upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.>
True water baptism is only in
the Name of Jesus Christ. Act 2:38. Acts: 8. Acts: 10. Acts: 19. Every baptism that took
place was in the Name of Jesus Christ.
To see Peter come down to
Samaria was a marvelous thing. I envision Peter like an angel of Light, after
all the signs and wonders by Phillip nobody got the Holy Ghost. Nobody could
have received the Token, the Outpouring. God has a plan. He had his channel. He had
order in receiving this Outpouring.
They needed a certain man, and
they needed the Keys to the Kingdom of God. ThatÕs the man who turned the Keys
on the Day of Pentecost; and he went down to Samaria when they received the
Word, and turned the Keys. That was so marvelous that he turned the Keys.
Beloved,
picture
ourselves. There was a great line up of thousands of people. The Token the
fullness had come at Pentecost, and the Samaritans were yet without it, but God
sent a man. Who could have instructed them, how to receive the article of
Pentecost? Do you see yourself lined up?
A long line of saints, it crossed the city block. We heard
the message. We believe in Jesus and we know without that Token we cannot go in
the Rapture.
We want this Fullness. We want this Outpouring. We want this Token. We want the
full measure of the Holy Ghost to transform our bodies. We will be more desperate than
they, because this here is life and death, Rapture or tribulation.
But in that group, there were
believers, make-believers,
and unbelievers: but everybody wanted the Token. How long they prayed for those
people to impart the Spirit, the Bible did not specify, but they were laying
hands upon them to receive the Token, the Outpouring, the fullness etc.
As much as you have followed
this message there, overseas, as much as you believe the prophet of God, and as
long as you were baptized, you need this Outpouring for the Rapture, Bethel,
and all the churches that are looking for this Outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
We need that Outpouring or we will perish. The prophet already declared that
youÕll have the Token or you will perish. Friends, I could see the people lined
up, coming for the token some trembling in the line thinking: ÒI wonder if I
will get it. I remember that I cursed off a brother and did not make it right.
I remember that I spoke evil of my pastor. I remember that I had a bad spirit
towards him.Ó
I see another going up with
rejoicing because their heart was made right saying, ÒThank God, I know that I
am going to get that fullness. I am walking up there in good faith. Oh my, itÕs
taking so long to reach up to Peter, oh my, oh my, I want to reach him.Ó People are slain by the Holy Ghost on
one end; somebody got the Holy Ghost and started prophesying. They ran out
there speaking in tongues. The Lord is positionally placing His saints. Some
lay down on the floor, some running out shouting and praising God. They filled
the streets. The Token had come and people were getting It. I could see on this
line that one came to Peter, and Brother Peter said, ÒDo you believe with all
your heart that you can receive the Holy Ghost?Ó ÒWith all my heart, Brother
Peter.Ó And Brother Peter discerned: ÒCome let me tell you something, you did
such and such wrong; go and make that right.Ó DonÕt you think that it was so
easy like the Bible said.
Acts 8:17 <Éand they received the Holy
Ghost.>
ÒMove out of the line sister,
you committed fornication, you lived in adultery and you did not confess that,
leave and go.Ó Weeping, and wailing and gnashing of teeth could be heard.
Yes! I can see Peter laying
his hands upon them, Òreceive ye the Holy Ghost,Ó and that fellow standing dry
as ever. Peter says, ÒMove on
son.Ó He could not receive it. These details were not written down but that is
how it is going to be. There are things that people have committed ten years
ago and never made it right, twenty years and never made it right, thirty years
and never made it right. When that Token comes and the preacher lay hands upon
those people, they would not receive It! Those that play games with their
pastors, work with backsliders to cut him and destroy him, those that hate his
children, scandalize his childrenÕs names, and sit with bitter hatred in the
congregation. Such people were making their way up in the line and it was not
going to work. Some of them had bitterness,
hatred, pride, and malice, and refused to repent; they were too big to repent.
Now, you just think of a whole village of the Samaritans and almost all of them
in one accord, they recognized the preaching of Philip and those people were
coming up for the Token.
Beloved this is going to be
reality one of these days. It may not be in this building but wherever we are
gathered. It will be reality. To you who are overseas, my beloved, ministers,
it is going to happen one day that the Outpouring is going to come at GodÕs
Chosen Spot. You will need a man to instruct you, how to receive the Outpouring
of the Holy Spirit. Be patient, wait, pray, desire it, make your life right,
cleanse your heart, your heart got to be right - Upper Room hearts condition to
receive it. The Lord is going to send a little Philip, to preach to you, to
work signs and wonders but you will need another man to outpour the Holy Spirit
upon you. Everybody is not gifted for that. There were certain men gifted for
that job like Peter, Paul and different ones. But the important thing at the
present time is to prepare the heart.
In this line and among those
who were turned away came Simon the Sorcerer. He was also in line, very
sanctimonious. Everybody was
positive that he was going to get the Token, because he made such a great sacrifice,
the man repented, he testified, he got baptized. He was with Philip, he joined
Philip like a right hand man and he was walking around Philip and belonged to
the group, a follower of the Message, a man who is a great man, a wealthy man,
a man of power, they considered him to be the great power of God. The man no
doubt proved that he was elected in the eyes of people, because he repented at
the preaching of Philip and he was in that line coming for the Token. Now
remember the title of my message, ÔWhy The Sorcerer did not get the Holy
GhostÕ. If we could see why he did not, we could correct ourselves. Oh friends, I can
see, the Sorcerer in that line, he was way down amongst five thousand people. I
believe that prayer line went on day and night; no stopping. You are talking
about joy of receiving the Outpouring of the Spirit. There will be joy in our
hearts, we could see the fear and the trembling, that we will face. I can see,
as we muse within our minds, ÒI wonder if my seven year old child will get
It? If he misses it he cannot go
in the Rapture. I wonder if my wife, my daughter, my husband will get It? My
neighbour, my friend; I wonder?Ó
Then you see your wife come up
there and Peter look upon her, he says, Ôreceive ye the Holy SpiritÕ and she
scream out under the power of God, saintly little woman, her voice was never
heard before but at the top of her voice, begin to magnify and praise God. And
then joy fills your heart, ÔYes, thank God, my wife is a candidate for the
Rapture.Õ
You have your children behind
you, you say, ÒSon, let us go up and get the Token.Ó
My God! Brethren, the Lord has
to do something about our children! No matter what we do, there will be little ones when
that Outpouring comes. You see your teenage daughter and she comes up there and
the preacher lay hands upon her and she stands there like a dry biscuit and is
told to go out of the line, and to pray and fast. She could not get out that
hateful spirit against that minister, used her mouth against the ministerÕs children,
conspired with backsliders to provoke the church, live in fornication and hid
it, buddy-up with backsliders and think that she could fool God, came up in the
line because her mother told her to come, but in her heart she had no faith to
receive it. Brother Peter turned right around and said, ÒWalk out on this side
sister, and, stand aside. Next in line.Ó
I could see Peter get some
water, though he has the energy of the Holy Ghost. ÒNext in line brethren,Ó
under the great power of God and said, ÒYes, and what is your name, Sir?Ó ÒI am Simon,
no longer a sorcerer; I repented at the preaching of the great man of God
called Philip. Sir, I am greatly impressed with the signs and the wonders and
the miracles, IÕm so impressed, I am thanking God for my deliverance.Ó ÒAnd
what can I do for you Mr. Simon?Ó
Hear the request of this man:
Acts 8:18-21 <And when Simon saw that
through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered
them money,
Saying, Give me also this power, that on
whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
But Peter said unto him, Thy money
perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be
purchased with money.
Thou hast neither part nor lot in this
matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.>
Simon the Sorcerer did not receive the Holy Ghost Outpouring because
his heart
was not right in him.
Luke 8:15 <But that on the good
ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it,
and bring forth fruit with patience.>
For this Outpouring, your
heart has got to be right. You cannot speak evil of one another and get this
Outpouring. You cannot have unconfessed sins. You cannot live with a man
outside of your husband, and think that God is going to overlook that and you will get the
Token. Your heart is not right within you. Right there the preacher is going to
tell people that you cannot receive the Holy Ghost, because your heart is not
right within thee, or because your heart is based upon the natural. Simon the
Sorcerer was not refused the Holy Ghost because he was a sorcerer.
Acts 17:30 < And the times of this ignorance
God winked atÉ>
Although you were an
adulterer, fornicator, liar, thief, or heretic and have preached heresies and
deceived many people and put up yourself, as the man of God and the great power
of God, God could forgive you for all things. That would not prevent you from
getting the Holy Ghost. So he did not, fail to get the Holy Ghost because he
was a sorcerer, get that out of your minds.
Matthew12:31 <All manner of sin and
blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost
shall not be forgiven unto men.>
This man was not going to be
refused the Holy Ghost because he was a sorcerer or because he was a rich man
or because he deceived the people, no, watch the context of this. Why he did not get
it?
Watch
the scripture properly children, learn to read your Bibles, and see the fault
in this man. ÔHis heart was not right in him,Õ as a result he thought that the Gift
of God could be purchased with money. You cannot pay for this Holy Ghost with money, you
have to pay for the Holy Ghost with a sacrifice of dying out to your pride, to your
lust, to your self, this is the price. Instead of this man choosing to pay the
price that God required, which was the price of self denial, the man offered money and
took the easy way. Do you know what he done? Hear the words of Peter,
Acts 8:20 <É because thou hast
thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. >
He devalued the greatest gift
of God that was ever offered to man, (which was ÔZoe, GodÕs own lifeÕ) to
dollars and cents.
Let me tell you something and
all under the sound of my voice and wherever this tape may go, and eventually
wherever the book may: all that deny the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit and
treat it as a common thing; you are going through the Tribulation. This Gift of
God that I am preaching must have the highest estimation, because it is God coming
down to tabernacle in human flesh in His fullness, in the Bride, collectively
by the fullness of the Godhead bodily. With all that he saw, he did not have
the correct evaluation
of the Gift of God and devalued it to dollars and cents.
Anytime you devalue this
Promise that I am preaching, excuse yourself to commit fornication, adultery, dress as you want, be a
hypocrite and go out there and break your virginity as a young woman, you
devalue the Gift of God, the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit. When you could lie
about your pastor, you are going to end up like Simon the Sorcerer.
When you devalue the Promise
of God into such a place, that you could bind yourself together with unsaved
people to provoke
the church, you are in trouble. DonÕt you know thatÕs a Judas spirit that
went out and join with the organizations to come against Jesus? DonÕt you know
the same spirit that was upon Simon the Sorcerer was upon Judas? I donÕt want
to shun to declare the whole counsel of God to you. I want to show you why this
man did not get the Holy Ghost and I want to help you not to fall into that
same pit.
Now if we do not do what Simon
the Sorcerer done and what Judas done we are going to get it, friends. There were others by
the thousands
that got it in Samaria but this manÕs failure was recorded in the Bible for our
edification, to show us today what we should not do if we want to get the Holy
Spirit.
You cannot sit down in the
House of God, take sides with backsliders, speak evil against your pastor, and
speak evil against his family, saying that they want to rob you of this and
that. Watch out! Be careful! You cannot curse the pastorÕs son when he tries to
greet you because of hatred in your heart. You cannot run down the pastorÕs
wife. You cannot run down your brethren. You cannot run down the deacons
because they corrected you. It is
going to come up at the judgement when that Token outpouring comes; God is
going to remind
you of that. He will remind you
and you will be pulled out of the line.
My God! May God have mercy upon His children and let not one of you fall
into that category,
misbehave yourself in public as a prostitute over the Internet, talking to
unsaved men and flirting with them. It is going to come up on that Day of
Judgement. Hell will be your portion! Unless you repent, IÕm telling you,
believe this little preacher if you ever believed him, this is going to be the
happenings just like I tell you. The Holy Spirit is going to come and call out
your sins, and that man who is going to lay his hands upon you, instead of
telling you something in your ears, the Holy Spirit will discern you and say,
keep out of this line before you drop dead because this is a judgement
ministry. You are not going to get the Holy Spirit. Thou art in the gall of
bitterness and the bond of iniquity.Ó
Yes sir! These things are going to happen.
Now, there were certain
thoughts going through SimonÕs heart and that was the important thing, that
Peter discerned and told him that he could not have any part nor lot with this.
He said, Òthe thoughts of thy heartÉ peradventure that God will forgive you for
it.Ó God never forgave him for that. What was the great crime? Someone may say, ÒThis man came
and asked for the Holy Ghost like anybody and he walked with some money, I
figure he should get it.Ó Yes. ThatÕs the carnal, human thinking. That was not
the crime, the crime was not the money. The crime was the devaluation of the gift of God. He considered
that gift of God as nothing, that it could be purchased with money. You are not going to buy this gift of
God with money. You are not going
to buy this Outpouring of the Holy Ghost with dollars and cents. You are not
going to come into this Outpouring by your works of righteousness. You are not
going to come into this, by covering your sins and hiding your sins. You are
going to get it by total repentance! Your
heart got to be right! ÔUpper Room: HeartsÕ Condition!Õ It got to be right! You cannot have evil inside of you!
And in the heart of Simon the Sorcerer was evil. You say,
ÒEvil?Ó I am saying, ÔevilÕ. When
there is evil inside of you, your mouth will speak it out.
Matthew 12:34 <Éout of the abundance
of the heart the mouth speaketh.>
You will judge your brothers
for wanting to steal your property. You will judge your pastor for wanting to
steal your money, because your heart is evil. You will gossip with your
children, gossip with your brothers and sisters against the actions and decisions
of the pastor and it is going to come up, when the man gets ready to turn the
keys to the Kingdom in your life.
It will be a day of reckoning. And it is going to be very serious, with
weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth! The foolish virgins will be rejected.
And they will be sent through the tribulation to purge out their slanderous
tongues, their grumbling ways, their murmurings and their complaining. Their brawlings that could be heard in the neighbourhood, right
in the presence of their pastors. Some lie to both man and God, speak wickedly
and when they are challenged about it, they lie to cover up their nasty
tongues. The hour is coming and
there will be a lot of repentance and some repentance will be in vain.
Watch Simon. He never came there
and asked
for complete deliverance. When you are a witch and you lived so vile and you
meet a man of God, the first thing you want to know is that your sins are
forgiven and you are completely delivered from such wicked spirits. He never
asked for deliverance from such demons; he never asked to be born again; he
never asked for the Holy Ghost. ÒBrother Bruce, I think you contradicted the
Scriptures.Ó No sir, the man never
asked for the Holy Ghost. Then you say, ÒWhat did the man ask for?Ó He asked
for the Keys
to the Kingdom. Think of what IÕm saying. Peter had the power that whosoever he
laid his hands upon, they might receive the Holy Ghost, and that was such a
gift, they had to send him from Jerusalem. Hear the gift this sorcerer is
asking for. He said, ÒGive me the
same power that whosoever I lay my hands upon they will also receive the Holy
Ghost. Here is some money. Pass it under the table, brother. Take a million
dollars, give me the thing.Ó His heart was not right in him. Everybody was
asking for deliverance, everybody was asking for birth, everybody was asking
for a little piece of the Holy Ghost. ÒGive me the Holy Ghost, Brother Peter.Ó
This man wanted the Keys. IÕm saying the man wanted the Keys.
Why did he want the Keys? And
why would he pay money? He was making an investment that would bring him profit
in the later days and he was going to charge everybody that he gave the Holy
Ghost, he was going to charge them double! And the man had in mind to regain
his popularity as Ôthe great power of God.Õ
He did not want to give up. He
did not want to lose that position. And you heretics down there in Africa, Japan
and India, Europe, Philippines, North America, and the Western world, you donÕt
want to lose your position! That is why you reject E.O.D.H.! Your hour is
coming and you would have no part nor lot in the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit!
This manÕs heart was full of
evil. He was a make-believer and he was just staying quiet and thought that
somehow, he could buy this power and the Keys to the kingdom. You cannot buy
the Keys! God has to give the Keys to you by a revelation of the Son of Man. In
the sorcerer was an evil heart of unbelief, he was making an investment. He did
not care if he paid a million dollars for that power. He wanted to come into
the Church of God as the great power of God. ÔExcept a man humble himself, he
shall in no wise enter the Kingdom of God.Õ And this man did not humble his pride, he was not willing to
give up his popularity.
He was willing to recapture all those people when he received great power. And
now he had plans to take over from Peter, and share out the Holy Ghost at a price.
Friends, this Holy Ghost is
free. Anybody who is collecting money from the people by the millions like Mr. Cuffy, Oral Roberts, Billy Graham and all these
billionaires through the Gospel, they cannot give anyone the token, they donÕt
have the Holy Ghost. You have got to be empty to receive this Holy Ghost
outpouring. You cannot have a lying tongue in your mouth. You cannot have a
slanderous tongue. You cannot speak evil of your brothers and sisters. You
cannot behave as a brawler and carryon like an ungodly woman, ungodly man. You
cannot go after women; you cannot lust. You cannot compromise with your house
and hide the sins of your children and get away with it! You cannot! You have
got to be honest and sincere in your heart. You cannot push your children to be
money-makers and have a money-making spirit and enter the Kingdom of God. No,
friends. It is going to show up at
that time of the Token. You see, whatever is in your heart will be reflected.
If you have a vision of life, your words and your life will reflect that.
There are people who are
willing to sell their souls for the world. They are willing to conspire against
their pastor, like Judas. They are willing to take sides with backsliders and
are willing to work against the church of God. They are full of hate, jealousy,
evil speaking and they will hate you because you corrected them. If you let such evil sit in your heart
like Simon the sorcerer and devalue this Outpouring that I am preaching about, it is going to
backfire one of these days. He never asked for life, if you donÕt have life
first place and it is not your vision, you are not going to get the
Outpouring.
If you are not after
deliverance of your soul, with all those things, that you know are in you, you
are not going to get it. If you donÕt plead, ask, knock and seek, you
are not going to get this Outpouring of the Holy Spirit. You have got to be desperate after the
Token and thatÕs the only way you are going to get it. That was the condition
of the SorcererÕs heart. He was not after life. He was not seeking the Holy
Ghost. He was not crying for his deliverance. No. The man wanted power like
Peter. He wanted to be a Peter, something that Philip never even desired, but
this Sorcerer, came from doing his witchcraft, working some obeah and thatÕs
his desire. You are full of pride, self and lust! That is why you could think
that way. When people want a big chunk of this world and anybody who seems like
they are going to touch it becomes their enemy, and they will run down their
name, as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. We
better get our hearts right. Now Peter knew what he was talking about: ÒThy
heart is not right within thee, and you just took a thought there that you may
never be forgiven for.Ó He did not
want to make it hard on the man. There are people who donÕt want to die-out,
they rather pay their tithes and rely on that, they rather give a big offering
and rely on that but they donÕt want to die-out. God did not want money. No. He
wanted the price of sacrifice. God donÕt want your money, your tithes and your
offerings, He does not want those things. He wants you to die out. Die out from
that evil tongue! Die out from the wickedness of your heart! Die out from the
evil thoughts of your heart! Your judgemental attitude to your brothers and
sisters, that is what God wants. People donÕt want to die out. They donÕt want
to die out from their jealousy, hatred and disobedience. They rather obey a
backslider than their pastors. You are not going to get the Token! You better
pray that you die
before that Outpouring comes. You will be better off dead. I am telling you the
truth. Because if you miss this Token you are going through the Tribulation!
Acts 8:18-25 <And when Simon saw that
through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered
them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he
may receive the Holy Ghost.
But Peter said unto him, Thy money
perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be
purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy
heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness,
and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I
perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye
to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon
me.
And they, when they had testified and
preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel
in many villages of the Samaritans.>
What are you offering for
this Outpouring? What are you relying upon? Your tithes? Your attendance in
church? When you run down somebody, you miss church for two or three days, two,
three weeks, and when you do wrong you partially repent in a roundabout way?
ÒMealy-mouthedÓ, talk in a roundabout way, and you call that repentance? You
liar you! You have not repented. Every evil word that is spoken against a man
of God, the Church of God, the brethren, must be repented for! God is hearing
you! Peter said,
Acts 8:20 <ÉThy money perish with
theeÉ>
And I say that Ôyour house
perish with thee. Your tithes perish with thee. Your land perish with you,
until you repent.Õ God is not interested in your land, your house and your
money and all those things. He wants
you to die
out from all your wicked ways.
He wants your heart to be cleansed.
Matthew 12:34 <É for out of the
abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.>
You think that the paying of tithes is
going to purchase you this Outpouring?
Your attendance in Bethel is going to get you the Holy Ghost? By wearing a Christian dress is going
to get you the Holy Ghost?
No! There are tons of
wickedness in people, that are secretly in their hearts. People will be told
that they cannot get the Holy Ghost Outpouring, that in this Outpouring they
have no part nor lot. ThatÕs a
horrible judgment. What it boils down to is evil in the heart. That is why people
could talk with such wicked mouths.
The attitude of the sorcerer
amounts to blasphemy of the Holy Ghost.
The only sin that shall not be forgiven men is the blasphemy of the Holy
Ghost.
Matthew 12:31 <Wherefore I say unto
you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the
blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.>
He devalued the Holy
Ghost. He wanted to buy the Holy
Ghost with money. He spat in the
face of God.
I imagine that SimonÕs wife,
children and some of his former disciples stood there. Peter could not tell this man that He
blasphemed the Holy Ghost, and is gone forever. He had to speak in suggestive
terms, but he knew what happened.
Acts 8:23 <For I perceive that thou
art in the gall of bitterness, and [in] the bond of iniquity.>
You are swimming in gall.
What was in the man? The bond of iniquity. In other words,
you know not to do that. You know
not to speak evil. You know not to
run down the righteous. You know
that brother, that sister is living a righteous life, and do that, then, you
are in the bond of iniquity.
Iniquity means that you know it, you are not ignorant. You understand
the Word of God, but, you do it against your conscience.
Simon the sorcerer was that
man in history named, ÔSimon MagnusÕ.
He left that area of Samaria and went to Rome. He became a Nicolaitan that was instrumental in the
formation of the Catholic Church.
The iniquity that was inside of Simon the sorcerer is expressed in the
Catholic Church. That is how much
evil and iniquity there was in that man.
What great evil. That is
how people do not
get the Holy Ghost, is when their hearts are not right and they refuse to
make it right. Brethren, we donÕt
have to wait for that time. If
there is something that is not right, make it right today, and we will be candidates
for that Outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Thank you Father, for the
boldness of speech. Thank you for deliverance for Your people. Thank You so much Lord. Bless your children today. Lord, and
let this Word go deep down into their hearts, we pray in the Name of Jesus
Christ. Amen.