Christ Revealed in
His Own Word #86
Sunday, March 16, 1997
Brian Kocourek,
Pastor Grace Fellowship
[Matt 7:18-27] Let us pray... Now, this morning we will once again
continue in our series of Christ
Revealed in His Own Word, this
is #86. Now, Wednesday night we once
again looked at Paragraph 98 where Brother Branham said, ... 98
Now, we notice then, it makes It a Book of God and not a book of man. .... and
he said, “Look how It exposes sin of the men who wrote It”.
In Paragraph [98] We find brother Branham telling us
that the Word of God, exposes the sins of those men who were used by God to
write it, and Wednesday night we not only looked at this exposing of the sin of
those who wrote it, but of those who read it as well. That problem with the
people in this Laodicean age, is that in general, the people are so spiritually
sick and sinful, and yet they don’t
even know it. We live in an age of opulence, and affluence, because we are rich
and increased with goods, but we have been blinded to the real condition of our
hearts, because of the increases in wealth which we take to be the blessings
from God, when in fact they are the attributes of the age which we live. And so
we look at the material wealth and think we must be OK spiritually, because,
hey! God is blessing me! But is He? That is the question.
[Revelations 3:14] And unto the angel (The messenger) of
the church of the Laodiceans write; these things saith the Amen, the faithful
and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; Now, who was
the Faithful and True witness of God? It was Jesus, Right? And yet we find the
scripture telling us that he had no boat to preach from, so He had to borrow a
boat. He had no roof to sleep under, so he had to stay with friends. And He had
no grave to be buried in, so He even had to borrow a grave. Yet He owned it
all. So therefore, when we look upon
material possessions, we can not know simply by using them as a measuring
stick.
[Time of Decision 59-0418 pp. 25] Two years ago I was in
Phoenix, Arizona. And Mr. Brown... Many of you know him, Mr. Young Brown,
Brother Jack Moore's associate. We were trying to find a cheaper hotel. I don't believe it's... I better not say
that. Well, I started it, I might as well keep it up. I don't believe it's
good, and I don't believe it's... It's all right. I don't say you're not a
Christian, but I don't think it's
becoming to a Christian to try to have the best. I get so sick and tired of hearing people say, "Oh, I
wouldn't go to that place." I've
never seen the place yet I couldn't go for the Lord, care where it would
be. If it's a little mission... If it's wherever it may be, I don't care. I don't think we should try to put on a lot
of make-belief, what we call, it's a worldly expression, "put on the dog."
I don't think we should do that. That's
not becoming to a Christian. Our Lord didn't even have a place to lay His head.
He had no house to live in. As I
said this morning, my little boy... he was laying on the couch looking up at
the picture of Jesus, and he said, "Has Jesus got a boat?" He loves
fishing so well. And I thought,
"No. When He preached the Gospel, He had to borrow a boat." But He's
the Captain of the Old Ship of Zion.
So, you see, we need to be
careful what we call blessings. Because if you really want to know what God
thinks of money, just look at who He gives it to. And I don’t think there are
many rich people who will enter into His Kingdom.
[Matt 19:16-29]
[1 Cor 2:26-31]
[1 Tim 6:3-12]
Now, back to [Rev 3:14] I know thy works, ( I know thy deeds, that word is ergon which
means “that thing which occupies your
life”). I know that thing which occupies your life. and I find that you are neither cold nor hot: and I would that you were
either cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor
hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. (I would that you had some sort of commitment either for or against this
Word, but because you remain so indifferent toward it, I will have nothing to
do with you). In fact brother Branham said that is the most disappointing
thing about this age that we live in. The people are so Luke warm that they are
repulsive. Brother Branham said, “If I wasn’t for Him, then I would be
against Him. I would be standing here talking against Him. I’d be against Him
if I wasn’t for Him.”
But what is it that makes
the people so lacking in commitment toward God today? I believe that it is a
lack of character.
[Romans 5:1-5] Patience = hupomone = steadfastness under trials,
patient enduring,
Experience = dokime’ = tried character...
a specimen of tired worth, proof.
Hope = elpice’ = earnest expectation
[Pg. 15 pp. 3 Smyrnaean Church Age Chptr. 4 CA Book] If there was tribulation in the first age,
there is now predicted an intensified tribulation throughout the second age.
There is no doubt but what the following words of Paul applied to the mass of
Christians wherever they were in the world and in every age.[Hebrews
10:32-38] "But call to
remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a
great fight of afflictions; Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by
reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them
that were so used. For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully
the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a
better and an enduring substance. Cast not away therefore your confidence,
which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that,
after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a
little while, and He That shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall
have no pleasure in him."
The mere association of kindhearted people with the true believer might
well bring death in return for their kindness. Now the Lord God Almighty says,
"I KNOW." There He is walking in the midst of His people. There He
is, the Chief Shepherd of the flock. But does He hold back the persecution? Does
He stem the tribulation? No, He does not. He simply says, "I KNOW your
tribulation--I am not at all unmindful of your suffering." What a
stumbling block this is to so many people. Like Israel they wonder if God
really loves them. How can God be just and loving if He stands by and watches
His people suffer? That is what they asked in [Malachi 1:1-3] "The
burden of the Word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi. I have loved you, saith
the Lord. Yet we say, Wherein hast Thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother?
saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob, And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and
his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness." You see, they could
not figure out God's love. They thought that love meant no suffering. They
thought that love meant a baby with parental care. But God said that His love
was "elective" love. The proof
of His love is ELECTION--that no matter what happened, His love was proven
truly by the fact they were chosen unto salvation (because God hath chosen
you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth).
He may commit you to death as He did Paul. He
may commit you to suffering as He did Job. That is His prerogative. He is
sovereign. But it is all with a purpose. If He did not have a purpose, then He
would be the author of frustration and not of peace. His purpose is that after
we have suffered awhile we would be made perfect, be established, strengthened
and settled. As Job said, "He puts strength in us." [Job 23:6b] You see He, Himself, suffered. He
learned obedience by the things that He suffered. He was actually made perfect
by the things that He suffered. [Hebrews
5:8-9], "Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things
which He suffered; And being made perfect, He became the author of
eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him." In plain language, the very character of Jesus was perfected by
suffering. And according to Paul He has left His church a measure of
suffering that they, too, by their faith in God while suffering for Him, would
come to a place of perfection. Why did He want this?[James 1:2-4], "My
brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this,
that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire,
wanting nothing."
Why does He stand by? The reason is in [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.
"Think it not strange concerning the fiery trials that are to try
you." That is what Peter said. Is it strange that God wants us to develop a Christ-like character that comes through
suffering? No sir. And we all have trials. We are all tried and chastened
as sons. Not one but goes through that.
The church that is not suffering, and is not being tried, hasn't got it--it
isn't of God. [Heb. 12:6], "For whom the Lord loveth He
chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. But if ye be without
chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not
sons." Now this special condition in Smyrna must be applied to every age.
There is no age free from it. There is no true believer free from it. This is
of God. This is the will of God. It is needful. We need the Lord to teach us
the truth that we are to suffer and be Christ-like in doing it. "Love
suffereth long and is kind." [Matthew
5:11-12], "Blessed are ye, when
men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil
against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for
so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."
The cloudy skies and storms of
life are no signs of God's disapproval. Neither are bright skies and still
waters signs of His love and approval. His approval of any of us is only IN
THE BELOVED. His love is elective which He had for us before the foundation of
the world. Does He love us? Ah yes. But how shall we know? We shall know because He SAID SO, and manifested that He did love
us for He brought us to Himself and gave us of His Spirit, placing us as sons. And how shall I prove my love to Him? By
believing what He said, and by conducting myself with joy amidst the trials
that He in His wisdom allows to come to pass. "I know thy poverty (but
thou are rich)." There it is again. See Him walking up and down in the
midst of His Church. Like a father He is looking down upon His family. He is the Head of His household. He is the
provider. He is the protector. Yet He looks on at their poverty. Oh, how
the untutored believer stumbles at this. How can God bear to look upon His own
in a time of need and not just stop it all--just give in and lavish everything
material upon them?
Here is where you have to believe again in the love, and goodness and
wisdom of God. This, too, is needful. Remember He admonished, "Take no
thought for the morrow, what ye shall eat or what ye shall put on. Your Father
knoweth the things ye have need of. He Who clothes the lily and feeds the
sparrow shall do much more for you.
These physical things are not the true basic necessities of your life, for a
man's life consisteth not of the things he possesses. But rather seek ye first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness and all material necessities will be added unto you."
The people of God are not material
minded. They are Christ-minded. They do not seek the treasures that are
below; they seek those above. It is absolutely true, the majority of Christians are NOT wealthy. Rather they are on the
poor side. It was so in Jesus' day. It was true in Paul's day and it should be
true today. Oh, it is not too true today for the Laodicean Age is one of vast wealth where often the criterion of
spirituality is an abundance of earthly goods. My, how rich the church is in
goods. But how poor in Spirit. "Blessed be ye poor, for yours is the
kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is NOT meat and drink." It is not
material. It is WITHIN us. A rich man is rich in God, not in worldly things.
"Oh," cries the Spirit, "I see your poverty. I see your
need. You haven't very much, if anything, to boast of. What you did have has
been taken from you. You gladly gave up
your possessions in exchange for eternal ones. You are laughed at. You are
scorned. You don't have material
resources to fall back on. But you are rich in spite of it all. Your security
lies in Him Who is your shield and exceeding great reward. Your kingdom is
yet to come. But it will come. And it will be an everlasting one. Yes, I am
mindful of your trials and woes. I know how hard it is to get along. But I will
remember all this when I return to claim you as My own, and then I will reward
you."
Now this is nothing against rich people because God can save a rich
man. Some of God's children are rich. But money
can be such a snare, not only to those who have it but to those who don't have
it. Way back there in the first age, James cried out to those who were
putting stock in wealthy people, "Have not the faith of our Lord Jesus
Christ with respect of persons." The poor there were trying to butter up
the rich in order to get help, rather than trusting in God. "Don't do
it," says James. "Don't do it. Money isn't everything. Money isn't
the answer." And today it is not the answer either. We have more wealth
than we have ever had and yet less is being accomplished Spiritually. It is not
with money that God works. He moves by His Spirit. And that moving of the Spirit comes only to a life consecrated to the Word.
[1 Peter 1: 3-7] God loves to put His kids to the test.
[Hebrews 12:5-12] chastening = paideia= to nurture, instruct, teach,
child train....instruction aimed at increasing virtue, and character....
Brother Vayle recently made the comment, “I wonder if the Bride isn’t all in and what
we are waiting for is just the child training to finish up.” Could it be later than we think?
[2-5 Easter
Seal 65-0410] He knows when that last one comes in, then His
intercessing days is over. He comes forth then to claim what He's
interceded for. He's doing the Kinsman Redeemer work now and comes forth to
receive His own.
[ PP. 105 The
First Seal 63-0318] See, it isn't God, as we'd think, just going
to hunt Him out a few thousand people of this age and take them. It's the very
elected out of every age. And that's the
reason Christ has to stay on the mediatorial seat back there as an Intercessor
until that last one comes in at the last age. And these revelations then of what it has been
breaks forth upon the people, and they see what's happened. See? You get it
now?
[E-51 Will
The Church Go Before Tribulation 58-0309E] Now, don't look for great
things in the future. America has done sinned away her day of grace. That's
exactly right. You mark it in your Bible's and find out whether I'm right or
wrong. She's been on the downgrade now, for two years. ... What's the matter?
There just so many fish in the pond. There
just so many that God knew before the foundation of the world and is
predestinated to Eternal Life. When
that last one comes in, that settles it.
There was just so many birds went into the ark. Just so many different
animals went in that ark, and the door was closed by God. And it left the rest
of them out. Though they tried to get in.
So, we see that although the
last one could very well be in, yet there is to be a time when the child
training will have to come to an end. And what is this child training that
brother Branham so often refers to?
[E-32 Redemption 55-1119] You
know, God hasn't promised a flower bed of ease, but He's promised a lot of
mountains, but He's promised grace to go over every one of them. I like Job
speaking. Watch. After Job went through
his trials and testings, as they come upon every child of God, first has to be
tried, tested. In other words, they have
to be trained like child training, take some whippings, straighten up. You know
how to act then, how to conduct yourself as a Christian. God gives you a
little bit of whipping once in a while, turns you around a few times; you know
what it's all about, lays you on your back, so you can look up. Sure.
[ E-22 God’s Covenant With
Abraham 56-0223] God
doesn't make any difference between His children. Every son that cometh to God must first be tried or chastised. You
get it? First be tried, or chastened, corrected,
child trained, schooled, everyone not one exception, every son... Have you
went through trials? Have you went through tribulation? Have you suffered
persecution? Then you're endure these things, you are real children of
God. But when you can't bear
chastisement, when the rod comes down heavy, and you run off and back into the
world, the Bible said you're illegitimate children and not the children of God.
For when a man's born of the Spirit of God, he expects those things, and he
loves those things. And the Bible said
that the trials that come upon us, fiery trials, is more precious than gold to
us. Think of it.