Christ Revealed in
His Own Word #130
The Power of Revelation
Sunday, August 24, 1997
Brian Kocourek,
Pastor Grace Fellowship
This morning I would like to
continue with our study from Christ
Revealed in His Own Word, this is number 130 in our series from this
Message of Brother Branham’s and I would like to continue examining brother
Branham’s thoughts from paragraph #159 because we have spent 8 messages now on
this one paragraph and we have taken three mini series from it, One showing the naked condition of the
Laodicean people, another showing the Blind condition of these same people, and
the third showing the mental condition of these people where brother Branham
said because they don’t even know their condition, that they are naked and
blind, it shows that they are either mentally deficient or they are devil
possessed. So let’s read again from this paragraph and see what else Brother
Branham has to say here. [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, I want you to catch here that he jumps from speaking about this mental
condition, to reading from [2 Tim 3: 4-5]
) See? Heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure
more than lovers of God, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, and
despisers of those that are good, having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof ...( now
notice after he quotes from the scripture about them denying the power, he
tells us what that means when he says, (“having
a form of godliness but denying the
power thereof, The power of
revelation, they don't even believe in it. See?”)...
Now, for the last couple messages
on the blind condition of the people we have shown you that the eyesalve that
God wants us to apply is a special anointing oil to the eyes of our heart,
which means that we must apply this anointing oil to the eyes of our
understanding. We examined the Scriptures and fond out that the anointing oil
was given for the purpose of sanctifying the one who is anointed. And we also
found that this anointing oil has a certain power in it, the power to know all
things, And so we see that Faith is that special anointing that comes from God,
it has power that allows us to be justified, sanctified, and given a new birth.
In fact we found that without this anointing oil, which makes us Holy, that we
could never see God, for “without Holiness, no man shall see the Lord.”
Therefore we should by this
point be able to see the importance of this eyesalve which is revelation or
faith that God has given to us that we might recognize Him and His Presence in
this hour. We know also that this eyesalve has power to give sight, to justify,
to sanctify, and to give new Life. Therefore, this power of Revelation, this
Power of Faith, is a very important thing for us to understand and
therefore, and I would like to continue
this morning with examining these thoughts on the power of Revelation.
Now, if we believe that
Alpha has become Omega, then we should be able to see what has happened in this
hour is only a repeat of what happened in Paul’s day. Therefore let’s turn in
our Bibles to [Acts 26] to see from
Paul’s own testimony to King Agrippa how His Life was changed by the Power of
Revelation.
[Acts 26:1- 19] Now, notice the last few words that Paul quoted
Jesus. Now, Jesus said, that they would be turned from the Power of satan tot
he Power of God and that this power, this faith that was in Jesus would bring
them to a place of Justification, sanctification, and inheritance.
Furthermore, this Faith has
power as we see it’s effect that it is to have on us at the end time. [2 Thess 1: 7, 10-12] Notice we are told
that this work of faith is with Power.
Now, this power of Faith not
only will give us a living hope, but will also keep and preserve us and without
this protective power of faith we could never receive our inheritance which is
eternal, because our inheritance would outlast us. And that is the problem with
man. He can not out live his inheritance unless he is a fool and wastes it. But
with God He has promised us an inheritance that is incorruptible and that
fadeth not away. Now man himself fades away and all that he has in his earthly
possession fades away. The moth will eat and the rust corrupts and man to whom
the inheritance is given perishes himself.
But we are promised an
inheritance that will never fade away, and therefore we too must be kept by
this same power from fading that we might receive an inheritance that will last
eternally and we with it. So we are
looking at he power of Faith, the Power of Revelation that brother Branham said
they do not believe.
Now, as I said this faith
which is a revelation has a power which we have seen in operation throughout
the years but which we understand very little about.
Now, you might ask. What
kind of power does Faith have? Well, we know that through Faith we receive
Spiritual sight, right? Therefore through Faith we are justified, sanctified
and given a new birth. Therefore Faith has within it the power of Life itself.
And not just life but Eternal Life. But beyond that, we know that through the
exercise of Faith we have seen many people healed from whatever ailment they
have had. I’ve seen tumors removed from a mans chest, I’ve seen cancers depart
from Howard and my sister. I’ve seen a paralyzed man walk again, and a little
girl with leukemia made whole and given an opportunity to live a complete life
that she might live it for Christ. I’ve seen a babies hip that was born out of
joint come together, and I’ve had my back which was broken in two places
suddenly be made healthy and strong. we
are witnesses to the power of Faith in our every day life and we have personally
witnessed many times the power of Faith in healing our bodies.
And beyond that we have also
witnessed what the effectual prayer of a rightly-wise man can do even as we read about Elijah praying for rain and it
rained, we have see the power of Faith for our very own selves and we have seen
the power of faith turn the weather condition, and give hot water through pipes
which had no heat nor source of heat. We have seen nature turned upside down
and the laws of physic made of no effect by this thing called Faith. And now in
the Faith chapter of Hebrews, chapter 11 we see that the very worlds which we
live were created by Faith. So no one can tell me that Faith does not have
power. Faith itself is the releasing of the power of God Himself, the Great
Creator. [Hebrews 11:3]
Now, I would like to stop
for a moment this morning and just look at the power of Faith and to do so
let’s examine this Faith Chapter and read each verse and see how power was
displayed in each of the examples that are shown to us of how Faith produced
something by this power.
[Hebrews 11:1] Here we see that Faith is not a philosophy, but is
actually a substance and an evidence.
[Hebrews 11:2] By it the elders obtained something. A good report.
[Hebrews 11:3] God even created the worlds using the power of Faith.
So if God had to use it, what about
us?
[Hebrews 11:4] It makes us rightly wise and gives us an
understanding which goes beyond mere mortal
reasoning. [I John 2:20 & 27] But ye
have an unction (anointing) from the Holy One, and as a result of this
anointing, ye know all things. Now
let’s read verse 27 But the anointing which ye have received of
him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same
anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as
it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
[Hebrews 11:5] If it brought
forth a translation and a Rapture for Enoch, then it must do so for us as
well.
[Hebrews 11:6] Without it we
can not please God, so in a positive sense it tells us that Faith not only
pleases God, but the Power of Faith also
allows us to believe and not the other way
around.
[Hebrews 11:7] It has power
to warn us of things in the future.
[Hebrews 11:8] It calls us
and directs us to our inheritance
[Hebrews 11:9] The power of
Faith keeps and preserves you and it keeps alive the hope that it gives you.
[Hebrews 11:10] By the power of Faith we are able to see the works
of God and the things which He has
done for us. He knew what to look for.
[Hebrews 11:11] It gives us strength and ability to receive New Life
and a new birth even when our flesh
does not look like it wants to cooperate or is too
weak to cooperate.
[Hebrews 11:12] And through
the power of Faith it brings forth a multiplication of the blessings which
we receive through it.
[Hebrews 11:13] It keeps us
going and persuades and brings forth a confession which is an ability to say
the same thing. And you could never say the same thing unless you had an
understanding of the thing you were
talking about.
[Hebrews 11:14] It keeps you
focused.
[Hebrews 11:15] If they had
taken their eyes from Faith, the power would have left.
[Hebrews 11:16] It brings
them tot he place of not being ashamed and God wanting to identify and lay
claim to them.
[Hebrews 11:17] It carries
you through the trials and testings.
[Hebrews 11:18] And brings a
purpose and focus to our tests.
[Hebrews 11:19] And doesn’t
even look at the test but at the promise showing the strength of the power.
[Hebrews 11:20] It allows
for us to see things to come and to accept already the blessings of those
things not yet come to pass.
[Hebrews 11:21] Allows us to
bless and worship.
[Hebrews 11:22] It directs
us for our future. Why did He want His bones sent back to the Promised land?
[Hebrews 11:23] Notice again
how they just knew and foresaw things to come. Direction and insight.
[Hebrews 11:24] It brings
forth a true identity, and helps us to manifest in our true identity.
[Hebrews 11:25] Again we see
how it gives us power to look past the tests
[Hebrews 11:26] It brings us
respect for God’s plans
[Hebrews 11:27] It brings us
to the place of having no fear.
[Hebrews 11:28] It gives us
power to keep the commands of God.
[Hebrews 11:29] It conquers the
laws of physics and of nature, and allows us to walk contrary to those laws in keeping God’s Word.
[Hebrews 11:31] It gives you
peace which could not be had otherwise in your situation or circumstances.
[Hebrews 11:32] Gedeon the
strength and courage to fight a fight no one wanted to help in. Barak was given
strength for deliverance of his people. Sampson, to have strength and ability
to stand alone against the enemy. Jephthae was given the power to perseverance
and restoration of his right position after being rejected he came back as
their king. David a rejected king, yet
loved and given great power to slay the enemy Samuel walked alone and yet never
wavered in his commitment toward God
[Hebrews 11:33] (read)
[Hebrews 11:34] (read)
[Hebrews 11:35] Raises the
dead, endures hardships, and keeps you focused.
[Hebrews 11:36] keeps you
focused
[Hebrews 11:37] keeps you
focused
[Hebrews 11:38] Energy to
keep moving forward
[Hebrews 11:39] Energy to
keep moving forward regardless of the present result.
[Hebrews 11:40] It
provides
[Hebrews 12:1] And this
power is given to us as well.
[Hebrews 12:1] It will
keep us focused as well
We see in the Book of Romans
that Faith is the Supreme Gift of God, [Romans
5:2, 4:16] We can’t say we believe and therefore we have Faith, for Faith
is a Revelation, and believing is just being able to read.
How many remember years ago
when I put together those study materials showing the Parousia, Epiphanea, the
Phaneroo and apocalypses, and Doxa, Ginosko and remember, I promised to dot he
dunamis of God which is the power of God? Well, I have wondered for years now
why I have not been able to sit down and place together the Dunamis section of
scriptures that pertain to this end time. I know how the gift operates for me
and when God moves within me I can sit for hours and His Word just opens up,
but I will never try and force it because if it is not there then nothing will
come forth. And so when I put together those other studies, I could never
figure out why this one just would not come. I tried to put them together but
just couldn’t do it so I just left it alone. But Now I know why. Because I
thought of the power of God as only that which was displayed in the Healings
and miracles and I never saw the dunamis of God as it is associated with THE
FAITH which was to be revealed in this end-time. Faith and Power.
[Romans 5: 1-5] So as I mentioned Wednesday, without faith we could
never be justified, and if never justified, then how could we be sanctified, and
if never sanctified, then how could it ever be possible that God would place
His Holy Spirit in an unholy vessel. In fact Brother Branham told us that God
will never place His Spirit in an unholy vessel. So we see then this hope maketh us not ashamed. And the reason we
are not ashamed is because we have been justified which came by Faith which is
a revelation. This revelation opened up to us and gave access to us of the
Grace of God, which then brings us into a peaceful relationship with our Lord
Jesus Christ who is the Judge. This Peace with God then brings us into a life
which is dedicated and consecrated and is sanctified which then opens the door
for the indwelling of God’s Spirit which is Holy.
[Luke 21:27] Power and great Glory
[Hebrews 1:3] person = hupostasis = [Hebrews 3:14] confidence = [Hebrews
11: 1] substance