God’s Only
Provided Place of Worship # 97
Brian Kocourek,November 26, 1995
Subject
to Every Promise
Last night we examined our paragraph no. 63 and we found there to
be three distinct points being laid out before us. We took as Point # I )
a living Word of the living God. Point #2 ) , His sons in the Word
age quickened by the Spirit like a spark that's lit off of
something to make it alive.
And Point #3 ) alive and subject to
every promise in the Word. Now, let's read the paragraph again and see
if these three points stick out to us more clearly. PP. 263 The
headstone crying what? "Grace! Grace!" Passed
from death and creed, into a living Word of the living
God. God's only provided plan for His age, His sons in the Word
age quickened by the Spirit like a spark that's lit off of
something to make it alive; and seated now in heavenly places (in
present tense), already alive and subject to every promise
in the Word
Now last night we examined this second point where we
find ourselves looking at an event in which seven pieces must come
together in order for this event to take place. . (#1) We are dealing with "His
sons (#2) we find the season for
this event when we hear him tell us in the Word age (#3) we see what the event is itself,
when it is described as a quickening (#4) tells us Who does this
quickening when he says, by the Spirit
(#5) describes what this
quickening is like and the way in which it happens when he uses the words,
like a spark that's lit off (#6) tells us that it
doesn't come forth of Itself but there is another that is the driving force
behind this event when he says that it is lit off of something (#7)
tells us what the end result of this quickening or being lit off is supposed to
produce when he says, to make it alive.
Piece
number 1) We dealt with "His sons. God's
very own Sons, . and we read from [
I John 3:1-2 & 2 Cor 3:18] where we find the
scriptures telling us that we are already sons, but we just don't look like it
yet. We just haven't fully manifested it
yet, but at the Appearing we shall see Him as He really is, and then the Word
will begin to transform us which means it will begin to take a hold of every
fiber of our body, and when Word becomes piled upon Word, The Word will bring
forth a change in us, from Image to Image and from Glory to Glory. We also read from [ Acts
17: 28-29] where we are told that we are His Offspring and that In
Him we move and have are very being. And remember, He is the Word. Then again we also read in Romans
[ Romans 8: 14 - 32]
that as Sons of God, we are Led
by His Spirit which we know Jesus said, "My Words are Spirit and they are
Life." And so we see then that as True Sons we are only moved by the Word
of God. What His Word says do, we do.
That is exactly what Jesus said in [St. John 8:37] that He as a Son did
Himself. He said, "I Speak that which I have
seen with My Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your Father." I
think it is worthy of noting here that Jesus says He speak while he refers to
the Serpent Seed as those who do. So we
see the emphasis is placed on the Spoken Word here.
We also found in [Romans 8] that as sons, we
are already predestined to be conformed to the Image of our Eldest brother
Jesus. So if we are already predestined, or predetermined, then our Father God
must have already placed within us all the ingredients, so to speak, to make
this happen. He knew that the Light, ( His Word) Has a
quickening agent in it to cause a reaction that will bring forth Life, and
therefore He placed in us a gene that will respond to that Light and begin the
process of Becoming. "And to them gave He power to become Sons of God" we found in [ II Corinthians 6:
14 -18 ]] that because we are God's Elect we must never marry an
unbeliever, because to do so would pollute the God - Life Seed strain in us. He
said, "I
will dwell in them, and walk in [them]; and I will be their God, and they shall
be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the
Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you, And will be a
Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord
Almighty.
In [Galatians 4: 1-7] We found that as Children
of God then we are joint heirs with Christ, And because ye are sons, God
hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then
an heir of God through Christ.
In [ Philippians 2:
14 - 16] we read, For it is God which worketh
in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure; And so we
should Hold forth the word of life;
Then we studied [ Hebrews 2: 1 - 18] where we could see the relationship of our brotherhood with
Jesus and all the benefits that we are to receive from this relationship. Therefore we ought to give the more
earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let
[them] slip. We found also in [ Hebrews
12: 7-8] how God deals with us as Children and that chastisement from God
our Father is one means of moving and motivating us in our inner renewal and
our outward conformity to His Will. If
ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons;.... Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward
it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto
them which are exercised thereby.
In Piece number 2) we found that the season for this event is to be in
the Word age Where we found in [John 12:44-48] Jesus telling us, the word
that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. We also found
other evidence of this Word age as brother Branham put it in [
2 Thessalonians 1: 10 ] Where Paul said, His Message would be believed in that day... And
in [ 1 Thessalonians ] And also in
[1 Peter 1] and [ Revelations
10: 1 - 7] & [ Acts 3: 19 - 23] & [ 1 Corinthians 13: 9 - 12] & [ Malachi
4: 5 - 6] & [ Joel 3 23-29] and so many other scriptures, that the end-time is identified to us with
a Message coming forth from God, or as Brother Branham put it, the Word Age
because this is the time Promised to us that God would fulfill His Word to us
by personally bringing down His Word to wrap things up in His Great Plan of
redemption.
In Piece number 3) we found that the event that Brother Branham is
referring to in the Age of the Word is a quickening which means to make alive
or give life to. We found evidence of this in [Ephesians 2: 1 - 10]
& [ Colossians 2: 1-15] As ye
have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, [so] walk ye in him: Rooted and
built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye
have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. And ye are complete in
him, and you hath He quickened together with him, having forgiven you all
trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us,
which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Now this morning I want to pick up at Point number
4) Where brother Branham tells us Who does this quickening when he says, "by the Spirit". In [ Romans 8: 9 - 14] we
read, 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. We also find this Quickening spoken of in [ 1 Peter 3 : 18] where we
read, For Christ also hath once
suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God,
being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
In Piece number 5) Brother Branham describes what this quickening is like and the way in
which it happens when he uses the words, "like a
spark that's lit off" and
if you'll open your Bibles this morning to [ 1 Corinthians 15:
34 - 58] we'll see this scripture tells us of the process of Life and how
it come up and how it continues all the way through up to and including the
receiving of our glorified bodies. But I also want you to notice that the
entire process starts
by our being quickened in our Spirit and then the Word which quickens us
begins to form a body around it just as Brother Branham has taught us.
1 Corinthians 15: 34 - 58] Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some
have not the knowledge of God: I speak [this] to your shame. But some [man] will say, How
are the dead raised up? and with what body do they
come? [Thou] fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou
sowest, thou sowest not
that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some
other [grain]: But God giveth it a body as it hath
pleased him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh [is] not the same flesh:
but [there is] one [kind of] flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of
fishes, [and] another of birds. [There
are] also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the
celestial [is] one, and the [glory] of the terrestrial [is] another. [There is] one glory of the sun, and another
glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for [one] star differeth from [another] star in glory. So also [is] the
resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in
incorruption: It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in
weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a
spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so
it is written, The first man Adam was made a living
soul; the last Adam [was made] a quickening spirit. Howbeit
that [was] not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and
afterward that which is spiritual. The first man [is] of the earth,
earthy: the second man [is] the Lord from heaven. As [is] the earthy, such
[are] they also that are earthy: and as [is] the heavenly, such [are] they also
that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also
bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood
cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit
incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall
all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for
the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we
shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this
mortal [must] put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on
incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then
shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in
victory. O death, where [is] thy sting? O grave, where [is] thy victory? The
sting of death [is] sin; and the strength of sin [is] the law. But thanks [be]
to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast,
unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,
Forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Now this leads us to Piece number 6) that tells
us that this quickening doesn't come forth of Itself, but there is another that
is the driving force behind this event when he says that this event is lit "off
of something". So we again turn to the Scriptures and in [ Colossians 3: 4]we read, When Christ, [who is] our life, shall appear,
then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
We also know as we have already read, [ 1
John 3: 2] & [2 Corinthians 3: 18]and various other Scriptures
that our quickening is a reaction to the Light of God. And in [John 1: 4] that in this Light
is Life! In fact in [ Ephesians 5] We
find that all things that are manifested, are manifested by Light for Light is
what manifests. So therefore we can see, that Light is an essential element in
bringing forth Life. In fact in [ 2 Peter 1: 1 - 4] we
find that all that we have need of pertaining to Life and receiving of the
Divine nature of God comes through His Word. Even Grace and Peace are
multiplied through the Knowledge of God.
And this brings us to Piece number 7)
where Brother Branham tells us what the end result of this quickening or being
lit off is supposed to produce when he says, "to make it alive". And so we again turn to the Scripture
to verify this as we read from [II
Timothy 1:10] But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath
brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: [Ephesians 5:8]
For ye were sometimes darkness, but now [are ye] light in the Lord: walk as children
of light: 5:13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest
by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. 5:14 Wherefore
he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from
the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
And now with these Seven
pieces coming together, which represented the 2nd point of our three point
sentence, I would like to again reread this paragraph to you and proceed with
Point number #3.
PP. 263 The headstone crying what? "Grace! Grace!" Passed from death and creed, into a living Word
of the living God. God's only provided plan for His age, His
sons in the Word age quickened by the Spirit like a spark that's
lit off of something to make it alive; and seated now in heavenly
places (in present tense), already alive and subject to
every promise in the Word
Now this morning I would like to proceed with this
third Point here as we heard Brother Branham say, "Alive
and subject to every promise in the Word". I hope now we can see how important
these seven pieces that came together for our Point Number two are in
understanding Point number three. Something had to come forth to quicken us at
this end-time Word Age to make us Alive so that we can become subject to
every promise that God has for us in His Word.
Now this is a tremendous statement in itself. Just think of what he said
here. "Alive and subject
to every promise in the Word".
Now again this statement could be broken down into a
few pieces in order to be able to understand it better, but we already have reviewed
this process of being made alive, so what I would like to concentrate on for
the rest of this Message this morning is the second part of this thought here
that says, and subject
to every promise in the Word.
Now what does it mean to be subject to every
promise in the Word? That's what
we want to know. In order to understand this we must first ask ourselves what
it means to be subject to anything. What does the word subject mean anyway? In Webster's
Second College Edition, we read, Subject: to place under, or bring
under the authority or control of, liable to receive
Now, I want you to notice how Brother Branham said
this statement here, notice that he said, "Alive
and subject to every promise in the Word". Now, there are certain laws that God has set
forth that will work for every one such as sewing and reaping. But we are not
talking about those laws that apply here to every one. What He is telling us
here is that We who are Sons of God and have been made alive, we are then
brought into a place or condition to where every Promise that is contained in
the Word of God is within our grasp and because we alone have been made subject
to them, then we are talking about a group of people who have been singled out
and who are set apart from all others in that they are subject to EVERY promise
contained in the Word of God as opposed to just some of the promises.
In order for you to understand what I am driving at
here, let me first explain what I mean. As I said, there are certain promises
that God has laid down as laws such as sowing and reaping which if you sow, you
shall also reap. But there are also others promises in the Bible such as
"If a man regard iniquity in his heart the Lord will not hear his
prayer." Now these are not the
same thing. One is a law that if you sow you shall also reap what you sow. But
the other doesn't
specifically have to do with sowing at all. He said that one day
our relationship with Him will be such that before we even ask, He will answer.
So in this case your prayers and requests will be answered even before you have
done any ground work and any such sowing. But on the other hand, based upon the
law of sowing and reaping a man could sow and sow and sow and he shall reap
even if none of His prayers are ever answered. That is why the wicked seem to
do so well so often. It is not God blessing them, but God is honoring a law
that he set forth. And if the wicked really put forth the effort to sow, then
they will get a return on their invested time. But let's face it, their sowing
is but for a season and so shall their reaping bring forth only for a season.
But what Brother Branham is talking about here goes far beyond just a seasonal
thing. He is talking about a relationship that is Eternal. That is In Christ,
and in this age gets kicked into gear and will last for ever. And that is why
he said,, this processing of being quickened takes us
to the place of becoming "Alive and makes us
subject to every promise in the Word". Not just some of
the promises that apply to whosoever, But specifically a group who EVERY
promise applies to and there are over 800 promises contained in This Book
called the Bible that apply to you and me and every one of them we are
subjected too because of a special relationship which we have with our Heavenly
Father Who has come down to give us our desires.
E-73
UNCERTAIN.SOUND 61-0429 The works that
He did, we can do also. There's nothing uncertain about it. All of His
promises are yes to us. We're living in the last days. We see everything just
exactly the way He said. So there's nothing uncertain. You can believe it, put your trust in it.
E-34
JESUS.AROSE 56-0405 And I
believe that the right mental attitude towards any of those Divine promises
will bring them to pass.
E-72
WE.WOULD.SEE.JESUS 62-0627 And now, here in the last days, the closing
out, with the promise of Christ and hundreds of more promises of these
things would happen, then if we would want to see Him and want to know Who
He is, He's got to be the same yesterday, today, and forever. That's right. Got
to be the same, Jesus promised it the same.
And "Sirs, we would see Jesus." How would you know Him?
E-67
SCRIPTURAL.SIGNS.OF.THE.TIME
64-0410 `A greater than Solomon is here,' and I know
that that's prophesied to return. And it hasn't been in the world for hundreds,
and hundreds, and thousands of years--but you promised it would return again
in the last days according to Malachi 4, and promised in St. Luke 17, and all
these other promises... "You
said it would be here when the Son of man revealed Himself, because it has to
be the Word. Because `In the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God, and the Word was God... The Word was made flesh and
dwelt among us.' And the Word discerns the thoughts."
[II Peter 3:4] And saying, Where
is the promise of his coming? for since the
fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of
the creation. 9 The Lord is not slack
concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is
longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance. 13 Nevertheless we,
according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
[Acts 2:39] For
the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar
off, [even] as many as the Lord our God shall call.
[Romans 4:13] For the promise,
that he should be the heir of the world, [was] not to Abraham, or to his seed,
through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For
if they which are of the law [be] heirs, faith is made void, and the promise
made of none effect: 15 Because
the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, [there
is] no transgression. 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, 17 (As it is written, I
have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, [even]
God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth
those things which be not as though they were. 18 Who against hope believed in hope,
that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was
spoken, So shall thy seed be. 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: 20 He staggered not at the
promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
[Romans 9:8] That is, They
which are the children of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God: but the
children of the promise are counted for the seed.
[Galatians 3:14] That the blessing of Abraham might
come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise
of the Spirit through faith. 18 For if the inheritance
[be] of the law, [it is] no more of promise: but God gave [it] to Abraham by
promise. 19 Wherefore then
[serveth] the law? It was added because of
transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made;
[and it was] ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. 22 But
the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus
Christ might be given to them that believe. 29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye
Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
[Galatians 4:23] But he
[who was] of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman
[was] by promise. 28 Now
we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
[Ephesians 1:13] In whom ye also
[trusted], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation:
in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
[Ephesians 3:6] That the Gentiles
should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and
partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
[Ephesians 6:2] Honour
thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)
[I Timothy 4:8] For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all
things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to
come.
[II Timothy 1:1] Paul, an apostle of Jesus
Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in
Christ Jesus,
[Hebrews 4:1] Let us therefore fear, lest,
a promise being left [us] of entering into his rest, any of you should seem
to come short of it.
[Hebrews 6:15] And so, after he had patiently
endured, he obtained the promise. 17 Wherein God, willing
more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise
the immutability of his counsel, confirmed [it] by an oath:
[Hebrews 9:15] And for this cause he is the
mediator of the new testament, that by means of death,
for the redemption of the transgressions [that were] under the first testament,
they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
[Hebrews 10:36] For ye have need of patience, that,
after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
[Hebrews 11:9] By faith he sojourned in the land of
promise, as [in] a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and
Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 39 And these all, having obtained a
good report through faith, received not the promise:
[I John 2:25] And this is the promise that he
hath promised us, [even] eternal life.