Christ
is the Mystery no. 25
Image
of the Invisible no 8
The
God of all comfort
September 12,
2012
Brian Kocourek
2 Thessalonians 2: 16 Now
our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us,
and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
Philippians 2: 1 If
there be therefore any consolation in
Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any
bowels and mercies,
Let us pray, Dear Father, we know and believe that you
are here this evening in our midst. Though we can not see you, nor feel you,
yet we have assurance that your Great Pillar of Fire is here leading us to the
Millennium, for you told us that is your purpose through the lips of your
vindicated prophet. And not only have we hear it but we have seen it, and with
thanksgiving we follow your leading O God .
Therefore, Father, be with us as we lay
ourselves open to your Great Presence that we know is among us, and may your
Presence bring comfort to us Father, for you are the God of all Comfort. And
help us to understand what you are doing here now, as we have no prophet among
us to speak for Thee. Help us then, Father to know and understand our place in
your Kingdom, and what you are doing yet
in this hour, as we look to the words that you spake through your vindicated
Prophet knowing that You are the I am, and not the I was. Then Father we
believe your words through William Branham were not words for the past, but
words for the present. And we know and believe Father, that that those words
were not the words of a man, but they were Your Word to us Father and we have
confidence in your Great Message which you gave us through that yielded vessel.
And we believe those words are still as much alive today and with as much power
today as they were the day when they were spoken. Therefore
Father, we know that you have come in the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in
the Knowledge of yourself. Then, hear our petition to Thee this evening Father,
and we ask that you would open to us Your Great Fountain of Wisdom, and help us to know and be sure, and
be comforted by Your Presence among us, for we ask it in Jesus Christ’s
precious name, Amen.
Again this evening I would like to continue examining
brother Branham’s sermon Christ is the Mystery
and look at this mini series thought on the Image of the Invisible and
examine yet another attribute and characteristic of the Invisible King, our
Lord Jesus Christ. For it is attributes and characteristics that make up our
character, and thus as Jesus Christ was in the very Image of the Invisible God,
we know that the image we understand is the very character of God Himself.
In our Bibles and from Brother Branham’s sermon, Christ is the
Mystery of God Revealed we read where he spoke from Colossians 1:15 in
speaking of the son of God, where Paul said, “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every
creature:”
I would like to stop for a moment in our reading this
evening because these words that brother Branham is saying here means that in
every way the Attributes and characteristics which make up the character of God
was reflected in Christ.
Identification
64-0216 P:23 Then, see, God came down. And the Character of God was Christ. He was the Reflection. He was God made visible: notice, God made visible. In the beginning was
God. He wasn't even God then. No, a God's an object of worship. Only thing He
was, was the eternal, and in Him was attributes. And those attributes were
thoughts. And those thoughts was expressed to words, and word was made
manifest. What is it? It's all God
becoming tangible. And you are part of God. And Jesus come to redeem those
that was put on the Lamb's Book of Life before the foundation of the world. It
was in God's thoughts. And that's what He come to redeem. And them, as soon as
it strikes to them, they see it, because the life is in there. But if the life
isn't in there, then what can they do? See? They don't see it. They'll never
see it. See? And the whole thing is, Jesus said, "At that day you'll know
I'm in the Father, the Father in Me, I in you, and you in Me." The whole
thing is God becoming material, like a husband and wife becoming one together:
God and His church becoming one.
Identification
63-0123 P:49 Oh, no other nature could do this. No.
'Cause He was the molded perfect
character of God. For it was a fallen character that all nature had. All
men had a fallen character. Even everything that was under man fell.
Everything's got a dying character. And He had a living character, so He
expressed it in Christ, and He paid the price. And then because of His
obedience He raised Him up on the third day. See? And then He gives to us...
That gives to us the--the proof. It gives to us the assurance that as long as
we're in Him we're already risen with Him. We won't raise with Christ. We're
already raised with Christ. That's right. We are in Christ now. And if Christ
be risen from the dead, aren't we raised from the dead with Him? Amen. Now
we're setting together in heavenly places in Him. Oh, my. That ought to make
you Presbyterians shout. Uh-huh. Certainly. Expressed images of God, molded after
the fashion of Christ, that the world can see Him in you. That's the looking
glass to look at.
God
identifying Himself 64-0320 P:35 Did you notice, God never changes His way.
In the old Bible, when a dreamer dreamed a dream, and there was no prophet in
the land to see if this dream was right or not, they had another way of finding
out. They took that character, ever who dreamed the dream, took him down to the
temple. The breastplate of Aaron, who was the high priest, hung on the post.
And this dreamer told this dream. No matter how good it sound, how real it
sound, if there wasn't a supernatural light flashed on those stones, which is
called Urim Thummim (Bible readers understand.), then I don't care how real it
sounded, it wasn't so. The unusualness of God, the character of God had to
display its characteristics in the supernatural to show that He identified
Himself on the message. Amen. I say the same thing tonight. The old Urim
Thummim's gone, but the Word's still the thing that identifies the characteristic of God, the promise of the hour that
we're living. There is God's
characteristics, identified by the promise of the hour that we're living
in. That makes God the same as He was in sundry times.
Now, knowing that God is the God of All comfort is reassuring
especially since all we have gone through here recently having suffered great
loss of friends and family members. It seems sometimes, that we come to a place
where we just can’t see daylight. Everything seems to be so dark and the
promises of God seem to be so distant, and there seems to be no relief in
sight. That is the essence of what he is saying here. He said,
Nowwe are coming to a time when all seems to be lost
in this world economically, socially, politically and even looking out on the Message
as a whole spiritually. The light seems to have grown dark. A time when everything seems to be going the
wrong way for us, and then he tells us, that is when we need to know that we
have a Father to whom we can cry out to. A Father Who will hear us and bring comfort to those of us in need.
You know, the Apostle
Paul told us the same thing in second Corinthians. He told us that our God is a God who is full
of Mercy and Comfort. In fact he told us He is the God of ALL Comfort.
2
Corinthians 1: 3 Blessed
be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and
the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we
may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort
wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 5 For as the sufferings of
Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 7 And
our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the
sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
Now, these words are
so outstanding to us, especially in these times when we have loved ones among
us and close to us that have suddenly without explanation or our being aware
have been snatched out of our midst. To some of you listening, it may have been
family, to others it may have been close friends. Regardless of the
relationship, we must all deal with the reality of a sudden change in our life,
and a need for comfort. Today we were able by the Grace of God and by modern
technology we were able to watch the funeral of br. Adam’s mother, Cathy
Halevelsky.
Having experienced
this funeral and several this year alone, as well as many over the years,
including several family members, and other loved ones who were as close as
family, I would like to say that comfort is not something that comes easy to
us. Neither do we get comfort from someone else’s experiences. Our comfort,
true comfort, comes from one source and one source alone. And that source is
from God our Father and our confidence we have in His great Judgment.
As Abraham said, “Shall not the Judge
of all the earth do right?”
We have all attended
funerals and have been close to someone who has suffered loss. Death, dying, and suffering, these not
uncommon to any who are born into this world. Certainly they are not uncommon
to any who are Sons and daughters of God.
The Apostle Peter said
in 1 Peter 4:
12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try
you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: so we see that
the trials we have should not be viewed as though they are some strange thing
happening to us that others do not suffer. On the contrary, he said our
attitude should be to rejoice for those trials. 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's
sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with
exceeding joy.
But if you will
recall, in our study last week we pointed out that it is not the trial itself
that we are to rejoice in, but what that trial works into our character. For
God does not place us under trials and suffering to get a kick out of it. We
were told that even the Son of God learned obedience by the things that He
suffered. And the Bible tells us that those trials and sufferings perfected
Him.
In Hebrews 5: 7 we read, Who
in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with
strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death,
Notice, that although
God was able to save His Son from death, He didn’t, because it was His will to
bruise and smash that sweet rose of Sharon until the beautiful perfume of the
Holy Ghost left Him so that you and I could enjoy that sweet smelling savor.) and was heard in
that he feared;
Yes, Jesus God’s first
born son “feared”.
But His fear was not a fear of doubt, but of a reverential subjection to the
will of God. He said, “Father I would that
you take this cup from me,” and then after a great struggle and then
final victory he said, “Nevertheless, not my will but Thy will be done”.
8 Though he were a Son, yet
learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 9 And being made perfect, he became the
author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
And how did he become
perfect? By the sufferings in his flesh. Now, the word perfect was translated
from the Greek word “teleioo”, which
means to be made complete or consummate in character. In other words His
character was finished off, completed by this act of subjecting His will to the
Father’s will. .
Now, The apostle Peter
went on to say in verse 14 If ye be
reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of
God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he
is glorified. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a
thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. 16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian,
let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. 17 For
the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first
begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 18
And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the
sinner appear? 19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will
of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a
faithful Creator.
Now, in getting back
to what the Apostle Paul was telling us about the God of
all Comfort, he said, 2 Corinthians
1: 3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the
God of all comfort; 4 Who comforts us in all our tribulation,
Now, I want you to
notice here that God not only comforts you but He is the God of all comfort, and
has promised to comfort us in every time of need. And the reason God brings us
comfort is that we might bring comfort to others in their time of need. He goes
on to say, that we
may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble,
Notice how we are
enabled to comfort others by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
You see, it is God
that brings us our comfort. Then it is not your words, or your experiences that
can bring comfort to others, but it is your reflecting the God of all comfort
to them that will bring them comfort in times of trial and need. No one that
has been hit by sudden loss or severe injury is interested in what someone else
has gone through. That is not the time for it. When sudden loss occurs, or
sudden injury or time of real need, the best thing we can do for those who are
suffering is to be sure ourselves of the Love of God and that God indeed is a
faithful God. Your bringing comfort to others is not in what you can do, say or
what you have experienced.
There is a time and
place for all that. But in time of distress, we bring comfort by having been
comforted by God ourselves. And our faith and confidence in God having brought
us comfort, will bring comfort to those who are hurting and in need if in fact
we are reflecting God-Life in us.
Even Brother Branham
who experienced much in terms of sorrow and despair, said the only one who
could comfort him when his little
He
Careth for you 60-0301 P:43 I walked over to the bed, put my hands on
her little head, I said, "Darling, God gave you, and God's taking you
away; blessed be the Name of the Lord. Though You slay me, yet I'll trust
You." Yes, sir. I said, "I'll take you, darling, and lay you on your
mother's arm yonder in the undertaker's morgue in about a hour from now. But
yet if He kills me, there's nothing I can go to. He's the only Hope that I've
ever found. He's the only Foundation. He's
the only Comfort that I ever had. And where
could I go now for comfort, if it wasn't to Him? When I said that, the
Angels come and packed her away. And I just almost collapsed, but something
happened. He was my Comforter. He came
to me. He cared for me.
Notice the Apostle
Paul said, that
we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
When you yourselves
show an open confidence in the God of all comfort, that confidence in God
brings comfort to those in need of comfort.
I remember like it was
yesterday when my father had passed away, and the whole family was in disarray,
and fussing because of the confusion the loss of his headship brought upon the
family, my mother told me that it was my own faith in knowing that Dad was
saved and with Christ that brought comfort to her. And this comfort is a part
of that Faith that Jesus had that helped him to endure the cross for you and I.
And it this faith that we rest our own souls in.
Now, the Apostle Paul
continues, 5 For as the sufferings of Christ
abound in us, so our consolation
also aboundeth by Christ. 7 And our hope of you is steadfast, knowing,
that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
Finally in closing, The apostle Paul tells us in. Romans 15: 5 Now
the God of patience and consolation
grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
Notice that Paul calls God, the God of Patience and Consolation. Because after
you have awaited the promise, God surely will keep His word. What consolation
we have in Christ Jesus. Knowing that God raised up His Son from the dead.
The Apostle Peter told us in I PETER 5:6 Humble yourselves
therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 8 ¶ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary
the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom
resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are
accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 10 ¶ But
the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus,
after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen,
settle [you]. 11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Let’s bow our hearts in prayer. Dear Gracious and Loving Father,. We know
of many hardships and trials that have befallen our brethren in these past
years, but through them all you have been there. For you told us “I will never leave
thee nor forsake thee”. And we hold to those Words dear Lord,
knowing that you care for us. Help us then to cast all our cares upon you for
you Care of us. Be with those that morn, comfort the afflicted, and bring glad
tidings to those that are in need, be with the Havelsky family Lord, and Father
we ask your comfort upon all that are in need at this time, for we ask it in
the blessed name you gave your Son Jesus Christ our Lord., Amen.