Christ Revealed in
His Own Word #118
God’s Timing
Wednesday,
July 16, 1997
Brian Kocourek,
Pastor Grace Fellowship
Tonight I would like to
continue with our series of Christ Revealed in His Own Word, and this evening I
would like to pick up at paragraphs 148 & 149 where brother Branham again
seems to be speaking somewhat off his subject and yet is he. As you know, when
we first began to look at the illustration of his walking through the woods and
coming upon a cigarette pack, it seemed as though he had taken a little step
off of his subject, but when we examined the illustration presented to us we
saw how perfectly those thoughts tied back together with that of the evening
light witness. In other words, we found how crucial it is for a witness to have
the right thinking man’s filter if they are to be a True witness. And in
examining these thoughts we found that to see something and yet not understand
it, we could not be a True witness, and could actually be in danger of being
found to be a false witness. And so with these thoughts in mind, I would like
to examine paragraphs 148 & 149.
[148] Now, we're going to speak about the evening
Lights just for a few moments. The Bible predicts that there would come a time
right at the closing time, that the sun would come out, and there would be an
evening Light. We all know that, don't we? We who are familiar with our message
today from the Lord Jesus, we believe that there'll be a evening Light. And
this evening Light... Of course, the great Light will come when Jesus Himself
will be manifested here on earth, or up
in the heavens, taking away His
Bride, and then the millennium will set in.
[149] But we've got one of the most dreadful times
to go through that ever laid before human beings. Now, I'm just waiting for the hour and when we can get--everybody can
get a chance where you can get off from work and spend a few days, and we can get set up somewhere where I can
speak on those plagues and things that's to fall in the days, and throw
about two or three weeks together, and bring that together, if the Lord let's me live to do it and
will inspire me to do so. See how those things will be dropped in
and those thunders, then you'll find out what that man and them people has been
dreaming about and all these things there; it'll come to pass. See? You'll
notice what them revealed, that great thunder a-coming forth out of the skies.
Now... Of course, the whole bunch of you, you know that I know what that means.
You see? And... But let's just wait till
the time comes (You see?) for it to...?... Now... And it'll be more in season.
We can see by Brother
Branham’s statement here that he had a desire to speak to the people about the
plagues and things which are coming upon the earth, but he refrained from doing
so until he had a go ahead from the Lord to do so. And if you’ll notice, he said, “we've got one of the most dreadful times to go through that ever laid
before human beings,” and then, I'm
just waiting for the hour... where I can speak on those plagues and things
that's to fall in the days... if the Lord let's me live to do it and
will inspire me to do so... And...
But let's just wait till the time comes
(You see?) And it'll be more in season.
Now to me, that’s couldn’t
be more perfectly worded because it
shows a perfect submission to God. Because, if you will notice, he also said
that He already knew what was coming. And he said, “Of course, the whole bunch of you, you know that I know what that
means... But let's just wait till the
time comes, And it'll be more in
season.
And so, although Brother
Branham knew what these things are that will come upon the earth, he couldn’t
speak about them because he hadn’t been given the go ahead from God, and
therefore, he knew that because he could see what they were himself, that he
had to wait until the proper time, or season, which is the time that those
things are to become manifested. Because, just like so many other things God
has shown to man, it seems like, that before those things ever came to pass,
they would be misinterpreted by the people, and until the thing actually came
to pass, you can’t compare the thing said with the thing manifested. Therefore
it takes the Word revealed which is the word manifested, for you to see for
your- self, what it is that had been predicted.
Therefore, we should highly
commend brother Branham for having enough Spiritual insight, to not speak until
God tells him to do so.
Even Brother Branham in his
audio letter to brother Vayle said that the Prophet is to manifest present
tense of the Word, and if this is the case, then to speak of these plagues
before they actually begin to manifest in seed form would only throw caution to
the wind, and take the focus off of the Appearing and place it on the
tribulation period which has nothing to do with the people he was sent to speak
to. And to do so, would be against the
very purpose of his ministry which is to declare Christ, that He is here.
Just as we see Jesus doing
the same thing in [John 5:19 & 30].
This also reminds me of the scripture where Jesus said that we should
judge nothing before the time. Therefore if we are not to judge or assess
before the time, then there must be a time of judgment. [1Cor 4:5]
Now, in order to understand
this scripture in the proper context we need to back up and read from verse
verse 2 where we find it speaking of a steward and that in order to be found as
a good steward, there are certain requirements, of which faithfulness is one.
[Read verse 2-5] . Now, then as we
see that we are speaking of a good steward, we should also note that a good
steward has nothing of his own, but is entrusted with what is not his own. And
that is exactly what brother Branham was doing when he said, although I do
understand what these things are that are coming upon the earth, and although
you people know, that I know, yet I can not tell you what they are until the
Lord gives me the go ahead. Jesus said the same thing when he said in [John 7:16] that his doctrine was not
his. But notice that this response came when the people were marveling how he
could teach such things as he taught, since he had no formal education. [John 5: 14-16] .
I get tired of the same sort
of talk when people ask me where I minister and then they ask me where I went
to school as if that has anything to do with whether God has called me or not.
So, some people I just play along with their stupidity and tell them I have an
advanced degree in kneeology and they don’t want to sound ignorant because they
don’t know what that is, so they just ramble on about their cousin or brother
in law or whatever, and how he had 7 years of schooling for their denominational
certification. Who cares.
What we are looking at here
and in what Paul is also telling us in [1
Cor 3 &4] is that God doesn’t want what we’ve got to offer Him anyway.
He said, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, and the wisdom of man is only foolishness
to God.” And when Paul was speaking of a good steward and what is
required to be considered a good steward, you must recognize what he is saying
in [1 Cor 4:4] because he is telling
us that there is no way we could no anything on our own, and yet we are
declared to be right anyhow.
Remember, what we spoke on
Sunday morning about the four points that are necessary in order for us to have
a conscience that is void of
offense.
Ž First, we must have a right understanding of the word of God, of
his “holy,
and acceptable, and perfect will” concerning us, as it is revealed
in For how would it be possible to walk by a rule, if we do not know what it
means.
Ž Secondly, there is required a true knowledge of ourselves; a knowledge
both of our hearts and lives, of our inward tempers and outward conversation:
Seeing, for if we know them not, it is not possible that we should compare them
with our rule.
Ž
Thirdly, there is
required an agreement of our hearts and lives, of our tempers and conversation,
of our thoughts, and words, and works, with that rule, with the written word of God.
For, without this, if we have any conscience at all, it could only be an evil
conscience.
Ž
Fourthly, there is required, an
inward perception of this agreement with our rule: And this habitual
perception, this inward consciousness itself, is properly a good conscience; or, in the other phrase of the Apostle, “a
conscience void of offense, toward God, and toward men.”
That is why Paul can say,
yet although I know nothing of myself, yet am I found by God to be declared
rightly wise. Now we could take this thought back further to [1 Cor 3:18-4:5] and read. And hear we
are again with this thought in verse 5 that tells us to judge nothing before
the time.
So we see that there is a
time that is associated with all things and with the judging or assessment of
those things. In [Ecclesiastes 3: 1]
we see that in every thing there is a time and a season. (read)