MASTERPIECE No. 18
Being A Part of God no. 2
The Spirit of adoption
Sunday morning, August 14,
2005
Rev. Brian Kocourek
This morning I would like to continue with our Study
from Br. Branham’s sermon called THE MASTERPIECE 64-0705 and we will begin reading again at
paragraph 16. This morning we will again
be looking at the thought on being a part of God.
Now, if you can remember
from one week to the next, you will recall that last week we read where brother
Branham was speaking about Br. Bill Dauch and that he was born again, and when
you are born again you just can’t get enough of the Word of God. In fact Jesus
said, “Blessed
are you when you hunger and thirst after right-wise-ness, for you shall be
filled.” Last week we showed how that the new birth is necessary for
you to receive a body change, for without a renewing of the mind, or as brother
Branham said you must receive a new heart which is a new way of thinking and a new
spirit which is a new desire that come from your new way of thinking, and then
you will receive God’s Spirit in you. And The apostle Paul told us that there
will be no body change for you unless you are renewed in the mind, for he said,
“You receive your
transformation by the renewing of your mind.”
Now, this morning let’s
turn to brother Branham’s sermon called THE
MASTERPIECE
64-070516 and let’s look again what
he said about the new birth. He was born again.
And when it was, something come into his heart, that all he lives for is to
attend these services.
King David said
in PSALMS 27:4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that
will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my
life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. 5 For in
the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his
tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
And of course brother
Branham used this verse of scripture for His text for his sermon on the
Rapture. And that is because the temple that David is speaking in which he
desires to dwell in all the days of his life is because God’s presence was
there. And David spoke of the Temple as being a hiding place, and he told us
what that hiding place was PSALMS 31:20 Thou shalt hide
them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them
secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.
Now, last
Sunday we examined what it means to be born again, and to be a part of God.
This Sunday we will again take up this same topic and go a little further in
our study to understand what it means to be a part of God.
Now, the reason
why I feel that it is important for us to know and understand our position in
the family of God is because there are many who teach in error today saying the
Bride is God, or that the fullness of the Godhead is in the Bride. The fullness
of the Godhead is not in the Bride. The fullness of the Godhead was in one man
and that Man is your older Brother Jesus.
Now, we do not
believe as the oneness or Unitarian’s believe, nor do we believe as the
Trinitarians believe. We believe correctly that there is only One God and he
had a Son and He came to earth and indwelt that Son to show Himself to
humanity. That is how the Word became Flesh. God indwelt His Son. God Who is
the Word, John 1:1, came into His Son, John 1:14.
Now, we began last
week by showing how that receiving the new birth is a series of events which
begins with receiving a heart which is a new way of thinking., and then a new
spirit comes forth from that new way of thinking and that new spirit is new
desires, and finally you are ready for God’s own Spirit or Life to come into
your vessel.
From the
sermon, IMPERSONATION OF CHRISTIANITY E-42 But God
had to give you a new spirit. Why, the spirit you had, you couldn't even get
along with yourself. So how are you going to get along with God? So God had to give you a new heart, not a patched up one, a
new heart. That's your intellects that you think with, a new way of thinking.
Then when He give you a new way of thinking, "Yes, that's right…....
And then in the
next paragraph E-43 he says, “Then after that, "Then I'll give you a new
spirit." What's that? A new desire, "I want to do right.."…
But now, that's the new spirit. Then notice the order of the Scripture. After
you get a new heart and a new spirit, He said, "Then I'll put My
Spirit..." See? Oh, what? That's what the Scripture says here. That's the
order, the pneumatics and numerical order of the Scripture: a new heart, a new
spirit, and then My Spirit.
Therefore if a
person has truly been born again, they will understand the doctrine when it is
spoken to them. They have a new way of thinking because they have God’s way of
thinking. They won’t fuss with it. They won’t make fun of it. But it will ring
the bell every time because there is something in them that identifies with the
Word of God every time that it is rightly divided.
Listen, I have
20 full pages of quotes from Brother Branham concerning his teaching that the
evidence of being born again is that you will understand what the
From the sermon
Key to the
door 62-1007 P: 68 Brother Branham said, No man can understand the Word outside the baptism
of the Holy Ghost. And when a man says he's got the baptism of the Holy Ghost,
and disputes the Word being right, there's something wrong.
And again from
the sermon Identified masterpiece of God 64-1205
P:67 Brother Branham said, How can a man have the baptism of the Holy Spirit,
and the Holy Spirit wrote the Word, and a man have the baptism of the Holy
Spirit and deny the Word? How can the Holy Spirit in you deny Its own Word that
was set forth for you? I can't understand it. It's got to agree with the Word,
and if your spirit in you won't punctuate every one of God's promises with
"Amen." there's something wrong.
And again from
the sermon Discerning
body of Lord 59-0812 P:16 he said, “Jesus said once, "That except a man be born
again, he cannot see the
And from his
sermon called Calling of Abraham 55-1116 P:29 Brother Branham said, Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Except the man be
born again he cannot see the
God said in, ISAIAH 55:6 ¶ 7
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let
him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for
he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are
your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the
earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your
thoughts.
And the Apostle
Paul told us the only way you will understand the thoughts of God is to have
the Spirit of God in you. And that is the new birth.
I CORINTHIANS 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not
seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things
which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his
Spirit (therefore if
you do not have His Spirit in you how are you going to have those things
revealed to you)
for the Spirit (not a spirit, but THE Spirit, God’s Spirit) searcheth all
things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a
man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth
no man, but the Spirit of God knoweth. 12 Now we have received, not the
spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; (and if
it is of God then it had its source in God, then it is a part of God’s own
spirit or life that he is talking about. And we have that in order) that we might know
the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak,
not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost
teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him:
neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (In
other words it takes the Spirit of God in you to discern them.) 15 But he that is
spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who
hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the
mind of Christ.
And this same
Apostle said, “let
the mind that was in Christ be in you.” So it is possible to have
the mind of God but as we have seen you can not have it without having His
Spirit or His Life in you. And Jesus said that this Spirit is the Word of God.
He said, the
words which I speak unto you, they are
spirit and they are life.
Now, let’s look
again at this thought on the new birth quickening into you the word of God and
releasing the very nature of God by His Spirit into your mortal vessel.
Paul said in EPHESIANS 2:1 ¶ And you hath he
quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;.
Here Paul tells
us we were spiritually dead, and had to be quickened which means to be made
alive. And we see in 1 Peter 3:18 that this quickening is performed by the Spirit
of God, and in fact God had to quicken His own Son back from death unto life. 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:
Now, this word
quicken was translated from the Greek word zoopoieo which literally means to
give life to or to cause to make alive. So you see it is the Spirit of God coming
into you that brings makes you alive to His Word.
1 Corinthians 15: 45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a
living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Therefore
it is the Spirit of God that He placed within His Son that was released back on
the church that makes Him a quickening spirit, for Paul also tells us in Romans 8: 11 But if the Spirit of him (now, we
must know who this him is here. And we know there are 18 Scriptures that tell
us that God raised Jesus from the dead, so as Paul says,) if the
Spirit of him (that’s God the Father) that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in
you, he that raised up Christ from the dead (again that’s God the
Father) shall
also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Now, remember
last week we showed you that the new birth gets you ready for the body change.
Now, notice here that Paul tells us that it is the Spirit of God the Father
that will also quicken your mortal body. And we know that God does it by the renewing
of the mind, Then if this is the hour for the change of the body from mortal to
immortal, then God the Father must be here to change the body right? And we
know in order for that to happen, that we must receive a renewing of the mind
first, right? Then where’s the Scripture for it? Can anyone here tell me where
the Scripture shows that The Father comes to renew the mind first?
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, So here’s your baptism of the Holy
Ghost, right? 14
Which is the earnest of our inheritance (so it has to do with
the inheritance. And if it has to do with our inheritance, then we must know
how it has to do with our inheritance. And Paul will tell us in a few more
verses, so let’s continue to read.) until the redemption of the purchased possession, (Now,
that is the body he’s talking about there.) unto the praise of his glory. (Now this praise of
His glory is His doxa which is his opinion, assessment and judgment. So Paul is
talking about the very mind of God that this Baptism of the spirit will take
you up to, and is an earnest or down payment for.)
Now, let’s
continue with EPHESIANS 1:15 ¶ Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith
in the Lord Jesus, (Now, remember faith is a revelation, something
that has been revealed to you. That is what Brother Branham taught us. So Paul
is saying these people had come up to Faith or revelation, and then he adds) and love unto all
the saints, (Now we know that love is an outward expression of your
revelation. This same Apostle Paul told us in the book of Corinthians, “there
remaineth Faith, Hope and Love, and the greatest of these is love.” Why because
faith is where it all starts out. And Faith is a revelation, and if it is truly
revealed them you expect something from that which is revealed. And hope is an
earnest expectation.
So Faith begins
the process, and as it builds up steam within you it moves into an expectation,
which then begins to manifest in an outward expression of the revelation which
is love. That is why Love is greater than faith because it is faith
expressed. As I have often said, when a
young man gets a revelation that the girl is the one he is to marry, it builds
up something in him which is an earnest expectation. He earnestly expects that
she will marry him, and in so expecting, he begins to do things for her as
though she is already his wife. He spends his hard earned income on things he
knows will please her, and he goes out of his way to be especially nice to her,
and you all know the routine. Faith expressed in Love because love is always
expressed in giving. For God so loved that He gave, you see?
Now,. Let’s go
on with EPHESIANS 1:16 Cease not to give
thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; Notice here
that Paul ceased not to give thanks for the people because he knew that they
were born again, they had faith and it was being expressed in love towards one
another, and so he knew that there was just one thing left to happen, and we
see that in the next verse…
EPHESIANS 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,(so Jesus has a God, and this God is ) the Father of
glory,(and Paul was praying that this God who is the Father of
Glory, and remember the word glory is the Greek word doxa which is the opinion,
assessment and judgment of God, in other words His very mind, and here Paul is
praying that the Father of this Doxa ) may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation
in the knowledge of him:
You see,
because if you are born again then you now have a new heart which is a new
understanding, and this new understanding gave you a new desire and then God gave
you His own spirit or life into you and now, you are able to know and
understand, and so then you have faith, you have revelation, and that
revelation works into you an outward expression and that gets you out of the
way so God’s own spirit now is the tie-post in your soul. And then Paul was
looking for the very mind of God, the Spirit of wisdom and Revelation in the
Knowledge of God the Father, and he did this for one purpose, and we see that
in
Now, notice the
next verse. EPHESIANS 1:18 That the eyes
of your understanding may be enlightened; and that you may know what is the
hope (or the earnest expectation) of his calling (is all about. In other words,
then you will know what and why God has called you, and that is ) what the riches of
the glory of his inheritance is in the saints, You see, The Spirit
of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of the Father is the spirit of
adoption. Its to get you ready for the adoption. Brother Branham taught us that
the child, though a son was placed under tutors and governors until the time
for adoption, and when he had the mind of His father, then he was worthy of
being adopted. And then everything that belonged to the Father was shared
co-equally with the son. I hope you are getting what I am trying to tell you.
God has come in this hour with the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the
knowledge of Himself to give us a change of the mind and to get us ready for a
change of the body which Paul called the adoption, to whit the redemption of
the body.
Romans 8: 23 And not only
they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we
ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the
redemption of our body.
And notice Paul
said we have the first fruits of the spirit, and that is what begins our
process towards the adoption which is the redemption of the body. In fact that is what he also says in …
Notice what
Paul says 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.
And we know the
spirit of adoption is God’s own spirit in us to bring us from mortal to
immortal. And that is why in EPHESIANS 1:19
Her speaks of the spirit of adoption and inheritance and then says, And what
is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe,
according to the working of his mighty power,
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set
[him] at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
So we can see by
Ephesians 1 that Paul was looking for the Spirit of adoption to come into the
church to make known to the church the manifold wisdom of God, in that the very
mind of God would then come into the church getting it ready for the change of
the body which is the redemption of the body which is the adoption. And notice
when it all began when you were in God as an attribute before the worlds were
even framed into manifestation.
Ephesians 1: 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in
Christ: Ephesians 1: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in
love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ
to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Now, that gets
us back to where I want to take us today and that is back to the beginning
where we were in the mind of God to begin with as attributes of God.
Brother Branham
said in, THE FUTURE HOME 64-0802 49-1 You are part of the earth, your body. Your
soul is part of God, a attribute of God, displayed here on earth in a body.
The body's to be redeemed. Now the soul's redeemed, because it was in sin. So God
come down by process of justification, sanctification, baptism of the Holy
Ghost, and redeemed your soul. And you, being part of the earth, it's
redeemed by it. You're in the process now, it's growing on.
And therefore
if you are a part of God then you are able to receive the very mind of God.
JOHN 1:12 But as many as received him, (The Greek word for
received here is Lambano and it means to have experienced, or to have taken to
one’s self. And it is these that truly experienced Him, they are the one’s He
says,) to them
gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his
name: So these are believers.
They Believe on His Name. And to them He gives power to become sons… Now the
word power used here, is not the Greek word dunamis, which speaks of great
miraculous power, but rather the Greek word “exousia”, which means the power of
choice, or the power to make a right decision. For you see, the Bible also
tells us, “PROVERBS
14:12
¶ There is a way which seemeth right
unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
And
the word to become was translated from the Greek word Ginomai gin o ma I and it
means to generate, or to come forth into manifestation. Therefore, to them that
experience Him and openly receive Him, to them are given an ability to make a
right decision and to become what they were to begin with. Paul said in , Galatians
4: 6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son
into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Therefore if a man is left
up to his own choosing, he will go in the ways of death. But God has given him,
or has granted, given him or granted him
the ability to know and to understand. And this ability to make a right
decision concerning the doctrine of Christ is not for everyone. For Jesus told
Nicodemus, these … 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the
flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. So He is talking about the
new birth and the importance of that new birth is that God gives him an ability
to know and to understand the
Why against
organized religion 62-1111E P:63 But if he's born the same way that I'm born, then
he'll know the things that I know. Amen. Oh, my. Yes, sir. You can't tell a
knot on the tree how we move about and be active, it would have to receive our
kind of life to understand it. Same with the Spirit. The same thing is with the
Spirit, or you can't understand It. There's no need of trying to figure It all
out; just come to Him first. For, "Except a man be born again, he can't even see the Kingdom," He
said, that's understand it. You've got to be born again in order to
know It.
Contending for the faith 55-0220E
P:66 Jesus said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the
Kingdom." You can't understand it.
It's a mystic, mythical thing until you're born again. There the very Life of God comes in you. Everlasting, Eternal Life,
Zoe, God's own Life comes in you, and then you're a part of God. You're a Son
of God or a daughter of God. And then you see as God sees. You believe as God
believes. Then you'll be a new creature in Christ Jesus. The Lord bless you
now. I believe now we'll pray for the sick. I want to ask you
Notice it is the very Life
of God coming into you that allows you to see what he sees, and to believe what
He believes.
37-4
CHRIST IS THE MYSTERY 63-0728 The new birth is Christ, is a revelation.
God has revealed to you this great mystery, and that's the new birth. Now,
what are you going to do when you get all that group together, where the
revelation is perfectly in harmony, and God expressing it through His Word by
the same actions, the same things that He did, making the Word manifest? Oh, if
the Church only knew its position. It
will one day. Then, the rapture will go when it knows what it is.
Let’s bow our heads and our
hearts in prayer.