Christ is the Mystery no 213
Review no 36 Twins no 11
Esteeming what God esteems
Brian Kocourek
This morning we will look at several attributes that
separate the true Believer from the make believer. Attributes that separate
between the True Vine and the False Vine, and the first one we will look at is
Vindication. The True Vine understand vindication. what it is and what it is not. They understand that although
God vindicates by backing up many different things, persons and ministries, the
ultimate vindication of God lies in His backing up His own Word, His "Thus
Saith the Lord".
That is what God sets aside from all other aspects of
His vindication, or proving as genuine and true.
As we pointed out in a sermon we preached on
understanding Vindication at the beginning of August, brother Branham taught us
that God not only vindicates His Own Word, but he also vindicates the
following, and each of these things God vindicates can be backed up with quotes
from the Prophet of God and from scripture.
In
his sermon, You must be born again 61-1231M P:121 brother Branham said, "When you're borned
again, God vindicates you.
And
you say, "oh yeah? I thought God only vindicates His prophets?" And
some say, "I thought God vindicates his teachers?" Listen, most people
do not understand what the word vindicate even means.
Just
because God vindicates you as a Christian doesn't mean you have "thus
Saith the Lord" or everyone is suppose to
listen to you now. The Word of the Lord comes from God through His prophets. God
said in Amos 3:7 that he would not reveal anything except it come through one of
His prophets. That's His channel for revelation.
The
word vindicate
simply means: to show that someone
or something that has been
criticized or doubted is
actually correct, true, or reasonable
Notice
brother Branham continues, "That's how God vindicates all of His nature.
What? By their fruits. That's the way He vindicates His ministry.
That's right. All of His
servants are vindicated the same way He vindicates nature.
How do you know it's a peach tree? 'Cause it bring peaches.
How do you know it's an apple tree? Bearing apples. How
do you know it's a Christian? Christian signs bear from it; Christian
life comes out of it. How do you know he's a teacher? The Word comes
from him. How do you know he's a prophet? The Word comes through him, bears
record, vindication. It proves itself. How does it become that? When
it dies and becomes one. That's right. When we die and become a new creature in Christ Jesus, it
gets us with our calling; we stay with our calling. The fruits of the Spirit
follow us when we are His servants. When we are borned again, the fruits of Christ's Life follows us. That's right.
How do you know it's a peach tree? It's got peaches. How do you know he's a Christian? He acts like
Christ; he walks like Christ; he talks like Christ; he lives like Christ, above
sin, victorious. What does he do, say, "See what I done"?
Christ didn't do that. He gave all praise to the Father. That's right. That's
how you know it. By their fruits you shall know them. What
must..."Verily, verily, I say unto you, except
a man be born again he cannot even understand the
And what does that tell you? It tells you
the reason so many people are so messed up in their minds, because they are not
born again. The Spirit of Christ is not living their life for them, and they
don't want Christ to live in anyone else either.
From his sermon, I will
restore 54-0620A P:38 Now, notice. A man can be ever so fundamental in his
doctrine; he can be ever so sincere in his heart (I hope this sinks deep. I
want it to.), but unless
God confirms it, it's no good. God vindicates. God always has, from
back at the beginning, from Abel, plumb on to the ending over here in
Revelations, you'll find out that God a vindicates His Church with signs and wonders as the believers. Believers always have signs and
wonders among them.
Obey the voice of the angel
50-0713 P:16 Now, we know that He's here with us tonight. He's sent His Spirit to
vindicate that His Presence is with His Church
I will restore 54-0809A
P:44 Brother,
that's God among His people, vindicating His resurrection in His Church.
Harvest time 64-1212 P:69
He vindicates every
Word, and we live by It. Hallelujah. Live by It. "Man shall live by every Word," every Word vindicated. Jesus said, "These signs shall follow them that believe. Shall follow them that believe." Take ahold of It; God
vindicates It, that It's the Truth.
Paradox a 62-0128A P:99 The Bible said there are given to us first apostles, prophets, teachers,
pastors, all for the correction of the church, to keep the church
in order. Sometimes our pastors tells us things
that it trims us. But God
vindicates it by the man with the Word, proves it.
Presuming 62-0117 P:77 If you say you're a believer, God vindicates it.
You don't have to
presume anything.
Presuming 62-0117 P:76
These are the
commandments; these are the things to watch. The fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace,
long-suffering, faith, goodness, meekness, gentleness, patience. That's the
fruit of the Spirit. That's
the things, the evidences; that's the vindication. That's how God vindicates it. He proves it to you.
... but God vindicated
Why it had to be shepherds 64-1221 P:67 We
must be one in agreement with the Word. Not what somebody else says, This is of no private interpretation. Take It, what It says, and
believe It; and God will vindicate It, and prove that It's right.
You think it's just for disciples only, take His Word for it; go try it once
and see. You'll find out that it will work for you just the same as He
promised. Yes, sir
Now, we could continue showing quotes from God's prophet concerning vindication, and he doesn't assign it only to God's prophets. He assigns it to many things, such as "God vindicates His truth, God vindicates His gifts, God vindicates His ministries, God vindicates His Apostles, God vindicates His Prophets, God vindicates His teachers, God vindicates His Pastors, God vindicates His servants, God vindicates His children, God vindicates His Word, God vindicates His Message, God vindicates you if you are a Christian, and God vindicates Believers, God vindicates His Church, God vindicates His Word and God vindicates His presence.
So we see that the true Vine will hold to vindication
and she will know the difference between a true five fold minister and a
vindicated prophet who has come with Thus saith the Lord. For all Christians,
and believers, and five fold ministers are subject to "Thus saith the
Lord" even as the prophet who comes with it is subject to it. The problem
as I see it is that people have lost site of the fact that God Himself came
down with a Message, it is His message, and did not become William Branham's
Message until God revealed it to Him, and then when that revelation was made
known to the Elect, she receives it and it become her revelation, her Message
as well. For He said, "She (the bride) will have "thus Saith the Lord or she will
keep still". And we know that "Thus saith the Lord" is simply what "the Lord has Thus said".
It's not what a teacher has said, it is not what a
pastor has said, it is the revelation that comes
through the prophets whose mouth is just an extension of God's mouth.
So we see the first attribute we are looking at in our
study today of the elect of God is that 1a) The
Elect of God will hold only onto a vindicated word of God.
Hebrews 3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose
house are we, if we
hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. (as
brother Branham said in his sermon, Mark of the
beast 54-0513 P:24 And what little Light we got, hold onto It.)
That's what the Apostle Paul is also saying here.
7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if
ye will hear his voice, (now, remember what we
brought out Wednesday night, to hear
means to understand, so he is
saying here) if ye will understand his voice 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the
provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 When
your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10 Wherefore
I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway
err in their heart; and they have not known my
ways. 11 So I sware
in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) 12 Take heed, brethren, lest
there be in any of you an
evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
So we see that those who have not known God's ways, will not enter into His rest. And we also see here
that only the elect will hold fast to the Word God has vindicated to be true. and by holding fast to God's Word, she has entered into rest
with God's Word.
Hebrews 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high
priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast
our profession. Now, this word profession Paul
uses here is the same word confession Jesus used when he said if you confess me before men I will confess you before my
Father.
The Greek word is homologia which is two Greek words
which make up the one word. Homo
meaning the same and logia or logos, which is means the same Word. If you say the same word about me
to men, I will say the same word to My father about
you. And what can I say to men that Jesus will say to Our Father? We are brothers. And notice Paul says here, "let us hold fast our profession,
which is our confession". In
other words let us hold fast to the same Word
he said.
That is why when God vindicates anyone, whether it be called a Christian, or believer, or church, or minister,
or five fold, or even prophet, because
what God is actually vindicating is His own Word
in you, that's reflecting from you. It can be no other way, for God will only back up His own Word. And if its His Word you are reflecting, He will back up that
reflection, and vindicate it to all.
Hebrews 10:23-25 Let us hold fast the profession of our
faith without wavering; (for he is
faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one
another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another:
and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward
you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an
expected end. 12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye
shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me,
when ye shall search
for me with all your heart. 14 And I will be found of
you, saith the LORD:
Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye
may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and
to stand before (or in the presence of) the
Son of man.
1Thessalonians
2 Timothy1:13 Hold
fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ
Jesus.
But then what about the false Vine? They will Hold only to their own ideas even above the Word of God like
the serpent did in the beginning, and his son Cain.
Psalms 10:4 The wicked, through the pride of his
countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. 5 His ways are always
grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his
sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them. 6 He hath said in his heart,
I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity. 7 His mouth is full of
cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is
mischief and vanity. 8 He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the
secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.
Now this word poor was
translated from the Hebrew word chelka and it does not speak of being poor in terms of
wealth, but rather
those who are poor in understanding, who sit in darkness, those without understanding.
and those who are not happy. So what does that tell you.
Those who are in poor spirits, who are not happy, this wicked person will seek
them out privately and will tend to their unhappiness by coming against the
innocent, by lying in wait as a lion stalking his pray. As I mentioned last
week, in the book of Jude it says they creep in and sit down with you and eat
from the same table. And the word crept in unawares, suggests they come in
using stealth, and undercover, not openly and honestly.
Then David continues
in the Psalm in verse 9 He lieth in wait secretly as
a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to
catch the poor:
Now, this word poor
was translated from a totally different Hebrew Word altogether, aniy and
it means those who are depressed, in mind or circumstances. Those
who are afflicted, humbled, and needy. In other words, like the Liberal
politician, they work on the resentment of the downcast to come against those
in authority, to try and blame all their depressed conditions on those in authority.
"he doth catch the poor, when he draweth
him into his net. 10 He croucheth, (notice
the wording here. DCrouches like a lion ready to
pounce on his victim.) and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.
Again we see how he uses
stealth and false humility to catch their prey into their snare, then after he
has done his damage, notice what David tells us is the attitude of this false
vine... 11 He hath said in his heart, "God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it."
In other words, they say, God
don't see my motives, God don't know my real objectives, I've
masked them so well to deceive the poor fool. And they do not believe they
will stand before the Judgment seat of Christ. That is why God reveals everything
that is hidden, all motives, all objectives. They will
be shouted from the tree tops.
Isaiah 55:7-11 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call
ye upon him while he is near: 7 Let the
wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him
return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for
he will abundantly pardon. 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.
Notice God says, My ways are not your ways, and m,y thoughts ate higher than your
thoughts. That is why Paul said unless you have the Spirit of God you can not
understand the things of God.
In fact that is what we read in Psalms 103:7 7 He
made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of
Now Moses understood, and if they had listened to
Moses they would have also understood as he understood. And that is why we people
could see the miracles that God did through his Son Jesus and some of them
called Jesus Christ "Belzebub"
which means "chief of the devils",
but notice on the other hand that some who saw the acts of God that God did
using the vessel of William Branham thought he was God. You see the two
extremes that unbelief can express itself in? It is
because they do not have the Holy Ghost and therefore can not understand the
things of God.
And
remember they are religious, the false vine are. In fact
Oneness of unity 58-0128 P:32 Now, a pastor, any cult, some little
literature you'd read might say to you, "The days of miracles is
passed." That's a
good place for the devil to slip one of those spirits in there and
make you a worse person, you was when you were a sinner, 'cause a religious sinner is the
worst of all. That's the worst; Jesus said so. It's the worst
spirit.
Worst sinner in the city 56-0218E P:76 The Pharisee was all religious, but he
was the worst sinner in the country. And it's still the worst sinner the
world has got... is the stiffy, starch, backslidden church, the pastor the
same way. Hallelujah.
True vine and the false vine
55-0607 P:40 And now,
see, they showed the uttermost parts. Said, "Well, I know somebody was
prayed for, that didn't get well. Certainly, I know a lot was preached to didn't saved, either. That's exactly true. See, but they
show the uttermost parts, the back parts, the worst part. That's the way the
devil does it. And watch how it happens. Took him out there and showed him the
back parts of it. And then notice. When he said got all together... Now, here's
the picture. Watch this brethren; watch this. This
vine here, and this vine here, this one is of Abel coming up,
this is of Cain coming up. Cain was religious; this one's religious. Cain was
fundamental; they were fundamental. Abel had the right way, by revelation, by signs and
wonders. God
always has, and always will vindicate His Church and people by miraculous signs
and wonders. Call to me any time that a revival ever broke out
through time in the history, that there wasn't signs and wonders followed it. What's the matter today, my
brethren, is this: We are letting down. We're letting down to mental theology. We're letting down to
intellectual faith, when we ought to pray until God moves in the audience and goes to doing
something for us.
Earnestly contending for the faith 53-0614A P:50
Now, Balak, the king of
And yet it is not the believer they curse, but God in
the believer like
Ezekiel
20 The soul that sinneth,
it shall die. The
son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither
shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the
righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked
shall be upon him. 21 But if the
wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath already committed, and keep all
my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he
shall not die. 22 All his transgressions that he hath already
committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he
hath done he shall live.
23 Have I
any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith
the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from
his ways, and live? 24 But when the righteous
turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the
wicked man does, shall he live? All his righteousness that he
hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin
that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. 25 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O
house of
Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that
every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was
only evil continually.
Psalms 1:4-6 The ungodly are
not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5 Therefore
the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the
congregation of the rightly-wise. 6 For
the LORD knoweth (the Lord
watches over) the way of the righteous: but the way
of the ungodly shall perish. (that
word perish was translated from the Hebrew word aw-bad
which means they are left to themselves.)
And if they are left to themselves, we find what
happens to them in
Proverbs
Proverbs
Jeremiah 8:5 Why then is this people
of
Hebrews 10:26 For if
we sin wilfully (and that
is the key right there. Willfully. "If we sin wilfully after
that we having received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more
sacrifice for sins, 27 But
a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which
shall devour the adversaries. (in other
words, all those who sin willfully have to look forward to is a fiery judgment)
28 He that despised Moses' law died
without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Now, what does it mean to despise the law of Moses? The word despised was translated
from the Greek word atheteo and it doesn't mean
to make fun of. Oh, no, Satan would never do that, he's too slick. It actually
means to set aside, i.e. (by implication) to disesteem, to neutralize or to
violate:--in other words to cast off, despise, disannul,
frustrate, to bring to nought, to reject.
And remember Jude told us they would despise dominion (that is those who have the rule over you who bring the Word of God as Paul said, and
then Jude said) and speak evil of dignities (that's the doxa
of God, what God esteems they dis-esteem it). They speak evil of the values of God, the
things God esteems they disesteem.
And Paul continues in Hebrews 10:29 Of
how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath
trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the
covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy (common)
thing,
and hath done despite (insult) unto
the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And
again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the
living God.
Matthew
let us pray...