Christ Revealed in His Own Word #87
“God’s Plan”
Wednesday, March 19,
1997
Brian Kocourek,
Pastor Grace Fellowship
W
[Hebrews 1:1] God, who at sundry times and in divers
manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
W
[Hebrews 13:8]
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to
day, and for ever. ( Let’s pray).
[104] Now, we know God chose by predestination His church, His place, His prophets, and all about it. By foreknowledge He predestinated His prophet. And when the age arrived, He had His prophet arrive at the same time and inspired him as He wrote the Bible by him. Now, God wrote the Bible only using the prophet, because that's His way of doing it. So see, It is the Word of God and not the word of man.
Before we progress further into this message, I would like to take the time to break down this last paragraph to you because I want these things that Brother Branham is bringing to our attention to become etched in our minds.
He said, “Now, we know God chose by predestination His church, His place, His prophets, and all about it. This is a mouthful right here, and don’t forget that this message is about the Revealing of Christ through the instrument of His Word. Now in this paragraph he tells us “we know that God chooses through predestination”, that is by predetermining 4 particular things, and 1 other list of not so particular things that God predestinates in order to bring about the Revealing of Himself. #1) He predestines His Church, #2) He predestines His place where He wishes to Reveal Himself to that Church. In other words, the Geographic location for this Revealing to take place. And, remember, the Light began in the East but through-out the Seven Church Ages, it has moved westward. #3) He predestines His Prophets To reveal Himself through, and #4) He predestines the specific age for the Revealing to take place He said, “By foreknowledge He predestinated His prophet. And when the age arrived, He had His prophet arrive at the same time”, So we see that there is a specific time involved with this Revealing that is to take place....and finally #5) He said, “Now, we know God chose by predestination His church, His place, His prophets, and all about it. So we see that there is another category we will call the “All about it” category, where we will lump in all the other assorted details that He was not specific with here, but that God must predestinate as well, in order to guarantee Himself that this specific Revealing of Himself will have all the necessary elements needed for the Revealing to take place without a hitch.
So we can see then that God covers his tracks pretty well. He not only knows what He wants to reveal of Himself, but He knows what He wants to accomplish in doing so. Therefore, as a Master Planner, He plans the place, and the time or timing of the event, and even the players that will be involved in this great play that He is about to unfold. God is not like so many people who venture into there own businesses with no idea of what they want to accomplish and who have no idea of what they want to get out of their efforts. He knows up front, what He wants to accomplish, and how He wants to do accomplish it, and what it will take to do so. Therefore, in order to make sure that His Revelation of Himself is heard, recognized, and acted upon, he places a prepared people, His Elect, in the right location, at the right time, to receive the Right Revelation from a specially chosen vessel who was also Prepared in advance to bring forth the right Word.
Could you imagine any man running a business without first knowing what he wanted to accomplish. You can’t even go to the bank to borrow money for your company unless you have a plan as to how you will use that money and what you hope to receive from the use of that money. The very first thing you will be required to do is to submit what is called a business plan. All this is, is a plan which usually entails what you wish to accomplish and how you plan to accomplish it. Even in sports, we do not blindly take on the competition without a game plan. We study the opposition and determine their strengths and weaknesses and then we lay out our strategy as to how we will be able to use their strengths against them, and how we can make use of their weaknesses as well.
The same way we find it to be in business. A smart banker will not lend money to just anyone who says they are starting up a company. The majority of new startup companies fail, because they lack a goal, and a plan to reach that goal. Even Jesus Himself explained this to the Apostles and He even gave them examples of this so that there would be no questions as to it’s importance.
Christ
Revealed in His Own Word #87
Wednesday, March 19,
1997 “God’s Plan”
[Luke 14:28-35] For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first,
and counteth the cost, whether he have [sufficient] to finish [it]? Lest haply,
after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish [it], and all that
behold [it] begin to mock him, Saying,
This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to
make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether
he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty
thousand? Or else, while the other is
yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.
So likewise, whosoever he be of you that
forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Salt [is] good:
but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for
the dunghill; [but] men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Now, for the next few minutes, let’s go to the scripture so that we can rightfully prove out these points that brother Branham is telling us here. First of all He said that in order for God to Reveal His Word there must be a people to whom He Will reveal it.
[Luke 1:17] And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the
fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the
Lord. To make ready a prepared
people. Therefore, the people have already been prepared somehow, and the job
of this Spirit and power of Elijah is to make them ready for the Lord. Jesus
said in, [John 15:16] “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and
bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye
shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”
Now, this word ordained is a Greek Word which means “to be set forth or put into place, to be placed”. So, we see here, the importance of God Choosing out before-hand, the players in this great drama that is to unfold. What good would it be for a drama company to put on a play that requires a real understanding of Shakespeare and then perform it before a group of little children who wouldn’t have a clue as to what is going on. So the audience is a very important part of the drama, if a message is to be received through the acting out of the drama.
And Brother Branham
said from, paragraph 172 of the Message, [Super
Sign], Now, you all can't be that one, but you can be a part of that with
your faith. All of them couldn't be a Jesus, when they was on earth, but they
could believe Him and accept the message. There was one Moses, one Elijah, one
Noah, on down, always been that, but the rest of them could accept it. And they would've had no ministry unless
there'd been somebody believe it. Jesus
would've had no ministry 'less somebody believed it. Paul would've had no
ministry 'less somebody believed it.
The Holy Ghost has got no
ministry by the Word today unless somebody's willing to get away from their
creed and come back to the Word again, no matter how well it's here and how
real it's here. It's here now. I know it's here. I feel it. I know it's here.
The Word says it's here. "Wherever two or three are gathered in My Name,
I'm in the midst of them." And I truly believe that He's here, the same
yesterday, today, and forever.
So there must
be a people who are ordained to receive it. [Acts 13:48] And when the
Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as
many as were ordained to eternal life believed. So we see then first of all
there is a purpose or plan, and then we see that this purpose or plan is
specifically ordained for a specific group of people to receive it. [I Cor 2:7] But we speak the wisdom of
God in a mystery, [even] the hidden [wisdom], which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
[Ephesians 2:10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Here again we can see that the purpose and plan were ordained with a specific result in mind, that we might walk in it, and become one with and through it.
[I John 1:7] But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship
one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all
sin. [John 12:35] Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little
while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come
upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
Christ
Revealed in His Own Word #87
Wednesday, March 19,
1997 “God’s Plan”
Now, to this point we have seen that God not only ordained a Glory to be revealed, but the people to whom it should be revealed. [Romans 8:18] 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. Let’s look now, at what he also mentioned about the time and place where it should be revealed.
[II Thess 2:6] And now ye know what
withholdeth that he might be revealed in
his time. Notice that the scripture here speaks specifically of a time
when this revealing is to take place.
[Ecclesiastics 3:1] To every [thing there is] a season, and a time to every purpose under
the heaven: & [3:7] A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to
speak; So we see here that there is a time and season for the
Revelation of that which was hidden to be spoken out and made known.
We even find
more evidence of this in [Rev
22:10] And he saith unto me, Seal not
the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for
the time is at hand. For the
time is at hand.... Timing then has everything to do with the execution of the
plan and purpose.
And in the Book of [Daniel 9:24], we read, “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.” So we see that a specific period of time, for 70 weeks, the vision and prophecy, in other words, the mysteries were to be hidden and sealed up, but at the end-time they are to be opened. So we see that there is a specific time for this Revelation to take place.
[Ephesians
3:5] Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons
of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the
Spirit; again, we see that in other
ages, specific ages, the Revelation was not to be made known. This is not an
ongoing play that you just come in on and you immediately know what is going
on. In fact as with most drama, if it is done correctly, it keeps you guessing
right up to the end what the outcome will be. That is, if it is done right. “And
shall not the Judge of all the Earth do it right?” Especially since he
is also the “Author and Finisher as well.”
[I Peter 1:5] Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. So we are talking about a last time
revelation. In fact the Wuest translation translates it this way. “you who are constantly being kept guarded by
the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in a last
season which is epochal and strategic in it’s significance. And
the word epochal means having to do with timing. And we see here that this
timing is part of the strategy just like timing is part of the strategy for any thing, from building a
house, to war to even games.
[II Thess 1:10] When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in
all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed ) in that day. So we see here that
there is to be a specific day when this Glory is to enter into the Elect.
[I Peter 1:13] Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is
to be brought unto you at the revelation
of Jesus Christ; And again we see that this Revelation of Jesus Christ
is to come at the end-time.
Now, thus far we have established that God has a specific people in mind to receive this Revelation of Himself, and a specific time involved when this is to take place. Now for the next few minutes this evening, let’s look at how this Revelation is to come forth. For Come forth, or set forth it shall be, as in the definition of the word, “ordained”, meaning to set forth. And the first thing we must know is how God does things. And if, “He is the same yesterday, today and forever.” as we read [Hebrews 13:8], then how He did things yesterday, He is obligated to do the same today.
[Amos 3:7] Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. Surely, of a certainty, or we can be certain that God will not do any revealing without a prophet. Why? Because He said so...And if God ordained a people to receive His revelation then He must ordain the one who is to bring it and reveal it to the people.
Christ
Revealed in His Own Word #87
Wednesday, March 19,
1997 “God’s Plan”
We already pointed out that the people who have been ordained of God were a prepared people whom the Revelation is to make them ready for the coming of the Lord. Then if this is true, then God in like manner, acting the same yesterday, today and forever, would have to also prepare the vessel in whim He would use according to [Amos 3:7]. And we find this in...
[Jeremiah 1:5] Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, [and] I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. So we see that even before he was born He was ordained to be a prophet. we know this to be true also of John the Baptist who was filled with the Holy Ghost even before He was born. Talk about coming forth as a prepared vessel. That’s why I get aggravated with people who are so narrow minded concerning the baptism of the Holy Ghost, who say that no one received it before the day of Pentecost. I can give you three people right quick who received it even before Jesus was born, which would have to be BC and old testament.
[Luke 1:15] For he shall be great in
the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he
shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
Not only was
John filled with the Holy Ghost in His mother’s womb, but she was filled as
well, and his father as well. [Luke 1:41]
And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth
heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was
filled with the Holy Ghost: [1:67] And his father Zacharias was
filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
we even know
that Kind David was filled with God’s Spirit. [Psalms 51:11] Cast me not
away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. And in order for
God to take away His Spirit from David, he had to have it first. Even Moses and
Joshua as well as the other prophets
were filled with the Spirit of God. And they had to be in order to be yielded
to His Word as they were.
[Numbers 11:29] And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all
the LORD'S people were prophets, [and] that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!
[Numbers 27:18] And the LORD said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom [is] the spirit, and lay
thine hand upon him;
So we see then
the importance of the One in whom God uses to reveal Himself. As Paul said, [I Tim 2:7] Whereunto
I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle,
(I speak the truth in Christ, [and] lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in
faith and verity. Now, this is not
done solely for the sake of the prophet, but for you and I as well, who are the
ones who are ordained to receive what that Prophet brings to us.
[Hebrews 5:1] For every high priest taken from
among men is ordained for men in things [pertaining] to God, that he
may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: Notice they are ordained for men and not by men. So the purpose of these is to be ordained or placed and set
forth in a specific role for the benefit of others. And they are ordained for a
purpose...
[Hebrew 8:3] For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: Now, let’s go back to what brother Branham said, “By foreknowledge He predestinated His prophet. And when the age arrived, He had His prophet arrive at the same time and inspired him as He wrote the Bible by him. Now, God wrote the Bible only using the prophet, because that's His way of doing it. So see, It is the Word of God and not the word of man.”
[Romans 13:1] Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power
but of God: the powers that be are
ordained of God.
[Hebrews 13:17] Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that [is] unprofitable for you.
[Hebrews 13:7] Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of [their] conversation.