Christ Revealed in
His Own Word #131
The Power of Revelation #2
Wednesday,
August 27, 1997
Brian Kocourek,
Pastor Grace Fellowship
This Evening I would like to
continue with our study from Christ
Revealed in His Own Word, this is number 131 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 there is so much that we have
seen come forth from this one little paragraph, and just as the Shunammite
woman’s cruse of oil never went dry, so too has he promised to feed us the
Spiritual food that is in due season. And not only has this Message represented
a cruse of oil to us, but this one paragraph alone has provided oil for us now
for the entire month of August. So let’s begin tonight again by reading from
paragraph [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. 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, The power of revelation,
they don't even believe in it. See?”)
They don't believe in such things as prophets, and so... They don't believe in
it.
Now, Sunday morning we
examined Hebrews 11 which is commonly known as the Faith chapter of the Bible
and in our examination of this chapter we looked very closely at each verse and
made notation of the different characteristics of Faith, or the power of Faith,
which is the power of Revelation, and we listed them so that we might see that
the Power of Revelation is not just limited to giving us Spiritual sight, but
it is the same power that created the worlds.
And as we have already seen that the eyesalve which is to restore our
sight is an anointing oil, and this anointing oil in the process of giving
sight will also sanctify and make Holy the Believer, for our righteousness is
but filthy rags, but we are the righteousness of God, made that way by the
Power of Revelation.
[Hebrews 11:1] Faith is an actual substance and an evidence.
[Hebrews 11:2] It will produce a good report.
[Hebrews 11:3] By Faith the Worlds were created
[Hebrews 11:4] Causes us to be found righteous
[Hebrews 11:5] It will
translate and Rapture us.
[Hebrews 11:6] It causes us to be pleasing to God.
[Hebrews 11:7] It warns us
of things to come....
[Hebrews 11:8] It calls us
and directs us to our inheritance
[Hebrews 11:9] It keeps and
preserves you. It keeps alive the hope that is given you by the Word of God.
[Hebrews 11:10] It allows you to see the works of God.
[Hebrews 11:11] It gives us strength and ability to receive New Life
and a new birth.
[Hebrews 11:12] It brings
forth a multiplication of blessings, peace and Grace.
[Hebrews 11:13] It keeps us
going, it persuades us, it brings forth confession from our lips.
[Hebrews 11:14] It keeps you
focused.
[Hebrews 11:16] It causes us
no shame. God identifies & claims those who have it..
[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] It doesn’t
look at the test, only at the promise.
[Hebrews 11:20] It allows us
to see things to come and to accept them as already coming 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/nature,
[Hebrews 11:31] It brings
you peace where no peace can be seen.
[Hebrews 11:35] Raises the
dead, endures hardships, and keeps you focused.
[Hebrews 11:36] keeps you
focused
[Hebrews 11:39] Energy to
keep moving forward regardless of the present result.
[Hebrews 11:40] It
provides
We also found that the
Message, The shout, which is the Revelation of Jesus Christ has come forth as a
work of Faith with Power. [2
Thess 1: 7, 10-12] Notice we are told that this work of faith is with
Power. And in [Luke 21:27] we are
told that when He comes in a Cloud it will be with Great Power and Glory.
Therefore it must be the Power of Revelation for it is the greatest power that
is given to the believer.
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 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 ailments
they’ve had, whether it was a tumor, or cancer, or leukemia, or misaligned body
joints, or a broken back, or broken bones, or paralysis, or hearing loss, or
gang green.
And beyond this we’ve been
made partakers and eye witnesses to what the effectual prayer of a
righteous man can do, [James 5: 16-18] And we’ve seen this
power of Faith in action our selves turn the weather condition which not only
had an effect upon your lives, but millions of others who knew nothing about it
received the blessings as well, Nature turned upside down, the laws of physic
made of no effect. Therefore we find the power of Revelation has the Power to
heal; and the power to save; the power to sustain; and the power to raise from
the dead and make alive; the power to give new birth; and the power to discern
; power over the elements; and power over nature; as well as the power to
create. (“squirrels”)
And yet brother Branham
said, “they don’t even believe in the
Power of Revelation.” What an indictment, when the very God of Heaven has
descended with a Shout and has performed miracle after miracle and yet they
still wander in their own unbelief. Now wonder they are lost. They couldn’t find
their way if they were given clear and implicit instructions. Why? Because they
have a mental deficiency, and they are devil possessed. That’s Laodicea.
187-235 QA Image of the
Beast 54-0515 The church was built upon
the Divine revelation of God. "Flesh and blood has not revealed this to
you, Peter, but My Father which is in heaven has revealed it to you. And upon
this rock (spiritual revelation of the Word of God) I'll build My church, and the gates of hell will never prevail
against it." ... when the church of God moves on in the power of the
inspiration, she'll move right on and on and on and on, and no denomination
stop it; nothing in the world will stop it. "Upon this rock I'll build My
church, and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it": spiritual,
revealed truth.
E-13 I Know My Redeemer Liveth
58-0406S God's purpose can never be defeated. There is
nothing can defeat it. So how happy ought we to be today, resting upon that
beautiful revelation of the Word of the living God, that there is neither
things present nor things that can come; there's no sickness, no sorrow, no
death, no perils, nor nothing can separate us from the purpose of the living
God. What God has imagined in His mind, what God has purposed in His heart to
bring to pass, there is no demon, there's no power, there is nothing can ever
separate God's great immortal inter--eternal plan. It must be as God has said.
82 Discernment of the
Spirit 60-0308 It's all right, but flesh and blood has not revealed this to you. It's
not a intellectual conception of how you can make your speech, how you must bow
yourself, how or what great thing you must do here on earth. That isn't what it
is. It isn't build a great thing or do a great thing. What it is a revelation
of the Word of God. He was the Word. "In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made manifest and
dwelt among us."
46-4 The Absolute 62-1230M Watch the
words now. "Blessed are thou, Simon, son of Jonas; flesh and blood has not
revealed this to you (You never learned it by some priest; you never learned it
by some seminary.), but My Father which is in heaven has revealed it to you.
And upon this rock (spiritual revelation of the Word), I'll build My Church,
and the gates of hell cannot prevail against It."
E-47 God Keeps His Word
57-0407M Way
down in Egypt God said, "I have given you that land and all that's in
it." Now, He never just said, "I'm going to pick you up, take you up
there, and set you down." They had to fight for every inch of ground they
had. God when commanding Joshua there, He said, "Be of good courage. Be
not afraid; neither be thou dismayed for the Lord thy God is with thee
wheresoever thou goest." The Lord
thy God is with thee, wheresoever thou goest. No matter what it is, how hard it
is, how great the obstacle is, that doesn't matter. If it's down through the
valley of the shadow of death, the Lord thy God is with thee wheresoever thou
goest. Oh, how Joshua could call
Israel together and say, "Stand here and watch the glory of God." God
is with His Word. God made the promise.
God said to Joshua, "Every place that the soles of your foot set, that
yours. That's give to you." Amen. If
it's for salvation, if it's for Divine healing, if it's for more blessings, if
it's for peace, if it's for anything, it's God promise, make footprints. Amen.
"Every place that the sole of your foot sets, that have I given you for a
possession." God promised it, God keeps His Word. God's
Word is everlasting truth. I believe it; you believe it. Brothers, it's time
for us to make footprints. We can't stay right here in this same camp; the
fire's a moving on. Let's move on from glory to glory, from Bible
experience to Bible experience. Let's unfold and open up our hearts, raise up
our hands to God, keep sane. Stay in the Bible; don't get outside of that; stay
right there. Follow... We've got the prophet of God; we've got the
Word of God, and we've got the Angel of God. He's a leading this Church just
exactly like He led in them days. That's exactly right. The Word of God is
before us, and the Prophet of God is the Holy Spirit; the Angel of God is
leading the Church. We're moving in the Pillar of Fire, in the glory of God,
setting together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Now we are sons and
daughters of God, and the great revelation of the Word of the Holy Spirit sinks
it into the hearts and bringing forth the trees of salvation, righteous living,
love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, gentleness, patience. Sure it is. It
just only won't happen to a Branham Tabernacle, or to another tabernacle; it happens to individuals. If the
whole Branham Tabernacle gets together in that one accord, the whole thing will
be moving in one big unit for God. But if there's only one in that Branham
Tabernacle moving like that, God will move with that one. And only one way to do it; that's fall in line with it, march right on.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord. God keeps His Word. Why those fellows said, "We can't do that. We can't have a
revival over there. Everything's against us." Oh, my. "The Amorites
are there, and oh, the Herites, and all those are all walled up; we look like
grasshoppers." But little old
Joshua, about forty years old, beating hisself in the chest and Caleb saying...
Caleb standing there saying... Caleb said, "You know what? We are more
than able to do it." Oh, brother, a little bitty hook nosed Jew standing
there, bouncing up-and-down, saying, "We're more than able. We're not only
able, but we're more than able." Why? God said so. That settles it.
55 Palmerworm, Locust and
Caterpillar 59-0823 The other day I was talking, and we were thinking of Scripture. I
said, "Why can't people see that?" I said, "There it is,"
and I happened to think. I don't care how clear it is, how much the Scripture
teaches it, you'll never be able to see it until God Himself shows it to you. I
don't care how clear it is. And the whole Bible is built, and the whole Church
of the living God is built upon a spiritual revelation of the Word. Why did
Abel offer a more excellent sacrifice than Cain? Why didn't Abel follow Cain?
He had the most beautiful church? But it was revealed to him. When Jesus came
from Mount Transfiguration, and they... Said, "Who does man say I the Son
of man am?" "One said 'Elias,' and one said You're the prophet, and
so forth." He said, "But who
do you say I am?" Peter said,
"Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." He said, "Blessed art thou, Simon, the
son of Jonas, for flesh and blood never revealed this to you. You never learned
it with some books, or by some seminary, or some station of manmade scheme. But
My Father in heaven has revealed that to you, and upon this rock I'll build My
Church, and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it." There you are: spiritual
revelation of the Word of God.
E-64 Identification 63-0123 But now, looky here. What it
is, is the spiritual revelation of the Word of God, that everything else is
wrong but that Word, and you believe it. He was the Word, and He is the Word, and
He'll always be the Word. And when God can open that channel, then He can flow
freely through that sanctified body.
306 Harvest Time 64-1212 By revelation of the Word,
God's Word before It was even written, "Abel by faith offered unto God a
more excellent sacrifice than that of Cain, which testified that he was
righteous," the Word reflecting Itself through him by his offering.
74 Communion 62-0204 We see that the astronomers are predicting,
sometime in this early part or the first part of the month, beginning on the
second or the fifth, or somewhere along this month, the Indian astronomers
predict the world to blow to pieces. And the American newspapers make fun of
it. I do not believe the world's going to blow to pieces, but I do say it's
wrong to make fun of it. Because something's fixing to happen one of these
days, something similar to that, when the five planets, Mars, Jupiter, and
Venus, and--and so forth comes into their--their... They never have did it. Oh,
they claim maybe twenty-five thousand years ago, but who was back there to know
it? I predict that this has a spiritual
application. I believe it's the coming in of the issue of God, that the great
revelation of the Word will be opened during this time. Remember, they
claim it was three stars came into the orbit when Jesus was born. And this is
five, and five is grace, the number of grace. Three is the number of
perfection. Five is the number of grace: J-e-s-u-s, g-r-a-c-e, f-a-i-t-h, so
forth, number of grace. God ever sends His power to the church, it'll be His
grace; it won't be the obedience of the people. And Isaiah said in the 40th
chapter, how to cry to Jerusalem, that her warfare was over, yet she was guilty
of idolatry, but it was God's grace that was sending it. God sends anything to
us, it'll be His grace and not our merits.
So it may mean something. I predict that there will be a change. I don't
know what it'll be, but I believe it's fixing to happen. We're on the--right on
the eve of it now.
288-1 {64} The Fourth Seal 63-0321 Now, the power of revelation brings stimulation to the believer, for the
power of wine, natural wine is to stimulate. See? It's to bring a person that's all slumped down to a
stimulation. See, see? Well then, now
there's a power of the revelation of the
Word gives stimulation of joy to the believer, stimulation of satisfaction, the
stimulation that it's vindicated, it's proved. It's called in the
Scripture, as we want to refer to it, as new wine. We always refer to it like
that as "These are drunk on new wine," (See?), all right, or
spiritual wine. I think the best interpretation would be--would be on spiritual
wine.
41 His Unfailing Words of
Promise 64-0120 Each age has had its allotment of Word to be fulfilled. God
always sends a prophet. The Word comes to the prophet, the written Word, a
Discerner of the thoughts of the heart. Did you always notice? The prophet,
being that he knowed that he was a prophet, is because that the Word of God
discerns the thought that's in the heart, foretells things, forth-teller and
teller-forth. Did you ever take the dictionary, the old Hebrew dictionary, and
see what the word "seer" means? It's the one that has the Divine
revelation of the written Word. And how it's vindicated, he foresees things
that he foretells, and they come to pass.
Now, how does that type in with the Scripture? Just exactly. "If
there be one among you, who's spiritual or a prophet, I the Lord will make
Myself known to him, speak to him in visions. And if these things comes to
pass, then it's God. If they don't come to pass, then don't hear him; don't
fear him at all, but just ignore it." But God's Word is always right.
Therefore, that's how they knew of the man that was speaking, whether he had
the right revelation of the Word or not. The Divine Word that's written, is
because he had the Word of the Lord come to him. Now, we stay there; we place ourselves and our confidence upon
this Word.
25-1 It is the Rising of the Sun 65-0418M Upon this Rock I'll build My
church; the gates of hell can't prevail against It. And I give unto thee the
keys. Whatever you bind on earth, I'll bind it in heaven; what you loose on
earth...'" That's that Divine revelation of the Word made flesh. If it was
flesh in that day by the Son, the Groom, it's of flesh today by the Bride.
164 God of this Evil Age 65-0801M As She is part of the Groom, true to Him in
every point, waiting the Wedding, uniting, not at the ecumenical council, but
in the sky, the wedding supper. She has been given (This is for our own
church.) the... She has been given and revealed to Her the Seven Sealed
mysteries of the Bible. She--she sees the folly of the deceiver, so very close
to the Truth that almost deceive the Elected; She sees it. She... See the two opposing spirits at work
in this evil age? Can you see it? Each very religious, Cain and Abel, spirits
again coming to their heads, still same as they started: one worshipping by
beauty, and by knowledge, and by education, and by science, and by ethics; and
the other one by faith of the revelation of the Word of God. Both of them is
standing right in this building this morning. That's right.
E-40 What does it take to make
a Christian Life? 57-0113 May you take me to record this morning,
friend. There isn't enough power in all hell can ever defeat the purpose of
God. God will do it anyhow.
23-3 Invisible Union of the
Bride 65-1125 You can't be virtuous to Christ, the Word of God, and serve a manmade
denomination at the same time. It's contrary to the Word. Paul said here.
"Where about?" Romans 7.
Neither can you bare God's sons of His Word to this illegitimate
denominational group. You cannot do it. In your incubator you cannot bring
forth a Word son of God. I'm speaking to the church. But still you claim to be
very religious. So was Cain, the prostitute Eve's, son: very religious, built
altars, and offered sacrifice, and paid his tithes, and done everything that
any other religious man would do; but he failed to keep that Word. He failed to
have the revelation. And the revelation
is the only thing: the revelation of the Word. What is a revelation? Jesus
said, "Upon this Rock I'll build My church, and the gates of hell can't
prevail against it." Faith is a
revelation, because faith has been
revealed to you. Abel, by faith
offered by revelation (faith) offered to God a more excellent sacrifice
than that of Cain.
70 The Rapture 65-1204 Cain and Abel didn't have a
Bible to read, but it was revealed to
Abel by faith, which is a revelation. Abel offered unto God a more
excellent sacrifice than that of Cain, which God testified that he was
righteous. When Jesus was asked here in Matthew 16:17 and 18... We haven't time
to read it, but if you want to write it down. He said, "Who does man say
I, the Son of man, am?" One of
them said, "You're Moses, Elias, or someone." He said, "But who
do you say I am?" He said,
"Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." He said, "Blessed art thou, Simon, son
of Jonas, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you; My Father which is
in heaven has revealed this to you. Upon this rock..." The spiritual revelation of Who God is, Who
Jesus is, and He is the revelation of God, God made in flesh and revealed to
the world. He was in the world; God was in Christ reconciling the world to
Himself, revealing what God was in a body of flesh. "Thou art the
Christ, the Anointed One, the Son of God." He said, "Flesh and blood never revealed this to you, but My
Father which is in heaven has revealed this to you. Upon this rock, I'll build
My church (the revelation of the Word in It's season)--I'll build My church and
the gates of hell cannot prevail against it." The Book of the Revelation
is the last Book of the Bible. It's sealed to unbelievers. In there the
Bible says in the 22nd chapter, "Whosoever shall take one word from It or
add one word to It, I'll take his part from the Book of Life." We realize
that then It was altogether given for believers. And it opens the Book of
Revelation and reveals Who the Author of this entire Book is (He's to look upon
as Alpha and Omega, from Genesis to Revelations, Jesus Christ just the same
right straight through), and reveals His complete mystery of Himself and His
plans for His church ages that's to come, and was sealed in there by seven
seals. Now, the Book was written, but then remember, It was sealed with seven
seals. And these seven seals was not to be opened, Revelations 10, until the
sounding of the last earthly angel on earth, Revelations 10:7. See? "And
in the days of the sounding of the last angel's Message, seventh angel, the
mystery of God should be finished in that age." That's... And that's the age that we're living in. We all know we're living the Laodicea age.
There will never be another age to it; it can't be. So we're living in the
Laodicea age, and these seven seals that's held that Book is a mystery to
people, should be open at that day. That's what He promised. Now, it won't be
nothing outside the Word, because you can't add to the Word or take from the
Word. It's got to remain always the Word. But the revelation is to reveal the
Truth of It, what It is, to make It fit with the rest of the Scripture. And
then God vindicates that to be the Truth.
309 Harvest Time 64-1212 Riches, Laodicea, great name,
great person, rich. "But dead, and naked, and don't know it." That's
what the church age ended in. But she
denies the Word. To make Matt 24:24 real to her, she tries to move in with a
lot of noise, and a lot of this, and a lot of social standings, and things like
this, trying to say, "Well, we got power. Glory to God. Hallelujah. We got
power." Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof, so
close that it would deceive the very elected... How can a man dance in the
Spirit and speak in tongues, and deny the Word of God being the Truth, and be
the Holy Ghost? It just can't be done.
Every Word... God says one thing, that's just exactly what He means.
Don't interpret It no other way. The Bible says that It's of no private
interpretation. Say it the way He said It
E-50 Identification
63-0123 We are invited to shape our own character to
His by His grace. We are invited (Think of it.) to become characters like His,
if we're ready to lay our character down and the molding that we had:
"heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, false
accusers and incontinent, despisers of those that are trying to do right,
having a form of godliness and denying the power of the Word"... How can
God come into a place like that when they deny the Word? When He watches over
His Word to vindicate It, to make it come to pass, and the Word is pushed out,
how can He identify Himself with something like that?