God’s Only Provided Place of Worship # 110

Brian Kocourek, January 17, 1996

The Almost Christian

[Mark 12: 28-34] And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments [is], Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment. And the second [is] like, [namely] this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love [his] neighbor as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him [any question]. Let's pray.............

Dear Father, we see once again an illustration of the condition of the people were they were once again in an almost condition as Agrippa said, "Paul, thou almost persuadest me to be a Christian." And we hear these words echoing forth again this time from the lips of your Son Jesus when he spoke to the Scribe and said, "Thou art not far from the kingdom of God" and we see that all the people were afraid to ask another question. For fear that they also would be told that they were not an altogether believer as well. Father, we ask this evening that you would truly move upon us and fill us with such a love for your Word that we would have but one desire in Life and that is to be an altogether Christian. One who would be fit for Thy Kingdom. And we ask this in the Lovely name of your Son Who dies to make this possible.

This Evening I want to focus our attention on PP. [273-275] where Brother Branham said, water Baptism just brings you into a fellowship of a body of believers But what really matters is Spirit baptism." Just because you have been baptized in water does not make you a believer, nor does it mean that you have been baptized with the Holy Spirit, But when once that Holy Spirit really... genuine Word comes into you (the Word, Jesus), then, brother, the Message is no secret to you then; you know It, brother, It's all lit up before you.

Now what we are dealing with hear as you can see from brother Branham's statement is not just whether your conscience tells you that you are Ok. That won't do it, but whether that Word has become lit up to you. So in effect what I shall present to you tonight is a thought on this statement, and that is this. " How do I know when I have received God's Spirit in me? Notice Brother Branham said that water Baptism alone won't do it. We know that water Baptism is only an outer sign showing an inward work of cleansing is supposed to have taken place. But, notice, He said, "Just because you were Baptized correctly doesn't mean you are born again". He said, "you must be baptized with the Holy Ghost."

Then how do we know? By what means do we have confidence that we have been born again? What is our evidence or our assurance - or witness that we are born again and have been baptized with the Holy Spirit? And so we must ask ourselves this question. By what witness do we have confirmation that we have been truly born again? First of all we do know that the Holy Spirit is a down payment or earnest of our inheritance. We find this in [ Ephesians 1: 13 - 14 ] (read)

Secondly, we know that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is our hope of Glory, or the earnest expectation that God's mind shall become our mind as we find in [Colossians 1: 27, 2 Thess 1: 10 & 1 John 2: 19-21] You'll notice that when we receive this anointing upon our minds and our soul we are quickened to the Word of God as John said, We know all things."

Thirdly we know that we are truly looking at a birth, a genuine birth of a genuine Life that is coming forth into existence as we see in [ Colossians 3: 1-4, Gal 2: 20 and Eph 2: 1] and it comes by the Word [ 1 Pet 1: 23] Here we see that there are actually two different types of being born again. One which is denominational being born again of corruptible seed or word and the other being born again of the Word of God which is incorruptible in it's nature. Now notice, it speaks of seed and word and so if The incorruptible Seed is the Word of God then the other seed has to be a different sort of Word. And so when the Son of Man went forth sowing Good Seed or Good Word, Which is God Words, since Jesus said to call no man good but God. Then the man in black which we know is the devil followed behind sowing forth bad seed or bad word and both seed grew up together until the time of the harvest.

Now, knowing then that this new life or new birth comes by means of the Word of God, then we must ask ourselves, "What witness do we have that we are truly born again?"

In [ John 8: 12-19] we find Jesus Himself telling us in the mouth of two or three witnesses we are to establish a thing. If we read [John 5: 30-32] we see that we can not be our own witness for our witness does not count without that of another. So we see here that it is not just a matter of you having a good conscience about the matter, or a good witness within yourself because every denomination that teaches the new birth look to their own experience and to their own conscience to tell them if they have this or not. Jesus Himself said, "You can't go by your own words or your own testimony" because, let's face it, if this were true, then everyone who claimed to have it would have it based upon their own testimony. And as Brother Branham said, "Just because you say it doesn't make it so." Jesus said, "God is My witness".

And in [ Romans 1:9] Paul said the same thing. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;

[I John 5:6B] And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.[:7] For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. [:8]

And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. [:9] If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. [:10] He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. [:11] And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. [:12] He that hath the Son hath life; [and] he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. [:13]These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. [:14] And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: [:15] And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

[Romans 8:1- 9:1] [There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 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: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded [is] death; but to be spiritually minded [is] life and peace. Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ [be] in you, the body [is] dead because of sin; but the Spirit [is] life because of righteousness. 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.

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 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. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: So we see that His Spirit must bear witness with our Spirit. And what is His Spirit? Jesus said in [ John 6:63] My words are spirit and they are Life.

[Romans 2:15] Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and [their] thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another; Now here we find a people who have a conscience that bears witness but look at their testimony, accusing and excusing one another. So we see that just because someone's conscience might tell them they are born again, it does not necessarily hold true that they are. For evidence just look at al those in politics who claim they are and their own life is more indicative of a satanic influence than a Christ centered one. So you see, it is not just conscience of conscience sake because these people had a conscience that bore witness yet they did not hold to the Word. In fact Brother Branham himself said, "just because you believe this Bible does not mean you are born again, it only means you can read."

[Matthew 23:31-32] Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

[Luke 11:47-54] Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchers of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchers. Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and [some] of them they shall slay and persecute: That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered. Now he said, these men bore witness tot heir own actions and yet we know Paul did the same when he was killing Christians thinking he was doing God a service, yet outside of God's will. He wasn't serving God, he was serving the devil until God got a-hold of Him and gave him a mind change.

[Luke 12:1] In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

[John 1:6-15]

There was a man sent from God, whose name [was] John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all [men] through him might believe. He was not that Light, but [was sent] to bear witness of that Light. [That] was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

Now I will be reading a few scriptures here and what I want you to see is this. Jesus Himself said we had to have a witness outside of our own selves. Then He said, God was His witness. Then He said that God through His Vindication was His witness. So we see then the Word we serve, must be a manifested Word for the Hour and it must have been vindicated, and then this vindication becomes our witness.

[John 5:33-] Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. But I have greater witness than [that] of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. I receive not honor from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. How can ye believe, which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that [cometh] from God only? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is [one] that accuseth you, [even] Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

[ John 10:25] Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.

[Acts 15:8] And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as [he did] unto us;

It all comes down to this, ... Brother Branham said when we are Baptized with the Holy Spirit the Word becomes alive to us and becomes all lit up before us. [Hebrews 11:4] By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. So we see that His Faith which is revelation was his witness, because only the Father can give us revelation but it must come through the right channel which is His Prophets.