Desperation no 46

Resurrection no 3

"Who will be resurrected"

August 28, 2016

Brian Kocourek, Pastor

This evening I want to take a short message on the resurrection, and I would like to speak on the "who" question concerning the resurrection.

We know the main "Who" concerning the resurrection is God Himself, because He says so in John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:"

Now, this was not the son of God speaking but rather the Father, God Himself who was dwelling in His son.

Sirs we would see Jesus 57-1211 P:21 Now, Jesus was born for one purpose, that was for God to manifest Himself through that body. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. He was a body that was made physical, that men and women could see what He thought, and His expressions to the people in His gratefulness. And His attitude towards all mankind, He expressed it through Christ. Christ seemed to be a dual personality. He would speak sometimes and they'd scratch their heads; and they didn't understand Him. He'd speak one thing one time, look like, and something else another time. What it was, was Jesus speaking, and then Christ speaking. Jesus was the man. Christ was the God that was in Him. "Not Me that doeth the works: My Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the work." See?

And we see in his sermon, Going beyond the camp 64-0719E P:64. Brother Branham telling us who this one that who claimed to be the "the resurrection and the life" is.

Notice he says, "I am." not, "I will be." "I am the Resurrection and the Life," saith God; Notice, it is God that is saying this even though it is coming forth from the lips of the man Jesus, the son of God. And then he continues, ...

"He that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die." Martha, He said, "Believeth thou this?" She said, "Yea, Lord, I believe that Thou art the Christ that was to come into the world. No matter how much the rest of them call You, I done seen it."And at Calvary He took the injection Himself. And on Easter morning death couldn't hold Him: "I am the Resurrection and the Life." They injected death into Him, but He rose up victorious over death, hell, and the grave. He took the injection Himself, and He sent out some doctors to write a prescription who had the revelation of Who He was: "Who does men say I the Son of man am?" Peter said, "Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God."He said, "Blessed art thou, Simon. You've got it now. I give to you the keys to the Kingdom. Whatever you bind on earth, I'll bind it in heaven. If you loose on earth, I'll loose it in heaven."

Therefore in these Words that God is speaking, we can see there are actually two that are concerned here "who" when we look at the resurrection. The first one is God Himself who is the Resurrection and the Life, and the other "who" are those who believe in Him.

Now to believe in Him is not the same as to believe on Him. To believe in Him, means you are in Him believing. But to believe on him means He is not in you yet. And that concerns the new birth. And in order to be considered a believer Brother Branham said you must be born again and filled with the Holy Ghost.

Oneness 62-0211 24 Jesus said, going to the grave of Lazarus, "I am the resurrection and Life. He that believeth in Me, though he be dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believeth in Me, not on Me, but in Me." Being in Him, believing! "If ye abide in Me and My Words in you." In Him, believing! Oh, my! I hope the Holy Spirit gets that right down to you. Now, you're the little flock, that's why through the week, praying and asking God, I chose this text, to show you where we stand. Believing in Him. You cannot believe in Him until you come in Him, or, He comes in you, then you're believing in Him, then you have Eternal Life. You're believing on Him until you receive Eternal Life, then Eternal Life is God's Life in you, then you're believing in Him."

So we are looking at those who are in Him, and remember he is "the resurrection and the Life." Therefore if you are in Him and believing, then you are already made alive, and you are already resurrected with Him.

Now, we have two parts also to our sermon tonight, the first part is to identify those who already came forth in the first half of the resurrection or the alpha resurrection, and then the second part will be to identify those who will come forth in the second half of the first resurrection which is the Omega resurrection.

The Apostle Paul spoke of this in Hebrews 11:35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

So the Apostle Paul is saying here that based upon their belief in the resurrection they conducted their life in accordance to that belief. So we see those then who came up in the resurrection were those people who lived for the resurrection.

Again we hear Jesus telling us in John 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

So Jesus is telling us that what resurrection we come forth in is all dependent on what we did with the faith we had concerning the resurrection. Our resurrection will be a reflection of our Life that we lived.

Brother Branham said in his sermon, Way of a true prophet 63-0119 P:62 "Joseph, when he died, he made mention, said, "Someday the Lord God will visit you." He's a prophet. He said, "The Lord God will visit you, and don't you leave my bones down here, but take them up in the promised land." Why? He knowed that the first-fruit of the resurrection would come out of the promised land. That's exactly. Jesus, when He died and rose up on Easter morning, the Bible said that many of the saints that slept in the dust rose, and come out of the graves, and appeared to many. Who was it? Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph. Why? They were in the right place.

Now, in this particular quote he is mentioning that because they believed in the resurrection, they also prepared themselves to be in the right place where the first resurrection would take place which was Palestine.

And again in his sermon, Israel at the red sea 1 53-0326 P:46 brother Branham says, "Along came Jesus, the promised One. They done to Him what they said they would, and, oh, they killed Him. He died. His soul descended into hell, preached to the souls that are in prison, taken the keys of death and hell away from the Devil, returned back on Easter morning. And as He come through paradise, He knocked at the door. Hallelujah. I can hear Him say, "Children."Abraham say, "Who is That?""I'm your Seed, the Seed of Abraham."Daniel said, "Who is That?""I'm the Stone that was cut out of the mountain."There they are, the Old Testament saints laying there, waiting to be clothed upon in paradise. He opened up the door. Abraham said, "Are we going out?""It's almost daylight on earth. Let's get ready to go."Abraham said, "Can we make a little whistle stop? I'd like to look the city over.""Well, yes, I'm going to visit with My disciples for forty days." And on Easter morning He arose. And Matthew 27 says that many of the bodies of the saints that slept in the dust of the earth, rose, and came out of the city, and appeared to many of them in the city. I can see Sarah and Abraham coming down the street, saying, "Oh, honey, look there. They've changed these things a little bit. Look around here how this looks."Somebody said, "Who is that couple there? It seems like they're strangers."They say, "We're recognized." [Brother Branham snaps his finger--Ed.] Vanished out of their sight, like He went through the wall, you know, and they didn't even know or see Him come in. Went out. They had glorified bodies, and they appeared back on earth (Hallelujah.) for a first-fruits of the proof of God's power and the resurrection. There they was. Robbed and stripped principalities, and took death and hell, smothered it up, and rose up on Easter morning, and entered into the Kingdom with Him. No wonder they said, "Bury me in Palestine." They knowed the resurrection was going to be in Palestine.

Now, we could go more into the old testament said, but basically from the Scriptural proof of Hebrews 11 and John 5 we see that those who believed in the resurrection of the just, had lived a life in preparation for the resurrection, and thus the right kind of Life, and so they came forth when Jesus arose from the grave and was raised up Himself. But the question that is in the minds of every believer today is what is the evidence that I will be in the resurrection and partake of that glorious resurrection ministry that we are looking forward to partaking of. Now, I think that should be the question that every one of us should be looking forward to having answered in this sermon tonight. How will I know that I am going to be there. I think we all want to know that, don't you?

In order to find our answer we must turn to the Word of God.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

There is therefore now, present tense no condemnation, the Greek word is katakrima, and it means there is no adverse sentence. There is no judgment. And therer is no judgment when? Now...but to whom is this for? to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after self, but after the Spirit.

In other words, you can not be in Christ unless you are one with Christ and He (And He is the Word) is in you.

So this is not someone who claims to believe on Jesus, but this is one who is in Christ, and is believing. As we heard brother Branham say earlier in this sermon,

Oneness 62-0211 24 Jesus said, going to the grave of Lazarus, "I am the resurrection and Life. He that believeth in Me, though he be dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believeth in Me, not on Me, but in Me." Being in Him, believing! "If ye abide in Me and My Words in you." In Him, believing! Oh, my! I hope the Holy Spirit gets that right down to you. Now, you're the little flock, that's why through the week, praying and asking God, I chose this text, to show you where we stand. Believing in Him. You cannot believe in Him until you come in Him, or, He comes in you, then you're believing in Him, then you have Eternal Life. You're believing on Him until you receive Eternal Life, then Eternal Life is God's Life in you, then you're believing in Him."

Jesus prayed in John 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22  And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23  I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

So what we are looking at here in Romans 8, is that Paul is addressing the born ones, the brethren in a vast family of brethren, born by one spirit into one family.

Then Paul goes on to say, 2  "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."

Now, what Paul is speaking of here is the law of Life which we find in that law of life as expressed by God in Genesis 1:11 is that every seed must bring forth after its kind.

Genesis 1:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. 12  And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. Now, this law of life is that every seed must bring froth after its own kind or nature. And in Romans 8 and verse 2 the Apostle Paul brings out this Law but applies it to the Spirit and Life of Christ Jesus.

2  "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."

Therefore, he is telling us that if we are born again by the same Spirit that was in Christ Jesus then we are living free from that spirit of life wherein we were born into the flesh with. In other words we are new creations in Christ, and are not obligated to follow after the law of the flesh.

3  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

He tells us here that the law of life in the flesh couldn't help us, it was weak because our own flesh is weak, so God superimposed another law over that one, the law of life in Christ Jesus. And he did that in order for us to become the very righteousness of His Own Spirit Life reflecting out from us.

4  That the righteousness (right-wise-ness) of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after self, but after the Spirit. 5  For they that are after self do mind the things of self; but they that are after the Spirit do mind the things of the Spirit.

Now, what Paul is telling us here is that as long as we are unregenerate, as long as we are living according to the law of life, then it is impossible to please God. For the law of this life says "we were born in sin, shaped in iniquity, and came forth to the world speaking lies." But Paul is telling us that God superimposed another law upon those who believe, to those who are in Christ Jesus. He says that is the law of Right-wise-ness. The law where the mind that was in Christ is now superimposed upon our own mind until our own mind is somehow only a figment of a past but made foggy by the illumination of Light that now floods our soul.

In other words, the old man has become a shadow of the past, but as the light in us grows more intensely, that shadow fades away, and we no longer mind the things of self, for we mind the things of The Spirit.

And then Paul reminds us 6  For to be carnally minded (to be self centered or self dominated to the point that our focus is self) is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Now to be spiritually minded, is to be Spirit-fully minded.

In other words, to be spirit-fully minded is to have our mind dominated by the things of The Spirit which is God's Spirit.

Paul goes on to say, 7  "Because the carnal mind (the self-dominated mind) is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

You see if your mind is dominated by self, then you don't have room for God, nor God thoughts. And where your mind is so full of self that you have no room for God or God thoughts makes you an enemy of God.

And then Paul says, 8  "So then they that are into self cannot please God". Now, it should not take a rocket scientist to figure that out. If you are so self absorbed and your mind is so obsessed with self, how could you possibly please God. You can't even please others around you when you are that way.

9  But ye are not in self, but in The Spirit, if so be that The Spirit of God dwell in you.

Now, that explains another thing Paul said. He said, Colossians 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. 5  Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

Notice the words, But ye are not in self, but in The Spirit, are the same as his words, 3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Because if you are dead to self, then self has no pull, and no great hold over you. And if you are in Christ, that means your self is hid in Christ, so what manifests to the world is not self, but Christ.

Then Paul adds, "Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."

But then he says in a very positive light, 10  And if Christ be in you, the body is dead (self has become crucified) because of sin; but The Spirit is life (The Spirit si alive in you) because of righteousness. (because of your right-wise-ness.)

And then Paul nails it down by saying, 11  "But if the Spirit of him (God) that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He (God) that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken ("Quicken" means "make alive."), your mortal bodies by His Spirit (God's own Spirit) that dwelleth in you.

Now here we are beginning to see something very significant. Paul tells us that God's Spirit in us quickens us to life, it makes us come alive to His Spirit and His Word while still in this body. And that is the key to being in the resurrection when it comes.

12  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to self, to live after self. 13  For if ye live after self, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of self, ye shall live. 14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

And it is not until we die to self and receive His Spirit in us, that we can say we have the Spirit of Adoption. For The Spirit of Adoption makes you sons and that is because "by one Spirit you are born into one family.".

And then Paul says, 16 "The Spirit (and we know there is only one The Spirit, and that is the Spirit of God, Therefore the Spirit of God) Itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

And how does The Spirit of God bear witness with our Spirit that we are His Children? well, the word to bear witness means to "corroborate together", and to "testify jointly". In other words, it is not God's Spirit only, but it is your Spirit yielding to God's Spirit. A Joint testimony means there are two that are cooperating together, and Jesus said,

"the son can do nothing of himself, but whatsoever the son seeth the Father do, that doeth the son likewise." Jesus also said, "Whatsoever the Father commands thus the son speaks."

Notice in the following scriptures we see this cooperation and corroboration between the Father and son.

John 8:28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

John 8:38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.

John 12:49 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.

John 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Therefore, we have not only the Spirit of adoption living in is, but this Spirit fo Adoption makes us joint heirs with Christ.

17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory (Doxa, the opinions, values, and judgments of God) which shall be revealed in us. And if they are God's opinions, values, and judgments, but they are revealed in us, that would have to be a cooperation and corroboration between us and the Father for that to happen.

Questions and answers COD 62-0527 P:99 But all this will be restored. He Who painted your beautiful face one time has the sketch of it in His mind. He can paint it again over yonder where it'll never fade. O God, let people know that this is not a mythical dream, but it's a truth, and God, the Holy Spirit is here to bear record. His Word down through the ages has spoke of it. Let us look back and see, read our history. And any man that ever amounted to anything on earth are men, God-fearing men, even to our Presidents like Washington, Lincoln, and so forth, Joshuas, and Moses', and those who... Great men in the world has been men who believed in that, and has sealed their testimony, and waiting yonder that resurrection. We have the first-fruits of it, the Earnest. I pray now that through my prayer You will receive these people with their prayer and take them into the Kingdom. We ask it in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Testimony raising dead boy 53-1203 P:26 I can prove it by God's Word that every one of you gray-headed people setting here tonight, on the resurrection will return back to young boys and girls, just like you was about twenty-two years old. I can prove that by God's Word. Yes, sir, and you'll be young there forever. Not one hair that's fell from your head, not one thing that's gone from your body, but what God will restore in the resurrection. That's perfectly the truth. Oh, yes, you're made up out of a lot of petroleums, and lights, and so forth, but when they leave here, when your spirit leaves, don't worry. God knows where every bit of it's at and when you return back, where was you at the first place? How'd you ever get here at the first place? God made you just what you are. Is that right? Nobody didn't come to smear the flesh onto you, build you up to where you are. You call by nature. God... You just grew to where you are. And that's the way God just bypasses all that and just speaks the Word like the water turning it to wine.

Questions and answers COD 64-0823M P:36 Now, the first thing happens when we're resurrected... The ones which are a-living will just still remain... The resurrection will set in first, the resurrection of those that are asleep. There'll be a wakening time, and those which are asleep in the dust now, not those that are asleep in sin, 'cause they sleep right on. They don't awake for another thousand years. But those who are sleeping in the dust will be awakened first, and these corruptible bodies will put on incorruption in the rapturing grace of the Lord. And then we'll all get together. And when they begin to get together, then we which are alive and remain shall be changed. These mortal bodies will not see death, but just of a sudden, there'll be like a sweep go over us, and you're changed. You're turned back like Abraham was, from an old man to a young man, from an old woman to a young woman. What's this sudden change? And after while you're traveling like a thought, and you can see those then who are already resurrected. Oh, what a hour. Then we'll gather with them and then be caught up with them to meet the Lord in the air.

Uncertain sound 61-0315 P:90 "I am the Resurrection and Life," and I'm in Him. God proved by raising Him up, He will raise me too. I'm already setting in heavenly places, resurrected. It's true as far as God's concerned. "Those who He foreknew, He called. Those who He called, He justified. Those who He has justified, He hath glorified." Amen. Right now, in a stage of glorification, setting in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, in a glorified state, with a power of the resurrection in us has changed us from a sinner to a Christian. Whew.

Look, you all come tonight with the question in your heart, "how do I know for certain that I will be there in that tent partaking of that resurrection ministry? and the answer is that you are already going through a change, a transformation. And notice his words, he said, I was a sinner, now I am a Christian, Christ-Like.

Paul said in Romans 12:1 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And the NIV says, "which is your spiritual act or Worship." 2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

Then brother Branham says, "Nothing uncertain about that, no uncertainty."How do you know?" It's living in me. How do you know? It's in you. Amen. That's the reason these things are taking place. Nothing uncertain about it: we've passed from death unto Life because we're alive. "He that was dead, though he believeth in Me, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die." All that believes in Him and comes to Him, "I'll give him Eternal Life." Right now, we have Eternal Life and will be raised up at the last days. Whew. My, that's it. Nothing uncertain about that. No, it's already done.

So why is it that so many Christians miss this? Why is it that so many Christians are looking down the road for the promise that is to be in us right now?

Rising of the sun 65-0418M P:127 And now (See?), now you are already resurrected. When God raised Him up, He raised you; the Son is just now on you. And now you're growing into a blossom Life like He was to be resurrected completely in that last day. Your potentials you have now. Why do you know? Your soul changed, didn't it? Your body come in obedience to It, didn't it? Into obedience to what? A church? The Word, which is the Life. Then you are now resurrected from the dead. It is Easter with Jesus and I. It's Easter with you and Jesus, and it's Easter with you, I, and Jesus. We are all--Jesus, you, and I, we're all resurrected together and we will rise at the last day even though our spirits leave our body, even though the bodies rust, may they go to dust, may they be burnt up, may they be in the bottom of the sea, the Bible said an Angel poured out his upon the sea and everything that died come up. There's nothing can hide us or separate us from that God that we love so well, that's raised us up together.

Notice, brother Branham likens us to a tree that is blossoming which is a show that the life is in that tree. But you may say, well, why are there still things in my life that keep coming up that I have to crucify. It's because every tree has to be pruned back do the fruit can grow. If you do not prune back a limb here and a limb there pretty soon all the effort goes into producing limbs and no fruit. But when you cut off the extra little shoots, or limbs you are not killing the tree, you are making sure the energy is spent in producing fruit.

Easter seal 65-0410 P:49 Now, notice, it's the earnest or the potential, the quickening power of your resurrection when you receive the Holy Spirit, is then dwelling in you, the potential of it. Notice, you are now on your way growing to the full resurrection. No tree just comes up overnight. It's got to grow. As we grow in the grace and the knowledge of God... You are baptized into the Holy Spirit. Now, as the Pentecostal church baptized into the Holy Spirit, it's begin growing. Limbs that's died, just pruned them off; but the tree's still growing. It's still going on, because it's got to come to the resurrection. You're led by the Spirit to quicken the Word to you who is believers. The Word keeps quickening as you come to the first limb, second limb, third limb, on up. It just keeps quickening. The Spirit of God keeps quickening to you. Notice that Pentecost, their bodies were quickened by the new life they received.

Does God change His mind 65-0427 P:17 As I was trying to say, the other night to you, it's when you know that you have the earnest of your--of your eternal redemption right now in you by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, it's already quickened you. You are now risen with Him, and we're setting together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. See, you're no more of the world. If you love the world, and your affections are still on the things of the world, then the love of God's not even in you. See? We are free from the world. There's no more desire. In the Hebrews, I believe the 10th chapter, said, "There was a continually remembrance of sin each year, those beasts' body was offered. But in this case, the worshipper once purged, has no more conscience of sin, no more desire to sin." The whole thing is gone from you, because you have been quickened into a new Life.

Rising of the sun 65-0418M P:88 Now, notice this Quickening Power, "Zoe," bringing the Word, the mind that was in Christ was in you then. I'm trying to show you, that you, when you raised, when God raised Jesus from the dead, He raised up you also, and also quickened to Life with Him (You are now quickened to Life.), although then you were but an attribute in His thoughts, but God had saw all in Him at the finish.

Easter seal 65-0410 P:33 But remember, you, in the statue that you are in this morning, if you wasn't in His thinking then, you're not now. For you... There's some part that's in you that's eternal; and eternal only belongs to God. And in God was His thinking of you setting right where you are now. In His thinking I stood at the pulpit this morning, because He's infinite and knows all things. Therefore, He could tell the end from the beginning, because He's eternal. And you, being a son of God or a daughter of God, then you were in His thinking at the beginning.

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Brother Branham said from his sermon, Calling Jesus on the scene  64-0319  P:53 "Genuine faith knows no defeat. It's already done. It's already over. God said so, and that finishes it."

And then he said in Voice of the sign 64-0321E P:58 "Look what you used to be, and look what you are now."

Identification 64-0216 P:27 And if you are in the Lamb's Book of Life, you was God's expression from His thought. He seen you, and seen your desire, before there even was a atom or anything else. And you're His thought made word and expressed into what you are now. Amen. That's God in you reflecting Christ. You know what I mean?

My Redeemer liveth 55-0410S P:9 I think of Job, the one we were reading of a few moments ago, looked forward to this morning. When he was old, stricken in age, and his flesh was simply falling from his body from sores, his heart was broken in grief, and every mortal part of his being was withering away. And a great man like that, who made a great impression to the world in his day, and to see that, all that he was, and the greatness... He said he would go to the cities of the East, and the princes would bow before him on account of his wisdom. But here he was at his wits end. Everything was gone, seemingly. His body was gone. His property was gone. His children was gone. All that he had was gone. And then God in His mercy come down to Job, and He give him another sense, that he could open his eyes and see the day that when there would be a body he would receive. He knew that there was coming One, a just One, Who would stand in his place, Who would raise up the body of the dead, and would... He said, "I know that my Redeemer liveth." I like those positive words that he spoke it in, not, "I hope so. I have a feeling there will be." That's about the attitude of many today, "I have a hope that someday..." But Job had more than that. He said, "I know my Redeemer liveth," the positive side of it. No more in the negative, it's all positive. And if today, if we only have a cross on top the church to show which... That's all right, that Christ... We believe in Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. If we only have a few dead bodies of dust laying under the church, that some of the saintly people were buried in, that that... We only have that as a hope, then we're among all people most miserable. But today, how thankful we are. We don't have the dead bodies, but we have the resurrected Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, that He rose from the dead, triumph. It's not no more, "I guess so." You could look at a cross and "guess so." You could look at a body laying in the ground, and say, "I guess so," and "I hope so."But when the vision that struck Job has ever become a reality, the resurrection of the Lord Jesus by the Holy Spirit in the heart, then you got, "I know my Redeemer liveth." All the shadows has faded away, all the old darkness of, "hope so," and "maybe so," and "we trust it'll be that way." It's all faded away to everybody that has ever made their heart a sepulcher to the Lord Jesus Christ. Die with Him, buried with Him, and risen with Him, raised with Christ in the resurrection. This new hope that God has placed into our hearts today, this new assurance, it's a hope to those who are looking forward to the time. But when a man or woman has ever been resurrected anew, it's a "know so" now. "I know my Redeemer liveth." Why? "He lives within my heart."Isn't it marvelous today that all shadows has passed away? All the, "Well, I hope that I'll come in the resurrection." No more "hope." We have the assurance. That's all. We know it. No more "hope so," because something happened in our lives that took all shadows away. When Christ the resurrected One came to our sinful conditions that we were in, and the old things died out in the crucifixion with Him at the altar, and we rose anew again with Him, and live with Him and reign with Him, and seated now in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

That's what Paul said, Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (Look that is present tense. Is His presence here tonight? Then we are setting with him together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus)

7 That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9  Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

And brother Branham continues, "We're already raised with Him. The resurrection's already passed as far as we are concerned, because we are now risen with Christ (Amen.), seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. No more guessing about it, it's all over. Amen. I just love that. No more "hopes," no more "wishing," no more. Oh, it's over. We are now risen with Him, setting in heavenly places. And now, and in and above this, to the Church... You say, "Then, Brother Branham, what does it mean then that we should preach the Gospel of?" That's our next hope. That's our next thing. After we are risen with Him, we have the great commission to go into all the world and bring these tidings to the others.

Easter seal 65-0410 P:90 The resurrection. We are now in the resurrection. We are setting with Him in the resurrection, but only those who have Life, not those who do not have Life. They won't know it. They'll never know it. They'll go right on thinking they're getting the Holy Ghost, being saved, and the rapture will done be over with and gone. Said, "Elias has already come and they did that what... And you knew it not." See?"

Questions and answers COD 64-0823E P:117 The church, the lukewarm, the anything outside of the elected Bride will go through the tribulation period. They will not raise in the first resurrection: "The rest of the dead lived not for a thousand years," just the foreordained, predestinated, elected Bride, God's own elections. "Who is it, Brother Branham?" I don't know? I can't tell you who it is, but I know it's going to be there, 'cause the Lord said they would. See? They are the ones that'll go up from the tribulation, but the rest of them will go through the tribulation, go down, and everything will be killed before the millennium. Then the righteous shall come out in the millennium and live a thousand years. And after the thousand years, then the great white throne judgment comes, and then the dead, both right and wrong is raised. And the books are opened, and the Book of Life was open; and the saints, the Wife and the Husband, set and judge the world. And there it comes to pass the saying: "And He'll judge all nations with a rod of iron." All nations shall stand before Him there, and He'll judge them with the rod of iron. He'll separate the sheep from the goats and say to the goats, "Depart," and the sheeps, "Come, ye blessed of My Father."

Door to the heart 59-1128 P:12 See, it's an appointment that God has made. When you get about that age, God said, "There it is. Now, come on, death. But you can't take them till I say so." Knowing this, that in the resurrection, there'll not be one old person in the resurrection. Hallelujah! There'll not be one cripple come forth in the resurrection. Them that was crippled will come forth. Them that was old will come forth. But they'll be young. They'll be at their best. Little babies that didn't get their life lived out will resurrect into a full statue. Immortality can't grow. So you won't hold your little baby in your arms. If she was a girl, you'll see her a young woman. If she was... If it was a man or a boy, you'll see him as a young man. And we'll know one another. Sure, we'll know one another. Certainly we will. And oh, what we got to live for now, all of this and then that besides. And yet, it's unknown just how much God has in store for those who love Him.

Expectations and what love is 54-0228A P:100 That in this great resurrection, all the old will be young there forever. What death's doing to you now, death will be done away with. And just what life was to you when you was a young man or woman, that's what you'll be in the resurrection. Oh, you who lost those little babies out yonder, maybe prematured or whatever, they'll be there in the resurrection. Jesus is coming soon. Won't you come now to get ready, prepare to meet this great event that's just about to take place? Will you come now?

Inter veil 56-0121 P:32 A man might live in church, professing to be a Christian, and everything. If he hasn't got the germ life in him, he will lay there at resurrection. But that man who's got life, and born again, will rise again as sure as Jesus rose from the dead: got to. Oh, this half-way, starved-to-death life.

Speak to this rock 53-0512 P:27 So that's when I say today. You can call me holy-roller if you want to, call me fanatic if you want to, but bury me in Jesus, for those who are in Jesus, God will bring with Him at the resurrection. Let them say what they want to. Let it call fanatics, anything, but those that are in Christ will God bring with Him.

Rising of the sun 65-0418M P:22 Then He said when He come forth on that morning, "Because I live, you live also." Not only was He the beneficiary of the resurrection, but all those Seed that was resting in God's great providence was a benefactor of that resurrection to Life, because He said, "Because I live, ye shall live also." That was the breaking of the Seal. Because He was brought up, so will every one that's in Christ be brought up with Him. At this glorious sunrise God had proven or vindicated His Word. All the glooms and doubts that had moved in people's minds was taken away, because here was He Who once lived, eat, drink, and fellowship with mankind that said, "I have power to lay My life down, and I have power to raise it up again." And now, not only had He made the statement, but He proved it to be the truth. Oh, what a glorious thing that is. I'm sure this morning that even we, who believe it, cannot comprehend what a great thing that was. Because He raised from the dead, we also have already raised from the dead, for we were in Him.

How can I overcome 63-0825M P:42 Now, the rest of Israel don't come forth until the general resurrection. And now, at the coming of the Lord Jesus, those who are really loving His a-coming, that's living for it, when He appears in the sky, the Church that's dead in Christ shall rise and those will be changed in a moment. The rest of them know nothing about it. Remember, appeared to those in the city. See, the rapture will be like that. We'll see each other, and we'll see them. The rest of the world won't see them. It'll be caught away as a secret going, waiting for that time, then returning back to the earth for that glorious millennium, then the thousand years. The rest of the dead live not for a thousand years, and then come forth the general resurrection....

QA God being misunderstood COD 61-0723E P:26 140. Now, were the five of the virgins lost? I presume that they are asking the question, "the five virgins," the five wise and the five foolish. Now, if you were with us in the last teachings in Revelation, you find out there that those virgins, the five foolish virgins were not lost; but they were not permitted to go into the wedding supper, but they suffered persecution, and was martyred, and raised again at the general resurrection in the last day. Those are the people where He separated the sheep from the goats (See?); they stood before judgment. You say, "Well, Brother Branham, don't we stand, the Church?" No, sir. We do not stand before the judgment. We are now standing before the Judgment. God put our sins upon Christ, and we... "He that heareth My Word (St. John 5:24) and believeth on Him that sent Me has Eternal Life, and shall not come into the judgment but has passed from death unto Life." No more judgment for the Church, it's took up in the rapture, and comes back to pass judgment upon the people who did not receive the Holy Spirit. Does not Paul say that he dares any of us to take a matter to the court, to the unjust magistrate, when, "know ye not that the saints shall judge the earth?" We will set with Christ and judge, kings, and priests, and judge these people that we preached to and told them about the baptism of the Holy Ghost and they refused to receive It. Think of it. No, they were not lost, but they will never be in the Bride. They were come in the second resurrection, but never be in the Bride, to be judged according to the way they treated the Light that they received. Now, that part will be up to Christ. They were not lost though.

Ever present water 61-0723M P:72 And when we die, our souls will go under the altar of God, where I was privileged to see a few mornings ago, as you know, in the vision, where the Bible speaks of. Our spirits will go to God Who give it, and our bodies shall return to the dust of the earth. But someday where the Scripture is fulfilled, our spirits will be released from God, will pick up the soul, and the soul to the body. And the power that'll raise us up, is right in us now. We are now in heavenly places. We are now in the power of the resurrection. If there wasn't a law to that, sons and daughters of God would create them a world out here and go live a private life on it. You have the power in you to do it. If you've got a shadow of the power of God in you, you got power to do it. God is omnipotent. See what I mean? The power that's in you will make... You could speak a world into existence and go live on it. Hallelujah. There you are. That's what power is in the Church now, but it is controlled by a law. And that law is not keeping a bunch of commandments. It's a law of faith. Jesus said, "All things are possible to them that believe." And if you can believe it, whatever God will lead your soul to believe, that is yours. Every place the soles of your foot can set upon by faith, God gives it to you. Amen. It's yours; you possess it, if you can find the key to this law of faith that opens it to you. You see what I mean? That power is controlled by... If you are a son of God, you are a daughter of God, that never leaves you. It's with you all the time. But your faith gets away from It, but It's still there. Hallelujah.

Questions and answers COD 59-0628E P:75 Now, the Bride went up, the remnant left here. And she is the one who come in the second resurrection. "Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection, on which the second death has no power." That's right. The second resurrection will be the white throne judgment, then the church... "Don't you know," said Paul, "go amongst the unbelievers and the lawyers and so forth when the saints shall judge the earth." These matters should be judged before the church, not before the unjust magistrates and so forth, but before the church our matters should. There you take one another to the law. And God pity a man that'll take a Christian to law. That's right. Paul even dared them to do it. Now, that's the Bride, and there goes the sleeping virgin, a left on earth. The wise virgin goes into heaven with oil in her lamp.

Let us pray...