Christ Revealed in His Own Word #67

The Old and New Testament

Wednesday, January 7, 1997

Brian Kocourek, Pastor Grace Fellowship

 

This evening I would like to continue with this Message of Christ Revealed in His Own Word, and we will begin reading at PP. [71]

 

 [71] Now, remember, the Old Testament is not complete without the New. And the New could not be complete without the Old. That's the reason I said, two halves: one whole. For the prophet said, "He'll be here; He'll be here; He'll be here. ( Now I you to notice that he is speaking in future tense here,) They'll do this to Him; they'll do this to Him." (therefore the prophets spoke in future tense, which is prophetic). Now as he speaks of the New Testament, he say’s,  And here He is, "He was here; He was here. And they did this to Him, and they did this to Him." (Now by this he is speaking in the present or past tense).   

 

So then, in PP. [71] we hear Brother Branham telling us that the Old Testament represents the Promises made by God, concerning Himself and His Son, which is future tense. In other words, things which will happen, and have not as yet happened. That is what a promise is. Secondly, he tells is the New Testament represents manifestation, or fulfillment of those promises. Therefore, the Promises alone does not fully reveal  the complete revelation, because as long as it is still in the state of being a promise it is still in an incomplete condition. As long as we can still guess at what it means, there’s still room for error, so God interprets His Own Word by bringing it to pass. Therefore, the interpretation is the manifestation of the revelation. And when we see this interpretation, we then have a Word that has been made more sure, as we are told in  [2 Peter chapter 1]. 

 

Now, Sunday morning, in studying this point we further read from PP [72] Now, in order to study the Scripture... Paul told Timothy, "Study It, rightly dividing the Word of God which is Truth  (Let’s look at this statement here. [2 Tim 2:15]( The word rightly divide here is a Greek word which means to teach directly and correctly).  Now, notice how brother Branham puts this. He says, , "Study It, rightly dividing the Word of God which is Truth”.

 

Now Sunday we found that the right division of the Word is essential in our worship of God. For Jesus Said, “We must worship God in Spirit and in Truth.” And if we do not have the right division of the Word, then we have error. And we found in [Gen. 4] that although both Cain and Abel offered sacrifices to God, Cain’s sacrifice, although it was an excellent sacrifice, it was rejected, because it was wicked Now you might ask, how can it be both and excellent sacrifice and yet a wicked one as well? [Heb 1:4] (read) The scripture tells us that Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. So Cain’s sacrifice was excellent, but not as excellent as Abel’s. Now why was this? Because it was out of season. Although Cain’s sacrifice was scriptural,  as we see in [Deut 26:2], yet it was wicked because it was out of continuity with the plan of God.

 

[1 John 3:12] Notice here that we are told that he slew his brother because his works were evil. The slaying of his brother, although this was a wicked deed, was not the evil works. The evil works is what caused him to slay his brother in the first place. And the evil works was his own sacrifice to God which was rejected by God, while Abel’s sacrifice was received by God. [Gen. 4: 2-8] Now notice that after he talked with Abel, he slew him. And why did he talk with Abel? Because God had accepted Abel’s sacrifice and not his own. And God had told Him that “if he did well, he would be accepted, but he didn’t do well, and therefore he was not accepted. Now the Septuagint translates this here as: “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?  You did rightly offer, but you did not rightly divide.”

 

And so we see the right division of the Word is essential in our relationship with God. Cain’s offering, although it was scriptural and a first-fruit offering, or harvest offering, which is a resurrection offering, was rejected, because it was out of season. For in [Hebrews 9] we are told, “without shedding of blood there is no remission of sins”.  And therefore, because Abel offered blood first, it was accepted, whereas Cain offered another scriptural sacrifice, but because it was not in the continuity of God’s plan, and it was therefore out of the season of God’s plan, it was therefore rejected. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christ Revealed in His Own Word #67

Wednesday, January 7, 1997

 

Br. Branham continued in PP. [72] saying,  Now, in order to study the Scripture... Paul told Timothy, "Study It, rightly dividing the Word of God which is Truth, And then he goes on to tell us what this means. He tells us:  "Then there's three musts in the Scripture. In using God's Word there is three things that you must not do. Now, let's study those for the next ten minutes: Three things that you must not do... And all out in the land wherever you are across the nation, be sure to put these down in your mind if you haven't got a pencil. You must not do these things. We tell you all the time how you must do; now, I'm going to tell you what you must not do. Now, you must not misinterpret the Word. You say, "Well, I believe It means this." It means just what it says. It needs no interpreter. And you must not misplace the Word. And you must not dislocate the Word. And if we would do either of these, it throws the whole Bible in a confusion and in a chaos.

 

Now, first, let’s see what Webster tells us these three words  “Misinterpret, misplace, and dislocate” mean.

 

#1) Misinterpret :  to interpret wrongly, to understand or explain incorrectly.

#2)  Misplace :       to put in the wrong place. To wrongly place or to improperly place.

                               To take away from the proper, or natural position, time, or character

#3)  Dislocate :       to upset the order or connection  of.

 

And so we see that God does not only require that we believe His Word, but that we believe and apply the correct Word for the Correct time and occasion. And so it goes beyond just saying that we believe every word. The Bible tells us that the devil believes in God and he trembles. In the Message The Token, brother Branham said, “Don’t just come this far and say, “I believe the Message, “ You obey the Message. Come into Christ. You say, “oh, I believe every word you said, brother Branham.” That’s good, but that is just being able to read. Take the Message; take it into your heart, that you must have the Token, the very Life that was in Christ, be in you. “When I see that, I will pass over.

 

And so we see the importance of  not only hearing, but how we hear. In [Luke 8:18] we are commanded to “take heed how we hear.”   And in [1 Cor 3:10-15] we are commanded to take heed how we build upon the Word seeing that the foundation is Christ.  [Romans 10:13-18] But although they might have audibly heard the voice, yet they did not understand what was said. [Matt 13:10-16] and [Mark 4:11-12]

 

So we see Paul raise the question, How can they call on Him if they don’t believe in Him,  and how can they believe in Him if they have never heard of Him. And how can they hear of Him without a preacher. And yet what if that preacher is not a True God sent Preacher? Then, unless they hear a True God sent Preacher, they will not hear the True God sent Message, and therefore, if they  hear a false preacher, they will receive a false message, and therefore they will have a false hope in a false Word, And there you are. That is why Paul was so concerned in the First Church Age, because already by this time false brethren had crept in unawares.

 

2 Corinthians 11: 1 - 4    Paul worried about the Corinthians because they were too open to any old thing that came by just like Eve was. And what did it produce? Another Gospel first. Then another Jesus and another Spirit. Remember, Jesus said in John 6: 63,  My words are Spirit and they are Life.”  But so too is the devils. And  in 2 Corinthians 11: 13 => 14 we see that Satan’s ministers actually appear to be ministers of light. But who are they serving? And what is the end product? Another Jesus and another Spirit produced  from another Gospel. 

 

Now the Greek word for another is the word heteros and it means that these are not another as though numerically they are different. But it means they are of a different nature altogether. Just as a man and woman are heterosexual, or of a different nature sexually. So too as these men preach another Gospel which is different in nature from the genuine, when the people open themselves up to it they receive a seed that has a life that is also different in nature, just as the Serpents seed was different in nature from Adams seed.

 

Now, remember, the Word is a Seed that was sown. And as a seed, it is by definition a carrier of Life. Therefore, whether it be sown by God or Satan, it is a word that contains a life. 

Christ Revealed in His Own Word #67

Wednesday, January 7, 1997

 

In [Matt 13], after the Son of Man went forth sowing His Seed, or His life, we find the devil following closely behind also sowing his seed. So then we can see that two different life seeds were sewn. The first coming forth from the Son of Man which is God Life and the other coming forth from the devil which is perverted life. So then those people who receive the false word seed, will receive the life of that word into themselves and therefore they will receive another spirit or life instead of the Holy Spirit. 1) First comes forth another Gospel (one of a different nature pointing the people to a different Jesus, and by receiving it they birth in themselves another spirit which is one of a different nature than that of the Holy Spirit of God’s new birth by His Word.

 

[Gal 1: 6-9]  This “another Gospel “ is a perverted Gospel.  Metastrepho  : Meta meaning to transfer and strepho meaning to twist or reverse.”  To transmute...Webster : to change from one from, specie, condition, nature, or substance into another.   Notice, the men in 2 Corinthians 11 : 13 => 14 transformed themselves from Satan’s ministers into what appears to be angels or ministers of light. We see the same example in Matt 7 where these men are likened unto wolves in sheep’s clothing. So what is the end product of their doctrine and seed that they sow to these gullible people? These people will think they are what they aren’t and therefore we would call such as these make believers. Make believers therefore are actually hybrid products. And we know that there is no life in a hybrid. 

 

Martin Luther in his Commentary on Romans. How shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?  (10:14) Here the apostle meets  the arrogance of all who teach falsely and are a haughty mind. Oh, that the false prophets (or teachers) only would heed these words! How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? (10:14) Even though they say they hear, they boast in vain, unless they hear true preachers; for to hear false prophets means as much as not to even hear. They hear and they do not hear; they have ears, but do not hear, nor do they preach (the Word of God). This is a striking statement against all conceited hearers and students of the Bible. How shall they preach, except they be sent? (10:15) This is directed against conceited teachers and arrogant instructors. These four statements (10: 14 -15) follow one another in such a way that one leads to the other, but so that the last forms the foundation on which the others rest. Thus, 1) It is impossible that those preach who are not sent. 2) It is impossible that those hear who are without a preacher.  3) It is impossible that they believe who do not hear.  4) It is impossible that they call upon Him who they do not believe. To this add a last one, namely: 5) It is impossible that they  who do not call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. So then, the entire source and origin of salvation rests on this, That God sends out someone, ( A true minister of the Word). If He does not send out any, then they who are preaching are preaching falsely, and their preaching is no preaching at all. In fact they would be better off had they never preached at all. Then they who hear, hear error, and it would be better for them to not have heard . Then they who believe, would believe false doctrine, and it would be better for them to not believe. Then also they who call upon Him would be calling falsely (upon a false Lord), and it would be better for them not to call. For such preachers do not preach; such hearers do not hear; such believers do not believe, and such callers do not call; and they will be damned because they would be saved by falsehood. So we read in Proverbs 1: 28 “Then shall they call upon Me, but I will not answer, they shall seek Me early, but they shall not find me: for that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord.” ... Then only they can preach with certainty who proclaim the Gospel without error. How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of Peace ( 10: 15). By this quotation the Apostle shows that only those can preach who are sent by God. Those cannot preach the Divine Word and be messengers of God whom He has not sent and to whom He has not entrusted His Word. So with these same words the Apostle points out the nature of Spiritual Peace and it’s gifts. These blessings are heard only in the Divine Word and are apprehended only by Faith. They can not be presented in visible form...Now the words “ Beautiful” stands for purity, for they that preach the Gospel of Peace and bring glad tidings of good things do not proclaim the Gospel for their own advantage or on account of vain Glory, as this happens here and there today. They preach solely from obedience to God and for the sake of the salvation of their hearers. ( this word beautiful is a Greek word Ho-rah-yos and according to Strong’s it means belonging to the right hour or season ( timely) by implementation to be flourishing. )

 

Christ Revealed in His Own Word #67

Wednesday, January 7, 1997

 

CHAP. VIII.--HOW THE VALENTINIANS PERVERT THE SCRIPTURES TO SUPPORT THEIR OWN PIOUS OPINIONS.    1. Such, then, is their system, which neither the prophets announced, nor the Lord taught, nor the apostles delivered, but of which they boast that beyond all others they have a perfect knowledge. They gather their views from other sources than the Scriptures;(4) and, to use a common proverb, they strive to weave ropes of sand, while they endeavor to adapt with an air of probability to their own peculiar assertions the parables of the Lord, the sayings of the prophets, and the words of the apostles, in order that their scheme may not seem altogether without support. In doing so, however, they disregard the order and the connection of the Scriptures, and so far as in them lies, dismember and destroy the truth. By transferring passages, and dressing them up anew, and making one thing out of another, they succeed in deluding many through their wicked art in adapting the oracles of the Lord to their opinions. Their manner of acting is just as if one, when a beautiful image of a king has been constructed by some skillful artist out of precious jewels, should then take this likeness of the man all to pieces, should rearrange the gems, and so fit them together as to make them into the form of a dog or of a fox, and even that but poorly executed; and should then maintain and declare that this was the beautiful image of the king which the skillful artist constructed, pointing to the jewels which had been admirably fitted together by the first artist to form the image of the king, but have been with bad effect transferred by the latter one to the shape of a dog, and by thus exhibiting the jewels, should deceive the ignorant who had no conception what a king's form was like, and persuade them that that miserable likeness of the fox was, in fact, the beautiful image of the king. In like manner do these persons patch together old wives' fables, and then endeavor, by violently drawing away from their proper connection, words, expressions, and parables whenever found, to adapt the oracles of God to their baseless fictions. We have already stated how far they proceed in this way with respect to the interior of the Fullness.

 

[Acts 20:28-30]

 

As you can see, these three musts that brother Branham is bringing to us, have been an important discipline since the very founding of the Church 2,000 years ago.  You must not misinterpret God’s Word. And how do you know the interpretation of His Word? God interprets His Word by bringing it to pass. So we must wait for God to do the interpreting, then we will know that our understanding is correct. Therefore, I hope we can see that by misinterpretation, or misplacing or dislocating the scripture, we not only get a false understanding, but a false hope and a false Revelation as well. Therefore what we really receive is death instead of  Life. For if the Just shall live by Faith and our Faith is a False one, then we shall not receive Life but death.

 

[2 John 1:8-9] Wuest: He who goes beyond the limits of true doctrine has not the Father nor the Son.