-Who is this Melchisedec #151

“A Supernatural God amongst a Natural People”

September 15, 2002

Rev. Brian Kocourek

This Morning we will look at paragraph 179 of brother Branham’s sermon called Who Is This Melchisedec 65-0221E 179 Now, before we begin our reading this morning, I just want to say that Brother Branham is now about to begin to pray for the people. I want you to notice in his prayer to God, and notice how he is willing to take whatever God gives to him in answer to his prayers. He says, … “Now, Father God, this is totally out of the hands of any man; it'd have to be supernatural phenomena. So I pray that You'll help me now, Lord; I'm in Your hands. Do with me as You see fit. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Notice how brother Branham says, “this is totally out of the hands of any man. In other words he is acknowledging that man just can’t do what he is about to request for God to do. Then he says, it would have to be super-natural. Now, what does the word super-natural tell you? That what he is asking is above anything that can occur in nature. It is above nature. It is out of the ordinary. It will take an intercession from the One who control all nature, and is above nature. In other words, He is saying it is not a natural thing or something of ordinary nature that he is requesting, but something that is of God nature in design. And so we see that as Jesus prayed, “Our Father Who art in Heaven Hallowed by Thy name, Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Jesus, as He taught the Disciples to pray was laying out a pattern. And that pattern is to first acknowledge where you expect your help to come. Our Father Who art in Heaven…In other words, Father, I know that you are above everything thast I could possibly ask, and I know that everything I could possibly think to ask, you are more than able to perform.

And so we hear William Branham using that same approach as our Savior in addressing the almighty God. “Now, Father God, this is totally out of the hands of any man; it'd have to be supernatural phenomena. So I pray that You'll help me now, Lord; I'm in Your hands. Then brother Branham continues talking to Gods as he says, I'm in Your hands. In other words, I’m stepping out of this picture. I no longer am going to be involved with what is going on here. I am getting myself out of the way, that you and you alone might take over, and thus receive the preeminence for what is about to happen. Then he adds, Do with me as You see fit. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

What a beautiful thought we are looking at this morning. A man so trusting in the mercy and judgment, of God that he is not afraid of any action that God might take, knowing that All things shall work together for the good of those that Love the Lord and are the elect according to His Purpose. Now, let’s pause in our thinking here and take this to the Scripture.

ROMANS 8:26 ¶ Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Just as brother Branham is about to enter into a sort of intercessory role on the behalf of all those in the prayer line, he does not know what will come before him. In the Old Testament we can see that the Priest would take the request of the Believer into the presence of the High Priest, and then that High Priest would take all those request before the Lord God Himself.

Now, the priest is helpless. He cannot say yes of no, until the High priest comes back and says the Urim and Thummim of God have spoken yeah, yeah, or nay, nay. Therefore we see William Branham standing here completely helpless unless God steps on the scene. He is standing there a mortal man, knowing that unless God Himself steps forward to take over, that he is just that close (snaps the finger) to ending his ministry.

And the Apostle Paul tells us here, ¶ Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

The Spirit, God’s Spirit helps us in our infirmities. For we don’t even know what to ask or pray for, and so God’s own Spirit is within us to intercede on our behalf for the things we have need of. He says, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Paul continues by saying, 27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what [is] the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to [the will of] God.

Notice again what Paul says, here… he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what [is] the mind of the Spirit. Who is He that searches the hearts? It’s God right?

Oh, if we could always just know what the mind of the Lord is for us. I think sometimes when we pray, we often just get down and begin by reciting what is on our own minds, without waiting to get into the mind of the Spirit of God. And everyman that has been born of the Spirit of God, has enough of God’s own spirit in you that if you would just step aside of your own will and your own thoughts on it, and allow for that Spirit of God that is within you to begin speaking, you would soon find that you do know what to pray for because God has placed within you a conduit to His very presence which links you together in heavenly places, and that link is His own Word, which Jesus said is His Spirit.

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. So it is not something that comes to your mind just baturally. Nature has nothing to do with this communication between you can God. It is something God does, and is given to you. Paul goes on to say, 10 But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: But God hath revealed them, God has God has apokalupto them, He has uncovered them, He has unveiled them, He has made them known to us. How? By His Spirit which is His Word. for The Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. Now, he is not talking about your spirit for he says The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

Therefore what Paul is saying is that God does something by way of supernatural that allows you to receive the Spirit of God, The Spirit, not just a spirit, but The Spirit, which is The Word which is The Life of God, and thereby brings us into communion or fellowship with God’s very own Spirit. He goes on to 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.

Therefore if it is not a natural thing for man to be able to know the supernatural God, then God must make a way for us to receive the things which are of or out from Him.

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

And how do we receive the Spirit of God? By receiving His word.

JOHN 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 [Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. Notice Jesus says, Ye know him for it is he that is now dwelling with you, but one day He that is in Me and is with you will come into you as well.

JOHN 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet [given]; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Now, we know what Spirit was dwelling in Jesus. It was God Himself that said, This is My beloved Son, In whom I am well pleased. Notice IN WHOM, I am well pleased. Now, brother Branham said God was actually saying here, This is my Beloved Son in Whom I am Pleased to dwell in…and the critics on the internet just don’t get it. They say this is one of those places where brother Branham did not even recite the scripture correctly, and yet it says IN whom, I am well pleased. In whom,

MATTHEW 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Now, I have 26 Bible versions to choose from in reading this, and every one of them says either IN whom, or WITH whom, or even ON Whom My favor rests… So brother Branham’s interpretation of this scripture is exactly with the what is being said here, but these perverters of scripture can’t even read their Bible right because they are so dead set against Brother Branham that they purposely will take scripture and twist it to their own destruction. And the reason they can not understand is because it has been hidden from the world, but revealed unto babes such as are willing learn.

MATTHEW 11:25 ¶ At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

I CORINTHIANS 2:13 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.

NEITHER can he know them! Now, I didn’t write that, but God did. This is His Word, and he can do with it whatsoever He wishes, and He reveals to whomsoever He wishes.

I CORINTHIANS 2:15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. Look who is going to judge the man that is right. Oh, these men try to set themselves up as judges of God’s Word, but they don’t even know Him, much less know His Word. You know, they would deride brother Branham and say, He sure doesn’t know his Bible, and brother Branham would always retort, “But I know the author real well.” What would you rather know, the jot and tittle or the One who wrote it all.

16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. And that is the only way you can know trhe mind of the Lord is to have the mind of the Lord in you.

Now, in getting back to Romans 8…

ROMANS 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose. Not just some things. Not just a few things… Not just a majority of things, but ALL things work together for your good. The problem is we don’t know what is for our good or not.

ROMANS 8:29 ¶ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. It’s finished as far as God is concerned. And if it is finished, then

ROMANS 8:31 ¶ What shall we then say to these things? If God [be] for us, who [can be] against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Notice, if God has already proved His Love for you by sacrificing the One who was closest to Him, and the One thast He loved the most. If He has already done that for you, then you ought to know that everything else is going to work out for your good as well.

ROMANS 8:33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? [It is] God that justifieth. 34 Who [is] he that condemneth? (Come on, Who is there among you that still is condemning you, He tells us)[It is] Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?(Whose going to do it, can anyone? No! Then Paul goes on to list a whole lot of things that people might think could do it, and then says, NAY, nothing can separate you from the Love of God. Notice…) [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let’s just bow our heads in prayer.

Dear merciful God, here we stand this morning in Your presence, as helpless as any could be, and yet we know that you have not left us nor forsaken us, and that you have a purpose for each and everyone of us, and you have come to fulfill that promise. Grant Father that we may know you in the power of your resurrection, for you said, “if that spirit that rose up Jesus be in us, It will also quicken our mortal bodies, and it in this quickening process that we long to enter, dor we ask it in Jesus Christ’s precious name. Amen!