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)