Christ is the Mystery no. 11

“The Church is built upon The Revelation of Christ”

July 11, 2012

Brian Kocourek

 

This evening we will do a little bit of reading from Br. Branham’s sermon, Christ is the Mystery of God Revealed, and this is the last of his pretext dialogue as he goes to the Lord in a Word of prayer before reading his text.

 

  47   Now, this morning, the Lord willing, by His help and grace, I got quite a bunch of questions here, of Scriptures, rather. And now, before we approach It, We are going to bring the message now, by God's grace. First, a word of prayer.

  48   Lord Jesus, speaking to this body of the church, that they should hold together with God's unchanging hand, their Absolute, the Word, warning them as Paul warned his flock that there'd be wolves enter in. You're the same God today as You were then, and that enemy is the same. May this fellowship and bonds of love always exist amongst these people in Christ Jesus. Help this morning, Lord, as we read the Word. May the Holy Spirit reveal It to us, that the church might be fully established in the faith that was once delivered to the saints, to hold them. And may, as You gave the vision some two years ago to store up the food: fine, healthy looking vegetables that I saw in the vision being stored here in this Tabernacle, may we today receive a whole barrel full of that; grant it, Lord, or a tape load, that it might reveal Jesus Christ to us in the hour that we live to give us sustaining strength and spiritual strength for the task that lays ahead. Grant it, Father.

  49   Bless these, Thy children. They're in here this morning from many different parts of the nation. A hot, sticky morning, but yet we feel the Presence of the Holy Spirit in all this. We think of John Wesley, and Calvin, and Sankey, and Knox, Finney, and many of those, even without an electric fan, where people set in halls and perspiration running down their faces. The women, well covered and dressed, set in the audiences and perspired till their clothing was soaking wet, listening to the Word of God feeding their souls. Now, we feel, Lord, that they are at rest somewhere yonder, waiting the coming of the Lord.

  50   Keep us together, Father. Let the Holy Spirit guide us and direct us. Give us long life of service for You. Give us this great message this morning that we're expecting out of Thy Word, that it might go to each heart. Make the lips that speak, Lord, speak Truth. Make the heart that hears be fertile to receive Truth. And may it grow into great trees of Eternal Life to be shining lights and read epistles of all men, they might know that Jesus Christ has raised from the dead and lives among us. Make us so full of love and the fruit of the Spirit until other men and women, boys and girls can see the results of the Life of Christ still living in us after two thousand years from the great event. Grant it, Father. To honor Thee, we ask in Jesus Christ's Name.

 

Now, that was a wonderful prayer and I like the direction brother Branham was bringing to the people and petitioning God in this prayer.

He mentioned that there would be wolves creeping into the Message  and would try to separate the brethren.

 

He mentioned the dedication of the believers in ages gone by where the people did not have the conveniences we have today and yet they would sit there in sweltering weather just to hear the Word of God.

 

And he mentioned a life of service, and a life that would attract others to want to know Christ because of what they see in our life.

 

Now, those three requests we could take the whole evening tonight just to look into each, but I think I may encapsulate the entire prayer into one sentence, placing all three request into one, if our Lord is Gracious to open our hearts to understand.

 

His prayer was that the people in their Life would have such love for this word and for one another that they would never think of separating from this Word and the group of people who love this word.

 

Now, those people in the days of Wesley, Sankey, Finney and Knox were a very disciplined people. And as I mentioned to Brother Vayle a few months before he went home, you can not be a disciple without discipline, because discipline is the root word for disciple.

 

When I said this brother Vayle said, “ooh, I must remember that, that is very good, sister Lois could you write that down for me.”

 

Now, that is what brother Branham made mention of here when he spoke how those people back there without all the luxuries we have today with our air conditioned sanctuaries, and homes, and offices and stores. We really do not know how good we have it in this western society, but I would love for you to go with me to Africa sometime to experience, the heat, the humidity, the insects, and dust.

 

You know the Bible tells us, “where much is given, much will be required.” That’s what Jesus himself said in Luke 12.

 

Luke 12:34-48 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

 

You know I think it is interesting that this is the hour that the Spirit and ministry of Elijah is supposed to really deal with the hearts of men, because this is the hour that the hearts of the children are to be turned back to the Apostolic Fathers. And if that is to be so, the we should also see when those hearts are genuinely turned back the same fruits in this church as we saw in that first church.

 

Therefore, if the Church that was ministered to by the Apostolic Father wrote a Book of ACTS after it, then we should see the same thing when this group of Believers that is now living, is fully turned back in their hearts to the Apostolic Father’s teachings. And we know that is what the ministry of the Elijah Spirit did in this hour, he took us back to the Alpha, because he said, “The Alpha has become Omega 

 

MASTERPIECE THE 64-0705 170 The Alpha has become Omega. The first become last; and the last is the first. The Seed that went in has come through a process and become the Seed again. The seed that fell in the garden of Eden and died there, come back from that imperfect seed that died there, come back to the perfect Seed--the Second Adam. 172 The first Eve that fell, and was used in the second reformation--second coming, as bringing forth a child, now has become true Bride again, the Seed, right back with the original Word again. The Alpha and Omega is the same. He said, "I am Alpha and Omega. "He never said anything in between, "I'm Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last." That's it. The first ministry and the last ministry is the same. The first Message and the last Message is the same thing. "I was in Alpha; I'm in Omega." "There'll be a day that won't be called day nor night, but in the evening time it shall be Light." See? Alpha and Omega; it's become the first and the last. Oh, my, brethren, we could stay hours on that.

 

Now, if the ministries are the same, and he said that they are, then the ministry of the Holy Spirit in that first church age was supposed to repeat again in this hour, right? Did it? Absolutely it did. When if the Apostolic teaching in the first age produced the Book of ACTS in the first age, then might I ask the question, where is the Book of ACTS in this church age? So where is it?

 

In Brother Branham’s Message called the Philadelphian church age 60-1210 P:51 Now, what did He do in the 1st chapter of Revelations? He revealed His supreme Deity to the first church: Ephesus. Is that right? But, now notice. Every one of these churches coming down through here, He revealed Himself in Deity only in His glorified form; but on this last one, He become Z, back to the original beginning again (See?), "The First and the Last." The first age, now the last age, for He said, "I am the First and the Last." And...But you say, "How did that happen? What fellow put that forth?" It was a revelation. Many of you here has received it, 'cause His…I'm going to say something now. Look. His entire church is built upon Divine revelations of Himself. Is that right? If you don't believe that, let's turn to Matthew 16:18; you'll see just in a minute that the whole revelation is built upon Himself; His whole church is built upon the revelations of Himself. Now, let's begin here at the... Let's begin, I'd say, about the 14th verse. Then they said, Some say... thou art John the Baptist:... (The question was...)... Jesus, said on... the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, and asked his disciples, saying, Who, do man say... I the Son of man am?... (13th verse, and that's 16:13 now.)And they said,...

   52   Now, watch, here's the first place to the church Jesus ever spoke of, and on into the Revelation is the last. And he said, Some say... thou art John the Baptist: and some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, and other... or one of the prophets. He said unto them...

(the whole, entire group)... But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. (Oh, my.) And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon--Simon Bar-jonas:... flesh and blood has not revealed this to thee, but My Father which is in heaven.” Oh, my. "You never got this from a seminary. There was no other way you ever got this, Simon, the son of Jonas; the only way you got it, was a spiritual revelation that was revealed to you from heaven that I am He." Jesus said, "If you don't believe I'm He, you'll die in your sins. (That's exactly right.) I am He." I say... unto thee,... thou art Peter,... upon this rock I'll build My church; and the gates of hell can't prevail against it. What is It? Spiritual, spiritual, the spiritual truth, the Word of the Lord.

  53   Now, we find out that in this great revelation that God gave here to the church in this last days, that God sent and reveals Himself the open Door between the two ages. It wasn't in the Laodicean age; neither was it in this other age, the Philadelphian age; but it was in between, the lapover, 'cause the... I'll prove it in just a little farther down, and you'll get it. You see? We'll make it rich, so sure that you can't keep from seeing it, if you just want to see it. See? All right. Now, the revelation of Himself is where He's built His church. How many knows that to be true now? He built His church upon the revelation of Himself.

 

Brother Branham’s continued saying in the Philadelphian church age 60-1210 P:54 All right. Now, what did He say? "No man can shut it." I know Thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door,...What is the open door? The revelation of the supreme Deity of Jesus Christ. What did He say to His first church back here, back in this age? He said, "I am He that was, which is, and shall come. I am the First and the Last. I am the Almighty." He said it three different times, made Himself Deity to this first church here; before He went into the last church age, He said, "I've set before you an open door." If you want to see the revelation, here it is, where He'd build His church. And the only way He could take His church, is back to the revelation of what He is. Truly.”

 

Ok, now if the only place he could build His church in the last age is by the same way he built it in the first age, and he said it was by the revelation of the Supreme deity of Jesus Christ. And that Revelation spoken by Peter said, “Thou art the Christ the SON of the Living God”. Therefore, outside of this true Revelation that “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself”, which is the supreme deity of Jesus Christ, then outside of this revelation, you can not even consider yourself to be a part of His church. And if that Revelation is what established His church in the Alpha, then it is through that same Revelation that the church in the Omega will be established also.

 

Now, are you with me so far? Then no Group outside this Message can call themselves the Church of the Living God. Furthermore, then no church within the embodiment of those who Believe the Message of Malachi 4 can call themselves the church of the Living God unless they have that same revelation. And that Revelation again as spoken by Peter was?  And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. (Oh, my.) And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon--Simon Bar-jonas:... flesh and blood has not revealed this to thee, but My Father which is in heaven.”

 

Then it is this Revelation and those who claim to believe it that God has built His Church. So we are talking tonight only to those who claim to believe this revelation.

 

Now with that said, let’s examine further that first church, the Alpha church, because if the Revelation of Jesus Christ built that church, then that same Revelation is to build the Omega Church. Are you still with me?

 

Ok, then where do we go from here? We need to then

 

From the Beginning it wasn't so 59-1125 P:3 Jesus said at the beginning, "The works that I do, shall you do also." That's the way it was at the beginning. What kind of a works did He do at the beginning? The same works that He's doing now. What kind of a church did He have at the beginning? A church that was filled with the Spirit, that healed the sick, and prophesied, and great signs and wonders. And it wasn't ashamed of the religion. They shouted and danced under the Spirit like drunk men, and had cloven tongues like fire set upon them. And they done signs and wonders, and exploits followed them. That's the kind it was at the beginning. That's the kind it'll be in the middle. That'll be the kind it'll be at the last. You say, "My church don't teach that." Well, it wasn't so from the beginning. You say, "I'm a Methodist." It wasn't so from the beginning. "I'm a Baptist." It wasn't so from the beginning." I'm a Lutheran." It wasn't so from the beginning. They were baptized saints of God with the Holy Ghost. That's what the beginning was: signs and wonders. You say "My church don't believe in it." It wasn't so from the beginning. "My church don't believe in seeing visions." It wasn't so from the beginning.

 

Luke 12:34-48 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocks, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find [them] so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the Goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all? And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom [his] lord shall make ruler over his household, to give [them their] portion of meat in due season? Blessed [is] that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for [him], and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not [himself], neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many [stripes]. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few [stripes]. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

 

Now, notice, to whomsoever much is given, much will be required. So for those who believe they have the revelation of Jesus Christ and the life of Jesus Christ is not living and abiding in them? They will be found wanting.

From his message, Return and Jubilee 62-1122 P:39 Brother Branham said, “But in order to be a son of God you've got to be born of the Spirit of God, then you become Christ-like and do the works of Christ; then you're not funny to them people. A human acting like a human's not funny. And a Christian acting like a Christian, born of the same Spirit... You see the Pentecostal group at the beginning, that same Pentecostal group acts the same way if it's born of the same Spirit, 'cause it's born. That's why, today, that people doesn't understand the church. And the church has begin to grow cold and formal, getting after creeds and things and leaving off the following of the Holy Spirit.

 

And again from the message, Stature of a perfect man 62-1014M P:60 brother Branham said, “And now, we're supposed to do His work. He said, "He that believeth on Me..." (St. John 14:7) "He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also." You're beginning to reflect the works of Christ. But so many of us try to do the works of Christ before the reflection of Christ is in us. Now, there's the trouble. We find those things happening. You know it. I know it. We see these stumbles along the road. We find the scrap heaps of ministers, of Christians, piled along the road. Is because they didn't go into it right. And that's why I'm here this morning, is to try to teach this little church, and myself, how that we can become the dwelling place of the living God. How many would like to be that? The dwelling place of the living God...

 

Now, this is where I have been trying to turn the church into the right direction for the past 7 years. I began trying to get the church to see that it is not enough to have the right doctrine, you must have the life that goes with the doctrine. It’s not enough to know about Christ, you’ve got to know Him in the power of His resurrection. It’s not enough to know about the baptism of the Holy Spirit, you’ve got to have it, and apply it. Brother Branham said, this is the hour that the Token must be applied. And so we have The Token and the Token. The Token is Christ, and He is here. And the token is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. But what good does it do to know he is here if you haven’t applied it to your daily living. What good does it do to say you have been born again and are filled with the Spirit of Christ if there is no evidence in your life that you are even filled with His Spirit. Jesus said by their fruits you shall know them, and so just what are the fruits of the Spirit? 

 

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.  25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26  Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

 

Now, these are the nine fruits of the spirit but there is one missing, and it is the fruit brother Branham said was the teaching of the season. So there are ten fruits of the spirit, and all must be manifested and on display or the Husband who has been on his journey when He comes shall find even one of them missing, you will be put away as an adulterous woman. Remember the parable of the ten silver coins that we spoke on in the parables of Christ series?

 

Luke 15:8 what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?  9  And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.

 

She had the nine fruits of the spirit, the nine coins, but the tenth one, the Teaching for the season was missing, and she turned over every thing in desperation until she found that one coin. But what if you got that one coin but you haven’t the other nine? Oh, brother, but that is exactly what Jesus said, when he said, For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

 

You that have the Doctrine of Christ ought to know better. You ought to have the nine fruits of the spirit in addition to the teaching of the hour. But do you? You act as though the tenth coin is the only one that is needed, but that is like calling yourself a Christian but not identified in the fellowship of his suffering.

 

Well,. I am going to quit right now, before I get myself into more trouble. But let me just tell you this. If you believe the Revelation of Jesus Christ but you are not a true Christian, because the name Christian means “Christ Like”, and if you can not truly say in your heart that you are a true Christian, identified by the Life of the lamb, and if the resurrection power of Jesus Christ is lacking, will you bow your heads in prayer at this time. 

 

Let us pray.