Christ is the
Mystery no 127
Christian
Life no 8
Written
Epistles
Brian Kocourek
2 Corinthians 3:1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles
of commendation to you, or letters of commendation
from you? 2 Ye are our epistle written
in our hearts, known and read of all men: 3 Forasmuch
as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered
by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables
of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. 4 And such trust
have we through Christ to God-ward: 5 Not
that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our
sufficiency is of God;
Let us pray,...
You may be seated.
Now, this morning we will
look at what Paul speaks of here when he says, Ye
are our epistle written in our hearts,
known and read of all men: 3 Forasmuch as ye are
manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us,
written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone,
but in fleshy tables of the heart.
Notice he speaks of
manifestly declared. What does that mean? Well, manifestly means the
declaration is a manifested Word. Not so much what you say, but what does your
Life manifest before men. And in this case he said the people lives, the lives
lived from their hearts was a manifestation of the
Life of Christ to the world around them. And that is my greatest desire for my
life and for yours is to see such manifestation of christ Life in you, and no one would ever doubt your
testimony.
And with that in mind,
let's turn in our booklets, of Christ is the
Mystery of God Revealed, and we will read from paragraph 201 through 208
for our study this morning.
201 Notice,
redeeming back with Him, going home, back to Eternal Life in a human body,
eating, drinking, living forever... Isaiah
said, "They build houses and inhabit them, plant
vineyards and eat the fruit." They'll not build, and another take it. The
children won't take it, but they'll be there with their offsprings."
I would like to just add my
own thoughts here for a moment. Notice he is reading the Scripture and tells us
that we will be there with our offspring with us. What a blessed promise. There
is nothing in this world I desire more than to be there in the Millennium with
my wife and children, and my children's children.
Can any of you think of a
greater blessing than that? To make it out of this pest house with your family
intact, and even your grandchildren, being there? That is the desire of my
heart.
And then he says, "He'll
build it and stay there. Amen. He don't build and
another eat; He builds and eats himself. Amen. What is it? His Bride going
back with Him, redeemed back to the original Adam and Eve again. For it's...?... has left behind. They look back at the cross and see
the death that's been paid. And now by faith we are resurrected with
Him, setting in heavenly places right now, looking back to
what redeemed us, waiting for the Husband to come to march on home with Him.
Notice that brother Branham keeps reminding us of what it is all about.
he tells us that if we are filled with His Spirit,
then we are now, right now setting with Him in heavnely
places in Christ Jesus. He's not looking down the road to a distant promise way
out in the future. he's telling us that if we have His
Spirit now, then now we are already raised with Him, and we are now setting
together with Him in Heavenly places.
Now, you might say, I'm in
church now, what do you mean we are now in heavenly places with Him. Listen,
what you are here is only a reflection of what you are somewhere else. We've quoted that to you many times from
brother Branham.
Listen to what brother Branham tells us in his
sermon, Explaining healing and Jairus 54-0216 P:37 The devil's just trying to scare you out of something. He's trying to
put something off somewhere else, say, "Some of these days you'll be this." You are now. Now, we're sons of God. Now, we're seated together in heavenly places. Now, we have all powers
in heavens and the earth. See? Now, we have it. Not in the millennium, we
won't need it then. We got it now. Right now we are the sons of God. "It does not appear what we shall
be, but we know we'll be like Him."What you are here is a reflection of what you are somewhere else. "Those who He called, He justifies." Is that right? "Those who
He justified, He has glorified." Already
in the Presence of the Father, we have a glorified body. Whew! Wasn't that
deep? All right. We'll find out whether it's right or
not. "If this earthly tabernacle be
dissolved, we have one already waiting."
Is that right? That's right. So right now, and what we are here, is a
reflection of what we are somewhere else. So if your deeds are evil, you know
where it comes from. You know where your other body's a waiting.
Now, I do not believe for
one moment we have anyone in here whose deeds are evil. Oh, you might get bad
thoughts all day long, but those aren't your thoughts to begin with, they are
Satan's. And you don't accept them although he might even flood your mind with
them, but don't worry, as long as you don't let them make a nest,
they are not yours until you receive them and act upon them. Until then they
are only Satan's thoughts he is trying to get you to act upon. So just don't
claim them. Don't act upon them. The Bible tells us, "resist
the Devil and he will flee".
Let's read it for ourselves in James 4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. (and Who is God? He is the
Word, so submit yourselves unto the Word of God, then) Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (notice then what he says in
verse)
8, Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands, ye
sinners;(that's
your deeds, the things that you do, he says cleanse them first) and (then) purify your hearts, ye double
minded.
Now, when he says resist the devil, the word resist
was translated from a Greek word anti-stemi,
and we know the word anti means the opposite, but I want you to notice that the word stemi which we are to be the opposite of, it means
to establish or make a stand for. But placing the word anti
in front of that word, means to take a stand
against, to establish yourself against. So
when you resist the devil, you are taking a stand against him. And how do you
do that? By standing with God, by drawing
near to Him, and when we do that we know that He will draw near to you. Then clean up your
deeds that you do by purifying your heart, purging it of any thoughts that are
contrary to God's thoughts. And How do we do that? By submitting ourselves unto God by submitting ourselves unto His Word.
Let's read it again and
think about what he is telling us. James 4:7
(1) Submit yourselves therefore to God. (And Who is God? He is the
Word, So we are to submit ourselves unto the Word of God, then he tells us to) Resist the devil, (you see, once you have
submitted yourself to the Word you will automatically resist the devil. And how
do you do that? By comparing his thoughts with God's Word, and anything that is
not God's Word you reject, you say no to, you take a
stand against it. And what is the consequence of your stand? we
are told that) he (the devil) will flee from you. Then he says in verse) 8, Draw near to God, and
he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your
hearts, ye double minded.
Now, in the next paragraph brother Branham says,
202 Threefold
purpose of God manifested in Adam and Eve, and every prophet, and down through
the ages, and He that is to come: He that was, He which is, and He which is to
come, the whole manifestation, the revelation of the Word of God: Adam
and Eve going back home again redeemed: God making Himself known.
203 There He
will sit upon the Throne of David. Is that right? And shall rule
all nations with a rod of iron. There'll be a tree on each side, and
each nation that comes in, these leaves will be for the healing of the nations.
The kings shall bring their honor into it. There'll be nothing that can defile
or anything ever enter in. And
204 And see, God
Himself making Himself known and pulsating Himself through the Life
that you're a prisoner to Him now. You are His love prisoner. The
world can laugh, make fun them, say, "Come on out."
You could go, but you're a prisoner. The other women can act
205 Making
His mystery known to His Bride Tree, redeemed by Christ, the second Adam;
going back home to be restored back to the original Eden, free from death,
sickness, sorrow, shame, going back with Eternal Life. Then...
Listen. So many people's got the wrong conception. To
convert people to Christianity and to its government is not God's thought at
all. You say, "We made converts to Christianity by His government." That's not it. "Well, they're not
supposed to drink; they're not supposed to lie." Do
you know the Mohammedans can outshine... Do you know the heathens in
206 Why, I
went to that tribe of Shangai there. If a young girl
isn't married by a certain age, she has to leave the tribe, take off her tribal
paint. She goes into the city; she's just a roustabout. And before she's
married, she has to be tested for her virginity. If she be found guilty of
committing adultery with some man, she has to tell who it is, and they're both
killed together. Oh, they can outshine what these so-called... What if you did
that in so-called Christians? Ninety-nine percent of them would die before
daylight (That's right. Right.), both man and women.
You know that's right.
207 What...
You say, "Well, I'm pure." "Whosoever looketh
upon a woman to lust after her, has committed adultery with her in his heart
already." Now, what about that? What about you, sister,
that presented yourself to that man like that? You're just as guilty as if you
did it. "Oh, but it's all right." Pastor's afraid to say that, 'cause
why? His denominational headquarters will kick him out if he gets straight on
that. They're hybrid. They don't take the Word. The Word said that's true.
Jesus said that it's true, and He's the Head.
Now, here is where i want to get to today. It
in the next paragraph number 208, where brother Branham says,
"Now, notice, God making Himself
known. Not... We're not suppose to make
converts to Christianity by a government, but by the revelation of Christ in
you as God was in Christ. As God was in Christ, Christ in you. What
God did in Christ, Christ does in you. What signs did God in
Christ, Christ does in you. Oh, isn't that beautiful? Oh, my. I like
that. Jesus said at that day (that's this day), at that day
(when this revelation's made known) you will know that I am in the
Father, and the Father in Me, I in you, and you in Me. (When
the revelation's made manifest,) at that day, you shall know that I and
the Father are One. I'm in the Father, and the Father's in Me. Then
when the revelation comes forth, then it's
I in you and you in Me." There you are. See
the manifold threefold... What for? To bring it back. We've got to be...
Now, I would like to stop here for a moment on this
wonderful thought because this is where i have drawn
the line in the sand and have taken my stand with a vindicated prophet. This is
where I believe that what he is saying is for me, and it's for you.
I can't help but go back to what Jesus said to His disciples
in John 14: And it seems
that every time I look at what he told them here I get more revelation of what
he said to them, because he is saying it to me.
In verse 12 we read, 12 Verily, verily, I say unto
you, (Now,
notice he says I am saying this to you. Whose he
talking to? Those who were following Him, those who are
believers. And then he says) He that
believeth on me, (and remember we've already proven that in the
Greek and every language the Bible is written, it is not he that believeth, but
whosoever believeth. And even in this sermon of brother Branham's we've read
where he reads this verse and instead of saying he, he says, he-anybody, he-everybody
who believes. Now, listen to the promise to whosoever believes. He says,) the works that I do shall you do also; and greater works than these shall you
do; because I go unto my Father.
And of course many people
stop here but fail to read on. So let's keep reading because that is not the
all of what he is saying to us here. That is not all that he is promising to us
here.
13 And whatsoever ye
shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in
the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any
thing in my name, I will do it. 15 If ye love me, keep
my commandments. (prove your love to me by obeying my Word And if you
do so, then 16 I will pray the
Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that He (this comforter) may
abide with you for ever;
Now, the Greek word
for comforter is the word parakletos, and it means
one who is called alongside to help. It actually translates as advocate,
intercessor, counselor.
And
then in verse 17 he tells us what this advocate we have with the Father is. 17 Even The Spirit of
truth; And
so he also tells us whom the world cannot receive,
because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye
know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in
you.
So Jesus tells his
disciples that the One who is with them, The Spirit that is in Him who is now
with them, will come back to be in them. And he calls him the Spirit of truth.
Then
Jesus makes the promise, and he says in verse 18 I will not leave you comfortless:
(this
word comfortless comes from the Greek word orphanos,
and we know this word orphanos is Greek
for orphans. So the promise is I will not leave y9ou orphans, but) I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while, and
the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because
I live, ye shall live also.
So he says here that
the same Life that lives in Him and expresses itself in Him will also be in us.
Then he tells us when all these promises will come to be. He says,
20 At that day ye shall know that I
am in my Father, and ye in me,
and I in you. 21 He that hath my
commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that
loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will
love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Now,
let's go back to brother Branham's statement in paragraph 208 and read it again.
208 Now,
notice, God making Himself known. Not... We're not suppose to make converts to Christianity by a government,
but by the revelation of Christ in you as God was in Christ. (1) As
God was in Christ, Christ in you. (2) What
God did in Christ, Christ does in you. (3) What
signs did God in Christ, Christ does in you.
Now, I hope you see how
brother Branham is making the unmistakable statement that John 14:12 ties in
with John 14:20.
Then he says, "Oh, isn't that beautiful? Oh, my. I like that.
Jesus said at that day (that's this day), (notice, we are not talking
of Luthers day, or Wesleys
day, but this day. He's identifying this Scripture with this day.) at
that day (when this revelation's made known)
you will know (Not me alone he says, but
you will know) that I am in the Father, and the Father in
Me, I in you, and you in Me. (When the revelation's
made manifest,)(What revelation is made
manifest? This revelation is made manifest. The revelation, the revealing, the
unveiling of this revelation, at that day, which is this day, when this what Jesus is saying is made manifest, that is the day
when it comes into effect. And what does it mean to be made manifest? When it
is visibly identified, when it is visibly expressed, when it is visibly shown,
how else can I say it. It takes the manifestation of
this revelation to make it manifest also in the body. And we saw God in Christ,
in the Alpha, and we saw God in William Branham in the Omega, and the Omega
reflection of God in man was manifest to us, and so that is all it took to make
the promise effective in the rest of the body.) at
that day, (what
day? The day when you are no longer orphans. And when is an orphan no longer an
orphan? When he is adopted. At That Day, the day when
he comes to adopt His Children,) you (the believers) shall
know that I and the Father are One. I'm in the Father, and the Father's in Me. Then when the revelation comes forth,
then it's I in you and you in Me."
There you are. See the manifold threefold... What for? To bring it back. We've
got to be...
Oh, brothers and sisters,
don't you realize that this is much bigger than John 14:12. This is knowing by seeing, that, That day is here when we become
one with God as Christ and God were one.
And it took the
manifestation of the revelation for us to know it. This is not a guess, this
has already been interpreted by God bringing it to pass, first in william Branham and now the rest
of the body.
Now, I can understand those who look at themselves and
say, "well, I just don't see it in me, there fore
it can't be in me, but we saw it in William Branham and that is enough for
me." Now, I don't blame them for saying that, but they say that because
they have their eyes on themselves and not the promise of God. if God said in that day you will know, then are we now going
to say that "you" is singular and means only one person?
At that day you will know that I am in the
Father and the Father in me, I in you and you in me.
What we are looking at is the same God Life that
expressed itself in the Alpha has already expressed itself in the Omega in
William Branham, and is gong to express itself in the rest of the body. Because they without us can not be made perfect.
And brother Branham said this could not be possible
until the revelation was expressed. So it took God in Christ to reveal God to
man. Then it took Christ Life in William Branham to manifest Christ to the
Bride. And now it will take Christ-Life in the rest of the body to bring this
promise to completion.
Isn't
that what the Apostle Paul promised us in 2 Timothy 4:8
Henceforth there is laid up for me a
crown of right-wise-ness, which the Lord, the rightly-wise judge, shall
give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them
also that love his appearing.
You
know what that word appearing means? It means manifestation. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of right-wise-ness,
which the Lord, the rightly-wise judge, shall give me at that day:
and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his manifestation.
Can't
you see that? This is the hour of the mighty God unveiled before us. This is
the day when Christ who is the Mystery of God is to be revealed, manifested.
This is the day when we see God-Life manifested and the manifestation brings
the revelation down to us, and makes it personally identifiable to us and with
us and in us. The Threefold revelation of God. God was
IN Christ manifesting Himself to the world. God was in His Prophet manifesting
Himself to the World, and now God Life the same God Life in us, manifesting
itself to the world just before the bodies are to be caught away.
Now,
listen, and don't fail to get this. Did not brother Branham tells
us that God will make our bodies to obey our confession? Did not he says that in many different sermons?
In
Elisha the prophet brother Branham said, "God will make your body obey your faith."
And what is Faith? is it not a revelation? Then "God will make your body obey your revelation."
If God's whole creation must obey His will, and we see the moon must give her
light, and the sun must come up to give its light every day, and we see the
waves obeying his command, then how much more our own bodies that are His
creation as well. And what about our inner man, the new creation who is formed after His likeness?
Harvest
time 64-1212 P:85 It's got to be quoted just the
way He said It. Then, if It's
quoted right, He'll vindicate It to be so in your life. "That's
how all men know you're written epistles read of God." Written epistle
is "Bible." Is that right? An epistle is the Bible. And you're a
written Bible reflecting His Word, that perfect man again, in God.
Mighty
God unveiled 64-0629 P:54 Moses veiled, he was the living Word to the people. And today,
the people that are veiled are the same thing; they are written epistles, read
of all men, not a new epistle, but the epistle that's been written made
manifested. It's those who believe the Word and the promise of this day
that God is pouring out His Spirit upon all flesh; and that is written epistles. And when a person tries to
carnally impersonate that, it backfires. Your life shows what you are.
Sir we
would see Jesus 63-1112 P:18 Now, according to the Scriptures we are supposed to be written epistles of Him. The
Bible says that we are written epistles. And if, tonight, we would hunger and thirst to see the Lord Jesus
Christ, we as Christian believers should reflect His Life, so much, till it
would be His entire representative. We should be that. Every Christian
should represent and reflect the Life of Jesus Christ. Do you believe that?
And I believe that every Christian should be reflecting the Life of Christ.
He said in
Seed of
discrepancy 65-0118 P:23 He was the interpretation of the Word. And every born again son and
daughter of God of this age is the interpretation of the Word. You
are written epistles, read of all men. Yes. Notice, He said, "In vain they
do worship Me, teaching discrepancy for doctrine. In
vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrine the
discrepancy, doctrine of man, creeds of man, teaching that to be the Word of
God, when it has nothing to do with the Word of God."
We would
see Jesus 62-0727 P:33 That's
the reason Christians, I think it's so real tonight, that we should live the
right kind of a life, because, there's many people won't take time to read
the Bible, but they'll read you. See, you are a written epistle of God, a
real, true, born again Christian is the Word expressed again, because
you're written epistles of God, read of all men. What type of person should
we to be if we know that our lives is an open, living Bible to the unbeliever,
to express God in our own life?
Influences
64-0215 P:15 Remember the Bible said, "You are living, written epistles read of
all men." Now, many people won't read the Bible. But God has made you a
living representative. You are a walking letter, should be a walking
Bible, Christ in you. You should be the walking Word of God. And
if you profess to be a Christian and not that, your influence, what you're
influencing, will make you have to answer for many souls that you've turned
aside, away from Christ, in that day of the judgment
Shalom
64-0112 P:5 God is in man. And He's identifying Himself today in His church. In the
born again Christian, God identifies Himself, that He
remains God. And the outside world will only know God as they see God in you
and I. That's the only way that they'll know God,
is when we are written epistles, epistle of the Scripture,
we are read of all men. And the life that we live reflects what's on the
inside of us. A man is identified by the works that he does.
So our works should be good (See?), always good, because we are representing
our Lord Jesus Christ.
Influence
63-1130B P:13 And then we never know just what we're doing, or what influence and what
we're doing is having upon others. The Bible said, "We are written epistles, read of all men." That is, your life reads so loud to the public, until your
testimony, if it's contrary to your life, is without any effect. It's
what you are inside of you that people read: not so much what you say, but what
you are. See? You can pin something on somebody, say, "This is bad,
and so forth," but your life being different from what they say, your
testimony of your life is louder than the testimony that someone could say
something about you. See? So just keep that on mind, that we're bringing
influences every day, and the life that you live proves what's on the inside
of you. You cannot change that. It reflects. Every person reflects,
outside, what he is inside. And if we take the testimony of being
Christians, I think that that is one of the most solemn things that a man or a
woman, boy or girl, could do, would... When he takes on the Name of Christ,
that he's going to be a representative of Christ, you should watch every
move you make, because somebody's watching you. And, in this, it
reflects what's God has done for you, inside of you.
Sir we
would see Jesus 63-1112 P:20 Now, we find that the first church did represent Him as written
epistles; His Life lived through those people. I can't compare our
church today as hard as it is to say this, as much as I love people, yet you've
got to be honest and tell the truth. I can't say that we see in the churches
today reflecting Christ in the way that those people did. They
knowed that they had been with Jesus.
Influence
63-0803E P:10 And now, you know, many people won't go to church. ...But I tell you
what they do, they will watch your life to see what
you do. I believe it was Paul that said, "We are written epistles of God, read of all men." When you're on the street, and when you're at your work, and
wherever you are, somebody's watching you.
Third
Exodus 63-0630M P:20 You know you can live a fellow a sermon, better than you can preach him
one? "For ye yourselves are written
epistles, read of all men."
Stature
of a perfect man 62-1014M P:132 Now, that is the house that God dwells in, not a building with a big
bell on top of it and a high steeple (See?), but, "a body has Thou prepared Me," a
body that God can dwell in, God can walk in, God can see in, God can talk in,
God can work in (Amen.), living instrumentality of God. God
walking on two feet in you. Glory.
"The footsteps of the righteous is ordered of God," God walking in
you, for ye are written epistles, read
of all men. And if the Life that's in
Christ be in you, you'll bear the Life that Christ bore.
It is I
be not afraid 62-0726 P:2 Father, we know that there's many people that will not read the Bible,
but You have made Your church written epistles, the Word of God made manifest.
And people can watch lives, and see what the Word of God is, because the
life of a Christian expresses the Word. Then what type of Christian should
we be, Lord? Help us to be Bible Christians, that the works and Life of
Jesus Christ may be known through us. In His Name, we ask it. Amen. May be seated.
Behold a
greater than all is here 62-0715 P:86 Everything you do, do it right (That's right.), 'cause you're written epistles read of all men, the way you conduct yourself, and the things you do as Christians.
Jesus
Christ the same 61-0118 P:8 And then as we are sons and daughters of God, and joint heirs with Him
in the Kingdom, then we express Him in our lives. Sometimes...
If many of us would just live our sermons instead of preaching it, I think it'd
be better, if we'd just go ahead and live the sermon. You know it's a lot
better to live me one than it is to preach me one, I believe, because I can see
your life. God looks at our lives, and the world looks at our lives. He
wants to know what our lives are. And people know us. No matter, Our action is so loud it drowns our testimony. Depends on
what we say. If we are Christians and don't live it, then the people know
better. But when we are Christians, and say we're Christians, and live
like Christians, our lives will do it if we never said nothing
else. Our lives... We're written epistles read of all
men. So they watch how you walk. And
I was thinking the other day about being sealed by the Holy Spirit. A seal is
marked on both sides. They see you coming and see you going. Look like a
Christian coming, you look like a Christian going so, when you're sealed by the
Holy Spirit.
Blind Bartimaeus 60-0330 P:24 You know, as a servant of God, you ought to watch what you're doing,
because you're written epistles, read of all men. You Christians, always be
willing to lend a hand or to do something to help somebody make life a little more
pleasant for them as they're... You say, "Well, I--I don't have any
gift of healing." You don't have to have. At least offer something. Offer
a prayer. Do something. Make them feel... Do the best you
can by them, anyhow. Never turn a shoulder, a cold shoulder, to anyone, no
matter what it is, even if they've mistreated you. Do it anyhow. If you
can't do it from your heart, then you ought to come to the altar and stay till
that spirit comes in you that from your heart, you can love those who doesn't love you. That's when God will answer your
prayer, for as long as there's anything in your heart... "If I regard
iniquity in my heart, then God will not hear me." That's what David said,
and that's true.
Believe
from the heart 57-0623 P:69 And make us of Thy workmanship, that You might declare Your character
to the world through us as written
epistles read of all men.
Elisha
the prophet 56-1002E P:33 God doesn't dwell in bones. God dwells in Spirit in mankind, the
impulse of the heart as it beats through man. ... So God dwells in human
beings. Amen. Now, the only way people will see Jesus is when they see Him
in you. You are written epistles. If Christ's Spirit dwells in you and brings your conduct into
subjection to His Spirit, and makes you act like Him, and talk
like Him, walk like Him, live like Him. See? People see Jesus
in you.
Hidden
life with Christ 56-0213 P:52 You know the best thing is to live a sermon instead of preach one,
you know that. You're written epistles. And you can't do it in yourself;
you can impersonate it for a little while, but your sins will find you out. You
better just consecrate yourself to God and get on the inside, shut the
doors behind you and burn every barrier there is behind you, and every
bridge, and launch out. Amen. I know it's the truth; I know it'll work. If
it hadn't been for that, I don't know what would become of me. That's right. But
it ain't the people you that you look at then, it's
Christ.
Hidden
life in Christ 55-1110 P:21 "Your life speaks so loud, I can't hear your voice."
Let us pray,...