The Parousia of I Thessalonians 4:16

(Based upon notes compiled by Brian Kocourek)

Parousia or Coming of Christ – Part II

Couple dozen, maybe, will pass over the prayer line. All want to come. You may think that He has passed you by, but He hasn't. He is just testing you, just seeing if you really will believe Him. The vision doesn't heal; the vision only vindicates His Presence. (And Their Eyes Were Opened - 57-0421.3E.)

He was alive, and many people that loved Him didn't know it. And that's the same as it is today. There is many people today that love the Lord, and don't realize. You could tell them about it, and yet they can't recognize that He's alive forevermore, tonight, that He is here in this church tonight, that He is in the midst of us, and will be till He comes in the physical, corporal body. "I'll never leave thee nor forsake thee."

He might do that to you, too. He might make you think that He is going to go on by, but He won't. He won't go by. He just wants you to invite Him.

Then when God pours down His Spirit, and shows signs of His resurrection, we condemn It and turn away. And that's unforgivable sin, to do that. Jesus said, "Speak one word against It, it will never be forgiven, in this world or the world to come." So that Spirit has to come in this last days, to prove that Word of God to be true.

And I say, under the authority of God's Word, and the feeling of my own soul: that same Holy Ghost (Spirit) is right here now in the midst of this people. Now, I claimed that He has raised from the dead. I claimed He is alive, alive forevermore. I claimed He is the same yesterday, today, and forever; the same in principle, the same in Power; the same in everything, all but His corporal body which sits at the right hand of God and the Majesty, in Glory. But the Holy Spirit is here, working, moving, performing, doing just exactly like Jesus Christ did, for it's the proof of His resurrection. What a beautiful hour! Now I guess you see where I stand.

Look this a way, sister, just a moment. Believe that the Lord Jesus is present to help you. The Presence of the Lord Jesus is here.

Now do you believe? Now have faith in God. While I'm praying for her, pray for yourself out there, and believe God. He's here, omnipresent.

That's the way to do it, believe! What did he touch? I never seen the man; but he was healed right there. He touched the Lord Jesus Who is present here. Take away that unbelief from you! Forget about me being William Branham. Look at Jesus Christ, He's the One that's here. I challenge your faith, in Christ's Name, to forget about me; and believe that this is the Lord Jesus here, and see what will happen. (And Their Eyes Were Opened - 57-0421.3E.)

There you are. The omnipresence of the living God! I challenge your faith. "If thou canst believe!" Now, He has risen from the dead. He is here with us. That's Him! That's the very things He did when He was here on earth. Two thousand years has passed, He is still alive, and He is alive forevermore. (And Their Eyes Were Opened - 57-0421.3E.)

When a man stands and says he's a minister, a pastor of a church somewhere, and he does not believe that Jesus Christ is the same in every detail except the physical body,) same yesterday, today, forever, that's the seed of discrepancy. (Seed of Discrepancy - 65-0118.)

Said, "Now I want to ask you something." Said, "What do you want?" He said, "Let a double portion of Your Spirit come upon me." That's the way to—for it. Don't be scared. Ask for a whole lot. Jesus said, "You have not because you believe, ask not. You have not because you believe not. Ask abundantly that your joys may be full." Ask a whole lot! God, just don't make me a little bit better, but make me all the way at all. Don't just let me have enough religion to make myself miserable. Kill me out so then that I might live in Christ. (Elijah and Elijah - 54-0304.)

I thought it made a text that we might study this before we go into the great teachings of the Seven Seals. Many miss Him by the way He reveals Himself. Now, man has their own ideas of what God ought to be and what God is going to do; and as I have made the old statement many times that man still remains man. Man is always giving God praise for what He did do, and always looking forward to what He will do, and ignoring what He is doing.

That's the way they miss it. They look back and see what a great thing He done, but they fail to see what a simple thing He used to do it with. See? And then they look forward and see a great thing coming that's going to happen, and nine times out of ten, it's already happening right around them, and it's so simple that they don't know it. (God in Simplicity - 63-0317.1M.)

Everywhere now there's no revival. Everybody's complaining, ministers crying. I was reading one of the outstanding papers that comes here to the church, a very fine paper. And I know the editor, and I know the people. And they're godly people, very fine, Brother and Sister Moore, of the Herald of His Coming, one of the finest papers on the field, Herald of His Coming. But they hardly will print anything unless it's about, "Fast, pray, fast, pray! Sound a trumpet! Get..." How many reads it? You know, you see it all the time. "Fast, pray, fast, pray!" That's all you hear. "Fast, pray! We're going to have a great breaking of the day! There's a great thing going to happen! All of you pray, pray, pray! We're not too late yet!"

Why do they do that? Why do they do that? They want a great awakening. They're crying, believing that there will be awakened. They're good people. Why is it? What have they done? They have not recognized the awakening of the Bride. See? By being a Christian they feel the pull of the hour, but they haven't recognized what's been done. That's what's making them feel that way. They know something is supposed to happen; but see, they are looking for it way off in the future to come, when it's already happened right by you.

That's the same thing they did in the old days. They was believing in a coming Messiah. They believed that there'd be a forerunner come. But it was right on them and they didn't know it. They didn't recognize it. (Recognizing Your Day and It's Message - 64-0726.1M.)

If I die in my tracks, my Absolute is Jesus Christ; upon that I believe. (The Absolute - 62-1230M.)

God, in Jesus Christ's Name, I pray that You'll anoint these handkerchiefs with Your Holy presence; for it's written in the Word. (Greatest Battle Ever Fought - 62-0311.)

You can never come in the Presence of God again when you turn down the Holy Ghost and make fun of It.

Take me, Lord, while we're in Your presence. Just take the Word; wring our hearts. God, right now, pull the world and the care of the world away from us. Let us be consecrated Christians, oh, God, to be loving, and kind, and sweet, bearing the fruit of the Spirit. (Indictment - 63-0707.)

Oh, in this great hour of darkness and chaos over the earth, we should be the happiest people in the whole earth. To rejoice, to know... All the time, when people are indocumated, and all kinds of isms and things in the earth ... And yet, today, the real living God, by His Word and by His visible evidence, shows us that He's here with us. Working, moving, living, acting just exactly as He always did. What a privileged people that we are to have this. We ought to. .. The Bible said, then, in the 2nd chapter, "We should hold fast these things. Because, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?" (Hebrews Ch5&6 #I - 57-0908.1M.)

For He said, "Surely they are My people, children that will not lie: so was their Saviour. In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them: (Isaiah 63:8-9.)

I believe that the presence of the Lord is here. (Where Is He King of the Jews - 85-1228M.)

God is in His Church to continue His works. That's why He sent the Holy Ghost. (What Is the Holy Ghost - 59-1216.)

And the same Spirit was in Jesus Christ is among us today, manifesting Himself continually to the people, by the same signs, same wonders, giving them the same Holy Ghost, speaking with the same kind of tongues, giving the same kind of interpretation, seeing visions, moving out, healing the sick, just exactly like He did at the beginning. God is in His people!

Now, this Angel of the Lord, if it doesn't perform and do the same works that Jesus did, then it's not the Spirit was on Jesus. But if It does the same works that Jesus does; because, He said, "He that believeth on Me, the works that I do, shall he also." (Let Us See God - 59-1129.)

Then we realized how little we are when we realize how great He is, and how close we come in of coming to His Presence. Somehow or another, it's always throwed a great effect upon people to come into the Presence of God.

I've seen the time in my ministry when you would see the Presence of God come into such a place that it would bring a person up and just reveal the life to them, and call out their sins of all kinds of immoral acts, and it bring such a holy hush amongst the people till they'd drop out of the prayer line before they ever come up to be prayed for, and run to the altar and get right with God before they come up into His Presence. See, there's something about coming into the Presence of God that causes things to happen. I've seen people laying in cots and stretchers.

In the Presence of God! Great preachers who's been able, by the Word of God, to bring the Presence of God to an audience. Far be it that man would ever be so seared in their hearts till they could never recognize the Presence of God. Far be it!

Psalms 16:8, David said, "I have set the Lord before me." That's a good thing to do. Psalms 16:8, "I have set the Lord before me." So, he could not be confused about it. He wanted to be conscious of His Presence, so David said, "I have set the Lord always before my face. Now I, David, have set the Lord before my face, always to be conscious of God's Presence."

Wouldn't that be a good lesson for all of us tonight? Set the Lord before our face so we'll be conscious of His Presence. Put Him first. Why? Put Him first, before you. Why? Then you won't sin when you are realizing that constantly you're in the Presence of God. When you realize God's around, you watch what you say.

But I want to talk a little bit about myself. What could been any lower than me? Where was I? Come out of a family of drunkards, come out of a family of murderers, come out of a family of bootleggers. And you know that, every one of you know it, know what kind of a name we had here. People didn't speak to us on the street. I'd go downtown, start to talk to somebody, nobody would talk to me unless somebody wasn't around. They'd talk to me, somebody else come up, they'd leave me. And I'd stand there and cry, "No, this ain't so, it can't be so. This is wrong."

But one day I come into the Presence of God. He changed me and made me another kind of son. His grace brought me into His Presence. I've never wanted to leave it. I've been in here now thirty some odd years, I don't want to leave it. I've got the assurance that I'll always be there. Even death itself will never separate me from His Presence. No, I'll be with Him forever. When I seen His Presence the first time, I cried like Isaiah, "Woe is me." Then He touched me with His grace. I was a changed person. The little renegade that used to get out here and carry on and everything, was changed, and since then I've been His child. Since then, I've desired to give my whole life for His service, only wish I had ten thousand more lives to give for Him. This one's getting pretty well wore out now, fifty-three years has passed. About thirty-three of those has been, or thirty-two of those has been in the Gospel. I wish I had another thousand that I could spend. Why? When I once into His Presence and realized that there was Somebody Who loved the unlovable, there was Somebody loved me when no one else did, there was Somebody Who cared for me when no one else cared. I put my arms around His cross, I embraced it to me, and me and Him become one then. And from then on I've loved Him. He stained my bosom and my heart with His Blood, by touching me and forgiving my sins, and I'm happy tonight to be one of His. I never desire to leave this Heavenly place, though the tempter to persuade me oft has tried; but I'm safe in God's pavilion and happy in His love and grace, and I'm living on the hallelujah side. My! It makes my heart rejoice.

I'm recommending Him to every weary person. I'm recommending Him to you that have no hope. You that's never been in His Presence, the only thing you have to do is confess your sins and realize that you're wrong, and God has that Angel ordained tonight, called the Holy Ghost, that'll take all your sins away. Then you'll cry, "Lord, here am I, send me." Then you'll raise your hands and sing, "I will praise Him! I will praise Him! Praise the Lamb for sinners slain. Give Him glory, all ye people, for His Blood has washed away each stain." I love Him. Don't you? Living in His Presence! (In His Presence - 62-0909.2E.)

Now, to stay out of His presence is death. Then, to enter His presence was death. See? It changes back and forth, and you must find the Scripture to see what day we're living in. (Mighty God Unveiled Before Us - 64-0629.)

Since the Holy Ghost is come in this last days as prophesied, and the veil has been rent, too many people try to hang to their traditions of their fathers; and that's why they can't see this extreme joy, and peace, and things that the church has today. Yet it's in plain view of those who believe.

I'd had a meeting at the Ramada; and we'd been speaking at the Business Man's Convention, where the Lord Jesus had come present and done great things. Look what's happening, and look what He promised, then you see where we are at. Get the thing together. You can see the unveiling of this great and mighty One. Traditions has blinded the people again to these great things that's been prophesied.

They broke through those veils into the presence of God where they see the manifested promise of this hour made manifest before the people. They see what God promised. (Mighty God Unveiled Before Us - 64-0629.)

Signs of His coming appearing, everywhere we see it push out in the Word. We hear the Holy Spirit come tell us certain things that's fixing to happen. (Influence of Another - 62-1013.)

See what God was saying, Isaiah to see? The holiness, the purity of God, and the reverence that we should do in His presence. (Influence of Another - 62-1013.)

But my opinion, that if we can see the Presence and know that Jesus Christ is here, what more do you need, when the whole congregation is praying at one time? See? That's when the power of the Lord falls, when the Word is known. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing of the Word." When the Word is being preached, and It's the Truth, and God proving His Presence, that should do the work right there. (Go Wake Jesus - 63-1130A.)

May He come tonight among us, and open our eyes by revealing Himself to us by the same things that He did when He was here on earth, because He promised He's the same yesterday, today and forever. May the Lord help us to see Him as He appears to us.

You know you're in for judgment, and it's coming, because you've blasphemed the Holy Ghost, and you've turned down the resurrected Jesus Christ. Exactly. Their eyes are closed, they don't know it.

Be real reverent now, just a few minutes. Think! We're in the presence of the judge of heaven and earth. How reverent would you be if you could see Him standing here? You'd be on your knees screaming, and crying and everything. But He's here. He promised it. "Where two or three are gathered in my name ..." That don't mean 'cause you just been said you... was the name. That means in his name, "I am in their midst." (When Their Eyes Were Opened - 64-0312.)

And the church has heard of God, they've read of Him, and what He did, and the promises He made, but now we see Him with our eyes (just the same as Job did), "I've heard of Thee, but now I see Thee." My what a difference. (I Have heard But Now I See - 65-1127.2E.)

Then when every creature has heard the Gospel, then Jesus will return again. Did you ever stop to think this morning; as far as returning—that is to become visible, He's already here with us now. Now today, just imagine that His Presence being here today. The Lord Jesus is with us now in another world or another dimension, right here today in the Form of Spirit, our eyes can't see Him, because that they're physical. Yet, unless something would happen that we could see vision... but He is here just as visible, just as real as He was the day He spoke to Mary at the grave, or He met Cleopas on his road to Emmaus. His presence is here. It can be felt with that inner charge that's on the inside of the human body called the new birth. (I Know My Redeemer Liveth - 55-0410S.)

The Church of the Living God someday will be united under one great head and that will be the Head of God, God into the unity of the Body of Christ will be Governor and the King and the Lord over the entire Church under His control. Then She will be received up.

I say as God's servant by a message from an Angel, who anointed and has proven to the people that Jesus is here and the message is right. (Tower of Babel - 58-0129.)

And notice, while they spake about Him, talked about Him, He appeared. That's a good way to get Him around you. Talk about Him all the time! Amen. Keep your conversation, not old news or what the next play comes up on the television or the next movies gonna come or who's gonna be elected president! Talk about Jesus. Christians talk about everything else but Christ in these days. Go out on all we got is a bunch of nonsense and everything. They want to talk about something, but never talking about Christ. Talk about Him. Sing about Him. Love Him and keep Him in your heart all the day and night. David said, "He'd bind the Laws upon his fingers and bedposts," and He would go before him all the time. That's the way. Keep Him before you in memory, thought, praise, speech, all that you do keep Christ before you. That's the way you keep Him near you.

While they were talking about Him, He appeared on the scene unknown to them! Many people that really loved Him didn't know that He had raised from the dead. And that's, oh, if that isn't a true sense of the Word tonight, I don't know what is. Many of the people that really love the Lord Jesus can't understand that He's here. He's in this building right now, He's moving in and out of the people. The resurrected Lord Jesus. It's so hard for people to see that. Look, you sitting along in those chairs and cots and things, if you could see that, and believe it with all your heart and accept His Word, you'd go out of here tonight a well person. Yes! For He has risen from the dead.

Notice, walking with them, they loved Him and they didn't know it. They didn't know that he was. Many times He's been right along with you. There may be when you was about to have an accident, somehow you don't know what happened, something took place. That was Him. When a Doctor come over, said, "The baby, I don't see how it can live." And after a while the baby gets well. That was Jesus. He's here with you, oh how wonderful. (In His Presence - 62-0909E.)

No wonder God can't send a revival He's got nothing to build it on. Then He will take individuals, and build it on them individuals and declare a Lamb before the world. (Hybrid Religion - 60-1113.)

The Spirit of God that moves among the people, quickens the mind of the person to the promise of God. (The Easter Seal - 65-0410.)

It's got to realize it. Only that John Doe is God's attribute that's become a Word spoken, and then the Holy Spirit seeks that Word out. Here it is. He calls him, gives him everlasting life, and brings him into the presence of God, God's Word.

We were foreordained of God for this hour. The Word of God manifests Itself right through us, and we live in the presence of God, by the Word promise.

Christ is in this room. Just think, our Redeemer. Tony, He is here. (The Easter Seal - 65-0410.)

That's when I try to pray over this, when all the congregation, all is anointed with His Presence. (He Cares Do You Care - 63-0721.)

The Messiah is in our midst. The Son of God, in the form of the Holy Spirit, is in our midst. (Message of Grace - 61-0827.)

And that's the main thing, after all, is see people being borned again, coming into the Presence of God.

He's present. Wouldn't you like to live where you're conscious that the unseen world is right with you all the time? (Revelation Book of Symbols - 56-0617.)

We realize, Lord, that greatness doesn't mean numbers. Greatness is Your Presence. (Let Us See God - 59-1129.)

The Shekinah Glory and the Presence of God are the same. (True Easter Seal - 61-0402.)

But after His death, burial, and resurrection, and ascension into Glory, He received from God the future of the Church. Then He returned back to bring this Message to the Church, and this Message of His coming and the condition of His churches down through the Ages.

Has God made Hisself known unto you? Been revealed that He is the Son of God, Jesus Christ? God manifest in the flesh to take away sin. He's revealing Himself in these last days in His churches, making Hisself known. (Revelation of Jesus Christ - 60-1204.1M.)

So now instead of an Angel out there keeping them away from this Tree, it's out there driving them around to this Tree; the angels of the churches, "It's to every person," bringing them back to the Name of Jesus Christ who is the Tree of Life that stands in the Paradise of God.

In the evening time there would come a Light break forth in the West that would bring back the Son of righteousness again with healing in His wings. And the same signs and the same wonders that was done back here in the East will be done over here in the West, with another pouring out of the Holy Ghost in the last days. (Ephesian Church Age - 60-1205.)

And in the invisible union of the Church, the Bride to Christ, that Messenger is here now, which is Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Now, that don't heal, that just identified. That's the works that identifies the faith of the Presence of God, His Word made manifest. (Works Is Faith Expressed - 65-1126.)

When a man once comes into the Presence of God, he's changed forever, if there's any changing to him.

Then you won't sin when you are realizing that constantly you're in the Presence of God. When you realize God's around, you watch what you say. (In His Presence - 62-0909E.)

The sin question's over for you when you're standing in His presence. (You Must Be Born Again - 61-1231M.)

My ministry of this discernment and so forth, it'll soon end now... She's fixing to make another...what is it? His ever living presence with us. (Possessing the Enemy's Gate - 59-1108.)

Believing that He is risen from the dead, He lives today and He is the same, to keep every promise. That brings His Presence. (Where is He, King of the Jews, 58-1221M.)

I challenge any person in here, in the Name of Jesus Christ, to believe in His Presence.

Are you aware of His Presence? ... Then you see Him come down and speak, Himself. (Where Is He King of the Jews - 58-1221M.)

Being then baptized into this kingdom, we are now sitting in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, oh my, with our anointed King with us feasting on His Kingdom, promised Word, anointed and vindicated right among us.

The King and His Word is the same and it's within you, vindicating the hour that we're now living in. The promise that God made for this age, here we are, living with the King, sitting in heavenly places, watching Him doing these things. (World Falling Apart - 63-1127.)

Here's a far greater gift right here. Which would be the best, the gift of the Holy Ghost of wisdom to put the Word of God together and to show the church where we're standing, than just get somebody healed? We all want to be well; but I'd rather have my soul well than my body anytime. (Why Are We Not A Denomination - 58-0927.)

God's waiting on me and you. The church is waiting on me and you. Adoption time when God can pour into us His fulness, His power, His resurrection, that when the church and Christ become so close together till Christ becomes visible among us and raises the dead and we go into the rapture. (What the Holy Ghost Was Given For - 59-1217.)

Now when the Holy Ghost comes in and reveals the truth of anything and proves it by His own presence and by His Word, you can't expect the Pentecostal people to say, "I'll agree with it." You've got to stand alone like Luther did... (Questions & Answers - 59-1219.)

Her beautiful gown of His promised Word for the age that she's living in wrapped around her, vindicating her with Himself of Hebrews 13:8. (God of this Evil Age - 65-0801M.)

And so it is that Christ is here. The angels of Gos are here, and someday in the great Millennium to come it'll be just more real than television or anything else, because they are here. (Melchisedec, 65-0221E.)

The last trumpet like the last seal will be the coming of the Lord; it shall sound and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Just resting till that time. (Broken Cisterns - 64-0726E.)

What was the Message? Messiah is here now. There cannot be the presence of God without supernatural things happening. (Why It Had to Be Shepherds - 64-1221.)

My intentions and desires tonight is to awaken that church again to the coming of the Lord Jesus at hand. (Seed Is Not Heir With the Shuck - 65-0218.)

Now the complete fullness of the Godhead bodily dwells in His Church—the preeminence. (Christ Is the Mystery - 63-0728.)

Now to the life in the body is the vindication of the rapture is at hand. When you see the headstone and the body becoming one and the fullness of the measure of His manifestation shows the body is about ready to be received to the Headship.

The Headship and the body has become one unit. It's God manifested in His people.

God's proved Himself to His promise in this day. Hallelujah. The Head-ship is here, Christ the risen Lord. (Christ Is the Mystery - 63-0728.)

We know that is to take place in this day. We're wanting a Messiah, and God gave us the Messiah, His promised Word for this day. It's just waiting for somebody with faith to anoint it and make it live again. It's a real Messiah, It's the Word of God. (World Falling Apart - 63-1127.)

The Holy Ghost is the word of God in you that identifies Itself by accepting that word. (This Day This Scripture Is Fulfilled - 65-0219.)

Now I ask you, I can not be Him, but He is here, we are only a carrier.

I've read the Scripture with a dozen or more evidences that we're living in the last day, the generation that will see Jesus return to the earth, and I say to you tonight, This day this Scripture is fulfilled in your sight. (This Day This Scripture Is Fulfilled - 65-0219.)

The Token, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, is among us. We should reverence that. We can't humble ourselves enough. (Desperation - 63-0901E.)

If he is the same He's got to do everything the same except a corporal body. Now that body, when it comes, time shall be no more. How many knows that? That when Jesus comes in His literal body. But He's come now in the form of the Holy Ghost. (Hear Ye Him - 57-0310E.)

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