Christ is the Mystery no 158
Confined in Him
Brian Kocourek, Pastor
Last week we spoke from paragraph 217 of Christ is the Mystery of God Revealed where
brother Branham said, 217 And remember,
we are now as His Bride, pregnated with His Spirit. Oh, my. The Church bearing
children (See?), pregnated by His Spirit with His Name, bearing
His Name, bearing His Life, bringing forth the signs
of His Life evident with the preeminences, evidence
of His resurrection showing that He is not dead, but alive forevermore.
This is Eternal Life. And a-vindicated--vindicates to the world that we are
alive in Him. Whew.
We
spoke on this Life that is in His name and that we bear in our mortal bodies.
Notice brother Branham
said, speaking of the Church, the bride, said we are "pregnated by His Spirit with
His Name,(and that name is what we are called by,
"Christians", and if we are called by that name then he says we must
bear that name.) bearing
His Name,(and why do we bear that name "Christ-ian",
because he goes on to say because we are) bearing His Life,(because the Word Christian
means to be Christ Like. And how can you be Christ-Like if your Life is not
Christ like. And how can you have a Christ-Like Life without having His Holy
Spirit? And How can we say we have the Holy Spirit if we our life is not Holy. A Holy Spirit led
Life will be a Holy Life, led by Living a God-Word filled Life. For after all
the word "Spirit" is interchangeable with the word Life. Jesus said,
"My Words are Spirit and they are Life". John 6:63)
Then brother Branham
continued speaking of the bride, he said, "bringing forth the signs of
His Life evident with the preeminences, evidence
of His resurrection.
So what does that mean? bringing forth the signs of His Life which
are evidence of the preeminence, evidence of His
resurrection.
What he is saying here is
that the life in us, the God-Life, the Life that was
in Christ is the evidence that He also is the preeminent one in the life you
are living.
Why do you think men like
Luther, Wesley, Martin and Columba and even Patrick who wasn't a Messenger to
the age, yet his life was so wrought with the supernatural manifestations of
God because of their entire focus was on the Word of God, and thus the God life
that is in that word had to show forth in their life, or they had nothing but a
theology to show forth for what they stood for.
That is why I can not for
one second understand the mindset of those people who
would want to look to their own thinking rather than the thinking, the Words
which were proven a-vindicated by God Himself. But that is how they miss what
Mercy God has for the people in every age.
They lean to their own
understanding, and yet God said in, Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither
are your ways my ways, saith the LORD." 9 For as the
heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my
thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain cometh
down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not
thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the
sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me
void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it
shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Therefore wherever the Word of God goes it will
bring forth, it will prosper in the purpose and plan for which he sent it.
Therefore, the Word has Life, it has a purpose and a plan, and that means it
must manifest itself in the thing for which he sent it.
Therefore we can say, no manifestation, then
there's no Life. No Life then now Word, period.
Therefore those people who can not take "Thus
Saith the Lord" have to resort to their own understanding, and the Bible warns
us in,
Proverbs
16:25 "There is a way that seems right
unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."
The following quote is one I sent out yesterday to all
of you through email. Brother Branham let's us know quite frankly that to turn
away from a vindicated Word by a vindicated Messenger means one thing. Death, first spiritual death then physical death.
In his sermon, Recognizing
your day and its Message - 64-0726M 41. brother Branham said, "The
reason people in Noah's day did not go into the ark, is because they
never recognized the message nor the messenger. That's the only
reason they perished, is because they didn't recognize the hour
that they were living. They didn't recognize that God would deal
with sin as He promised He would. He'd destroy man from the face of the
earth. He had prophesied it. He meant it. And he means it today the same as He
did then.
What that tells me is that all outside the end-time
Message that God sent will perish. In fact the Bible tells us they fit
themselves to their own destruction. That's what the apostle Paul said in
Romans
Notice that these people are fitted to destruction. Those
who are sealed in are protected from the judgments that are to follow, and
those who are sealed out, are fitted for destruction. So who does the fitting?
Do they fit themselves? Or are they fitted by God for one purpose and that is
to be destroyed?
In order to know what this word fitted to destruction means, we look to the Greek
for the words which the term was translated from. And we find the Greek word
means "they are prepared for".
If I fit something to something else, then what I am doing is preparing that
thing to match the other. Then the judgment matches the judged?
Remember, "where there is
a deep calling there is a deep to respond." Brother Branham
said, that "there couldn't have been a fish
with a fin until there had been first a water to swim in." Then
who prepares them? And the answer is that God
made them for destruction.
Now, you might say "that's
a very harsh statement you made preacher, who are you to make such a statement
as that? Who are you to Judge?"
Well, the answer is that I'm not the Judge, and I do
not claim to judge anyone, but God's Word is the Judge, because He is the
Supreme Judge. And God and His Word are the same.
That is what Jesus himself told us in John 12:47-50 And if any man hear my words, and
believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to
save the world. 48 He that rejecteth
me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that
I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. 49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent
me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting:
whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.
Notice, The Word
will judge in the last days. But He has
left them with a free moral agency to prepare themselves.
And how do they do they prepare themselves for destruction? Proverbs
Notice
The Word of God tells us they are "Fitted to
destruction" Romans 9:22. As I mentioned earlier, this phrase is taken two
different ways by the theologians which one side says, they fit themselves for
destruction, while "The other interpretation assumes that the reference
is to God and that the Greek word for 'fitted'
has its full participle force; meaning, they are prepared (by God)
for destruction."
One
point in the above verse requires separate consideration - "Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction." The
usual explanation which is given of these words is that the vessels of wrath
fit themselves to destruction, that is, fit themselves by virtue of their
wickedness; and it is argued that there is no need for God to "fit them to destruction", because they
are already fitted by their own depravity, and that this must be the real
meaning of this expression. Now if by
"destruction" we understand punishment, it is perfectly
true that the non-elect do "fit
themselves", for everyone will be judged "according to his works"; and further,
we freely grant that subjectively the non-elect do fit themselves for
destruction. But the point to be decided is, Is this
what the apostle is here referring to? In order to understand what the Apostle
Paul is saying in verse 22-23 we've got to go back to verses 11 and begin reading from there.
Romans 9:11 (For the children
being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that
the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him
that calleth;) 12 It was said unto her, The
elder shall serve the younger.
13 As
it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. 14 What shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15 For he saith to Moses, I
will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on
whom I will have compassion.
16 So then it is not of him that willeth,
nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this
same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew
my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 18 Therefore
hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom
he will he hardeneth. 19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For
who hath resisted his will? 20 Nay but, O man, who art
thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing
formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 21 Hath not the
potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 22 What
if God, willing to shew his
wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the
vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 23 And
that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which
he had afore prepared unto glory,
So
we see that it God who fits the unbeliever to destruction. Because after all,
every seed must come forth after it's kind. As br. Don always says, "believers believe". That's Genesis
So
those who have been born to Eternal Life will manifest belief in the Word,
while those without eternal Life can not believe, because it is not in them to
believe. It's not in their nature, therefore they can
not reflect it in their life. And so we see the great falling away, and it
ought to let you rejoice that while so many are falling away a thousand at your right hand and ten thousand at your left,
yet God has selected you out to salvation through belief in the
truth.
Psalms 91:7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right
hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. and
2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to
God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the
beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit
and belief of the truth:
Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye
heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after
that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
As
I mentioned earlier, those who are sealed in are protected from the judgments
that are to follow, and those who are sealed out, have been fitted for
destruction.
Notice
that Paul said in Romans 9:23. "And that he might make known the riches of his
glory (his "doxa", his
values, his opinions, his judgments) on the vessels
of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory." The only
point in this verse which demands attention is the fact that the "vessels of mercy" are here said to be "afore prepared unto glory".
Brother
Branham said in his sermon, Preparation 53-1111
16 "I believe that the people
are in the preparation of the last great destruction this world will ever know.
I believe we're at the end. You can speak to people; you could put a Billy
Graham in every city in the
So back to our quote we began earlier where we read
from brother Branham's sermon, Recognizing your day and its Message - 64-0726M 41 he
continues, "But the people, instead of being
favorable towards Noah... He was considered a wild man. They didn't believe him
to be a prophet. You know, Jesus, His own self, told us how they scoffed in the
days of Noah, made fun of him, called him a fanatic, and what more. But they
didn't recognize their hour. They didn't recognize the day. They
didn't recognize the sign. They didn't recognize the message. They
didn't recognize the messenger, but put him from their midst and laughed at
him. Jesus said, "As it was in the days of
Noah..."
And I think it is interesting that the very website
called "believe the sign" now claims that they do not believe William
Branham was the end time prophet of Malachi 4. They have their own theology,
but I would like to ask them why they named their website "believe the
sign". Or was it really, "believe in signs", but then what signs
are we to believe in?
The main sign from God is his prophets. The prophets
are God's signs to the people. To believe the sign is to believe His Prophets.
As Jesus said, "O fools and slow
of heart to believe all that the prophets have said". So they pick and choose what words of the
prophets they now wish to believe.
Again as we continue with this quote from Recognizing your day and its Message - 64-0726M 42. brother Branham said
in the next paragraph 42 "With
The
Apostle Paul told us because they did not recognize Him they crucified him in 1 Corinthians 2:8 Which none of
the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have
crucified the Lord of glory.
1 Corinthians 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom,
which God ordained before the world unto our glory: (notice this wisdom is from above, and God purposely
hid it from all it was not meant for. But we know here that it was meant for
our glory, so that His values would become our values, His opinions would
become our opinions )
8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for
had they known it, they would not
have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written, Eye
hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the
things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
And how do we prove to God we love Him? Jesus tells us
in the following Scriptures:
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will
love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide
in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his
love.
Now, Paul continues in 1 Corinthians
Notice that God gives us
His Spirit for one purpose, that we might know the things of God.
13 Which
things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth,
but which the Holy Ghost
teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the
Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither
can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned.
So if it takes the Holy Spirit to make known to you, or teach you, and if you have not the Holy Spirit then how can you
ever know. This proves that those who fight the Message having once attested to
it, it just shows they have never been born again or they would know what the
Word of God says. But since they fight it and call it a cult, and blaspheme it
and the name of the Prophet, it shows they have not the same Spirit of God that
the prophet had, or they would say the same thing he said.
And God vindicated that man, and no one else as the one to listen to.
15 But he that is spiritual judges all things, yet
he himself is judged of no man.
16 For
who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the
mind of Christ.
Now, in getting back to
brother Branham's quote from Recognizing your day and its Message - 64-0726M 42 "They were like the day--somewhat
like the people today, blinded by scientific proofs, by educational systems,
by theological seminaries. And things that blinded them in that day, it's
done the same thing today. It's blinded them again. And
also, the simplicity of the Message and the messenger... 43. Noah
wasn't scientific. He wasn't a educated man. He was a
poor farmer, humble, with a simple message. It was too simple for their high
learning. So is it today. God always makes
it simple to get the people who will believe and trust Him. It's a different, just a different
Message but the same God. I want you to believe it and understand that God has spoke it. Jesus said they
scoffed at His prophet Noah. And as they scoffed in that day, so will they do it again at His
coming. They would do the same thing. That's the reason that Pharaoh drowned in
the sea. He never
recognized his day. He never recognized what was going on. He was too took
up in the achievements of his scientific age to build cities with slave labor. He was too busy to recognize the
opportunity that he had,
and he turned God's prophet messenger out into the wilderness. He didn't recognize it; that's the
reason that them things went the way they did. He never recognized it. If he would've only
recognized the promised Word of God to that people... 44. And if
the churches today would only recognize, if
the churches would only recognize the Word of God that's made this promise for
this hour to the people, they wouldn't perish. If
Brother Branham also said in his sermon, 61-0207 Expectation "But when you’ll come together, oh, my, that’s it, when you’ll fully obey God. “This
will all men know you’re My disciples, when you have love one for
the other.” When you get part of the theology out and get a little love in there,
it’ll do works, and wonders, and miracles. But we got to have that. For who? For everybody. “Oh, for that old bunch of Assemblies of God, or that old
bunch of
So it all comes down to whether you have died to self,
and been borned of his Spirit. And if
you have then you will do as brother Branham says in the next paragraph of
Christ is the Mystery of God Revealed no 218. Let me read it.
218 How do you know?(how do you know what? Remember, he's talking about
the Life of Christ in you, and he says here, how do you know you have it? Then
he answers his own question.) 'Cause you're a church member?
Now, I know there are many people who think they have
the life of Christ and they have been born again because they attend what they
think is the right church. But notice what he says the
correct answer is.
"Because
Christ is living through you; so pregnated with His Spirit that you're
a prisoner to anything else. You're confined (oh, my.) to the Gospel,
confined to the Word. And all the children that you can bring forth is that, 'cause you're a prisoner. You can't commit adultery; you're already pregnated. Glory. He can't take a hold. The womb of life is closed to
anything else. You're already His by predestination. That Seed has come to
Life. No world can get in.
Oh. Oh, how we'd like to stay on this for about a
hour. I'm sure you understand. See? Christ and His alone... already finished; the Seed was there.
The
Seed was already... When was it put
there? Before the foundation of the world, has predestinated us unto Eternal
Life. And as soon as the Life-giving flow, that Seed laying
there... Other seed's that just would
come in wouldn't take hold,
just couldn't do it (like). But when that Seed come in, quickly it stopped up
the womb; all the rest of the seed was drove out (see, like that), and you become a prisoner surrounded in Christ,
Christ in you, His Life bringing forth His evidence, His signs. Oh, my, my,
my. Look, bringing His signs of Life as
an evident of His resurrection, proving to the world that Eternal Life,
vindicates to the world that we're alive in Him. And think of it. Alive with God our Redeemer, Who
created us for the very same purpose (the Church) and His creative Life in us. That is... Moses could said
by the Word of God, "Let there come..." and there come flies. A God
can make flies can make squirrels. See? He can do whatever He wants to...?... God.
219 The very
same God (that creative Life--you
see?) that's in you can... You're a
prisoner; you can't speak it till He says, "Speak it;" but when it gets spoke, it's God's Word.
He's a-vindicated to be so; everything else is right, and he knows when that's
spoke it's got to be so. See? Moses took his rod and said, "Let there come
frogs" 'cause God said, "Let there come frogs." He just transmit it on out. That's
right. And frogs was in everything; everywhere was
frogs. Where'd they come from? Nobody knows; they wasn't
there before. But the Creator, God working through a man created things--a
living species. The very God that made the first frog can make the second frog.
He makes all frogs. Oh, my. You see what I mean? Made the first squirrel, makes
the second squirrel, make any squirrel, can make
squirrels where there is no squirrel. He can do anything He wants to. He's God. He's God. His Life... Oh, my.
Let's bow our heads in prayer before we change the
order of service to communion and footwashing.