Christ Revealed in His Own Word #70

Revelation or Illusion

Sunday, January 19, 1997

Brian Kocourek, Pastor Grace Fellowship

 

[ Col 3: 4] & [Rev 2:10b] “Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of Life.”

[2 Tim 4:8] & [1 Peter 5:4]               Let us pray.

 

Wednesday night we read from the Message Christ Revealed in His Own Word, PP’s. [77 through 83]. Where Brother Branham took our thoughts back to the beginning as he spoke of the Complete seed having to be sewn in order for the complete body to come up at the end-time.  

 

And so we see, the same Life that was sewn in the Original Seed, Christ Jesus, is to return in this hour, not only among the people, but It shall enter into the people as well.  The Complete Seed, meaning the complete Life that was in the Seed has got to come back into human flesh in a Bride in this hour. So we are speaking of the Original Seed, the original Life back in human flesh again. And that is why we are told our New Birth is to be an incorruptible one which shall never fade away. Now this is not true of so called Pentecost today. Those people who claim a new birth seem to need a new filling or refilling each and every week. Why? Because they have received a new birth based upon a corruptible see, which is a corruptible word. [1 Peter 1:23] You see, if you have been truly born again, you will not fall away. and how do you receive a true new birth? By receiving the True Revelation of Jesus Christ.  Once a woman conceives, she doesn’t need any further insemination to bring forth Life. All she needs is to wait the nine months while human cell is being added to human cell. And that is the same thing with the Word of God. We do not need to be born again more than just one time. But what we have need of is Word piled upon Word to grow our Glorified Body around the Predestinated Word Germ Seed given by God to us.

 

Now I say this because I am very concerned for some of the young people in this message who have walked out from this Word, for jobs or whatever excuse they want to call it. You can’t tell me that money isn’t the root of all evil. Not when I see these young people and some of the older ones placing a higher regard for a few green pieces of green paper, than they do for God and His Word.  I want you to know that I have turned down more of that green stuff than some of you will ever make in a life-time, and I will continue to do so for the Word sake. Last year alone, I turned down 7 jobs promising over $90,000 per year for the Word sake, and God continues to bless me and my family in spite of not making the big bucks. Recently I rejected an offer to work full time for a very hansom salary because I know that God has not called me to do that anymore. I have turned down professional sports, and all the so called glory that it offers, because what do you gain anyway, if you gain this so called world and lose your own soul. We are warned that in the last days Some shall depart from The Faith,” and I have no intention of being counted in that number. But, look here, the way some of your kids are behaving, this  could be speaking of them for all we know, and what are you doing about it. Brother Branham said, if you really loved them, you’d shake the hide right off of them until they get right. [1 Tim 4:1] tells us that some will depart from THE FAITH. That’s this Message.  And the thing of it is that they know better. Then if they can willfully walk out from the truth, what condition is their soul. If they were killed in an auto crash tonight, do you think they will be saved after rejecting God’s Word  for a few dollars? Why do you think Howard tarried so long before he went? He was waiting on a couple boys to get right with God. Look! If you know better and you still won’t do it, that’s called sin. [James 4:17] tells us, “to him that knoweth to do right and does not do it, to him it is sin.” And that is why the scriptures admonish us in [Heb 3:13] to exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” What does it mean to exhort one another? It means to call to ones attention, to summon, entreat. Why are we commanded to exhort one another on a daily basis? Because sin is so deceitful, That’s why. And yet how can we exhort one another if we never see one another in church? What about those of us who take the assembling of the saints so lightly? Does not God tell us in [Heb 10:25-26] do not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much more, as ye see that day approaching. For if we disbelieve willfully after we have received the knowledge of the Truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.

 

The problem is this,  that if we are truly born again, we will have a Divine Revelation in our heart, and we would be so miserable in our hearts if we knew that we were not pleasing to God. I don’t care who we are, we will never make it in on someone else’s coat tails.

 

We all, every one of us, both young and old, must be born again or we will never see, nor can we see,  the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said in [John 3:13] “except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  And what does it mean to see the Kingdom of God? To see means to understand and perceive, so we ask, to understand what? The Kingdom of God. And what is the Kingdom of God? It is His rulership, His Lordship, His Sovereignty, His Power and His Dominion.  And you will never get this by just going to church. You have got to be born again.

 

65-3  Christ is the Mystery of God Revealed  We're not suppose to make converts to Christianity by a government, but by the revelation of Christ in you as God was in Christ.                        

 

E-28  Earnestly contending for the Faith  Intellectual faith is not enough. That's all right, but it only brings you to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a personal experience of the birth, the new birth, regeneration, making a new creature in Christ. 

 

36-4 Christ is the Mystery of God Revealed   Look, Christ in you makes Him the center of Life of the revelation. See? Christ's Life in you makes Him the center of the revelation....What is the new birth then... It is the revelation of Jesus Christ personally to you. Amen. See? Not you joined a church, you shook a hand; you done something different; you said a creed; you promised to live by a code of rules; but Christ, the Bible... He is the Word that was revealed to you.

 

Now this is the key, right here. If you are truly born again, Christ is the center of your life and every thing else is a distant last. You job, your family, your friends, your homes, your cars. Whatever there is in your life is a distant last when Christ is preeminent on the throne of your heart.

 

I hope you all remember our message on the almost Christian. How that King Agrippa, after hearing Paul’s testimony said to him, ‘Paul, thou almost persuadest me to be a Christian”, and Paul answered him, “I would that you were altogether like as I am except without these bonds” why? because almost is not good enough. An almost Christian is still a lost soul. An almost Christian is still headed for the lake of fire. And so we find that there are those who will come forth at the great white throne one day and they will hear those notorious words, “Depart from me for I never knew you, ye that work iniquity, for I never knew you.” “ye that know better but had your own thoughts about it. I never knew you, I never had an intimate relationship in your heart with you, so depart from me.” 

 

Now, look, I am not talking works here. But I am talking about Eternal Life. We’re not talking about church and theology, we are talking about life. Eternal Life.

 

45-1 Christ is the Mystery of God Revealed   Not your theology; it's a revelation of Jesus Christ...  the revelation of Jesus Christ in a new birth. He... injects His own Life, and your life is gone, and the Life of Christ is projecting Itself through you with the preeminence to the people that they see the very Life,

 

Super Sign PP 78 Brother Branham said, “Now, let me tell you. Anything outside of being born gain will never reach the Rapture. Unless there is a germ of Life inside you, you’ll perish. You cannot rise up again.”  And so I hope you will understand why I constantly bring these things to you attention. Because after all we will all have to give account of what we have done with this great Message that God has Given to us. Every one of us, both small and great, will have to give an account for what we have done in our bodies.

 

[Romans 14:11-12] For it is written, ‘As I live Saith the Lord, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”

 

[Matt 16:27] For the Son of Man shall come in the Glory of His Father with His Angels; and He shall reward every man according to his works.”

 

As I just said, one day soon we will all have to give an accounting for what we have done with this great Message that God has Given to us.  And this is what I would like to point out this morning. we are all going to have to give an account one day for our stewardship before God.

 

[Luke 16: 1-2, 11-13] We are all going to have to give an account of our stewardship to God. Now what does it mean to give an account. You are going to have to show what you did with what He gave you.

 

YOU are going to have to be accountable for the riches he has given to you. And if you can not show progress in what He has given to you, then what you now have will be taken from you. That is what He is telling us here. 

 

[2 John 1:8] Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have struggled for, but that we receive a full reward. And so you say, what sort of things can I lose? Well, let’s just see for ourselves. [Rev 3:11] well, you say, what crown is this? Paul tells us in [2 Tim 4:8] which is a crown of righteousness which is a right-wise-ness. we find the same crown spoken of by Peter in [1 Peter 5:4] Here it is called a crown of Glory which is the same thing as Paul said because the Glory is the right-wise-ness which is the very Doxa or opinion, assessment and judgment of God.  And we are warned that we shall lose this crown, ever by Jesus Himself. in  [Luke 18:8] Thee ones that really do lose it never had it in the first place, they only thought they had it. That is what that word seems means. It is the Greek word dokeo which means: It seems to be, or appears to be,  but there is some question as to whether or not it really is. The same word is used in [Matt 6:7] in reference to the Pharisees who only think that God hears their prayers.

 

[Matt 16:25-26] You see, it all depends on your motives. Are you looking out for number one? Or are you looking out to please your Heavenly Father. Now if you are His, It is impossible that you will be lost, but it does not mean that you won’t go empty on the other side. [John 6:39] [Rev 3:11] [1 Cor 10:12] Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.” In fact we even see Jesus use this word many times when he would question the unbelievers. He would say what think ye of this or of that? [Matt 22:42-46]he really showed them that they have no thought coming.  But the real answer can be found in [Gal 6:3] because it really doesn’t matter what you think. It only matters what God thinks.

 

[Luke 12:42-48] Here we find God calling the ministry a steward, and then he also tells us that those who knew to prepare themselves for His Coming and don’t, they will get tribulation. Now to have to go through the tribulation does not mean you will be lost, but you will certainly have to pay for your neglect. And how will you pay for your neglect? With your very life, that’s how.  God doesn’t play our little games and He certainly doesn’t fool around. he says what He means and He means what He says.

 

Now what does this all come down too? It all boils down to recognition and understanding what we are here for. Remember the Title of Brother Branham’s Message called, “Hearing, Recognizing and Acting upon the Word of God.” Well, that is exactly what it means. And it all comes down to the innate ability to be able to recognize God and His Word, or Revelation of Himself which is His Message. Webster tells us that the word Recognize : To recall to the mind, re meaning again, and cognition which is a knowing; therefore to recognize is to be aware of, to know by some detail, as appearance; or identity, to beware of the significance, to acknowledge the existence, validity, authority or genuineness, to accept and acknowledge as worthy of appreciation and approval, devotion.  And so we see in [2 Thes 1 & 2] that Paul is letting us know that it all comes down to recognition. Knowing Him in the power of His resurrection.

 

Ž    [Eph 1: 17-18]  Recognition, to know Him and His Vindicating power.

Ž    [Matt 13:10-16] &[Mark 4:11-12] But not every one is ordained to know.

Ž    [Phil 3: 7-18] To know Him in the Power of His Resurrection, we must forsake every other thing that we ever held as dear to our selves..

 

And so we see what Paul is telling us in [2 Tim 2: 15]concerning the need to rightly divide the truth.  How can you be a good steward of what God has given if you don’t even know what it is that you have. A steward is nothing more than being a manager of someone else’s property. And we are told in Psalm 24:1 The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof;”  and so therefore everything belongs to the Lord and therefore what we do have in our possession is merely given to us by Him for a time while we are here on earth. And so we see in [2 Tim 2:15] what it means to rightly divide the word. And you can’t rightly divide what He said if you don’t know the Author, and what He ‘s trying to tell us.

 

And so we hear brother Branham tell us in PP [81]  To dislocate the Scriptures, you might put His body together wrong, the foot where the head should be or something. Just the same as a... In other words, you might have Jesus teaching Moses' message. You might have--or even Wesley teaching Luther's age. You might have now, our age teaching Pentecost, the Pentecostal message. You see what a mess it would be in? Pentecost has already showed its colors.  Luther's already showed his: went off into denomination; it died right there. The age struck; there it went  Notice, just as soon as it was organized, it died. Now, just see if that isn't right. Look back through the pages of history. Every time it organized it died right there; there never was no more to it. It become a worshipper of the god of this world. It went off into organisms, and organizations, and denominations, and illusions. A bunch of Ricky’s got into there and put their own objections into it, or injected their own thoughts, rather, into it. And what did it happen? It become a mess. Going to head up in the god of this world where they'll throne Satan himself, thinking that they're having a great world leader to bring them peace.

 

Now, brother Branham said, “To dislocate the Scriptures,... You might have now, our age teaching Pentecost, the Pentecostal message. You see what a mess it would be in? Pentecost has already showed its colors. And that is exactly what has happened.  He said, those little Ricky’s have come in and messed up everything. He said, “Every time it organized it died right there; there never was no more to it. It become a worshipper of the god of this world. It went off into organisms, and organizations, and denominations, and illusions A bunch of Ricky’s got into there and put their own objections into it, or injected their own thoughts, rather, into it. And what did it happen? It become a mess.”

 

Now, first of all he tells us that to preach a Pentecostal Message today just makes a mess out of everything. Then he tells us to interject our own thoughts will only bring us an illusion. How fitting these words describe those who come along with their Pentecostal illusions, saying, “ You must have a vision of Jesus coming to you personally in order to receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.” Others tell us that God gave them a vision to lead the Bride in the Rapture, and yet married 2 and 3 times. Still others claim to be the Joshua who will lead the Bride into the Rapture, some by playing their guitars with 6 inch picks and others by playing the piano. And they offer the people nothing but allusions.

 

And what is an illusion but a false idea or conception; belief or opinion that is not in accord with the facts. An deception that is not real, a misleading appearance or image. A false perception, conception, or interpretation of what one sees. A misleading image resulting in a wrong impression.  So we see again that these thoughts of a false interpretation . And Brother Branham further called them an illusion which means the Word is interpreted in such a way as to make it appear to be different than it really is. Like a mirage in the desert that you think you see but is not really there.

 

[Isaiah 29: 7] The Word Ariel here is a Word which means the LION of GOD.  And we know that at the end-time He is to come with a Loud Voice as when a Lion Roareth. [Rev 10: 1-3] Now we know that God Himself likens the roar of the Lion to His Own Voice which is a prophetic utterance as we see in the book of  [Amos 3: 7-8]. Now, back in [Isaiah 29:7] This passage refers not to the Lord Himself but she which has taken His name, which would have to make this His Bride. And here we see the scripture warning us about what will happen to those who are found fighting against the elect Bride. [Isaiah 29: 8] (read) Notice that these men are living in a delusion. They eat from the Bread of Life but it is only in a dream. When they awake from their dream they will still be empty, because they are living in a delusion. A false vision of deception. And what has caused this? Their own opinions are held in more esteem to themselves than the Word of God. Notice that in verses [10-12] we are told that they will be in slumber, and the Lord will have brought on this deep slumber and their dreams will not produce anything for them. Now, remember we were showing how the little Ricky’s will come in with their own opinions and turn the Message into a Mess, and bring forth an illusion tot he people. We further see evidence of this in ...

 

[Jer 23:32] Notice that their dreams will not profit the people any. Therefore, what purpose is there for these men to keep up with their own lies?  [Isaiah 66:4-5] Notice that God will send them their own delusion. Now God Himself does not place these lies in them, but He allows a lying spirit to enter into these men who are false, and to lead them further away from the Truth by tempting them to turn further.

 

And since they themselves already have turned down the Truth, God then only allows to happen to them what they have already shown a desire for, and that is for a the lying spirit to come down and lead them further into their own deceit as we see in [2 Chronicles 18:18-24]

 

[2 Thes 2: 10-13] Now I want you to know the difference here between those who are Elect and those who are not. And that is why God gave us a ministry as Paul and Martin Luther pointed out who will not bring forth delusions or illusions, but will speak the Truth in Love as we see in [Eph 4: 11-15]

 

[1 Thes 2: 3-13] And so we see how God will put the people to the test to see what they really believe.

 

In fact John tells us the same thing in [1 John 4:6]. Notice this word for error here is the same Greek word used for the delusion that will affect the make believer. But notice how the true Believer will not be deceived, he will identify with the True Ministry, not because of the man, but the Word. And how do you recognize the Men who speak the Truth from those who don’t? You check out what they teach you with the Word itself. [1 John 4:1] and

 

[1 Cor 2: 12-15a]

 

[Jer 23: 16-32] Here we find God warning the people to not even pay any attention to these false prophets who would speak His word falsely.

 

As Paul said, [1 Cor 14:37] You not only have to be able to recognize vindication, but those who are preaching that vindicated message as well. And so in order to test you God will allow others to rise up. And these others are ordained to take of those who are not in the True fold. [John 10: 7-8, 14-16]

 

[Deut 13: 1-5] God allows these things to test His people, to see what reaction they will have, to follow after signs or the Word of the Lord.