THE CHURCH OF GOD OF PROPHECY

47 Pine Hill

Centreville, AL 35042

PASTOR: Leonard Chance

(205) 926-7706

www.thegreatspeckledbird.org

WHEN THE ENEMY SHALL COME IN LIKE A FLOOD

ST. JOHN 1:1—In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

“And the Word was with God,” I want you to remember that. God is the Word! The Word was with God. Wherever God is, the Word is with Him. Whatever God is doing it is the Word!

ST. JOHN 1:6-9—There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.” He was not that Light but he came to bear Witness of the Light. The chief Priest and Elders sent messengers unto him, saying, “Who are thou?” Art thou the Christ?

ST. JOHN 1:20-23—And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? That we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

Art thou the Christ? John answered, no! Art thou that Prophet? No! What Prophet were they asking him about? They’re asking him, “Art thou Elijah?” Art thou the Prophet Jesus said would come? John said, I am not the Christ.” I am not Elijah. Who art thou then? We have to have an answer, who are you?

“I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord.” Make His Path Straight! That Path is Straight and it’s going to stay Straight! Nobody is going to make a crooked way in this Path and make it stand. John came bearing Witness that Jesus would come after him! His shoes John were not worthy to bear. He would Prophesy! He would Save! He would draw his people together. Jesus is the centerpiece of the human race even to this very day.

We can thank God that John came Bearing Witness of the Redeemer. That Witness is True and it will last forever. We can abide in this Vine! Serve God and bear fruit regardless of who opposes this Word of Truth! I’ve brought you this far now I want to carry you a little further. We have the opportunity right now to reach people and we are using it.

There is One Body of Christ! There is only One; “The” Church of God of Prophecy! Only One “The” Church of God of Prophecy! Not Church of God of Prophecy as some have tried to change the name but there is but One “The” Church of God of Prophecy. It isn’t the enemy! It’s the Body of Christ; the Bride of the Redeemer!

ISAIAH 59:19—So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.

“When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a Standard against him.” THE ENEMY: there is ONE enemy! I didn’t write this Book. Did you know that this Gospel has been preached since the beginning of 1903 all across the earth? People around the world have heard of The Church of God of Prophecy. “So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun.” The United States is the West Country!

God brought up the Standard ten years after the enemy came in like a flood! Now even the enemy wants a flag but not God’s. There is but One “The” Church of God of Prophecy Banner! Folks are getting rid of it; they’re leaving the Church Teachings! It is a dangerous thing for you will not return. If you leave The Church of God of Prophecy you Shall Not Return! When you go in to another there is no way back! “The enemy”, notice there is no “s” on this enemy, one enemy. It is not the Devil in the spirit; the enemy is the Devil in the flesh! There is no way the Devil is going to come in here and divide THIS Banner or divide THIS Doctrine or destroy the House of Salvation! He has to use people and people he will use.

SONG OF SOLOMON 3:1-3—By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?

“The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? I talked to the watchmen about it. I talked to the Prophets. This is Bishop Tomlinson studying the Commandments of the Old Testament trying to seek out the True Path, the Church of the Living God! But he could not find it.

SONG OF SOLOMON 3:4—It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.

“I found him whom my soul loveth.” I caught him and held him “Until I had brought him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.” There was no Church called The Church of God! There were several other denominations but none of them were called The Church of God!

SONG OF SOLOMON 3:6—Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all of the powders of the merchant?

“Who is this?” Several years ago some folks came up with some great, great interpretations to tell everybody how Fields of the Wood got its name. They said that the loggers cut timber and they rolled them down the mountain until it was a field of nothing but timber. I can tell you for a fact: that’s a lie and I will prove it to you! You have heard a lot of lies and people have been persuaded to believe them but I want you to know the Real Truth! Tomlinson found The Church of God on top of Burger Mountain! He found the Church of God! He was alone!

How do I know they didn’t cut logs and roll them down and call that Fields of the Wood? Right there down the Mountain was W. F. Bryan’s house. We’ve heard a lot of liars trying to denounce the Spirit of Truth and the Teachings of The Church of God of Prophecy Doctrine for more than a hundred years now!

It’s called Fields of the Wood because God called it so and said that was where the Church would arise! No, they did not cut any timber and roll it down! Bryan was living there. Tomlinson was a sleep in his bed. He got up that Sunday morning and climbed the Mountain and God showed him the Vision of the Rising Church of God, THE CHURCH OF GOD! She came out of those woods like Pillars of Smoke, Pillars of the Holy Ghost’s Power!

Have you ever seen the Holy Smoke of God in the Houses of God, in the Tabernacles, in the Assemblies? Of course you have! She came out of the wilderness with pillars of Smoke with all the powers of the merchants. She has something to sell to the world. God has something to sell and it’s called His Doctrine!

PSALM 132:6-7—Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood. We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool.

“We found it in the Fields of the Wood” and what we found we are not giving up! You’re foolish if you let some dumb dog come along and tell you something different! This is the Church of the Living God! It’s the Pillar and the Crown of Truth! For anybody else to use The Church of God of Prophecy: I’m going to tell you what will happen to them. There is but One “The” Church of God! A. J. Tomlinson found The Church of God! It was the Apostles that named The Church of God! The Holy Ghost was the Head of the Church and the Holy Ghost made all the appointments! When there was somebody found that wasn’t true or worthy they were let out. I know for a fact it is the Holy Ghost that named The Church of God!

ACTS 20:28—Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

Remember, the Holy Ghost made you Overseers! Why? To feed The Church of God of which Christ purchased with His own blood! Somebody said it is put into the power of the man in the highest office that he can over rule the minority. Let me tell you something, they said, “Well it was but 92 people that stood up,” I say wait a minute, when you talk about over-ruling The Church of God of Prophecy, that one man that has the power to over rule or to change things or to do remember this, ten Elders, not ninety but ten Elders carried Bishop Tomlinson to court and kept him tied up for ten years and utterly failed. I want to under line they failed! They had to leave the Church!

God has never given any man, not even A. J., power to change this Written Word!! No man has the power to change the Word! Not even ole John. When ole John came up against adultery, he had to tell ole Harold, “It’s not right for you to have your brother’s wife!” He couldn’t change the Word! Nobody on earth has power to change the Word, the Written Word! No man has been given power to rule The Church of God of Prophecy!

We have to ask ourselves what was the General Assembly for? It was given to study the Scripture and to seek out the Truth! Not to rule The Church of God of Prophecy but to seek out the Scriptures by the Holy Ghost to learn the meaning of the Written Word! If He was the man that made the early Church and fed The Church of God He is still the man to make the Latter Day Reign feed The Church of God of Prophecy! We’re the same Body of Christ and the Holy Ghost is still the same Holy Ghost!

I am reminded of how things can get so confusing. The Devil loves confusion: he’s the father of confusion. When a wolf comes in among the sheep they get fearful and scatter just what he wants them to do. “By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth.” I DID, I was alone. “I sought him, but I found him not.” So where did all these others come from? We’ve come to a place where we hear, “I don’t know”, well the Light has not gone out in the House of God! The Church of God of Prophecy is still carrying the Torch for the Lord! We have come to the place where people are so confused but the Lord is going to wash the filth out of Mount Zion! If you are in the filth; out you will go! Nothing is going to be left but the purged Saints of God! Do not leave The Church of God of Prophecy for any reason or for anyone. Stay with the Body of Christ! Stand Strong in the House of the Lord and make your Proclamation sure! Nobody until June 13th, 1903 ever fulfilled this Scripture! Sometimes we have to go back to the old Landmark and be reminded.

SONG OF SOLOMON 2:11-13—For, low, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

“The winter is past”, that would be March and the Church rose in June. All these things have been preached for years and now people are asking, “Is it really, is this truly the Church where all the Scriptures fit!”

People say all our leaders back yesterday didn’t know what they were talking about. Hey, this is the Word of God and the Word of God knows what it’s talking about! The Church lived in the Word! It must return to living in this Word! The Holy Ghost is not leaving it! You may leave it but He is not leaving this Word!

John came up and said; “It’s not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife,” so off went his head, but he would not compromise! The Backbone of the Church will never compromise! It is not going into the enemy! This Flag will never fly in the enemy’s camp! They cannot stand it! It rose on the day God said it would rise. It came up and it will last!

You can rest assured that no matter how many dogs bark, you’d better listen to the Word and the Spirit of Truth! You only have this one opportunity. If you have a Vision keep it! If you’re in THE Church of God of Prophecy stay there and don’t let anybody rock your boat!

When they sent messengers to ole John he didn’t jump up and say, “I’m the Christ.” He said; no, I’m not! I’m not the Christ and I’m not Elijah! Who are you then? He didn’t put on any big airs. He said I’m just a voice crying in the wilderness. Prepare ye the way of the Lord. This Church belongs to the Lord!

This will help you. Somebody said, well, “Paul didn’t write,” well Paul did write. These are his words. We have too many people that know too much about what they don’t know anything about! This is what Paul said.

ACTS 20:29—For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

“For I know this, that after my departure grievous wolves shall come in”, men of old, ordained of old, ordained by whom, God? No, the Devil! God didn’t ordain them! We hear all the time, “Now don’t try to judge anybody. Don’t judge. God is the judge.” God is the judge but as John said; I’m not that light! The Light of God will show who is in the Dark! Those that are in sin cannot Shine this Light! You mean to tell me I’m not suppose to know the moon from the sun? I can’t tell who’s a whoremonger or that a man in his rightful marriage? I have to have somebody come by and tell me it’s ok now to go out and get into adultery?