Faith
no 68
Evidence
and Substance
March 4, 2018
Brian
Kocourek, Pastor
This
morning we will again examine Faith and Hebrews 11:1 for our text.
Hebrews 11:11 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence (proof, conviction:--evidence, reproof) of things not seen.
Now,
I've already spoken on Faith being the
substance and we've shown you that this word substance was translated from the Greek Word Hupostasis which was also translated in Hebrews
1:3 as
the word person, speaking of God's very person.
Now,
speaking of Jesus the son of God we read, "Who being the brightness of His glory, (The His here is speaking of God Himself) Who being the
brightness of His-
glory - God's
Glory,(and we know this word glory
is the Greek word Doxa which is God's opinions, values and judgments. So Jesus is
the brightness or the Greek word apaugasma which means the effulgence which means a brilliant radiance; or a shining forth.
Therefore we see that Jesus the
first born son of God was born to be the very expression
or manifestation or declaration
of God's opinions, values and judgments. And not only to
express God's opinions, values, and judgments, but to be the very illumination
of them to mankind.
From
his sermon, Living dying buried 59-0329S P:11 brother
Branham said, "And showed what He did to the whole human race, the way
God represented Himself in Jesus Christ. He expressed His opinion to the human race
to forgive and to love those who were unlovable. And I wonder, on
this Easter morning, how short we fall at that. We could love those who love
us, but He loved those who did not love Him. He was the greatest, the first
representation of love that ever hit the earth, and was despised of those who
lived on the earth, to whom He loved. No man could ever love like Him; and no
man was ever hated like Him. They hated Him, and despised Him, and
rejected Him, but it did not stop His love. They laughed when He was
hanging on the cross, after that life that He had lived had been done nothing
but good things, forgiving the guilty, healing the sick, and done things that
were good. When He was last breath on the cross, with the vulgar mocking spit
of them who stood by hanging from His sacred face, He cried with a heart full
of love, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
Oh, how
I want my image to change and ne like His image, and my glory to change to His
glory. Because when I am changed, then I will be mature like Him, and I will
not look at the circumstances I am going through but I will look at the
objective in mind, and the motive to that objective, and that is to see
everyone I love be saved, and love everyone God brings me into contact with
during my pilgrimage through this life.
And we
know that if we are to come to the place of adoption we are going to have to
change from image to image and from glory to glory becoming just like the first
born son.
Now, the apostle
Paul spoken to us about this changing from image
to image and from glory to glory in 2 Corinthians 3:15 But even unto this day, when Moses is
read, the vail is upon their heart. 16 Nevertheless when it (the heart) shall turn to the
Lord, the vail (the
blindness) shall
be taken away.
For
the past 2,000 years there has been a blindness covering the hearts or
understanding of the people, but God has predestined a time for that blindness
to be lifted and he promised it here and we know it comes through the ministry
of Malachi 4 when the Spirit of Elijah is to restore the heart or the
understanding of the children back to the understanding and doctrine of the
Pentecostal Fathers.
Malachi
4:5 Behold,
I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful
day of the LORD: 6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers
to the children, and the heart (the
understanding) of the children to their fathers,
lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
Throughout
Scripture the word heart and understanding
are synonymous as we see in the
following Scriptures.
Colossians 2:2 That their
hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of
the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledge-ment of the
mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
Daniel 10:12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel:
for from the first day that thou didst set
thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy
words were heard, and I am come for thy words.
Isaiah 44:18 They have not known nor understood: for he
hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.
Proverbs 8:5 O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye
fools, be ye of an understanding heart.
Proverbs 2:2 So that thou incline thine ear unto
wisdom, and apply thine heart to
understanding;
1 Kings 3:9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge
thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge
this thy so great a people? 12 Behold,
I have done according to thy words: lo, I
have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was
none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
On the other hand when the bible speaks of a lack of
understanding it speaks of a heart that has been hardened as we see in the
following Scriptures.
Job 17:4 For thou
hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt
them.
Ephesians 4:18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God
through the ignorance that is in them, because
of the blindness of their heart:
Acts 28:27 For the
heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of
hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears, and understand
with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
John 12:40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they
should not see with their eyes, nor
understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
So
you see, when we see the word of God speak of the heart he is always speaking
of the understanding or lack of understanding depending on if the heart has
been hardened and cannot understand, or if the heart is soft and flexible.
To
see this in real life just look at the leftist liberal mentality or the ultra right
wing mentality, and you see there is not flexibility in their stands at all.
They see things in such a way that they are not open to anything outside their
preconceived notion.
You
see that in science, and education and in almost every aspect of life, but take
it that into religion and magnify it,
and that is why you see that many of the wars were over religious doctrine, and
they killed you for not agreeing with them. And that is because as we read in 2 Corinthians 3
if you are Baptist you have a Baptist filter or a Baptist veil over your eyes
and you can only see Baptist dogma. The
same goes for every denomination. They have a filter of their denomination over
the eyes of their understanding.
As
Paul says in Ephesians 1:18 The eyes of your
understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his
calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
And
Brother Branham defined the denominational spirit as "if you are not
looking through my glasses you are not looking at all."
Modern events made clear by prophecy 65-1206 P:29 And notice, they missed seeing the confirmation of
the prophecies of God's Word being fulfilled. If those priests... They had
it fixed up just exactly the way the Messiah was going to come; they knowed
what was going to take place. The Pharisees had their idea, the Sadducees,
Herodians, and, oh, they had their ideas. But He come, not... He
come contrary to every one of them, but exactly with the Word. Jesus said
the same thing was here: "If
you would've known Me, you should've known My day. If you had knowed, you'd... You say, 'Well,
Moses... We have Moses.'" Said, "Why, if you had believed Moses, you'd believe Me;
because he wrote of Me." But,
see, when God was confirming exactly what He promised, they had it in some kind
of a dignified way that Jesus was supposed to come, and the... I mean the
Messiah... The Messiah had to come right to their group or He wasn't
Messiah. Well, it's that way almost today, "If you don't see through my glasses,
you're not looking at all." See? And so that's just the way
it is. We... That's the truth. We hate to think that, but it's absolutely the
truth.
So
in getting back to 2 Corinthians 3 and picking up at verse 17 we
hear the Apostle Paul say, "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with open face
beholding as in a glass (beholding in the looking glass of God's Word we see)
the glory of the Lord, and we are changed into the same image from glory
to glory, even as by
the Spirit of the Lord.
So we
see that the Holy Spirit takes us from the image of who we are to the image of
Who we see in the Word. He takes us from our own glory, our own opinions,
values and judgments to God's very own
opinions, values and judgments that we see in God's Word.
As Paul
taught us in Romans 12:1-3 that we are
transformed by the renewing of the mind.
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. Or as the NIV
says, "which
is your spiritual act of 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.
Or
perhaps we should read it this way,
2 And
be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that
ye may prove the will of God
that it is good, acceptable and perfect. And
then Paul tells us this also changes the way we act and even think of ourselves
when he says, 3 For I say, through the grace given unto
me, to every man that is among you, not
to think of himself more highly than he ought to
think; but to think soberly,
according as God hath dealt to every man
the measure of faith. What measure? The Measure, the same
measure Christ Jesus had. We are not to live by a different measure of faith
than the son of God had, we are to live by the faith of the son of God, period.
same revelation. We are sons of God.
From
his sermon, Identification 63-0123 P:65 brother
Branham said, "Now, we notice that... If you were in that day, what group
would you be identified with? With the prophet with the vindicated Word,
although they were in the minority? Or would you be with the popular
opinion folks? "Well, I tell you; I believe that man's
crazy." And the only way that you'd ever know he wasn't crazy is for the
same God to reveal to you the same thing He'd revealed to Moses. And the only way that we'll ever be
able to be the images of God, and the sons of God, is for God to reveal to us,
and express Himself through His Word to us, and us to the world.
That's the only channel, for Christ was the Image here on earth that you
could see God in a man, expressed Image of God, because God was
in Him so much that they were One. And now when Christ left, He
sanctified the church that the church might take His place and express
the Word of God. See? That's the only way it can be done. Oh, my.
And as
he continues in Identification 63-0123 P:66 brother
Branham says, "Would you be with the popular folks who had the
popular opinion? "As long as I belong to church, and maybe because
I danced in the Spirit I'm all right." Maybe, "Because I've spoken
with tongues, I'm all right." Or maybe, "We got a good pastor, and
I'm all right." Now, those things are loyal. I have nothing to say against
that. That's true. But this plan of salvation is an individual affair with you.
Speaking in tongues is a gift of God. Dancing in the Spirit is the Presence and
glory of God. But for you to let your character be molded into the image
of God, that He projects Himself, and you are His idol walking on
the earth, the expressed image of Him...Now, would you be willing to do
that in the days of Noah? Or would you have been on the critical side,
criticizing both the prophet and his God-sent message? Now, think of it. Which
side would you think, in your present estate now, would you took? Now, be
honest, I... (Pardon me.) There's no need in me trying to say it. You got to
think it yourself.
Now,
in getting back to our text, we pick up in Hebrews 1:3 and the express image
of his person,
and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself
purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
And
so see that the same Greek word hupostasis was used in Hebrews 11:1 as speaking of Faith being the substance and then we see that
Faith is the person.
Now,
this morning I want to look at the other word that Faith is spoken of here by
the Apostle Paul. because he said that Faith is not only the substance of the
person of God, but Faith is also the evidence of what we cannot see physically.
Hebrews 11:11 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence (proof, conviction:--evidence, reproof) of things not seen.
And
it is this evidence that we wish to examine this morning as this word evidence
is a totally different word than the word substance. As substance it speaks of
the person of God, our Faith is in Him and He is the Word, but Faith being the
evidence it
speaks of something totally different altogether. Because the words substance
and Evidence are two different words and Therefore they mean two different
things.
Now,
the Greek word that was translated as the word evidence
is elegchos and it means proof, conviction:--evidence.
So
let's just break these words down for a moment.
When
we speak of Faith as the proof of things not seen,
since the word proof means "the evidence sufficient to
establish a thing as true, or to produce belief in its truth".
When we speak of Faith being the conviction of things not seen,
we see that Faith is a "fixed
and firm belief".
Therefore when we speak of Faith being the evidence of things not seen,
we see then that Faith, our conviction,
is something that makes plain or clear; and it is an indication or the sign of that which the physical eye cannot see:
So
we are looking at Faith as something that although it is in the mind, in the
belief, in the conviction, yet it is more real than what we see in our physical
dimension three dimensions.
Brother
Branham called it the sixth sense. Because it cannot be perceived by the five
senses, but it comes from the heart, and it comes from a heart that has been enlightened
to God's Word.
Third
Exodus 63-0630M P:95 Reason will try
it's best to recognize... "Well, this system's bound to be better.
This is that." It looks better because you're looking with a
intellectual mind. You can prove reasonings, but you can't
prove faith; 'cause if you could prove it, it's no longer faith.
But faith knows only
the Word and the promise, and it looks to that thing that you do not see.
"Faith
is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." You
can't reason. I can't prove how it'll be done. I don't know
how it's going to be done. I don't know it, but I believe it.
I know that it's so, because
God said so. That settles it. That's the reason I know
that this is right. I know the Word's right. I know the
message is right. For it's in the Word, and I see the living God
moving among it to prove it.
Sirs
we would see Jesus 57-1211 P:55 One of the managers, Dr. Vayle and I was arguing
that for an hour and a half the other day. He tried to say hope and faith is the
same thing. I said, "No, hope is what you're looking for,
and faith is what you got by hoping." That's right.
Certainly. It's not
a hope any longer when you've got it. It's yours. It's
in possession; you got it just as happy as you can be, for it is
the substance of things hoped for. Now, this little woman said within
her heart; her faith said, "If I can touch Him, it'll satisfy me." Amen.
Oh, I wish we could have that faith in Newark tonight. "If I can touch Him..." Could
you do it? Yes, He's a
high a priest, ever liveth to make intercession, that can be touched by the
feeling of our infirmities. Touch Him and find out whether it's right or not.
See if we're just saying this to be standing here. See if the Word's right.
If that's not right, where are you. What hope could you build yourself in?
See
what he is trying to say here? Faith is the Substance of things hoped for. So
God gives us promises in his word, and our believing God's Word activates
within our believing heart a hope, which is an earnest expectation of receiving
that promise. But once you have received it, you no longer have to earnestly
expect it, because it is already yours. So
hope is finished when you have received the reality of the expected promise.
But
Faith is even more powerful than our hope because Faith is the evidence that it
is already a finished work. And that is based on our belief in the unfailing
reality of the Living Word of God.
From
his sermon What does it take make a Christian life
57-0113 P:35 brother Branham said, "The Holy Spirit will make every movement like
Christ. It'll make you Christ-like. The fruits of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
goodness, meekness, gentleness, patience, faith. Those things are what the Holy Spirit controls, our
emotions. Our emotions is not so much as jumping up-and-down. You could
do that. A shindig will bring that to you. But the Holy Spirit brings you
into operation, or in control of God, that you walk in peace and in love and in joy with longsuffering, goodness,
meekness, gentleness, patience. You see? It isn't something that you do.
It's something the
Holy Spirit does in you. You see, it's no longer an
intellectual thought of your own; it's a subconscious moving of
the Holy Spirit. Oh, I wish I could shout the praises of God around the
world to that. Church of the living God, there's where our Pentecostal move
failed. We have some manmade musical, clap hands, jump up-and-down emotion.
When if we go back out on the street and the Holy Spirit doesn't govern
our lives to cooperate with that, we have not got the Holy Spirit.
That's not skim milk. But, brother, that's what the church needs. Only
life can come by the Holy Spirit.
Look, Romans 8:11 tells us 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up
Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he
that raised up Christ from the dead shall
also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
See? then it is not you
controlling your movements in your body, but His Spirit living in you that is
moving you to will and to do.
Philippians
2:13 For it is God which
worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Then I implore you my brothers
and sisters, with all of your strength, with all your soul, with all you mind,
seek God for his Holy Spirit, for Jesus himself said, "He
that hungers and thirsts for righteousness will be filled."
Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye
shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Luke 11:9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be
given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
Accepting God's provided way 63-0115 P:68 Well, that's the way we're supposed to do. If I see a promise in the
Bible that's God's Word, then I just stay there and cry out till God gives it
to me. And He'd do that to get you off His hands. You see? That
would be in the natural. But He's wanting you to do it. He
likes for you to ask. "Ask abundantly that your joys
might be full." Yeah. Cry
until His Word is vindicated. Now, friend, let's watch just a minute
now. Cry until the Word is a-vindicated. The trouble of it is,
we get a cookie and think that's all there is. There's a whole table full.
We get so we can speak in tongues; we say "Oh, brother, that's it."
Oh, no. That ain't it. That's just some of it. That's right. "Oh, I
got happy enough to shout." That's some more of it. But there's a whole
lot more of it. Just keep on crying out until... That's God's provided way for
His people. God's provided way always is to take His Word and hold onto It
until It's a-vindicated to you. Now, do you follow me? God--a
provided way... Hold on to the promise until it's made manifest to you.
Thou son of David have mercy on me 61-0215 P:38 We think we'll exhaust His bountiful
blessings. We think,
"Well, I asked God to give me my daily bread. I shouldn't ask Him too many
things." Oh, my. Could you imagine a little fish about that long, way out
in the middle of this ocean, saying, "Wait, I'd better drink of this water
sparingly. I might run out someday." Could you imagine a little mouse
about that big under the great garners of Egypt, saying, "I better
allowance myself to one half a grain of wheat a day. I might run out before
next harvest." My. Well, that would... Just multiply that by a hundred
billion, and you try to exhaust God's goodness and mercy. He's trying to
force His way into you, everything He can. Ask
abundantly that your joys might be full. He wants his people to be happy, asking
great things, believing for great things. You are a city sets on a hill, high ambitions, expectations. Well,
mercy, if we see the blind receive their sight tonight, I want to see the
dead raised tomorrow night. Yes, sir. And I want to... I just keep on believing for
greater things. When the church begin to receive the Holy Ghost
and speak in tongues, why did you settle down on that? My, just
keep moving on. Go on to the promised land. We're on our way to the promised
land. Sure, just don't take just one thing. Say, "Well, we'll
just... Have you spoke in tongues? Well, you haven't got a great blessing till
you got..." Well, you ought to be a million miles up the road from that
right now, sure, greater things, high expectations. Certainly.
Look,
Paul said in Romans
8:15 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. 16 The
Spirit Itself (he's talking about God's Spirit) beareth witness with
our spirit, that we are the
children of God: (You
want that? ask! How many in here would love to see your life so filled with his
Spirit that all your thoughts are of God? How many of you would like to see a
real moving of the Holy Ghost in your own Life? How many of you are tired of
asking but not receiving? Then ask abundantly, seek and ye shall find, knock
and it shall be opened, but you've got to knock and knock and knock, and then
when you get an answer knock even louder until you receive it all. Look at the
attitude of Br. Branham. He said, " if we see the blind receive their sight tonight, I want to
see the dead raised tomorrow night. Yes, sir. And I
want to... I just
keep on believing for greater things.)
You
all believe you have His Spirit living in You? Then you're children right? His
Children. Then if you're His children, then Paul says, 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 which shall be revealed in (who?) In us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature
waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Just look at children for an
example. Little children, even your babies.
If they want milk they cry until
they get what they want.
If they want a dry diaper, they
cry until they get what they want.
If they want to be held, they cry
until they get what they want.
They don't negotiate with Momma.
They cry out. It's not a game with baby, its not a power trip with baby, it's a
need, and Momma fulfills that need.
They don't think, "well if I cry for milk, I might not get my
diaper changed because I'm asking too much, so I better decide which thing I
want". Or "if I cry for my
diaper to be changed I might not get held". They just cry and cry an
cry until they get what they want.
They just keep asking, and
knocking and crying until they get what they want. And Jesus said,
In fact
Jesus said in Matthew 18:3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as
little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself
as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoso shall receive
one such little child in my name receiveth me. 6 But whoso shall offend one of these little
ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged
about his neck, and that he were drowned in the
depth of the sea.
And he
also told us that when we go to God we must be like the woman who kept on
knocking at the unjust Judges door.
Luke 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and
not to faint; 2 Saying, There was in
a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying,
Avenge me of mine adversary. 4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within
himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5 Yet because this widow
troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 6 And
the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 7 And shall
not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear
long with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of
man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
When
God has placed a need in your heart, and you have checked your objective
and your motive and when you see it is
the will of God because you see it in HIs Word, then you become driven in your
desire to obtain and fulfill that need. And when you are driven there is
nothing that will stand between you and that thing that drives you. When you
are driven whatever stands before you and that desire does not even exist in
your mind.
And
that is the evidence itself of the thing hoped for. The evidence or the proof
that the promise is for you is that you just know within that God has given you
that thing. he promised in His Word, and he has quickened it to you in your
spirit, and then there is only one thing left and that is for His Word to start
the manifestation process of that promise until that promise becomes from the dimension
of the Soul to the 5 dimensions you live in.
You
don't know how God will do it, but you know he promised it and you believe it
is for you, and you look only to what His Word said about it, and the more you
feed that Word of promise to your Spirit the more it waters that promise and
gives life to that promise until that promise can no longer stay hidden, but
must come into manifestation.
When Rebecca
came to the well and watered Eliezer's camels, un be known to her, she was
watering the very power that would pack her home to her promised Groom, Isaac.
Genesis 24:42 And I came this day unto the well, and said,
O LORD God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go: 43 Behold, I stand by the well of water; and
it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little
water of thy pitcher to drink; 44 And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I
will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the LORD hath appointed out for my
master's son. 45 And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah
came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well,
and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink,
I pray thee. 46 And she made haste, and let down her pitcher
from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: so I
drank, and she made the camels drink
also.
Now,
let's pick up at verse 61 to see the fulfillment of the promise. 61 And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed
the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way. 62 And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahairoi;
for he dwelt in the south country. 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field
at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming. 64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when
she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel. 65 For she had said
unto the servant, What man is this that walketh
in the field to meet us? And the servant had said,
It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and
covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all things that
he had done. 67 And Isaac brought her into his mother
Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac
was comforted after his mother's death.
Jehovah
Jireh part 2 62-0706 P:66 How that Rebekah watered that camel in the
cool of the evening. Eliezer didn't find her in the morning. He never
found her at noontime; he found her in the evening light. "It shall be
Light in the evening time." Right. That's where he found her. She veiled
her face. She had no head; she was going to her head. Amen. A woman, it's her
nature, of a woman, to surrender to a man. And it's the nature of the
church to surrender to Christ, surrender to His will. Just
surrender. She has no thinking of her own; she takes His Word,
not somebody else's. If Eve would've done that, we'd have never had to
die; but she listened to reasonings. But the real Bride of Christ takes
the Headship of Christ, the Word, and only believes God's Word. That's
the real, the restored Bride. Hallelujah. It's nearly time, friends; it's later
than you think. We're at the evening time. The Holy Spirit's here tonight. I
know it's a little, bitty group.
Questions
and answers COD 64-0830M P:137 And so they went down, and this beautiful Rebekah
come out and got the water and he prayed, and water the camel and
whatevermore. And then, you'll notice Rebekah had... The final choice had to
come to Rebekah. He asked the father for the girl; he asked the mother for the
girl; and they neither one could agree. Wanted her to stay awhile. He said,
"Don't hinder me on my work."And Rebekah had to make the choice,
'cause he said, "She is the maid; let her make the choice."And
as soon as it was made to her, quickly her mind was made up; she said,
"I'll go." And she mounted upon the camel and went to meet the... Look,
the very camel she watered was the camel that packed her to her bridegroom
and all of her success. And the very camel, the very power of (that beast in
the Bible represents power)... And the very power that we give water and praise
to (Amen. See?), water, life, praise to the Word, is the very thing that packs
us into the gloryland to meet the Bridegroom. Yes, sir. Amen. Watching for the
coming of that glad Millennium day; When our blessed Lord shall come, Catch His
waiting Bride away.
Earnestly
contending for the faith 53-0614A P:78 And the beautiful Rebekah come out. And
he said, "Now, ever who waters this camel" he said,
"Lord, let that be the one You've chosen." And Rebekah went and watered
the camel, and give them a drink, and then watered the animal. Look, the
very animal that she was watering... The animal represents a beast,
of course, a beast of burden, which means "power" in the Bible. And the very
animal that she was watering, was the very animal that packed her to see her bridegroom.
Is that right? And what is watering? The very power that we're watering
now with praises, and thanksgiving, and glory, and power, and might, is the
very Holy Spirit that'll pack us up to see Jesus someday.
Why
are we not a denomination? 58-0927 P:29 Did you notice Rebekah, when Eliezer
found her, it was in the evening time, and she watered the
camel. 'Cause Eliezer said, "If the damsel that comes and waters this
camel, that will be the--and gives me, a drink, that will be the one that You
have chosen, Lord, to be the bride of Your servant, Isaac." And
while he was yet in prayer, Rebekah come and drawed water and give him a drink,
and watered the camel. Notice, the camel was a beast. And that
same beast that she was watering was the one who packed her to her BrideGroom,
Isaac.
Now in closing
let me read from br. Branham sermon Questions and
answers COD 61-0112 P:119 If you noticed, in Matthew
18:10,
He was speaking about taking little children. They was little children, little
tots, three or four years old, picked them up. "They brought unto Him children, child." Children comes from the name of "child." A
child is just a little-little fellow, not an infant but just between that an infant
and a teen-ager. See? It's not responsible yet for itself. Now, He said, "Take heed that you don't despise." If you'd really take
the interpretation of that word is "mistreat." See, "To mistreat one of those."
Mistreat a child, you should never do that. They're children; they don't know.
See? And now notice, said, "Because
their angels always beholds My Father's face which is in heaven." You see? In other words, "Their angels, their messengers, their bodies, angelic bodies
that they'll go to if they die, are always before My Father's face in heaven." See?
Now, at
this time we are going to shift our message to hold a dedication for little Iris Rae Shearer. And while brother
Joshua and sister Rhoda Shearer come forward with their little baby Iris Rae let
me read from brother Branham's Teaching on Moses
56-0513 P:122 where he said,. Isn't that beautiful? Now, "Jesus Loves The Little
Children Of The World." Give us a chord, sister. (And if
our piano player will come forward at this time and strike up the tune, let's
all sing together) Now, you all turn right around this way to me,
you little girls. I want to sing, "Jesus Loves The Little Children Of
The World." How many knows it? All right, let's sing now. Jesus
loves the little children, All the children of the world; Red and yellow, black
and white, They are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of
the world.
Brother
Branham in speaking about dedicating our children he said in his sermon Enticing spirits 55-0724 P:9 Now, the way we try to follow it here at the
Tabernacle, it's the only place in the world that I go that I preach doctrine,
is here at the Tabernacle, because this is our church. And we preach doctrine
here to keep the people lined up. Other men in their churches, they preach
whatever they believe. And they're my brothers, and we might differ a little
bit, but we're still brothers just the same. And, but here in the
Tabernacle we preach what we think is Scriptural doctrine, and in there, we see
for the dedication of children, what we call a Dedication. The only
time in the Bible that we can find out of where, in the New Testament, that
where a little children was ever had anything to do, or Christ had anything to
do in it in the ceremony, was He taken them
up in His arms and laid His hands upon them and blessed them and said, "Suffer little children to come to Me. Forbid them not,
for such is the Kingdom of God."
Luke 18:15 And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it,
they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me,
and forbid them not: for of such
is the kingdom of God. 17 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever
shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.
Mark 10:13 And they brought young children to him, that
he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked
those that brought them. 14 But when Jesus saw it,
he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the
little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom
of God. 15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not
receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. 16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them,
and blessed them.
Matthew 19:13 Then were there brought unto him little children,
that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and
the disciples rebuked them. 14 But Jesus said, Suffer
little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom
of heaven. 15 And he laid his
hands on them, and departed thence.
Now, as I lay my hands upon little
Iris
Rae shearer in fulfillment of Scripture let us bow our heads in prayer
together...