Christ
is the Mystery no. 10
“Moving
on”
July 8, 2012
Brian
Kocourek
This morning I would like to continue reading from
brother Branham’s sermon Christ is the Mystery of God revealed, and we are
still reading from his pre-sermon thoughts as we pick up at pp. 44 Now, do you remember that? The enemy will come. And when he does, just cling that much closer together. And
the one that the Devil is using for an enemy will either get out or come in and
be one of you. That's all. Don't never
clan among one an--or talk, make yourself clannish; we are one. I couldn't
say, "Left hand, I'm mad at you; I'm going to take you away 'cause you're
not a right hand." He's my left hand. I want him to stay there. Even the
little tip of my finger, I want it to stay right there, every little part of my
body stay right there. And God wants us as a Body of believers to stay right
exactly with one another, right it with one another.
Spiritual
Food in Due Season 65-0718E 66 Now, He
appeared here as a physical body, looked just exactly like Hofmann's Head of
Christ at Thirty-three, and blood running out of His hand, and so forth, nail
scars all over Him, I wouldn't accept it. No, no, no, no. When
He comes, Himself, "Every eye shall see Him, every tongue shall confess
Him; and as the lightning cometh from the east unto the west, so shall it
be." See? We don't believe these cults and clans. We believe God is the Word. But He
embodies Himself, taking your body and my body, and gives you gifts, gives me
gifts, and through these gifts He makes Himself known. That's the secret Food.
No matter how much He'd make Himself known by me, you've got to believe it; you've got to have a gift of faith too to
believe it. You believe that? And now if He will manifest Himself in that
manner, will you believe Him with all your heart?
Now, last night I read this and also what the Apostle
Paul had to say about the complete Body in 1 Corinthians 12. And I want you to
know this, and those listening around the world, I want you to never get the
idea that we have formed a circle around John 14:12. You know I have never been
for making a camp around the parousia nor making a
camp around the Doctrine of Christ. We call the website Message Doctrine
because it deals with The doctrine Brother Branham
taught, but I do not wish for anyone to make a circle around the
MessageDoctrine. Our circle should be around Christ if we are to have a circle.
And brother Branham said in many places, that anyone who believes that Jesus is the son of God, is my brother.
Therefore I am going on record, to say that I do not
wish for any of you listening to this sermon to make John
14:12 an issue other than to believe it applies
to all believers.
I never intended for it to be an issue, I simply
pointed out that when we use Scripture we need to make sure we say it like it
says it. We need to be honest in the way that we apply Scripture and make sure
we do not try to cram a square peg down a round hole. What I was saying is that
we must not try to use Scripture that doesn’t fit our doctrine in a way that
crams it or crops it to make it fit. If it doesn’t fit it just doesn’t fit.
And if there is Scripture that seems to say something
different from what our doctrine teaches, if we are honest, we will take a
second look at how we are presenting our doctrine.
Brother Vayle said in
his sermon, Lee Vayle
Godhead Godhead #7 P:58 You know, people don't understand about two lords.
Well I'm going to tell you about two lords. Two Lords is actually a fallacy. It shouldn't be in the
Bible; but it's there, so we use it.
You see, the English people took the
translation according to the English with the lords and the ladies and the high mucky-mucks and the brass and
the so on. The actual translation of Ps
110:1 is "Elohim" (or Jehovah)
"said to my lord," (or the one in authority over me) "sit on my
right hand." And it should be translated as Jehovah. It should not be
called lord. It could be called God. "God said to the beloved
servant," "God said to our Jesus, the elder brother." That's why
It says in Ephesians,
"one lord." But people, they can't think for themselves. They just
don't know, when the word... "Oh, Vayle's preaching two Gods." You
know, Paul said, "Stupidity only requires one answer-stay stupid."
That's Lee Vayle. Paul said "ignorant."
You know Br. Lee here
is referring to when Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:38
But if
any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant. In other words, “just let him remain
ignorant”.
And what brother Vayle said here concerning two Lords “that Two Lords it is a fallacy”, and he
said people use it because the translation is wrong there, but though the King James may read that way it’s still a fallacy
to preach it that way because the Bible doctrine tells us there
is One Lord, never two.
And why would brother
Vayle say that unless he was trying to straighten out the brethren that were
still preaching it the wrong way. Now, the Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:2 “But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking
in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation
of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of
God.”
In other words our
preaching is supposed to be pure and without hidden and deceitful motives. Straight forward and clear. And that is the way our lives
should be as well.
In reading this warning from the Apostle Paul from the
The Message version,
it reads, 1-2Since God has so generously let us in on what he is doing,
we're not about to throw up our hands and walk off the job just because we run
into occasional hard times. We refuse to wear masks and play games. We don't
maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes. And we don't twist God's Word to
suit ourselves. Rather, we keep everything we do and say out in the open, the
whole truth on display, so that those who want to can see and judge for
themselves in the presence of God.
3-4If our
Message is obscure to anyone, it's not because we're holding back in any way.
No, it's because these other people are looking or going the wrong way and
refuse to give it serious attention. All they have eyes for is the fashionable
god of darkness. They think he can give them what they want, and that they
won't have to bother believing a Truth they can't see. They're stone-blind to
the dayspring brightness of the Message that shines with Christ, who gives us
the best picture of God we'll ever get.
5-6Remember,
our Message is not about ourselves; we're proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master.
All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you.
And again from the Amplified Version 4 Therefore,
since we do hold and engage in
this ministry by the mercy of God [granting us favor, benefits, opportunities,
and especially salvation], we do not get discouraged (spiritless and despondent
with fear) or become faint with
weariness and exhaustion. 2 We
have renounced disgraceful ways (secret thoughts, feelings, desires and
underhandedness, the methods and arts that men hide through shame); we refuse
to deal craftily (to practice trickery and cunning) or to adulterate or handle dishonestly the Word of
God, but we state the truth openly (clearly and candidly). And so we commend
ourselves in the sight and
presence of God to every man’s conscience. 3 But even if our Gospel (the glad tidings)
also be hidden (obscured and covered up with a veil that hinders the knowledge
of God), it is hidden [only] to those who are perishing and obscured [only] to those who are spiritually dying and veiled [only] to those who are
lost. 4 For the god of this world has blinded the
unbelievers’ minds [that they should not discern the truth], preventing them
from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ (the
Messiah), Who is the Image and Likeness of God. 5 For
what we preach is not ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves
[merely] as your servants (slaves) for Jesus’ sake.
Therefore just watch any move of God and when the
ministry God was using goes off the scene many of those who followed that
ministry began to try to hold onto what had been taught them, but because they
were following a man and not the pillar of fire, in trying to protect what they
had received, they organized it, thinking they were protecting it. And let me
tell you something, God doesn’t need our protection,
His Word is bigger than all of us. Brother Branham taught us the hour you stop
moving forward is the hour you die. Brother Branham might have left us but God
did not.
From paragraph
233 Anointed Ones at the End-Time 65-0725M "For it is impossible for those which were once
enlightened and didn't move on with the Word as it come
to pass... They're dead, gone”. And if fear causes you to stop, then
it will also kill you spiritually.
Notice, that in Genesis 19: 26
In paragraph 82 Israel in the Home Land 53-0329
brother Branham said, And now, the first thing you know, the Pillar of Fire has
begin to move again. But Pentecost is so organized, it can't go. It was so
organized, crystallized until it can't go. That's right. That's true. But the
Pillar of Fire is moving out, brother, and there's people that's going with It.
Hallelujah. We're bound for the promised land. Yes,
sir.
Now, brother Branham
warned us in the Church Age book, Church Age Book Chapter 3 - The
Ephesian Church Age P:64 But as usual people don't heed God's warning. That revival
fire built upon the sacred Word is so wonderful, and the manifestation of the
Spirit so blessed, that a little fear creeps in and a whisper in the heart
says, "How can we protect this truth we have? What can we do to see this
revival goes on?" That is when the "antichrist spirit" comes in
and whispers, "Look, you have the truth now, see that it doesn't get lost.
Organize and set up your creed of what you believe. Put it all in a church
manual." And they do it. They organize. They add to the Word. And they die
just like Eve did for taking One wrong word. It's
God's Word that brings life. And it's not what we say about the Word that
counts, but it's what God said.
Now, I have not been back to this pulpit since we buried Br. Vayle until
last night because I left for
I know brother Vayle was a controversial figure, not only because of his
strong stand for the doctrine but also because the way he taught was pretty
tough at times.
But some who have been burned by Br. Lee’s preaching may wish to get back
at him, now that he is not here to defend himself. Like that misguided brother
who waited until brother Vayle was too old to defend himself and then wrote a
book claiming Br. Vayle injected his own theology into the church age book. I
fought that battle for him, and I don’t have regrets for doing so, to clear the
air since that brother seems fit to just make up whatever he wishes and then
spread his lies to the gullible who will listen to such lies. But the Bible
said they would listen to the lie and be damned by it. And that is their
business.
That is why I have never felt I have to be a defender of the Bible and
Jesus Christ. His life and this Word of God stands on it’s
own merit, and if they wish to be ignorant then let them stay ignorant. It’s
not for them anyway.
I’ve seen too many fights and ugly words spoken by brethren in this
Message because they thought it was their duty to fight the good fight.
Brethren who thought it was there job to protect our Prophet. And in trying to
protect him, they find themselves anointed with a murderous spirit because
brother Branham taught us that you can kill a person with more than a bullet or
a knife, you can speak against them and kill their influence, and you might as
well killed them because in destroying a persons reputation, you are breaking
the commandment, “thou shalt not kill”.
Therefore br. Vayle’s ministry stands on it’s
own and needs no protection. As with any outstanding ministry, he had his share
of admirers and critics. And since the devil is the accuser of the brethren, that’s
his role and he’s good at it. Therefore since that’s his role to accuse, then
why be surprised when he accuses. And since brother Branham and
There will be temptations among his followers to create a shell of
protection around his ministry, and let me tell you something, his ministry
doesn’t need protection. It stands on it’s own accord
and the Word of God is his protection. Either we preach what the Word of God
says or we do not. And brother Vayle’s ministry stood on the Word of God and
taught us to take the Message back to the Word and teach it from this Bible.
When men fear is when they begin to surround the wagons looking to protect themselves from the unknown enemy. And sometimes men and ministries will make up an enemy just to get the people to close the circle. And when they do that and try to protect a ministry, or a doctrine, that is when they fall into organization. We all know the history of the Church ages, therefore, there will no doubt be persons, ministers or laity who will do so, but don’t you fall into that trap.
But instead of preaching the Life that comes forth
from this Word, the sermons will become focused on the past, or dress and
conduct, and pretty soon the people will be eyeing one another and looking for
fault in one another and then they will begin to separate into clicks and
clans, and once that has happened that work is about gone spiritually. Oh, they
may end up with more people than the ministry that stays with the Word, but
that is no surprise since the Apostle Paul said in Galatians 4:27 "many more are the
children of the desolate than she which has a husband". And she
which has a husband is a Bride.
And so in moving ahead we read next from pp 45 of
Christ is the
Mystery of God Revealed where brother Branham says, And now, you've got tapes on that. You've got tapes on what we believe.
And in other places he says, say what the tapes say and what the visions
say. So just as Moses commanded the people to not add to or take
away from what he said, and as Paul commanded us to not add to or take away
from what he said, so too Br. Branham commanded us to say only what he said on
those tapes. And to say all that is on those tapes because you can take a
statement here and there and make a wrong judgment based on what you do not
hear.
We found that with John 14:12. I never intended to
make an issue out of it, but they did. All I wanted to do was show that there
are things brother Branham taught us that we were not open to, and when I was
attacked for my concern that we say all that the prophet said, I put together
the study, not to make a circle around it, but to show the brethren that it is
not right to hold back quotes that don’t fit, because when we do that we show
that our doctrine is not solid on it’s own, but we must resort to handling the
Word of God deceitfully when we try to shove a square peg into a round
hole. So stay with the tapes, say what
is on the tapes and all that is on the tapes.
When I asked brother Vayle concerning John 14:12 he
said, I hardly talked about that in John, and I never tried to say William
Branham was the only one, I was just using him as a 20th century
example of John 14:12. And then he said,
concerning the greater works, that a five pound pail
and a ten pound pail are both greater than. And when we have men like brother
Bosworth who had lived such an impeccable life before God that his ministry
received over 225,000 letters from people who had been healed, then how can we
be so simple and narrow minded as to say the works of Christ were only in one
man. And even in the Church Age book which brother Vayle wrote, taking brother
Branham’s words and using his own to say what he said. Here br. Vayle
wrote,
Church Age Book Chapter 2 - The
32
That's the way the church is. The vine has been split and limbs have been
grafted in. They have grafted in Baptist limbs, Methodist limbs, Presbyterian
limbs, and Pentecostal limbs. And those limbs are bearing Baptist, Methodist,
Pentecostal, and Presbyterian fruit. (Denominational seeds
from which they produce their fruit.) But if the vine ever brings forth
another branch of itself, that branch will be exactly like the vine itself. It
will be the same kind of a branch that was brought forth at Pentecost. It will
speak in tongues, prophesy, and have the power and signs of the resurrected
Jesus Christ in it. Why? Because it's thriving on the natural
resources of the vine itself. You see, it wasn't grafted into the vine;
it was BORN in the vine. When those other branches were grafted in, all they
could do was bear their own fruit for they were not born of that vine. They
don't know about that original life and original fruit. They cannot know for
they were not born of it. But if they had been born of it, that same life that
was in the original stem (Jesus) would have come through them and manifested
through them. John 14:12, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that
believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also;
and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father."
33
Denominations which are man directed cannot be born of God; for it is the
Spirit, NOT MAN, that gives life.
34
How thrilling it is to think of those seven lamps drawing life and light from
the resources of that main bowl because they had their wicks dipped therein. Each
church age messenger is depicted here. His life is on fire with the Holy Ghost.
His wick (life) has been immersed in Christ. Through that wick he is drawing
the very life of Christ, and by it gives out light to the church. What kind of
a light is he giving? The very same light that was in the
first lamp that was lit. And right on down the ages to the present time
of the last day messenger the same life and the same light is manifested by a
life that is hid with Christ in God.
35
Not only can we speak thus of the messengers, but every true believer is dramatically depicted here. They are all drawing from the same source.
They have all been dipped into the same bowl. They are dead to themselves and
their lives are hid with Christ in God. They are sealed in by the Holy
Ghost. Ephesians 4:30, "And grieve not the Holy Spirit
of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."
No man can pluck them out of His hand. Their
lives cannot be tampered with. The visible life is burning and shining,
giving light and manifestations of the Holy Ghost. The inner, invisible life is hidden in God and fed by the Lord's Word.
Satan cannot touch them. Not even death
can touch them, for death has lost its sting; the grave has lost its
victory. Thanks be unto God, they have this victory in
and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen and amen.
So we must say all that was said, not just an isolated quote from here or
there. And even the Apostle Paul wrote of himself, that if he were to say
anything different than what he said at the first he said let me or any angel
from heaven be cursed. So I do not think brother Vayle changed what he
believed, I believe as he told me he just used brother Branham as a modern day
example of John 14:12. He also told us
that he regretted leaving off praying for the sick, because he wanted so much
for the people to be healed in their seats. And a couple people were healed
right their in their seats, and that is not Mark 16, because Mark 16 is not
praying for the sick, Mark 16 is laying hands on the sick. And being healed in
your seat is not laying hands on them.
From his sermon, Trying to do God a service
65-0718M P:94 brother
Branham said, This was Moses speaking to Israel after he
had been a-vindicated by God by a Pillar of Fire and knowed
he was proven to be God's servant to lead them out. And before they went into
the land, before they entered, Moses said, "Now,
the words that I have spoken to you, I call heaven and earth to witness against
you. If you add one thing to it or take one word from it, you'll not stay in
the land where the Lord God gives you." So say I in the Name of Jesus Christ. Don't you add one thing. Don't put your own
ideas in. You just say what is said on those tapes. You just do exactly
what the Lord God has commanded to do. Don't add to It.
And here in Christ is the mystery of God Revealed brother
Branham says, “You
got tapes on discipline in the church:
how we behave ourselves in the
There are 31 quotes where brother Branham says, “don’t stay home”, so if
you do not like the church you attend, then find one you do and become an
active member in it, and if it is impossible to find one then get hooked up and
listen live. Don’t just sit home with your family, get together with others of
like minded faith and become part of a local unit. We have brothers and sisters
around the world who don’t have a church home because they have been cast out,
and don’t have a pastor. And they convinced me to broadcast our services live
so they could feel a part. They get together and play music and sing before we
begin, and then join in when we go live, and sing right along with us, and in
this day and age of technology, there is really no excuse to just stay home and
get yourself all wound up with complexes because you were turned out of
fellowship by a narrow minded church.
Enoch’s walk with God was not a onetime experience,
it was a life long walk that took him closer and closer to God until he just
walked right up into God’s presence.
Notice brother Branham is quoting the apostle Paul here from Hebrews 10:25 Not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but
exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
And this hour is just
too late for people to be trying to make it on their own, and when they get
that idea that they are just going to stay home, then they
open themselves up to most any kind of spiritual influence. And pretty soon
they begin to drift like the did toward the end of the
Ephesian church age when they left their first love.
Church
Age Book Chapter 3 - The Ephesian Church
Age P:61 The fervent desire to please God, the
passion to know His Word, the cry for reaching out in the Spirit, all begins to
fade and instead of that church being on fire with the fire of God it has
cooled off and become a bit formal. That is what was happening back there to
the Ephesians. They were getting a bit formal. The abandonment to God was dying
out and the people weren't too careful about what God thought of them as they
began to be careful about what the world thought of them. That second
generation coming on was just like
Now, in
getting back to our text, let’s continue to read brother Branham’s pre text
thoughts from paragraph 46 That's right. Stay right together. If the brother, you think he's a little wrong, or the
sister, say, "Lord, don't let me
ever have the root of bitterness spring up, 'cause it'll affect him, and it'll take the Christ right out of my life."
That poison acids of malice, and jealousy, and hatred, that'll just take the Holy Spirit right away from you. It'll run
Him from the Tabernacle here. It'll kill the Spirit of God or drive it away
from here, hurt your pastor; it'll do everything. See? Don't you do that. You just wax
that much closer together. Draw up the... Take the buckle, as the brother
testified (a minister here the other night) about having a buckle (seeing it in
a vision). Just... That buckles on the whole armor of
God; just put it on, tighten up, move right up close to one another. Love one
another anyhow. Talk nice about one
another. Say nice things about one
another, and then God will bless you.
Notice the mindset
that the Apostle Paul tells us that we must have concerning the way we interact
with one another. No root of bitterness, not attitudes, they will only affect
you and your walk with Christ. And notice the mindset he tells us we must have
concerning our focus on Christ and God's Word.
Philippians 4:5
Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is
at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing;
but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests
be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth
all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, (there's that word
"hagnos" again) whatsoever things are
lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if
there be any praise, think on these things. 9 Those things, which ye have both
(learned, and received), and (heard, and seen) in me, do: and the God of peace
shall be with you.
Let us pray.