Christ Revealed in His Own Word #96

“Fellowship with God”

Saturday, April 26, 1997

Brian Kocourek, Pastor Grace Fellowship

Last Sunday we spoke from paragraph 111 where brother Branham made a comparison of the prophets and how that they had to live a separated life from the brethren. [111] Prophets did not always understand what they were writing or what they were saying, or they would in no wise have said it, if they could've understood it. See? But the Bible said they were moved by the Holy Ghost: moved. When the Holy Ghost moves you, you move. God in sundry times and divers manners spake to the prophets that were moved by the Holy Ghost. That's why all ages, the people who were spiritual consulted the prophets about the times and what was to happen. The prophet-writer must be in constant fellowship with the Author. See? He must live constantly in the Presence of the Author to know what the Book's going to be. See? The prophet-writer, he had the pen and ready anytime, constant fellowship with the Author, which was God, to strike down whatever He said put down. See? Showed what kind of a life He must... A separated life from all of his brethren...

We examined the scriptures and showed how many of the prophets were either cut off by their own brethren or somehow God did something that caused them to be cut off. And in many instances God never told them the end from the beginning, and they had to learn on their own the hard lessons of life and living each day as it came, one day at a time. And many times when they were trying to help their own brethren, the ones who they were trying to help seemed to never understand what it was that was happening, and so they would become angry with their prophet brother and put him out from their own midst. That is why Brother Branham said, the prophet lived “A separated life from all of his brethren”...

Tonight I would like to look at another point here that ties into this one we have already examined, and that is this: Brother Branham said, “The prophet-writer must be in constant fellowship with the Author. See? He must live constantly in the Presence of the Author to know what the Book's going to be. See? The prophet-writer, he had the pen and ready anytime, constant fellowship with the Author, which was God, to strike down whatever He said put down. See? Showed what kind of a life He must... A separated life from all of his brethren...”

Now what kind of fellowship are we talking about? In fact what is fellowship anyway? Can anyone tell me what is fellowship? _____?____ Brother Branham best summed it up by quoting from brother Bosworth as saying, “Fellowship is two fellows in one ship.”

Now, that might sound like a cute little expression, but it has a lot of meaning behind those cute little words. Because when I think of two fellows in one ship I think of two persons on the seas of Life together. Come hell or high water they are together. Not because they want to be at every moment, but they have one thing in common, and that is the ship. The ship is what sustains them, and keeps them and gives them hope of making it through rough waters and calm. The ship is their place of abode. They sleep in it and walk in it, and exercise in it and play in it. They live in it and they really are in a sense a prisoner within it, and yet a joyous prisoner, because they would rather be in the ship than left out in the deep somewhere drifting or perhaps sinking, and drowning. Therefore, they learn to be happy in it because it is what keeps them alive and living with hope, with earnest expectation that one day they will come to the promised shore, the promised land.

In this fellows ship, there are certain activities that abound. One of them is worship. We know that the word, worship according to Webster comes from two words, worth and ship. “Worth being the assessment or value we have for something, and the suffix ship which means the quality, or condition or the state of being.” Therefore, in this ship we have some activities and other attributes that we find absorbing the greater portion of our awakening hours. So if we are in this ship together, then we have fellow-ship. Webster defines the word fellow as a partner... Therefore this ship is the quality, or condition or the state of being with that partner.

The ship we are in represents the quality, represents the condition, represents the state of being that we are in. Whether it is, fellow-ship, friend-ship Wor-ship, Steward-ship, or Son-ship. These are the conditions that we have together with our partner and that show forth our state of being, and condition of life that we find ourselves. [1 John 1:7]

Now, the first thing we should look at is our partner, our fellow. For if we are to be together for a long duration in this ship, then our state of being is dependent upon, our quality of life is dependent upon, and our conditions which we shall live are dependent upon who our fellow or partner is. Now, would that be a correct statement? If, so, then in order to have the best conditions, the best state of being and the best quality of life, we are dependent upon having the best partner we could possibly have to help make it that way. For remember, brother Branham told us that we all are little messiettes. We have within us an ability to create and atmosphere around us which reflects who we are. And if this is so, and I believe it is so, then I would want to have a partner for this life’s journey who will create such a wonderful atmosphere that I would never want to leave this ship!

So, then Who would this partner be? Who is there that creates such a wonderful atmosphere every time you are in their presence that you just hate to leave it. Is it your wife? What about when you have some really big disagreements? Is it your husband? What about when he doesn’t do the things that you think he should? Is it your children? What about the times when you had your fill of noise and fussing and crying about trivial little things? You’ve never felt like pulling your hair out? But, there is One Who was created to bring forth such an atmosphere that you’d never want to leave Him, and that is Christ Himself. The Son of God.

[Hebrews 1:2-9] And so we see that there is One who was created and has been anointed with the oil of gladness even above his fellows, which is to say his partners. Now, who are these partners that Paul is speaking of here? It is those who are sharing the same ship. The same state of being, quality and conditions of life. He was created to be a partner. God, so wanted fellowship, that He brought forth a Son, Christ, and He found such wonderful enjoyment from the fellowship with this Son, that He wanted to share this fellowship with others. [1 Cor 1:9-10]

In [Hebrews 3:1,12-14 ] we find that we have been made (Partakers) partners with Christ. (read)

In [Hebrews 6:4-6] we also find that we are partners or companions of Christ, and yet in both of these scriptures we are warned that our fellowship, our partnership, our companionship, can only last as long as we stay in the ship, or the presence of God.

Even Christ wants to have fellowship with those who are in the same state of being, those who have the same purpose in life, and share in the same quality and conditions of life. That is why we find Him telling us in [2 Cor 6:14] “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath those who are rightly wise with those who are not rightly wise? And what communion has light with darkness?” Who in their right mind would want to be set adrift in the sea of humanity with someone who does not share or wish to live in the same atmosphere.

For if there is to be any fellowship, then it has to be in the same ship. In the same Quality, condition or state of being. [Philippians 2:1-5] And so we see that this ship is created through a condition of the mind. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. That is what brings us into the ship, and that is what keeps us in the same ship.

That is why we talk about Him. because if He was created to bring forth Fellowship with the Father and then with us, then it is this atmosphere, this ship, this quality, condition and state of being that we desire not only to enter into, but to remain. And how do we enter into this ship? [1 John 1: 3-7]

Now, we read from brother Branham’s Message of Christ Revealed in His Own Word, and remember, this is the subject, and therefore if Christ being Revealed in His Own Word is the focus of our study, then this Ship, this Fellowship that He is talking about has to do with the Revealing of Christ by and through His Own Word.

We are told that it was the doctrine, the Word of God that brought the people into fellowship and thus the atmosphere and power of Christ. [Acts 2:42-44] Notice they were together, and had all things in common.

The word fellowship here is a word koinonia which means a sharing and an intimate partnership together.

Brother Branham said, “The prophet-writer must be in constant fellowship with the Author. See? He must live constantly in the Presence of the Author to know what the Book's going to be. See? The prophet-writer, he had the pen and ready anytime, constant fellowship with the Author, which was God, to strike down whatever He said put down. See? Showed what kind of a life He must... A separated life from all of his brethren...” In order to know how we should conduct our lives and fellowship with Christ, we should then look at the prophets of God for an example. But remember, none of them truly showed what Jesus did when it comes to fellowship with the Father, but each of them showed a desire to do the same.

Was the Prophet then always in a state of prayer and on his knees somewhere? Did he walk around in a state of stupor where he was so heavenly focused that he was not of any earthly good? Let’s just stop here for a moment and reflect upon the lives of the Prophets who were our brethren in Christ and let’s see what kind of lives they lived, and let’s look at this fellowship that they had with God? The best place to start would be in the book of Hebrews the 11 chapter which speaks of Faith because it is also a chapter in which many of the prophets were named and a small resume of their lives was given as well.

[Hebrews 11:1- ] Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. .... Paul calls them the elders, for that is what they were. Older ones, ones who have gone on before us and left us a heritage of lives that longed for the Christ to be among them. But don’t ever forget that they were your brothers in Christ, having the same desire to be in the presence of God. They looked forward to the coming of Messiah knowing full well that with the birth, life and death would come forth salvation and redemption of their own bodies.

[Job 19:25-27] “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh I shall see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another: though my reins be consumed within me. And so we see here that Job looked forward to the resurrection from the dead, and life immortal in a body, not a different body, but in his body....

You see he knew that he would be coming back one day to the earth to live and that this coming back would be in the same body that went down. Just because we are looking for a glorified body does not mean that it will be another body, different from this one. We do not believe in trans-migration of souls. The body that you have now is the one that you will live in for eternity, only in a better condition than what we have now.

[3-4] Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

[5-6] By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

[7] By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

[8-10] By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as [in] a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker [is] God.

[11-12] Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, [so many] as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

[13] These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of [them], and embraced [them], and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that [country] from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better [country], that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

[24] By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. Through faith he kept the Passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry [land]: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.

[31] By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

[Hebrews 11:32-12:3] And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and [of] Barak, and [of] Samson, and [of] Jephthae; [of] David also, and Samuel, and [of] the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of [cruel] mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and [in] mountains, and [in] dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

[Eph 3:7-9] Paul’s purpose was to help us to see this fellowship. In fact the preaching of the Gospel has but one purpose and that is to draw us into this fellowship.

[1 John 1: 3]