Christ Revealed in His Own Word #82

“The Maturing of the Bride # 6” & “Hidden Wisdom” # 4

Sunday, Mar 2, 1997

Brian Kocourek, Pastor Grace Fellowship

This morning we shall continue with our series in Christ Revealed in His Own Word, this is #82 in our series. I would like to review Wednesday night for just a moment before we move on our study of this Message. Wednesday night we read from, Paragraph 93 where Brother Branham said, ...

93] He so designed, that He could hide Himself in the Scriptures to the smartest theologian there is. Oh, my. He can just hide Himself, set right there in the Scripture, and you look all day long and never see it, look a lifetime and never see it. He can just hide Himself setting there.

But we showed you Wednesday night that although we can say God hid himself in such a way in the Word that they could spend a lifetime searching the Word to find Him, and never even come close, yet we found that it is not in the way God placed Himself in the Word, as much as it is the fact that those who are not His just don’t want to find Him. You see, God laid out His Word in this Bible in a way that is so precise, and yet when He comes in that exact and precise way, the people reject Him because it goes against the way they were taught, and therefore they can not receive Him when He does come.

[John 5:36-40] But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me.( How? through vindication). Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

Notice that He tells them that they only think that they have eternal life because they have the scriptures. And let’s face it, God and the Word are One and the same. Jesus does not deny that there is Eternal Life in the Word, but He tells them they do not have this Eternal Life because they are rejecting what that same Word is telling them. In essence, they are rejecting what the Word is pointing to. And so we see that what brings Life is not the written Word, but the fulfillment of that written Word. Because let’s face it, the written Word is only a seed that the Son of Man sowed. And any seed as we know is a carrier of life. But that Life can not be manifested while it remains in the seed. It must come forth from the seed in order to manifest itself.

In [John 12:24] Except a corn of wheat ( a seed) fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. And so we see that a seed does not manifest in itself. The life must come forth from out of the seed in order to manifest what life was in the seed. Then, if this is so in the natural, it must also hold in the spiritual, or Jesus would never have used the parable to bring forth this Truth and understanding to us. Therefore, as long as the life stays in the seed it is hidden. And that is How God hides Himself in the Word. As long as He stays in the Word, He is hidden to the World. But when God brings that part of the Word into the World through manifesting that portion of His Word, then the Life becomes manifested openly. That is why Jesus can tell them to search the scriptures all they want to find Eternal Life, but as long as they turn down the Interpretation of the Scripture, which is to turn down the manifestation of it, they will never find the Life that is in the Word.

[John 9:1-10:1] Now, this man, though he were born blind, had more understanding of how God operates than the Pharisees. He who was blind could now see, while those who professed to see became blind. Notice in verse 27-28, they said, we don’t need this Jesus, we have Moses. How we hear the same words, today coming forth from the blinded denominations. We don’t need a Prophet! We have God’s Word. But just as Jesus told them, “You only think you have the Word, but it is the Word that testifies to what you are seeing in Me.” And so we see a tremendous phenomena take place here with this blind man and those who claimed to see. Remember, the woman at the well? When Jesus, who was a complete stranger to her, told her of her hidden sins, right away she recognized who he was, and went into the city to proclaim Him. But look at the contrast with those religious Pharisees. When the light struck the seed in her, although her outward nature was almost completely darkened, she immediately turned to the Light of the Truth and the Word changed her life from unbelief to right-wise-ness. But the very same Light that Struck the Pharisees, turned their lilly white lives into the darkness that they truly loved.

They became murderers, blasphemers, liars and plotters against the Most High God which they claimed to serve. And so we see this phenomena take place where that which had been living in a darkened state became enlightened and changed, while those who thought they were walking in the Light became suddenly darkened.

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(Woman at well) Pharisees

[94] Now, please, everywhere, let that soak in! that God in the Word can hide Himself so, in the Word, that there isn't a theologian or a school in the world could ever find Him. And yet He's setting right there. You say, "Is that right, Brother Branham?" How about the Pharisees and Sadducees? How about in every age? He's done it. Sure. He's done so in every age. Now, we could check that. Let's think about the days of Noah, smart, intellectual age, how He hid Hisself in His promised word; in the days of Moses how He hid Hisself; in the days of Elijah how He hid Hisself; in the days of Jesus how He hid Hisself. "He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came to His own; His own received Him not." See? He hides Himself from the smartest, intellectual man there is on the earth.

[95] You say, "Well, this is Doctor, holy father So-and-so." I don't care who he is; God hides Himself from him, and will reveal it to babies such as will learn (See?), babies of God, predestinated seed.

[96] Think. The Mighty God, setting in His own Word, blinding the smart, educated people of this present age, and they don't see it. They think it's a bunch of fanaticism. Look at Him standing there hiding to Pentecostals (Huh?), Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterian: revealed Himself right out publicly, and showing all kinds of things, even putting it in the papers, and things like that, yet they don't see it. Oh, our God, how great, revealing Himself to whomever He will.

[97] "Oh," you say, "Brother Jones or Brother So-and-so, he's a great man. He'll see it." Oh, no. He reveals It to whom He will. Say, "My wife don't see it, and she's a Christian woman." He reveals Himself to whom He will. See? "Well, my pastor's a great man." That's right, but He reveals Himself to whom He will. Now, check with what's been revealed to what's happening, then you can quite understand. Now, here is the key... Brother Branham said, Check with what has been revealed against what you see happening. The tow have got to dovetail or your understanding of the Word is not correct. Why couldn’t those Pharisees see that Christ had come and was amongst them? Because they loved the praises of men more that the praises of God. They loved their own organizational thinking than the Word of God.

[John 12:37 - 40] But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: They looked and beheld the miracles which only God could do, and yet they still turned away from the knowledge of the Truth. Why? Because it did not vindicate their position. It came contrary to what they believed. And of course this had been prophesied by Isaiah that this would happen. Let’s read on. [38]“That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with [their] eyes, nor understand with [their] heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. [41] These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him. ( Now, John is gives us the clue to what is wrong with those who will not receive the Manifested Word. He tells us that the Manifested Word which we know is the interpretation of God’s Word is the Doxa or the Glory of God which is God’s very opinion, judgment and assessment ). And it is this assessment that they turn down. [42-48]Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess [him], lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise (Doxa) of men more than the praise of God. (Here again is the point. John tells us, They loved the opinions of men more than the opinion of God). Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. And he that seeth me, (the manifested Word), seeth him that sent me. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

Now, there we are. In [John 7:16] Jesus said, “My doctrine is not mine, but His that sent me.” And in

[John 5:19-20] Jesus said, “verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do: for what things so ever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth Him all things hat Himself doeth: and He will show Him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.” And again in [John 5:30] We hear Jesus say, I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”

So what we hear John telling us here that Jesus had absolutely surrendered His own Life to God, His Father. And John further tells us that the reason the people were blinded to Jesus and the Vindication of His Ministry, is because they were blinded to the Word of the Father which Jesus was only acted out and fulfilled. So, we see that the blinding is a spiritual thing, because even though they see with their eyes physically, yet they still do not see because they do not understand what it is that they are looking at. They are willfully blind because they turn down the understanding because it does not fit with their own thinking. That is why John said, they would rather have the Doxa of man than the Doxa of God. We can’t blame God for their unbelief. God doesn’t shove you through a pipe and then say blessed is he that overcomes. In fact from the Message ... From [Marriage of the Lamb PP. 28] God could not push us through a little pipe, pull us out on the other end, and then say, "Blessed is he that overcometh." You had nothing to overcome; He just pushed you through. But you've got to make decisions for yourself. I have to make decisions for myself. In doing that, we show our faith and respects to God.”

It comes right down to respect. By our surrendering our own thinking to God’s thinking, we show Him Respect and Love. And in doing so, we have yielded ourselves to the Eternality of His Divine Will and Presence in our Lives. In [2 Thess 2: 10] We are told, Because they love not the Truth, God turns them over to believe a lie.” So if they don’t love the Truth, then it is apparent that they must love a Lie. So then God only gives them what they desire in the first place. Paul further tells us that only those who love the Appearing which is the Manifesting of the Word, in this Last hour, will receive the crown of right-wise-ness that is to be given out by the Supreme Judge, at the time of the Appearing. [2 Timothy 4:8] Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. And so we see, that those who truly Love the Written Word will love the Manifested Word as well, for to Love the Manifested Word shows outwardly that you not only understand the Written Word, but that you have become One with It, and a part of It.

So, therefore, you must love God and His Word. And if you love His written Word, you will receive the Manifested Appearing of that Word, and then you will be willing to change your thinking and conduct when His Word tells you that you are wrong. Martin Luther said, in his commentary on the Book of Romans, “‘As soon as you do not desire to become better, then you have ceased to be good.’ It does not help a tree to have green leaves and flowers if it does not bear fruit besides it’s flowers. For this reason, not bearing fruit, many Christians perish in their flowering. Man, (the Christian) is always in a state of nakedness, always in a state of becoming, always in a state of potentiality, always in a state of activity. He is always in sin and always in justification. He is always a sinner, but also always repentant and so always righteous. No one is so good that he could not become better; and no one is so evil, as he could not become worse.” That is why Paul tells us to “be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds.”

And this is the key to our justification and glorification. The Elect are willing to be renewed, whereas the serpent seed will not budge from his ways. [Proverbs 14:12] “There is a way that seemeth right unto man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Your change must begin first with your own thinking, before it will do your body any good. [2 Cor 4:16] but though our outward man perish, yet the inward [man] is renewed day by day. [Col 3:10] And have put on the new [man], which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

To change your actions when your mind hasn’t changed will only cause more stress in your life. The Bible tells us in [Isaiah 28:28] that “the Word of the Lord will become unto them, do and do, do and do, rule upon rule, rule upon rule, until they will go backward, and fall and become broken.” To do and not to know will cause you to be living a lie, and we know that a lie detector is made to operate off of the nature of your body. Someone who is lying becomes nervous and their body shows it and registers that nervous condition. Even your heart is a register of whether you are at peace or unrest. The high rate of heart attack today is because the people are nervous. Brother Branham called this a nervous age, and yet it doesn’t have to be that way for us because we know better. But when you do not have a full assurance in God and His Word for this hour, you can not help but to be nervous and living in a state of falsehood. And your body will suffer as a result.

I heard a Doctor talking about his book called “Life in the Balance” And he said that if you will slow down your pace, practice giving to others, and giving kind and gentle replies to disagreements, and do more as a family together, that your susceptibility to heart disease will be drastically reduced. He said it is the pressures of the materialistic world pushed upon us by the materialistic media that is causing so much stress and sickness among the people today. And that is exactly what Brother Branham told us. If you believe that God has given you the fruits of the spirit, then manifest them for your health sake.

[Gal 5:22] But the fruit of the Spirit is: 1) Love=>(charity or benevolence), 2) joy=>(gladness),

3) peace=>(rest), 4) longsuffering=>(patience), 5) gentleness=>(kindness), 6) goodness=>(usefulness), 7) faith=>(Revelation),8) meekness=>(mildness), and 9) Temperance=>(self control): In other words, the fruits of the spirit will cause you to pull back from the rat race and cause you to begin to enjoy life so much that you want to share life together with all those you love and all that love you.