Christ Revealed in
His Own Word #125
Naked & Blind #2
Sunday,
August 101997
Brian Kocourek,
Pastor Grace Fellowship
[Rev 3: 14-19] [Rev 16:15]
Read .. [ .. Prayer [159] In the Laodicean age the people were what? Naked (Are they?), blind. What good does light do to a blind man? If the blind leads
the blind, don't they all fall in the ditch? Naked, blind, and don't know it.
Now, Wednesday night we
examined paragraph 159, and we fixed our thoughts on the two attributes of the
people in this last age that Brother Branham brought to our attention by
quoting from Revelations Chapter 3. We spent most of our study on the study of
this naked condition that the people of Laodicea are in, in this last hour, and
we focused most of our thoughts on what would make these people to be this way,
and to carry on in such a filthy example of immorality in the way they dress
and act.
We found that the
combination of these two attributes ( being naked and blind to it) suggests a
certain setting has to be among the people, and the fact that they don’t know
it also suggests that there has come a letting down of what standards the
people once held to and therefore, we find that the people who have been
identified by these two characteristics will come to a place where they just
don’t know what morality is anymore. I
have had a chance to listen on a few occasions to Doctor Laura schlessinger, a
noted Psycologists, and it seems that many people call her for moral advise.
They tell her the situation they are in and ask her to help them make the
correct decision because they don’t know what is a correct decision. I can
hardly believe the stupidity of most of the callers. And I finally had to turn
the radio off, because the more I listened, the more I saw that prophecy of
Brother Branham’s and the Scriptures which foretold that the people would come
to the place where they have lost their mental capacity to reason and to know
right from wrong.
And so, when we hear the
scripture tell us that there is to be a people who are naked and blind and
don’t even know it, the scripture is telling us of a condition where the people
will be so mentally gone that they have no clue as to what condition they are
in. How late is it then when we see it every where and every day. Not just
hearing of one case here or one there, but we hear it every which way we turn.
We are at the end-time. And we are at the epi center or the climax of the
Laodicean age.
Now, in examining these
paragraphs of Brother Branham’s we see that he is showing us that this age has
a couple characteristics that are predominant init, and therefore, these
characteristics actually are indicators that will tell us when we are at this
lst church age and the end-time. And so, Wednesday night we examined this
thought of just what a characteristic is and we noticed that in examining these
two characteristics of nakedness and blindness, we see that there are in nature
characteristics that are physical in nature and there are those that are
spiritual in nature, aned then there are those which are both in that the
natural types the spiritual, as brother Branham said, “If you want to know the
condition of the church, just watch the women, and they will be your indicator
of the churches condition. No matter what you look at, you shall know it by
examining the characteristics of that thing. Because the characteristics are
what distinguishes one thing from another and is what makes them different, or
sets them apart from others, and in his Message, “Countdown, ”said, “All the natural things are types of the
spiritual things.”
In speaking on
characteristics we don’t want to fall into the trap of just looking at what can
be seen in the physical realm, Because there are also characteristics that are
strictly in the spiritual realm, and then there are those that show in the
physical what is actually the case in the spiritual. And from the Message, Diseases and Afflictions, He
said, “All the natural things of the
earth type the spiritual. Everything in the natural types the spiritual. You
know that, most of you.” From the Message Demonology, he said, “Everything
in the natural types the spiritual. Are you aware of that? Everything in the
natural types the spiritual, regardless.” Therefore, a person’s innate character combined together with their Physical
body will relfect or reveal a lot about that person, (where they come from, who
they are, and where they’re going), and Brother Branham said, what you do here
is only a relfection of your celestial body. In the message, “Explaining Healing and Jairus”he
said, “What you are here is a reflection of what you are somewhere else.” “Those who He called, He justifies.” Is
that right? “Those who He has justified,
He has glorified.” Already in the Presence of the Father, we have a
glorified body. Whew, wasn’t that deep? Al right. we’ll find out whether it’s
right or not. “If this earthly
tabernacle be dissolved, we have one already waiting.” Is that right?
That’s right. So right now, and what we are there, is a reflection.
Here, what we are here, is a
relfection of what we are somewhere else. So if your deeds are evil, you know
where it comes from. You know where your other bodies a waiting.”
Now, how more plain can we
get when we study the attributes of being naked and blind and not knowing it.
Jesus said to the Pharisees, “Fill ye up the measure of your father, and then
in [John 8:38, 42-44] we find him
really laying it on to the pharisees, and notice how he tells them that what
they do and teach they received from their father, and what He does and teaches
he received from His Father and because they disagree so boldly, it shows that
they do not have the same father.
So what we are looking at
here is this thought, that what you are, your character, is only a relfection
of who you really are and it will not only show in your innate being, but it
will show itself in your actions because it is an expression of who you are.
We looked Wednesday night at
what would cause a person to walk around in a naked condition and not even know
it, and we came to the conclusion that, as brother Branham said, it is either
an evil spirit or a mental condition. [Hebrews
Chapter 4] "It's either mental deficiency or devil possession."
There's only two things to make it. A decent, clean woman won't wear those
things unless she's devil possessed. That's exactly the truth. Now, a pilgrim that's on his road to heaven, he
lives in a different atmosphere. You
don't have to worry about him looking at her. He'll turn his head if he's got
God in his heart, for he's living in an atmosphere that's a million miles
from those things. That's right. You don't want to be guilty of that stuff at
the judgment. So he turns his head and say, "God, have mercy on the
woman," and on he goes. We're in
our journey. We're on our way to Canaan's land. We're on our way to that
eternal and blessful rest that God has given us. And in the journey, we're
tempted. We're tempted of all kinds of things, but yet be tempted without sinning.
So we see that this
Laodicean atmosphere that we are examining by the Scriptures is one of insanity
and devil possession. [1 Tim 4: 1]
Notice the evidence of the end-time is seducing spirit’s and doctrines of
devils. And they will be manifested in
the people. The people will not only receive this mark in their forehead, that
is in their mind, but they will show it in their actions as well. Now, I don’t
have time this morning to review Wednesday night, but I want everyone in here
who was not here Wednesday night to get that tape because we showed many things
that brother Branham said about the way we should dress and act, and even down
to the place where he said that shorts were not fit for a Christian to where.
He called any man who would where them sissified, and said they were womens
underneath clothing.
And so, we examined this
thought of nakedness according tot he scriptures where Gd defined nakedness as
revealing the part of the body from the loins down to the thighs.... [Exodus 28:40-42] Here we see that God
defines nakedness as being an exposed leg from the thigh up to and including
the loins. Now, we know that most people consider nakedness to be someone who
is entirely stripped clean of clothing, but thisis not so. Most people wear
shorts and swim suits and all sorts of apparel, but God said to show or expose
the thigh or upper leg and the area of the loin is considered to be nakedness
to Him.
Brother Branham said, [pg.
21-pp. 3-5 Satan’s Eden 65-0829] She
causes her Adam to lust for her. She took off the clothes that God dressed her
in back in Eden for her journey through this wilderness; she took them off. She
stripped herself down, when God had her wrapped all over in skins; she's begin
to shave a little off each time. Now, she's back to where she was at the
beginning. Now, she's got her Adam to
wearing her underneath clothes. A man,
put on them little old sissy looking shorts, and get out here. I don't think there is much man to him.
He is the biggest sissy I know of. See, she's got her perverted Adam to act
like she (See?), wearing her underneath clothes. She seen what she could do out yonder when she took off all her
clothes, but her underneath ones; that's the shorts, of course that's a woman's
underneath clothes. And here her Adam is wearing them now, which
according to God's original Word is an abomination for a woman to put on a
garment that pertains to a man, and a man put on a garment pertains to a woman:
from the original Word. Think of
it. Now he now wears her bangs also. He
combs them down, puts a curler in them. Some
of the most sickly sights I've ever seen in my life is some of those kids out
here today with their bangs combed down like this,
and colored bleached hair with some kind of peroxide something and
bleach in it, and roll it in curlers making bangs. You big sissy. That's a
horrible thing to say from a pulpit, but judgment begins at the house of God. You don't even know whether you're a man
or woman. And I understand that our United States Army is coming out next
in shorts. That's right. See what the
perversion is? It is a woman's clothes, wears her bangs.
So we see then that to be
naked is to expose certain parts of our bodies that are to be covered in humility.
Now, that is in the physical sense of the word, we know that the natural always
types the spiritual. And so we see then that a person who parades around in a
naked condition and doesn’t realise it is not only physically naked, but is
spiritually naked as well, and on top of that they are also spritually blind as
well.
So we see then that the
natural types the spiritual, right? So
then we can see that those people who are so willing to expose themselves in
the natural are also willing in the spiritual to do the same. And they are the
ones who are gullible and will believe just anything that comes forth. That is
why they are turned over to believe the Lie. The Scripture tells us that they
are gullible. And this suggests to us that they will expose themselves to just
about anyone and anything. And they are naked and don’t even know it. Now,
remember, you are not held accountable until you hear the Truth, and then when
you hear it, you are from henceforth held accountable. And when is the age of
accountability? It’s when you know to right and you don’t do it. A child of
five years old can be accountable for their actions.
[Luke 8:26-35] Notice when he was in his right mind he was also
fully dressed. [Doors in a Door
65-0206] Now, how can we, sisters, how can we in this nation where we
claim to believe and be Christians, and every year they take more off? When
that person never even heard the Name of Christ, but just accepted Him in their
heart. they covered themselves up like this to walk away. The next day, or two,
you'd find them with clothes on of some kind.
Oh, my. There's something wrong somewhere. It's a twisting up of
theology. The power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, like He did to the man
who called "Legion: we found him clothed and in his right mind." And
I begin to believe that it's a spirit upon the people that drives them into
that Americanism and Frenchism, and all kinds of worldlism and churchism. But
let them once come to that Master, and they feel that knock at the door, they'll
put clothes on and act like women and men, and they'll be borned again
Christians. Amen. Yes.
So we see then that a
persons outer actions are only a reflection of their inner thinking. And he
called it messed up theology is what has caused this problem. E-38
HEAR.YE.HIM SASKATOON.SASK 57-0519A
It's your character, your
conduct that gives God confidence in you. ... Stay with God's Word. That's
God's Truth; that's the Pattern; that's the Blueprint. That's the reason the church today has got
all kinds of isms and everything in it, is because they don't stay with the
Word. They won't listen to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit won't testify of one other thing but God's Word.
That's exactly right.
[135 Token The 64-0308] Then when we pray, we must have the Token to
present with our prayers, as I said, and now believe for ourself and apply the
Token to the whole family like in Egypt, Jericho, or either in Acts 16:31. We
find out that Paul told the Roman centurion, say, "Believe thou, and all
thy house shall be saved." Apply it to your family. If you got a unsaved
child, lay the Token right on top of him, say, "Lord God, I claim
him." Stay right there. If you got a mother or a loved one that's lost,
lay that Token on them, say, "Lord God, I claim it." Move
out, of all the worldly trash, out of your house, get ready for it. Burn up
your shorts. Throw your card tables away. Get rid of your cigarettes. Dump
your unbelief and your church papers in the trash can where they belong.
Amen. Then you're getting ready.
Then what do? Then apply the Token in
prayer, with real evidence, real faith. Apply it, apply it with confidence.
When you apply the Token, know that you're cleaned up. "If our
hearts condemn us not, then we have our request." As long as you people are doing them things
that's wrong, how you going to ask God to do anything for you when you know
you're wrong? That's the reason we just stagger up and stagger back. I'm not
saying this to hurt. I'm saying this to straighten out, to get things right.
How you going to build it upon the chars of a Sodom and Gomorrah?
159 of Christ Revealed in His Own Word. [159] In the Laodicean age the people were what? Naked (Are they?), blind. What good does light do to a blind man? If the blind leads
the blind, don't they all fall in the ditch? Naked, blind, and don't know it. Even their mental faculties
are gone, their spiritual faculties of mental--spiritual understanding.
Now, here is the problem,
they are naked, miserable and blind, and the thing of it is they don’t know
it...So it’s a mental disorder... And yet brother Branham said in the message,
[ My Redeemer Liveth 55-0410S] His Presence is here. It can be
feeled with that, felt with that inner charge that's on the inside of the human
body, called the new birth. The soul has been magnetized unto Him. And once in a while, when you let your mind
be concentrated on Him, believing on Him, after while something, a reality, you
can feel something sweep over your being. That's the vindication of His
resurrection. It's not a "guess
so." It's not "I hope so." But to every person that's borned
again, it's a "know so." You know it. It's right there. So is it with your character as well.
I am tired of hearing so many
in this day, the generation Xer’s who say, “I can’t help it”. Yes you can help
it. But they constantly want to cast off the blame on someone else. That is
nonsense. You are responsible for your own actions, and if you don’t know that
your actions are condemned by the Word of God, then you are also blind and
don’t know it. And that classifies you as a Laodicean, fit only for the
destruction and the burning.
Now, what am I trying to say
this morning? I am trying to show you that your actions are only an indicator
as to your position in Christ. Either you are in Him or you are not. Either He
has come to receive you or He has not. But you can not dis-associate your
actions from who you are any more than you can disassociate your words from who
you are. For your words and actions are only an expression of your nature and
your character. And your thoughts are heard louder in heaven than both.
E-13 BELIEVE.FROM.THE.HEART
57-0623 Now, if you
notice, a man known by his character is
known by his works. If we would think of how God shows His character by His works... He's got His own
character, and He made His works, and if you look at His works, how great they
are.
E-19 INFALLIBLE.WORD.OF.GOD
56-0406
And a man's character is
shown in his works. Or a man shows his--his character by his works.
E-9 BELIEVE.FROM.THE.HEART
57-0623 And any man is
known... His character is known by his
works. No matter who he is, his works prove his character. If you take a man, no matter how good he tries to be, if his works are evil, all his
goodness won't mount to nothing. And a man's word is his characteristic. A man that his word is no
good, then you'll never have confidence in that man, because his word's no
good. So therefore God, our Father, His character and His works prove what He is.
E-29 HEAR.YE.HIM 57-0807 And then our character is watched by the Holy Spirit.
E-20 Time Tested Memorials of
God 57-0818 You see, a man's character
is made known by his works. Whatever you are, your works prove what you are.
No matter how much you testify, whatever you say, pro or con, that has nothing
to do with it; your works tell what you are, tells what you are inside. Every
job that you do manifests what you are. And you business men, if you just do a
patched up job, see what I mean, just a halfway job, don't do that. If you
can't do it right, don't do it at all. That's right. When you come to Christ,
if you can't absolutely sell out lock, stock, and barrel, and come to Christ,
don't come at all. But when you really want to be a Christian, stand out,
make it real. That's what God wants you to be. And that'll prove... Your works will prove what your character
is. Your character is known by the works that you do.
E-35 LIFE 58-0519 And your character is proven
by the life that's in you.
91 Identification 64-0216 The
Word creates a character. We know that. Now, we look into His mirror and
identify ourself by some person in the Bible.[Ps
51:1-18,Gal 2:20]
34 Identification 64-0216 Our character is molded in there by the light that is in us. [1 Jn 1:7,
Jn 3:21]
3-2 {14} God in Simplicity 63-0317M ... the beauty of the church is
the character of the people. I trust it'll always be a house of God of beauty.
83 Identification 64-0216 And think of it. We are
invited to shape our own character to His. Now, we're going to find out
what we've done. Shape our character to
His own by His own Spirit... Then we, by Him, are sons of God (just what
I've expressed,) by having His mind in
us to shape our character to His. His mind, let the mind that was in Christ be
in you. If that mind is in you, then... You see?.. He only did that which
pleased God. He knowed Who He was. He came the Son of God. He knowed He was to
take that place. His character had to be that way. And then, when He... Having
taken His place, He knowed what the Messiah was required of. And He always
sought at God to do those things, and did nothing until the Father showed Him.
288 God’s Only Provided Place
of Worship 65-1128M Dear God, we thank You that we have had our spiritual diet. We thank
You, Lord, that the vitamin of the Word grows sons of God. It does not affect on any other type of character, only on sons and
daughters of God.
E-28 Identification 63-0123 You cannot no way ever produce a Character
like that, only accepting that Character in you. A church cannot do that. A
creed cannot do that. A denomination cannot do that. An education cannot do
that. It must be a birth. It's got to be
a dying out, and let God in it. By the grace of Christ, mold this type of
character in you, that you become Him. And your life and His is the same. Then
you are sons and daughters of God.
117-1 Smyrnaean Church Age --
CA Book [Romans 8:17-18], "And if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with
Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified
together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy
to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Unless we
suffer with Him we cannot reign with Him. You have to suffer to reign. The
reason for this is that character simply
is never made without suffering. Character is a VICTORY, not a gift. A man without character can't reign because
power apart from character is Satanic. But power with character is fit to rule.
And since He wants us to share even His throne on the same basis that He
overcame and is set down in His Father's throne, then we have to overcome to sit with Him. And the little temporary
suffering we go through now is not worthy to be compared to the tremendous
glory that will be revealed in us when He comes. Oh, what treasures are laid up
for those who are willing to enter into His kingdom through much tribulation.
E-58 Identification 63-0123 Now, let us look in God's mirror
Word and identify our present character.
84 Identification 64-0216 You find your
place as a Christian, because your character is molded as Christ. You're Zoe,
the same as He was Zoe. Then if the Bible said for a woman not to cut her hair,
how can you do it? It says a man's the ruler of the house. How can you women
be? What's the matter with you men as sons of God? See? See, you don't find
your place. See? Watch now. In... You're invited to come and take His
character. By having His character in you, it molds you into the same mind that
He was. And His mind was always to do what the Father had ordained Him to do.
351-3 Laodicean Church Age CA Book "You had better come before it is too
late," saith the Lord, "and buy of Me gold tried in the fire and then
you will be truly rich." Are we getting it? Listen to me, "Naked
(physically) we came into the world, but naked
(spiritually) we will NOT leave it." Oh no, we are going to take
something with us. What that something is, is ALL we can take with us, nothing
less and nothing more. So we had better be real careful now to see that we take
something that will make us right before God. So, then, what will we take with
us? We will take our CHARACTER,
brother, that is what we will take with us. Now what kind of character will you take with you? Will it be like HIS
Whose character was molded by suffering in the fiery furnace of affliction, or
will it be the softness of this character-less Laodicean people? It is up
to each one of us, for in that day every man will bear his own burden.
43-7 TOKEN. THE 63-0901M Your character is God's
character. What is it? A little pushover? No, sir. God's a God of judgment.
He's a God of correct. It must be on the line. Nothing else will do. That's the
kind of character you are, because you're the character of your Father. See?
Watch.
19-5 CHOOSING.OF.A.BRIDE 65-0429E
And that little queen... And I backed off and
looked up. I could see the--the steeple on the top of the other house, and I
stood there and looked a few minutes. I thought, "Who is the rich
man?" I thought, "If... Bill Branham, if you want to take which
place, where would you go?" For me, I'd take, not the--that pretty thing
up on top of the hill, but I's take this character down here that is a real
homemaker, somebody that loved me and stayed with me, somebody that tried to
make a home without bleeding you for everything for fineries, and somebody that
was with you--part of you.