Christ is the Mystery no. 47
Christ Expressed in the Individual
December 12, 2012
Brian Kocourek
123
So it's Christ expressing Himself in the
individual, whether he's intellectual, or whether he don't
know his ABC's. Half the apostles didn't know them. That's right. But they knew Christ. They never taken heed
to Peter and John, knowing that they had been out of some seminary. They said they taken heed and noticed that
they'd been with Christ when they healed the lame man (See?) at the gate. They knew they had been with Christ.
124
The new birth is Christ, is a revelation.
God has revealed to you this great
mystery, and that's the new birth. Now, what are you going to do when you get all that group together, where
the revelation is perfectly in harmony, and God expressing it through His
Word by the same actions, the same things that He did, making the Word
manifest? Oh, if the Church only knew its position. It will one day.
Then, the rapture will go when it knows what it is. Now, notice. You say,
"Brother Branham, but that ain't..." Oh, yes, it is, too. It is the
Truth.
125
Did you notice? Paul never knew Jesus physically. Paul never knew Him. The only
way that Paul knew Him was by a revelation, by vision. Is that right? Paul only knew Jesus by the revelation,
just like Peter did. Peter had seen Him
in flesh, but he didn't know Him by flesh, 'cause Jesus said so. "Flesh and blood didn't reveal it to you.
Even My own Life didn't reveal it to you, but My Father which is in heaven has
revealed the thing to you," that He is the Word of God.
"And upon this rock I'll build My
Church." Peter didn't know
Him by flesh.
126
Men walked and handled Him and everything else. Paul had something greater than
any of the apostles did. See? They said, "Well, I've got more of a
revelation than you, Paul, because, you know, I walked with Him. I went fishing
with Him one day. I heard Him talk. He set in a boat with me, and after He told
me, 'Let's go over here and fish in this place, and we'll get more fish.' And
we did it. (See?) See, we seen Him do things." But Paul saw Him after He was dead, buried, rose again, and expressed
Himself in the Pillar of Fire that led the children of Israel, knowing...
Paul, being a Jew, would've never called that "Lord" unless he'd have seen
the expression that He was back the same yesterday, today, and forever. He
said, "Paul..." in other words, "I'm the same God today that I was yesterday. Here I am in the same
Light, the Pillar of Fire that Moses talked to in the burning bush."
No wonder he could separate the Law from grace over in the Book of Hebrews. He met that same Pillar of Fire. He
said, "I'm
Jesus, Whom you persecute."
127
And here He is today in the same manner
by the same Pillar of Fire expressing Himself and vindicating Himself the same,
revealing the mystery of God that's been hid since the foundation of the world.
See it? Paul only knew Him by revelation.
Peter knew Him by revelation. He
walked with Him, talked with Him. Therefore, you can set this Word... Now, I've
just said that He was the Word. Now, a scholar can sit down and read that Word
till he can just tie your mind up in any way (See?), if he wants to do it;
'cause he's smart, brilliant. Get a Catholic priest, or not so much as that as
a real good trained theologian in the Bible, brother--a Baptist, or a
Presbyterian or something; he'll make you think that you don't know nothing. See? When it
comes to talk... Why? See? Because that he has known Him
in the flesh, the Word.
Now,
let’s begin reading paragraph 128
But the only
way that you're saved is by know Him by revelation. Now, I want to stop right here for a
moment, because he’s talking about revelation and in order to understand what
he is talking about we must know what revelation is, because when you say
the word revealed or revelation, most people will stop at the first definition
of the word and think revelation is something that some how you, in your mind
just know, and that is not what it means at all.
The word Revelation:
according to the dictionary means a. The
act of revealing or disclosing. So you can’t have revelation on your own, it is something
that some thing or someone must disclose to you, reveal to you. So there is a
way that this revealing takes place, And that is what
I am trying to get across to you tonight and have been for 7 years now.
b. Revelation is Something that is revealed,
especially a dramatic disclosure of something not previously known or realized.
Now this is all good to know that revelation is
something that you didn’t know but something happened to make you know it. That
is good, but that is not it. The knowledge is one thing, but How
you get that knowledge is what we call revelation. Not the knowledge itself.
But ho you get that knowledge is what is so important for us to understand.
Because we could say the knowledge is the knowing, but the act of coming to
that knowing is what we call revelation, when something you do not know is made
known to you. So the process of coming to this knowledge and then knowing as
you are known so to speak. Because there is something about this knowledge that
is not mental, it is experiential. You know not because you know, but you know
because you have experienced the knowing, or the knowledge that you now
possess.
Therefore the dictionary tells us
that the number 2. definition of Revelation is that in Theology: Revelation is a manifestation
of divine will or truth.
No, notice it is not just knowing
the Divine will or truth as though it comes via a mental awareness, but it
tells us that Revelation is a manifestation of Divine will or truth.
The Apostle
Paul tells us how he received the revelation of Jesus Christ and it was not by
going to some seminary or from hearing some preacher, but he says in Ephesians 3:3 How
that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as
I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my
knowledge in the mystery of Christ.
Now the question then
must be asked, how did Paul come to know the mystery of Christ? Because he didn’t learn it from Jesus Christ in the flesh.
And he didn’t learn it from the apostles themselves. And so we hear William
Branham tell us that it isn’t how well we knew the man himself. And it kind of sounds to me that he is saying this about those who
hung around him as well. Because he talks about those
who hunted with him and fished with him. And that they had no clue, but
one day God revealed the knowledge to Peter in a way that didn’t come from
hunting and fishing and fire side chats with the prophet Jesus. It came from a
revelation, a revealing a manifesting of Divine truth and Divine will.
So it is this
manifestation that is so all important to us. Not what teacher taught you, that
is only mental knowledge. But the expression of
God-Life made known to you and through you. Now, let’s read again this last
paragraph we started here. Paragraph 250 in your books.
128
(250) But the only way that you're saved is by know
Him by revelation. If I can take... I can take the
Presbyterian doctrine and tie you Pentecostals till you won't know... I can
take the Baptist doctrine and show you Pentecostals a million things that you
know nothing of. That's right. But
that's not it; that's not His Church.
That's not His Church.
And I would like to add, “ you can take what brother Vayle taught and tie message
ministers into knots” and that still isn’t it. It’s not what you know by your
mental abilities, brothers and sisters, it’s by
Revelation which is an expression. Listen to brother Branham as he dives deeper
into this.
He says, “His Church is Himself
revealed (Amen. Do you see it?) and expressed by the Word Itself that He is
God.
Now, listen, he said “But
the only way that you're saved is by
know Him by revelation.” And yet so many think it is by what you know. “well, if I know the doctrine, that means I am saved and
spirit filled.” No it doesn’t mean that. You are only fooling yourself if you
believe that.
Someone said to brother Branham “I believe everything you say brother Branham”,
and you know what brother Branham said in reply? He said, “That just means you can read”.
From his sermon What Holy Ghost was given for
59-1217 P:38 brother Branham said, “You
say, "I believe it
because the pastor said so.” He's
right, but that doesn't count for you. "I believe it because the Word says so.”
That's right, but that isn't for you;
that doesn't count you. The only way that you can say that Jesus is
the Christ, is when the Holy Ghost comes into you, and bears record, and
witnesses Itself out; He is the Son of God. That's
the only way you know the resurrection, is when the Holy Ghost bears record.
"When He the Holy Ghost is
come, He will testify of Me, show you things to come,
bring these things that I've said to your memories."
You'll never find it in the school. See? He
will bring these things to your memories.
So what’s he saying here? He’s saying that Jesus Christ will live your
life for you. He will take your body and live His live in your body and then
you will know, because that life will be expressed in you. And that’s what the
new birth is all about.
Then faith without works is dead. If you
say, "I believe it," and don't make no
act... Just like the Message. If you
say, "I believe it," don't make no act, what good does it do?
See? Noah went to work with his hammer and built an ark to confirm what he was
talking about. That's what we have to
do too. We have to go to work
and prove our faith by our works. Our
works proves our faith. Moses had to
do it, and Elijah had to do it. Every prophet in his
age had to stand up and face these responsibilities. But many of them
didn't do like Jonah. He run; they didn't.
Now, I know that in reading these quotes my nay sayers
will come out of the woods and say, “see?” “he’s
preaching works!!!” Well nay say all you wish to brother, but I just read those
words from a Vindicated prophet. So whose vindicated
you and Him? Huh! I just read from brother Branham’s sermon Man running from presence 65-0217 P:52, but I
didn’t tell you before I read it because I wanted those brothers to hear it
first and say I was saying that when I was just reading what a vindicated
prophet said. And frankly I’ve been too good to these guys, I place my sermons
in print online, so they can read them, and I place brother Branham’s quotes in
blue and the bible in red so they can quickly tell them apart from my own words
in black. But maybe I should start leaving it all in black, and not say when
I’m quoting the prophet or the Bible. Just say it and then see how much they
come against me and think I’ve gone off the deep end.
You know, I’ve thought of doing that for years now. Just give them enough
rope to prove they don’t believe their Bibles. But I don’t do that because
there are too many brothers who love the blue and red because it helps them to
quickly find the quotes and Scriptures.
And let’s face it I don’t have anything to say that hasn’t already been
said in this bible or by Brother Branham anyway. So I will just leave it as it
is.
From his sermon Putting on the whole armor of
God 62-0607 P:78 brother Branham pretty
well nails down how you will know if you are a true believer. And it isn’t by
being able to recite the scriptures or an apostles
creed or even our prophet of this hour. He tells us point blank that if you
truly believe all the Word then it will manifest in your life by doing the very
same things Jesus did. That is why I have been preaching John 14:12 so hard.
This is th hour for it to
express itself in the church.
Putting
on the whole armor of God 62-0607 P:78 Now. He said what He would
do? He would come and vindicate Himself in
His church,
and they would vindicate His
resurrection by His works. See? Yeah, John 14:12.
I think that's right: yeah,
John 14:12. Jesus said, "He that believeth in Me,
the works that I do shall he do also." See, what is it? Now,
you say, "I believe." That's just a word. But if
you truly believe, that's this.
If He is the Word, then you got to believe all the Word. "He that believeth all of Me
(just don't believe part of it, believe all of Me), then the works that I do shall he do also,"
for He is still the same Word. So if
it's the same Word, it would do the same works. If this Holy Spirit that's
here today, if it isn't the same Word that it was in the beginning... If It is, It'll do
the same works. That's the reason Jesus said, "He that believeth in Me,
the works that I do shall he do also." Oh, I'd like to stay
on that a little while, but getting too late. Why? The same Word, same works (See?), 'cause Jesus was God's works, we know that.
And again in his sermon Hebrews Chapter 6
57-0908E P:96 Brother Branham said, Now,
you say, "I believe
God; I made a confession." But did God give you
the seal of the Holy Spirit back on your life of love, joy, fruits of the Spirit, to prove that you been saved?
Oh, Oh!! What are we
going to do about that you people who believe that you don’t need the fruits of
the spirit? What are you guys going to do about that who say
the kind old priest had the fruits of the spirit as well? Is brother Branham
talking out of two sides of his mouth? I don’t think so, but you see he is
saying that you can have the fruits fo
the spirit and still not know Christ, and that is true. But that doesn’t do
away that the fruits of the spirit are fruits or manifestation or expression in
your life that you are being led by the Spirit of God. Just because the kind
old priest can act a certain way, doesn’t mean he has them. The devil can impersonate
any of God’s gifts. But that doesn’t do away with them. And you preachers out
there that refuse to preach that to your people because you fear fanaticism
should be ashamed of yourselves.
One preacher told me
that he wouldn’t touch teaching on the spirit of adoption with a ten foot pole
because there are to many fanatics out there teaching
on the adoption. Well, someone has to teach it right. That’s like saying, I am not going to teach on the saving power of the
blood because the cult down the road teaches that.
Good grief, what have
the pulpits come to anyway. Well, we know, because
Isaiah said all tables (all pulpits) are full of vomit. And that is exactly
what they’ve spew out of their mouths in the name of the Message.
In continuing from his sermon, Hebrews
Chapter 6 57-0908E P:96 Brother Branham
said, Now, you say,
"I believe God; I made a confession." But
did God give you the seal of the Holy Spirit back on your life of love, joy, fruits of the Spirit, to prove
that you been saved? If He hasn't done that, then He hasn't
recognized your faith yet. You've
just made a confession; He hasn't accepted it; there's something wrong.
And from his sermon “
Discernment
of spirit 60-0308 P:56 Well, then somebody might
raise up and say, "Why, sure, we So- and-so, we're built upon that." Let's
take His Word a little farther. The last commission to His church, He said,
"Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel
to every creature." All the world... How long is
it to last? All the world. To how
many? Every creature. "He that believeth and is baptized,"
not the church, "he" is a personal pronoun. "He
that believeth..." the individual.
(Now, brother branham
is not talking about one person here, he’s talking about the individual, not a
group like a church but in the individual, and that individual can be one or
many but not the collective group as a whole.)
And then brother
Branham continues saying, “As David duPlessis said about the
grandchildren, there's no grandchildren
in the
And remember revelation is a making
known via some manifestation or expression to you and through you.
From Why cry speak 59-1004E P:29 Brother Branham said, “Jesus
said, "The
works that I do, he that believeth on Me..." Saint John 14:7, "He that believeth on Me
the works that I do shall he do also. He that believeth on Me..."
No man can believe Jesus Christ to be
the Son of God until he's received the Holy Ghost. You're only taking it by
faith and accepting it. You can't say that it is. You can say, "I believe it
is." But no man can call Jesus the
Christ until the Holy Ghost is in him. The Bible said so. The Holy
Spirit has to come in first, then It gives a
witness. You know yourself that Jesus is the Christ because He lives in you.
Now, you can’t get any plainer
than that can you? And that takes us to the next two paragraphs of Christ is
the mystery of God Revealed as we see in paragraph 129 and especially 130.
129
How can you say, "Father, Son,
and Holy Ghost" then and be baptized in it? Heathens.
Right. How can you say you know Jesus Christ, He's the
Word, when there's not a Scripture in the Bible, there's not a place where
anybody was ever baptized in the Name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost? And you
"Jesus Only" people, just using the name "Jesus" for
baptism, I'm personally acquainted with four or five Jesus’s
myself. So, you see what your denominations lead you
into? That's the darkness, the
expression of Cain, who brought fruits in the stead of blood. But the revelation come through the Blood,
through Jesus Christ, Who is the Blood of God, creative Blood in the womb
of Mary.
Now in closing I am going to read
from paragraph 130 of Christ is the Mystery of God revealed so you can see where He is coming to
in this sermon of his.
130 “And Paul knew Him by revelation. (remember, Jesus came to Paul
in a manifestation of light and expressed or declared the Word to Him. And then
after telling us how Jesus Came to Paul brother Branham tells us)That's how we know Him today, the only way you
could know Him. Not say, "I'm Methodist." That
means nothing. "I'm Baptist." That means nothing. "I'm
Catholic." That means nothing. But by the revelation that God has revealed the Word to you. He
is the Word, and the Word, how you know It's revealed? It
lives Itself and expresses Itself through you.
Oh. Churches has long forgotten that great revelation.
That's right. Revelation of the Truth, they have forgotten it.
Notice his words here. He says, “He
is the Word, and the Word, how you know
It's revealed? Now,
that’s the question I have been trying to hammer home all night. How do you
know you have a revelation and not just a mental conception? He tells us
plainly, because if it is a revelation, then “It lives Itself and expresses Itself
through you.”
And then he tells us that is what the Churches has long forgotten that great revelation.
Oh, brothers and sisters, when you
can see the life of Christ has taken over your own life, because you don’t do
what you used to do, but He is living your life for you and through you. That’s
the expression that brother Branham is telling us is the revelation of Jesus
Christ. The Revelation of Jesus Christ in the baptism of the Holy Ghost is the
expression of Christ in living in you, which is your hope of Glory.
Let’s bow our hearts and our heads in
prayer.