Christ is the Mystery no 212
Review no 35 twins no 10
Identifiable Characteristics no 3
Brian Kocourek
Sunday we just looked at the
attributes that Jude mentioned concerning the natural man, the unregenerate man
who has not the Spirit of Christ. Although the Book of Jude might appear a bit
on the heavy side, yet it is what the Scripture says, and it is the Word of God, so I have no
apologies for speaking tough where God Speaks tough, and Speaking mercy and
grace where God's Word speaks mercy and grace.
This evening we will look at more attributes of both the true vine and
the false vine and we will do a comparison between those two vines.
The important thing for us to
know is what does the Word of God say about these identifiable characteristics
of both seeds, because otherwise if w do not know we
open ourselves up for being deceived. But the reason the Bride will not be
deceived, is because she has the Holy Ghost, and she believes and accepts all
the Word of God, including what it shows concerning the two vines. But it all
comes down to whether you are actually born again or just have that religious
spirit.
Therefore, let's look at an
attribute which all born again believers share, and that is that "All who are ordained to Eternal Life Believe".
In fact that is what we hear
the Word of God tells us in Acts
We also find William Branham
say the same thing in his sermon, Perseverance
62-0218 P:19 Now, perseverance, to be persistent, to try
to make a goal, trying to... You've got your mind set on something, and you're
persistent in it, because you believe it's the thing that you want, and you
believe you can get it. Now, pardon me. To be persistent, you've got your mind
made up now that what you're going to do. Now, you cannot have faith in God
without knowing the Word of God or knowing something about God. Now, someone
told you, "If you go touch that post, you'll get well. You're sick."
Now, I wouldn't believe that. You might do it. But that's just a little too
strong for my faith. I don't believe there's any virtue in that post, no more
than I believe there's virtue in a statue, or a monument, or a crucifix, or
something like that. I believe the virtue is in Christ, and Christ is the Word.
"In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was
made flesh and dwelled among us." Now, the Word Itself comes back in the form of the Holy
Spirit, into us, and It's Word in you: God in you.
So many wants to point God to some mystical something way away, or so far away
they overreach it. God is in you. The hope of
Glory, Christ, the mind that was in Christ in you. You're reaching plumb
away from it, trying to get what's been given to you. God, in
the human being.
Questions and answers COD 64-0823E P:48 At the instant of receiving the Holy Ghost, or the baptism of the
Holy Ghost, is there a difference? Does a person speak with tongues? If not
always, what manifestation is known? Well, could you imagine a mother giving
birth to a baby and not knowing it? She'd have to be unconscious not to know
it. Neither can you receive the Holy Ghost without knowing it. There's
something takes place in you. See? There's something that changes you. Your whole system, your whole spiritual system is made new
again, and you become a new creature in Christ,
as the Bible puts it, a new creation in Christ.
You know it. Now, you say, "Brother Branham, then you don't believe that a man should speak with tongues to
receive the Holy Ghost." Not to prove he's got the Holy Ghost..
Again let's look to the Word of
God, in 1John
Notice, you have the anointing
and you know it. Not only do you know you have it, but you will know all
things, because that is the promise. Only those with the Holy Ghost will know
the things of God.
John 3:5 Jesus
answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be
born of water and of
the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
And we know from what God's
vindicated prophet taught us that to see means to understand.
Seeing God 62-0609M P:17 How blind a person must be that can't see life. And think that many
people doesn't see life. Now, we might see it, but the
word "see" doesn't mean to look at; the word
"see" means "to understand it." Now, Jesus said to Nicodemus,
"Except a man be
borned again, he cannot see the Kingdom." Now, in otherwise, you be looking
at something and you say, "I don't see it"; you mean you don't understand
it. "To
see,' what we call
see, that's "to look at." But "to see" in
Bible terminology is "to understand what we're looking at, to be revealed." And we assemble together like this
that Christ might be revealed among us.
Therefore unless a man is born
of the Spirit of God, he can not even understand the things of God. And notice,
the other seed not only cannot understand the things of God, but according to
Jesus himself, they do not even have a place for the Word in them, as we hear
Jesus tell the Pharisees in John 8:37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed;
but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
1 John 4:5-6 They are of the world: therefore speak they of
the world, and the world heareth them. 6 We are of
God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not
of God heareth not us. Hereby know we
the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
1John
17 "For God sent not his
Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might
be saved. 18 He that believeth on
him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already,
because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the
condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness
rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that
doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the
light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth
cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought
in God."
Let me read this for you from the translation called
"The Voice" 18 No one who believes in Him has to fear condemnation, yet
condemnation is already the reality for everyone who refuses to believe because
they reject the name of the only Son of God. 19 Why does God allow for judgment and condemnation? Because the Light, sent from God, pierced through the
world’s darkness to expose ill motives, hatred, gossip, greed, violence, and
the like. Still some people preferred the darkness over the light because
their actions were dark. 20 Some of
humankind hated the light. They scampered hurriedly back into the darkness
where vices thrive and wickedness flourishes.
Mark of the beast 54-0513 P:24 The sun
rises in the east, at the beginning of the dispensation of grace, and now the
sun is setting in the west on the western people. We are the western people.
And He promised that there would be a revival and there would be Light in the
evening time. They're here. The Light's a shining, "and the darkness comprehended It not." That's it. "Men love evil deeds better than they do good deeds."But it's just fixing to drop over the horizon
yonder. And what little Light we got, hold onto It. Look, it's the same
sun that rose yonder on the Jews are setting here on the Gentiles. All through
the age here, through these two thousand years, they had this, and that, and
organizations, and dispensations, and this and that. And people don't know
where they are standing.
Ephesians
4:17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord,
that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18 Having the understanding
darkened, they become alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them,
because of the blindness of their heart: 19 Who
being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all
uncleanness with greediness. 20 But ye have not so learned
Christ;
To whom shall we go 60-0604 P:21 If we are borned again, we are the children of the day. The children of the world walk in darkness;
they walk at night time; they
love darkness. The Bible said, "The men love--people love darkness more than
they do light, because the light would manifest their deeds." Let the sun come up, and every old
lizard, every old bug, insects of the dark kingdom, crawls at night, will take
under something. That's the same way when the Gospel Light begins to shine;
every evil deed will try to crawl under something.
So we see the Elect coming to
the Light and not walking in darkness
Isaiah 60:3 And the
Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
Psalms 56:13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my
feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?
Psalms 89:15 Blessed is the
people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of
thy countenance.
John
John
1John 1:5-7 This then is the message which we have heard of
him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and
walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But
if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with
another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth
us from all sin.
But notice the other seed, the
other vine will not come to the Light, and they won't hang around it if they
find themselves in it and they will try to keep others from it. Matthew
Romans
John
John
Isaiah 50:11 Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that
compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the
light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye
have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.
Let me read this from the NIV But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with
flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from my hand: You will lie down in torment.
And again from The Message 50:10-11 Who out there fears God, actually listens to
the voice of his servant? For anyone out there who doesn’t know where
you’re going, anyone groping
in the dark, Here’s what: Trust
in God. Lean on your God! But if all you’re after is making trouble, playing with fire, Go ahead and see
where it gets you. Set your fires, stir people up, blow on the
flames. But don’t expect me to just stand there and watch. I’ll hold your feet to those
flames.
The Voice 50:11
Ah, but if you’ve tried to go it alone, the light by which you go is your own
consuming fire, And the torches you light will be your undoing.
The Elect of God will love the
Vindicated Word for their season. That is what we find in
Ephesians 4:15 But speaking
the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16 From whom the
whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the
measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of
itself in love.
1 Peter
Contrast that to the children of this world who do not
love the Word for the season as we see in 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 2 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that
perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
Only God's Sons can understand
the Word as we see John 8: 31 Then
said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye
continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32 And ye shall know the truth, and in knowing the truth it
shall make you free.
John
Isaiah 50:4-10 The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the
learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth
morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as
the learned. 5 The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was
not rebellious, neither turned away back. 6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I
hid not my face from shame and spitting. 7 For the Lord GOD will help
me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a
flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. 8 He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let
us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me. 9 Behold, the Lord GOD will
help me; who is he that
shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a
garment; the moth shall eat them up. 10 Who is among you that feareth the
LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath
no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and
stay upon his God.
Matthew 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the
kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.12 For
whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but
whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 13 Therefore speak I to them in
parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do
they understand. 14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias,
which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye
shall see, and shall not perceive: 15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing,
and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand
with their heart, and
should be converted, and I should heal them. 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 17 For
verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and
have not seen them;
and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
Mark 4:11 10 And
when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. 11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God:
but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: 12 That seeing they
may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest
at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. 13 And he
said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?
Luke 8:9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might
this parable be? 10 And he said, Unto you it
is given to know the mysteries of the
1Corinthians 2:9 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.
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the
Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of
God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man,
save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the
things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have
received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we
might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things
also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth,
but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; 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. 15 But
he that is spiritual judgeth 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.
The other vine can not
understand the Word of God John 8:38-42 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that
which ye have seen with your father. 39 They answered
and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. 40 But now ye seek to kill me, a
man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not
Abraham. 41 Ye do the deeds of your
father. Then said they to him, We be not born
of fornication; we have one Father, even God. 42 Jesus
said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me:
for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent
me.
Notice that they cannot
understand the Word of God. This is because they are not born again and without
the Holy Ghost as we saw in 1 Corinthians 2,
it is impossible for anyone to understand the things of God.
John 8:43-47 Why do ye not
understand my speech? even because ye cannot
hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the
lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and
abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a
lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45 And
because I tell you
the truth, ye believe me not. 46 Which
of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth,
why do ye not believe me? 47 He
that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear
them not, because ye
are not of God.
Matthew 13:11-15 He answered and said unto them, Because it
is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it
is not given. 12 For
whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but
whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 13 Therefore speak I to them
in parables: because they
seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand;
and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 15 For
this people's heart is
waxed gross, and their ears
are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any
time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
Mark 4:11 And he said unto them, Unto
you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that
are without, all these things are done in parables: 12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and
hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be
converted, and their
sins should be forgiven them.
Luke
1Corinthians
let us pray