Christ is the Mystery no. 121
The Christian Life no. 2
Manifested Life
September 29, 2013
Brian Kocourek
1 John 4:9
In this was manifested
the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into
the world, that we might live through him.
1 John 3:5
And ye know that he
was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
John 17:6
I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out
of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
Mark 4:22
For there is nothing
hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but
that it should come abroad.
This morning I would like to continue in our study of
Christ is the Mystery of God Revealed, and focus our thoughts on brother
Branham's statement from PP. 199 where he said, God manifested in Christ; Christ manifested
in the Church; all together to bring back the original Adam and Eve again,
man and woman, which are one, made out of the same Blood, and same Spirit, and
everything else.
Now, notice he said Christ
was manifested and we saw in our text Scriptures this morning the reasons why
Christ was manifested in the flesh.
1) He manifested the
Father's name unto men
2) He was manifested to
take away our sin which is our unbelief.
3) He came to manifest the
Love of God to men.
In 1 John 1:1 we
read, "That which was from the beginning, which
we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and
our hands have handled, of the Word of life; Notice here that the
Word is called the Word of Life. So John here is talking about the Word and notice how he describes the Word. He calls it the Word of
Life, for so it is.
Jesus in the parables told us the Word
was a seed and if it is a seed, then it contains Life, for that is the sole
purpose of a seed is to contain life. And
therefore if it is the Word of God, then the Life it contains is God-Life that lays in that seed.
Now, notice what John says next, verse 2 For the life was manifested, Notice those
words, The Life was manifested, and we have seen it
and" He says "and we know". Why do we know? Because
of what we see coming forth via the manifestation.
Look, Life itself is not visible. It is Spirit. Yet
the very essence and nature of what Life is, the many qualities and
characteristics that make up that Life, the attributes, these are by their very
nature supposed to become expressed or manifested. A rose without it's beauty and fragrance would not be a rose.
Therefore every Life has attributes that are visibly
and materially displayed to our senses in order that we might better understand
the nature of that Life. That is why brother Branham spoke a message called
"God is identified by His characteristics."
In it, he began by showing the difference between two birds that are both
yellow but each has a different flying pattern. And the pattern distinguishes
the difference between the two birds to the careful observer.
And John tells us in
verse 2, For the life
was manifested, and we have seen
it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that
eternal life, which was with the Father,
So we understand by
what John is telling us here that this Life that was manifested to us was first
of all with the Father, for He is that Great Fountain of life) and then it was manifested unto us;)
Now, the Life is in
the Father before it could come into the Son. That's John 5:26 For
as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in
himself;
And while it is in the
Father it is in seed form. When God was truly revealed, is when He was
manifested in the flesh. Did not Jesus say, "He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father."
Then that which was invisible became
visible, it became manifested. what was manifested? The
Life was manifested - How? John 5: 26 which we just
read and and John
1:14 And the Word, The Logos was made flesh.
Then notice what we
read in verse 18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son,
which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. It is the son which declares the
Father. And this word "declare"
means: to openly show and set forth into view.
Then as it began by a
seed it must also end in seed form. The Alpha has become Omega. The Life that was
manifested in the original seed form in the beginning in the Son of God, Must also come up through seed in the end time and come
into full manifestation as it did in the beginning.
Now, let me explain
this, in 21st century terms. Today we have Hybrid and GMO seeds, which are
seeds, and they contain life in them. However, when the Life in them manifests
itself, the seeds or corn that comes from them can not be planted thus ending
the life cycle. Thus this seed contains nothing. It has no life in itself. That
is because man has put his hand to it. But the seed God made we are told in Genesis 1:11 that every
seed will bring forth after it's own kind.
So we see the Original
Seed, when it came into full manifestation, it brought many sons to Life. Then
if there is to be an Omega seed Life that comes to manifestation, it will also
bring forth many sons to life.
How can I say this any
plainer. Look. Seed by its definition is a carrier of
life right? Then when seed is planted it will mature and manifest the life that
is in the seed, right?
Then is the original
Spoken Word seed manifested God Life, then the seed that came forth from that
planting, must also come to manifestation of God-Life, right? But the question is, why do we have people in the churches, planted in the
field so to speak but will not or perhaps can not manifest God-Life? Because they are a hybrid seed. They look the same, they are
religious, they have a form of Godlikeness but deny
the power thereof.
They are GMO seed
sitting right in the Pews. Remember the parable of the two Sowers who went into
the same field to sow their seed? One sowed good seed that could produce wheat,
but the other sowed weeds, not wheat. The first sowed heritage seeds. the heritage of the Lord. The other sowed GMO seeds, with no
ability to produce life within them.
GMO Genetically
Modified Organizations. And they are organized unto death.
My wife and I knew a
woman that was expecting a child and she went full term, that's nine full
months, and then nothing. Just like some Christians. They say they are born
again but to what. There's no manifested life. The woman saw a transformation
within her self, but there was no seed in her. No Life in her, yet she could
see herself being transformed, she thought. I think she was just eating too
much and she got fat. But oh, how they were expecting life when there was none
in her. And how many so called Christians are there today who have a form of
Godliness but deny the power of that endless life. They come up to the baptism
of the holy Ghost and then stop short of it. And just
like that woman we knew, what a let down when they
come to the birthing table and there is no baby. There is no sign of new Life.
And how many people are going to be disappointed when the day or reckoning
comes.
Now, the Alpha must
become Omega. The first and the last are not only supposed to be the same, but they
must be the same. The same life manifested in the beginning is the same life
that is to be manifested at the end.
So I would like to ask
the question, "when you see the son who
were you actually seeing?" Were you seeing the Son? Or were you
actually seeing the Father's Life manifesting itself in the body of the Son?
Who was revealed to the
people when Jesus Spoke to them? Was it the Son or was
it the Father? You need to know what happened in that hour if you are to
understand what is supposed to happen in this hour.
Romans 1:
1 - 4 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in
the holy scriptures,) 3 Concerning his Son Jesus
Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to
the flesh; 4 And
declared to be the Son of God
with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection
from the dead:
The Entire Bible
points to this relationship of God to His people and how this relationship will
be brought together by the instrumentality of His Own Son.
1 Timothy
3: 16 And without controversy great is the mystery
of godliness: (that's God-Likeness) for God was manifest in the flesh, (whose
flesh? The flesh of His Son) justified in the
Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world,
received up into glory.
1
Corinthians 15: 20-28 tells us "But now is Christ risen from
the dead, and become the firstfruits
of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came
also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even
so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his
coming.(his Parousia. well, that is this hour, so
what's he saying?
Therefore, as Christ manifested God-Life as the first
fruit off the tree, thus they that are Christ's
Parousia will also manifest the same God-Life off the same Tree
of Life. And we are talking about the apple not falling far from the tree as
the expression goes. In other words, God's seed will reflect God-Life just the
same way as Jesus the eldest son reflected God-Life, so in the same way shall those sons at
His Parousia reflect the same God-Life.
24 Then cometh
the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father;
when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
25 For
he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last
enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 27 For he hath put all things
under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall
the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that
God may be all in all.
Romans 6:
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into
death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the
Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. So the whole point is that we might walk in newness of
Life. What Life? God-Life!
Did not Jesus tell us
in John 4:14 But
whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the
water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into
everlasting life. And that well is a well of Life.
Once
you have been sparked off as Brother Branham called it, that Word just doesn't
get you excited once or even once in a while. It starts something in you moving
just as a living water moves continually. It
just continues to push up and out and there is nothing you can do about it. You
can no more help what is going on inside of you that nothing.
It is life that is ever moving and building cell upon cell until you reach the
stature of a perfect man.
And we know that the
Life form in which God brings forth His own Life is in His Word. The Apostle
Paul called it the word of Life in Philippians 2: 16
Holding forth the word of life; that I may
rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in
vain.
So in 1 John 1, what was manifested? He said "the Life was manifested." So how was the
God-Life manifested? In the body of God's Only begotten
son, that's how.) And yet this same apostle John wrote in John 1:14 that the Word
was manifested. So we see the Word is Life, which is John 6:63 the Words
which I speak unto you are Spirit and Life.
And so back to 1 John 1:3 "That
which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that
ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with
the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
So we see the Word is Life, It is God-Life, and every
seed must bring forth after its kind, or nature. When that Word of God, or God-Life manifests itself, it manifests the God-Life
that is in it. And remember, it takes Light to make manifest. So we are born
with the seed gene of God in us, when we come into this world. But that seed
needs light upon it to manifest what lays within that
seed Gene. And when the light strikes the seed the life that is in that seed by
predestination, must respond to the Light of the Word and when it does it
quickens the Life in the gene Seed, and starts its journey to becoming what it
is ordained to become. In other words, the Life in the Seed Gene can not
possibly manifest it's characteristics until it has been quickened and once
quickened it begins journey through Life and each step of the way it manifests
the nature that is in the seed to begin with.
Brother Branham said, "Nothing outside the revealed word can come to life."
So in this hour how can you expect any God Life to come to manifestation
outside this Message?
Notice he told us that truly
our fellowship is with the Father and it comes via the declaration
that we hear. Then without the Spoken Word we would never manifest in our true
character and without that we would never know who we are either.
In Titus 3:4 we
read, "But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man
appeared." Here we are
told that the very fact that God sent Jesus to appear, is that this act of
manifested Life opened up a way for us to be redeemed from our corruptible
nature. I hope you see how important then the appearing of Christ is to us.
In Luke 1: 79
we read, "To
give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide
our feet into the way of peace." This is spoken in prophecy
concerning John the Baptist. Notice what the Light does. It is to give knowledge
of salvation, to bring us out from the shadow of death into Light and Life. And
remember, brother Branham said in, There is a Man that can
Turn on the Light pp. 96 "Life can
only come by Light" and just before this he said, pp. 95 "There's
nothing can give you Life but the spoken Word of God."
Again in 1 John 1:3 "That which we have seen and heard, declare we unto
you, that you may have fellowship with us." John tells us that
the only way we can have true fellowship is to receive the declaration of God's
Presence and the Manifested Life (through vindication) which has come down into
our midst. God's very personal Presence among His people.
I believe the reason people miss this, has to do with expectations. Why did the
people miss Messiah at His first coming?
They didn't expect Him to come the way He did. And
today, not many people see that the very same God-Life that was in Jesus was in
William Branham and must come into the Elect before the harvest can be
completed.
I am a new farmer, but this year I am growing my first
crop of corn. And the thing of it is, is that if it is too green, then there is too much moisture in it. amd if harvested in that condition, it could sit in
the granary and mold. So what they do is come out to your field, and sample the corn. And they check the moisture content. And
when the moisture content is just perfect, in other words, when the plant is
fully mature, and no longer green which is a sign of immaturity, then they will
say, let the harvest begin.
So we see the same Life condition that is in the first
fruit will be in the harvest itself. And if William Branham was our first fruit
in this hour, and God took him in, then how much over
due is our harvest? Fortunately a thousand year with man is a day with God. So
what would 48 years of our time be to God's? about an
hour and a half. And that is about how long it takes to take the sampling from
the field, and run it back to the grainery and run
the test on it to see if it is ready to be harvested.
Oh, praise the Lord, we are right on time, brothers
and sisters, let us be glad and rejoice for the marriage of the lamb has come.
But, as we see in 1 John
1:1-3, The Fountain of Life Himself has once again returned to earth
in the same way He was Present in the first Church Age.
In the first church age the people who had been with
Jesus were called Christians, because they were like Christ. So this morning we
are looking at what it means to be a Christian. What it means to manifest
Christ Life.
First of all when does a person become a Christian?
That is what we must first know. Because we have a whole nation of people who
call themselves Christian but haven't any clue as to the nature of Christ much
less his attributes and characteristics.
So we find a vindicated prophet of God who told us how
a person becomes a Christian in his sermon, "Abraham And His Seed After Him"- 61-0423 "How do we become Christians? When we are filled with the
Spirit of Christ, then our life is governed by the Life of Christ, which is in
us."
So that is very important for us to know,
since we are not really entitled to the name Christian unless we are truly born
again and filled with his Spirit.
54-0515 - "Questions And Answers" There's only one way to be a Christian. The word
"Christian" means "Christ-like." And you can't do it;
you can't work it in yourself; there's no way at all you can do it. You
have to forget yourself, die out to yourself, and let
Christ come in and live the Life of Christ in you.
And from, "But
It Wasn't So From The Beginning" - 61-0411 And if the Life of Christ is in you, It'll do the same
thing. That was God's example church, was Pentecost.
And again from the same
sermon, "But It Wasn't So From The Beginning - 61-0411
So what we got to fear about? The
thing of it is… You say, "Well, we'll just live loose." That shows
your name isn't on the Book. That's exactly right. That proves that you wasn't
when you try to live any kind of life and that you want to live. That's
shows you haven't got it. If you're a real Christian, you'll live
the real life, because the Life in Christ is in you and you can do nothing else
but live the Life of Christ.
Now, from Christ
is the mystery - 63-0728 pp. 136 They said,
"We received the Holy Ghost when we
believed." The Bible said, "Have
you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?" There's the
difference. See? That's right. See? And they say, "We're the Catholic
church. We started early; we did this." The Methodist say,
"We are based upon the Bible." Jesus said, "These signs shall follow them that believe." Now, where's it at? Uh-huh, see, right. "The works that I do shall you do also," every creature, every person that believes in Him.
Now, where's it at? That's His Words. "Heavens and earths will pass
away, but My Word shall never fail." Now, where's it at?
See? 137. Oh, it just shows... What is it? It's a hybrid condition.
GMO genetically modified organizations instead of
taking the original Seed with the original Life.
In the Message, The Token 63-09-01 par 345 brother
Branham said, " Let
me live the example of what Christ said a man should be. Let me be a
brother to a brother, a brother to a
sister. Let me be a - a minister to the ministers. Let
me be an example of examples. Let me show to the world that this Word is
Christ. The only way I can do it is come into Him. Cause, I
can't do it myself , you can't do it.
But Let the Word and you become One, then It
lives Itself out. You are a walking epistle of Jesus Christ, when
He's got complete control, control of you , to make
every Word."
Philippians
2:13 For it is God which worketh
in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Hebrews 13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from
the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of
the everlasting covenant,
21 Make you perfect (that means equipped and fully mature) in every good work to do his will, working in you
that which is wellpleasing in his sight,
through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever
and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some,
prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For
the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of
the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith,
and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of
the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth
be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of
doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning
craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the
truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
The Voice 4:15 Instead, by
truth spoken in love, we are to grow in every way into Him—the Anointed One,
NIV 15 Instead,
speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature
body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
The Token 63-09-01
par 224 "
Don't you rely upon no speaking in tongues, no nothing else. but
let the Token Itself be there, the Person of Jesus Christ, His Own Life in
you. Circumcise not just this, that: but circumcise your whole
being, till you and Christ are One. Christ
is in you, and His Life lives out through you."
We
would see Jesus 57-0226 P:21 But now, while He's here working with His Church in the form of the
Spirit... Then if His Spirit is with us, He will act just exactly like He act when He was here on earth. It'll make you act the same
way, because it's not your spirit any more; it's His Spirit in you, Christ's
Spirit in you." The
things that I do...
He that believeth on Me (Saint John 14:12.), the works that I do, shall ye
do also." See? We'll
do the same works, think the same thoughts, live
the same type of life. If the Spirit of God is in you, it makes you
live like Christ, Christ-like. Then you become a written epistle, read
of all men, Christ in you, reflecting His Light out of you, as God was
in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, and
reflecting God from His own body. No man has seen God at any time, but the only
begotten of the Father has declared Him. God was in Christ. And what
Christ's attitude was, was God's attitude, 'cause the two work together, the Spirit and flesh united together. Got a
sermon on that: "The Dove And The Lamb."
Want to get on it one night, one of these weeks.
What
shall I do with Jesus 63-1124M P:95 As I said, if the life of Beethoven was in
you, you'd live like Beethoven. If the life of Hitler was in you, you'd live
like Hitler. And when the Life of Christ is in you, you'll live like Christ.
And the works of Christ you do. And that'll be... If Christ lived today
He'd do exactly what the Word said He'd do today. And if the Word said that,
"He is the same yesterday, today, and forever," why can't this blind
ecclesiastical world see the time that they're living. See?
Christ is the mystery -
63-0728 So that same
Word moves from the Head as the day comes close, down into the Body, down into
the Body vindicating that they are One. They're
Husband and Wife. They're flesh of his flesh, Word of His Word, Life of His
Life, Spirit of His Spirit. See? Amen. How do you know
it? Bears the same record, same fruit, same Word (See?),
manifests Christ: same Life, same God, same Spirit, same Word,
same Book (Amen!), same signs, "Things that I do shall you also." Oh
hallelujah. My... 285. Notice the vindicated
Word in His Body is His very victory and the reason of His death. See, the
death, not in the Spirit... When He died, He only died in the flesh;
63-0728 - "Christ Is The Mystery Of God Revealed" And Paul, this great intellectual man,
never tried to express his great theological terms upon the people. He humbly
accepted the Word of the Lord, and he lived the Word so that It expressed through him. He lived so godly until
they seen Jesus Christ in him, so much, till they wanted his handkerchief,
to take it and lay it upon the sick. There is the Life of Christ.
No theologian can know this Life. They
can know about it, but they will never know it by study. It comes by a
surrendering your own life and dying to your own self. It is not and can not be
gotten from theology, nor from educating yourself to
it, nor from any mental effort on your part. It comes when God Himself injects
you with His own Life, when your life has died and His Life comes in to live
itself out in you.
Romans 9:16
So then it is not of him
that willeth, nor of him that runneth,
but of God that sheweth mercy.
John 1:12 But as many as
received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of
blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
63-0728 - "Christ Is
The Mystery Of God Revealed" 147 God is known by simplicity and of revelation
of Jesus Christ to the most illiterate person. See? Not your theology. It's a
revelation of Jesus Christ. "Upon this rock I'll build My Church." No
other rocks accepted, no other things accepted, no other Roman rock, no other
Protestant rock, no other school, no other nothing, but on exactly the
revelation of Jesus Christ through the new Birth. He borns
in there, and He injects His Own Life, and your life is gone. And
the Life of Christ is projecting Itself through you,
with the preeminences, to the people; that they see
the very Life, and works, and signs, and wonders, that He did, is doing the
same thing through you. Outside of that, the rest of it's not even called to,
at all. Watch God's great revelation unfolding. By lack of this revelation is why we have so many different
divisions among us, and so much mockery. So much division among us, is because the people lack that revelation. See, they
lack that revelation, the teachers.
63-0728 - "Christ Is The Mystery Of God Revealed" And if the Life—the Life of Jesus Christ
ever puts out another body of believers, it'll bear the fruit that the first
one did. They'll write a Book of Acts behind it, 'cause It'll
be the same, same Life. See what I mean? You just can't get away from
it. It's the Life of Christ in you, been injected in you, by the Holy Spirit
Itself living Its Life through you.
63-0630E - "Is Your
Life Worthy Of The Gospel?" A Christian is to be Christ-like. And a Christian cannot be a
Christian until Christ comes into the man, the Life of Christ in him. Then it
produces the Life that Christ lived, and you do the things that Christ did.
63-0120E - "Just One
More Time, Lord" And then if He is the same, yesterday, today, and forever, you
touch His garment, and His Holy Spirit will operate through us. If you've got the
right channel, the Spirit to believe by, the same channel that's here, it'll
operate the same way. It's got to, it's God! You put the life of an apple tree
in a peach tree, it won't bear peaches no more, it'll
bear apples. And you put the Life of Christ in a—in a man that's a mortal
being, he'll bear the fruit of the Spirit. He'll bear the fruits of the
resurrection.
57-0226 Sirs we Would See Jesus E-21 But now, while
He's here working with His Church in the form of the Spirit... Then if His
Spirit is with us, He will act just exactly like He act
when He was here on earth. It'll make you act the same way, because it's not
your spirit any more; it's His Spirit in you, Christ's Spirit in you. "The
things that I do... He that believeth on Me (Saint
John 14:12.), the works that I do, shall ye do also." See? We'll do the
same works, think the same thoughts, live the same
type of life. If the Spirit of God is in you, it makes you live like Christ,
Christ-like.
Questions
and answers COD - 59-1223 And "If ye abide in Me and My Word
in you..." See? We become a part of His Word, part of His Life, for we are
flesh of his flesh, and bone of His bone, and life of His Life. Then we can no
more perish than God Himself could perish. That's what the Holy Ghost is.
We
would see Jesus 57-0226 P:21 But now, while He's here working with His Church in the form of the
Spirit... Then if His Spirit is with us, He will act just exactly like He act when He was here on earth. It'll make you act the
same way, because it's not your spirit any more; it's His Spirit in you,
Christ's Spirit in you." The things that I do... He that
believeth on Me (Saint John 14:12.), the works
that I do, shall ye do also." See? We'll do the same works, think the same
thoughts, live the same type of life. If
the Spirit of God is in you, it makes you live like Christ, Christ-like.
Then you become a written epistle, read of all men, Christ in you,
reflecting His Light out of you, as God was in Christ reconciling the world
to Himself, and reflecting God from His own body. No
man has seen God at any time, but the only begotten of the Father has declared
Him. God was in Christ. And what Christ's attitude was, was God's attitude,
'cause the two work together, the Spirit and flesh
united together. Got a sermon on that: "The Dove And
The Lamb." Want to get on it one night, one of these weeks.