Faith no 47

Thanks Giving Message

Faith never looks at Circumstances

November 22, 2017

Brian Kocourek, Pastor

Sunday morning we spoke on how that unless you have faith along with the Word your lack of faith will never allow the Promises of the Word of God to produce itself in you.

We read from Hebrews 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

Why did the Word not profit them? Because they had no Holy Ghost Faith. Why did they not have Faith (supreme confidence) in God to see His word through? Because they were not focused on the Word and its promise but were focused on a constant bickering and fighting with each another. And They were so focused on the circumstance around them that they became embittered in their hearts and they could no longer see the promise God that was made to them.

We see this in Psalm 95:1-11 David teaches us that we should come before the Lord with Thanks Giving not just for what he has already done, but what He also promised to do we should be thanking him in advance believing we will receive what God has promised because He is faithful that promised. But then David warns us not to be like the children of Israel who left Egypt who forgot what God had done and what he promised to do.

Psalm 95:1 O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. 2  Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. 3  For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. 4  In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. 5  The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. 6  O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. 7  For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today if ye will hear his voice, 8  Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9  When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. 10  Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: 11  Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.

They didn't come forth with joy and anticipation of receiving the promised land, but because they wandered so long, they soon forgot all the victory they had already seen and they lost sight of the promises of God yet before them.

Notice what he says in the very next. He tells us they understood not, they remembered not, they soon forgot, they waited not, and thus with God out of their mind, they forgot God.

Psalm. Psalm 106 :7 Our Fathers understood not Thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of Thy mercies; but provoked Him at the Sea, even at the Red Sea.....13.They soon forgot His works; they waited not for His counsel..... 21 They forgot God their Saviour which had done great things by the Red Sea.

They understood not, and they remembered not, and they forgot God and waited not. They were living in such a negative confession that it totally destroyed any faith they had in God to begin with.

Why? because they had become focused on the trials and the circumstances, and not on what God had promised them. You must never look at the Circumstances.

God gave us Abraham for our example and he never looked at the circumstances, he only focused on what God had promised Him.

Romans 4:19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

As brother Bosworth said, "if you are going to doubt anything, then doubt your doubts."

Abraham never looked at his own condition, nor the condition of His Wife, he only looked to the promise of God that was given him and his wife.

The problem we have today is the same problems that he had, but we just don't know it.

You say, what do you mean preacher? what I mean is this. Abraham had to look past his own flesh and focus on the promises only. If he had looked at the unbelief of his wife, he would not have focused on the problem. And we have a promise in Isaiah 65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. 18  But be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. 19  And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.

There won't be any negative confessions over there.

21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. 22  They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23  They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. 24  And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. 25  The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

Now, that is the promise o God and we should be full of Thanks Giving for this.

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

Hebrews 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Hebrews 11:29 By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.  Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,

Look at the faith of those people, and take that for your examples. Jonah was in the belly of a whale for three days and three nights. Every direction he looked, up down, east west, north south, it mattered not which way he looked he could not escape the circumstances he was in. And what brought him to those circumstances? His own lack of Trust in God and His Word. God told him to go and preach repentance to the heathen nation of Nineveh. And he thought he was too righteous to do so, and therefore he chose to run away from the duty and calling of God.

He had tried to run away from what God sent him to do, and in his backslidden condition God sent a storm that was going to sink the ship that he was in. And finally he came to manhood and did not wish for the people on that ship to be destroyed for his disobedience, so he confessed to the Ship's captain, and they tied him up and threw him over board. He sunk down into the deep and God sent a whale to swallow him and to deliver him to where he was supposed to go.

For three days and three nights God let Jonah look at the circumstances he was fully surrounded by. Not only surrounded by walls of stomach organs and rotting fish, and all the smells that went with it, and I am sure the stench was so great he most likely vomited himself adding to the stench that was in that great stomach. Would he die there in the belly of that great fish? Would he suffocate for lack of air? Would the methane gases poison him and he would die a painful death? How was he going to get out of this? There was no light, so he could not see anything. All his senses could do were to hear th gurgling of water and fish and sludge, and all he could feel was cold slimy blood and guts of other fish, and all he could smell was death and dying and the gases of the great fish slowly eating away at the debris that it had taken into his great stomach.

So all Jonah could do was to turn his thought inward to the promises of God which came from simple prayer that Solomon, the son of David prayed at the dedication of the temple. in which Solomon mentions circumstance after circumstance that backsliding children of God are afflicted with, but in each of them he prays that when they turn their eyes toward the temple they would be delivered from those circumstances and brought back into favor with God. Let's just read it for ourselves.

1 Kings chapter 88:22 And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven: 23  And he said, LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart: 24  Who hast kept with thy servant David my father that thou promised him: thou spakest also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day. 25  Therefore now, LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that thou promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel; so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me. 26  And now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David my father. 27  But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have built? 28  Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee today: 29  That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place. 30  And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive. 31  If any man trespass against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house: 32  Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness. 33  When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this house: 34  Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest unto their fathers. 35  When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them: 36  Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance. 37  If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpiller; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be; 38  What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house: 39  Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;) 40  That they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers. 41  Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name's sake; 42  (For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house;43  Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name. 44  If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, whithersoever thou shalt send them, and shall pray unto the LORD toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house that I have built for thy name: 45  Then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. 46  If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near; 47  Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness; 48  And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name: 49  Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause, 50  And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them: 51  For they be thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron: 52  That thine eyes may be open unto the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them in all that they call for unto thee. 53  For thou didst separate them from among all the people of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spakest by the hand of Moses thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord GOD. 54  And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. 55  And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying, 56  Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant. 57  The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us: 58  That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers. 59  And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the LORD, be nigh unto the LORD our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require: 60  That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else. 61  Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.

Notice that Solomon in his prayer of dedication of the Temple mentions almost every circumstances that man can go through from captivity, and imprisonment, to plagues and need of healing, to financial loss, whatever could be the lot of man, he mentions all circumstances that could temporarily separate a man from the joy of the Lord, and the Mercy of God, and asks God to deliver us when our hearts are returned to Him and are right toward God and we turn to the place of God's dwelling and present our supplications to Him.

Now, from his sermon, Queen of Sheba 58-0215 P:12 brother Branham said, "And Jonah knew that when Solomon dedicated that temple, he said, "Lord, if Thy people be in trouble anywhere, and will look towards this holy place, and pray, then hear from heaven." And Jonah based his confidence in the prayer of Solomon. And under those circumstances, and if Jonah under those circumstances could base his faith in a prayer of a man that was an earthly man, that later backslid, and to an earthly temple, which was tore down, how much more ought we tonight, under the little circumstances that we have, to look to the temple where Jesus sets at the right hand of God, with His own Blood to make intercession upon our confessions, yes, at the right hand of God, to make intercessions. Why, our little symptoms means nothing. Oh, how God wants us to look at what He says.

Now, never forget that God has all things under His control. The Bible tells us in Romans 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 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? 32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So just get in Christ, and when you do backslide, and know for certain that you backslide daily, just turn your heart towards God and ask him for his mercy and for his benefits, and He is more than willing to restore unto you the joy of your salvation.

It is interesting that Nineveh, the city that God had commanded Jonah to go and preach repentance to, was a city where the main religion was the worship of Dagon who happened to be a fish god. And so God working all things together for the good, brought Jonah to Nineveh by a great fish, and so when the people saw this great fish spit out Jonah on their shores, they knew that God had sent him with a message preparing the way for them to repent.

Perseverance 62-0218 P:75 And if Jonah, under those circumstances, could have that much faith in God, what about you? There's none of you here in that bad of circumstances. Now, how much more, look to a temple where a man finally backslid, Solomon, who prayed the prayer, but was God's dedication when the Holy Spirit witnessed it by a Pillar of Fire to come in and go down in behind... The same Pillar of Fire that you have the picture with you today, moving among us, doing the same signs and wonders... What's the matter? Listen quietly. Listen. How could we, when we look not to a earthly temple, or some organization or some denomination, but to the right hand of God, where Jesus sets there with His own Bloody garments, amen, His own Blood before the Father, to make intercessions upon your confessions. Amen. Hebrews 3, said that He is a High Priest, ever living to make intercessions (Oh, my.) before the Father this morning: a High Priest. If Jonah could look out, refuse to see the whale's belly, how much more can we fail to see the little ache and the little pain, or the little whatever we got. I look towards Your holy promise, Lord. You can't hide a saint from His prayer; that's all there is to it.

Expectation 61-0205M P:31 And if Jonah, under those circumstances could get a miracle work like that from God, because it was according to the Word, it was according to his faith... And if he could do that under those circumstances, how much more this morning can we be healed, when we don't look at a temple made with hands. Solomon finally backslid. His wives drawed him away from God. But we look to the right hand of God where Jesus sets with His own blood, ever alive to make intercessions upon our confession. How much more can we call any kind of disease "a lying vanity. I don't believe it. 'He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and with His stripes we were healed.' Then, Satan, take your course, get out of here," see. "I believe God. I'm expecting it to happen." There you are. If it don't happen right now, it'll happen after a while. If it don't happen today, it'll happen tomorrow. If it don't tomorrow, it'll be next week. Whatever, it's going to happen anyhow. God said so. There you are. Now, you're getting down to where you have faith. Be expecting it. What God said He would do, God will do. He cannot lie.

From his sermon, Love 58-0313 P:56 brother Branham said, "If He's raised from the dead, He's obligated to do the same thing now, that He did then, or He did wrong when He did it then. When the circumstances arise... Listen close. When the circumstances arise, and the way God act the first time, He has to act every time the same way, or He acted wrong when He act the first time. Right. So if that's the way He made Himself known then, promised He would do it to the Gentiles... Look through the history; it's never been until now. Gentiles, you're getting your last call. Let us pray.

And today brethren, we have Jesus as our example:

Paul said in Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.                   

And Paul taught us that we are to live by Faith in Hebrews 10:38  Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith

And as brother Branham said, God will answer your prayer, if not today, then tomorrow, if not tomorrow, then the next day or the next week, but He will answer because He promised to do so. And James tells us that is the trying of your faith. James 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have it's perfect work, that ye may be perfect, and entire or complete, wanting nothing.

Romans 3:3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? If God said it, it has to happen!    He's faithful!

Hebrews 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Hebrews 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Romans 4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

 From his sermon, God in His Word 57-0323 P:35 brother Branham said, "You put me on record tonight in these recorders. I have no apology for this remark that I'm fixing to make. I believe, and can prove, that the right mental attitude towards any Divine promise of God will bring it to pass. Yes, sir. The right mental attitude, but you've got to have the right attitude. The attitude is what brings the results. If you say, "Yes, yes, I believe it but I don't know now." That's not the right attitude. The right attitude is to receive it, and say it's "THUS SAITH THE LORD." Then it's right.

Hour is come 51-0415E P:17 Now, the right mental attitude... All you along here, do you understand what I mean when I say, "The right mental attitude?" That's... Your right mental attitude towards God's Divine promise will bring any promise to pass. Now, maybe you don't believe that. You say, "Well, my faith is weak." I wouldn't confess it. See? Don't let the devil know that. Always say, "I have good faith. I believe God with all my heart." See? Don't testify nothing of the devil. And when you accept Him as your Healer, don't never act like you're sick or crippled any more. Believe that you're healed. Take Him at His Word. Then it's all over on God then and not on you. See? You... As long as you take God at His Word, then the Word will produce what It promised to do. Is that right? Now, have faith, believe Him with all your heart.

James 5:7-11 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the parousia of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 8  Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the parousia of the Lord draweth nigh. 9  Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.

James 5:13-20 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. 14  Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15  And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 17  Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18  And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. 19  Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20  Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

O, brothers and sisters we could go on and on and take you through the entire Bible and show you those who conquered the circumstances they were under, and how they just held to the Word of God, the promise for their age and God always brought them out of their circumstances, and answered their prayers. And we know that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

So let us bow our hearts and heads in prayer.