ONENESS # 7
One
with the Father, One with the Son
Brian Kocourek
Before we begin speaking today from brother Branham's
sermon on ONENESS, I feel we should read again from one of His text that
He chose for this message. So Let's stand to our feet as we
read from God's Holy Word in
JOHN.17:11" And
now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I
come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom
thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are."
LET'S JUST BOW OUR
HEARTS AND OUR HEADS IN A WORD OF PRAYER:
Now we see something here that Jesus is requesting the
Father to do. He is asking the Father here in JOHN
17:11 to #1) keep those who are
His, and # 2) to make us ONE as He and the Father are ONE.
Now remember Wednesday night, we asked you the question: how
are we to be cleansed by God, (so
we may be set aside for service?)
PSALMS.119:9 "
Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed [thereto]
according to thy word." So, we see our cleansing must come
together by and through Hi Word.
In COLOSSIANS 1:16 -
17 we read: " For by him were
all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in
earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or
principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And
he is before all things, and by him all things consist."
So we see that in Jesus prayer to the Father, we see
Him asking His Father to do two things for us, His Brethren. # 1(
that our Father Might Keep us, and # 2) that He might Make us ONE even
as He and our Father are ONE. What a beautiful prayer.
What more could we ever ask Him to pray for us.
You know Romans 8 says, we groan within ourselves, and you
know, we press ourselves because we feel so unworthy and
finally we pray and we say, Oh, Lord, please make me to be
closer drawn to thee, and to become more in your will all the time. Oh,
Lord make me to be like you. Oh, Lord, Help me to overcome. Oh, Lord,
make me over anew. Oh, Lord, Cleanse me , Oh, Lord. Etc. etc. etc. And you
know, we keep praying for something that we are afraid
we will never receive and yet Jesus has already prayed for what
we want but are afraid to ask for. So we just go on with our humble
prayers of disgust. We should be praying, Oh, Lord, I know
you want to fellowship with me even more than I want fellowship
with you. I know you want ONENESS with me even
more than I want ONENESS with you, I know you want to
keep me and preserve me even more than I want it for my
ownself. So Father, do unto me according to thine own will. Don't let
me or my unbelief get in the way of your desire. Help me to just get
myself out of the way that your desire will become my desire.
You know, I think we are reaping with our children
what we have sown with our heavenly Father ourselves. What more joy could
you have than to sit with your children and discuss from your
heart the things belonging to you and your children and to
see them respond back in a oneness of mind and spirit. And
yet, we don't see it to the full extent that we would wish it to happen?
Why? Why do we seem to fail in this area?
I wish I could give you a patented single liner that
you could take from here and begin to apply it for
yourselves. But, I can give you what I believe to be the answer, but not
in a one liner.
Did you know, that our Heavenly Father has been
longing for you to fellowship with Him, more than you even want to.
Do you know that He longs for communion with you and ONENESS with
you even more than you want it from Him. And yet he has never given
up on you. He has never brushed you aside and said, too much.
But we find in JAMES 5 it says: "Behold, the husbandman
waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for
it, until he receive the early and latter rain." so you too
must "Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the
coming of the Lord draweth nigh."
Craig: How does a young man cleanse hisself?
Craig: 15 years ago your Father
tried to get you to have fellowship with
him around the Word that He knew back them. Why couldn't he? What has changed? Are you having
fellowship with your earthly father now? Why? Because you
have been cleansed by the washing of water by the Word. And this
Word has brought you into a harmonious relationship that will ever
be Eternal. Never to be separated Eternally. So what brought about this
fellowship? Not his efforts. He tried for years to get you to fellowship
and to go to church, right? But a vindicated revelation from God
to you personally, through the channel of God's order, His provided
way, through His Prophet. Now is that what has happened.
Then do we think we can pray and fuss and complain and
beg and get the same results from God, to
have fellowship with our Heavenly Father,
by any other way than through His Divinely inspired
and a-vindicated Word which He has brought down with a shout in
this hour?
You can't have true fellowship unless you are both in
the same mindset. And if it is so needful for two men who believe
the same Word to express that same Word in order to really have
a true union or oneness, isn't it also the same way in
which we must express the same mindset as our Father to have
a true union and ONENESS with Him.
Now, Craig, you have always been flesh of His flesh
and bone of His bone. You didn't just become that when you became a
believer in the same Message. Right? You
always were his son. But something was missing in
your relationship. Something Eternal.
And I JOHN
3:2 says: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not
yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he
shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as
he is."
Something Eternal had to happen. Something had
to bring about that bond that human effort could never produce. And
it still is not to where it will be one day, when you have completely
emptiedout your own thoughts and Jim has emptied out his and you
both have the mind of God. Then, you talk about ONENESS.
Now, before we pick up again in ONENESS,
remember what Jesus prayed the Father to do. To KEEP us and
to make us ONE with Him.
Now this Word KEEP that He used is a Greek word: tereo
tay-reh-o which means to watch over or to guard or preserve from
loss or injury by keeping the eye upon.
We find Paul praying the same prayer in I THESSALONIANS.5:23
"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and [I pray God]
your whole spirit and soul and body be [1]preserved blameless
unto the coming (parousia) of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So we see the importance of the parousia
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Something is to keep us
until that time. And then what happens. First of all what is it
that will keep us. Didn't Jesus ask the Father to keep us? So what
did the Father do or send to keep us? To watch over us? To guard and
preserve us?
Let's follow this through in Jesus prayer of JOHN 17.
JOHN 17:12 While
I was with them in the world, I [1]kept[1]
them [1]in[1]
thy name: those that thou gavest me I have [1]kept[1],
and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture
might be fulfilled.
So rule number one; in order to keep us we must have been
His to begin with.
13 And now come I to thee; and these things I
speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I
have given them thy word; and the world hath
hated them, because they are not of the world[1],
even as I am not of the world.
Rule number two; in order to be kept he had to
separate us from the world and he did this because we are not of the
world.
15 "I pray not that thou shouldest take
them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the
evil. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the
world. 17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth."
Rule number three: He sanctifies us through the
Word. And to sanctify means to cleanse and set aside for
service.
So we see that
this keeping of the Elect is by the word, which then this keeping
or guarding is to preserve the oneness that was ordained to be. Now if
you'll notice in JOHN 17:11 Jesus asked first for us to be
kept by God or guarded? Why wouldn't He ask first for us to
be ONE and then be kept? The answer is that We can not attain
oneness without being guarded or preserved. If we reached oneness first,
we could come in and out of oneness and miss the true
ONENESS because we were not kept. We were not guarded
or preserved. So He must first give us something that is so tight it
keeps all things out that must stay out and keeps all things in that must
remain in. Can anyone tell me what could do this? A Seal of course.
I JOHN 5:18 We
know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten
of God keepeth himself, ( or IT keepeth him) and that wicked
one toucheth him not.
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.4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto
the day of redemption.
Now if you seal in what is in and seal out what is out, then
you now have the right chemistry to produce ONENESS. Because, as long as
you can mix what is out with what is inside, you can not have oneness.
So you see how important it is to have the Seal first. That
is what keeps you. And how are you seal. By the Word
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,
Then, if everything to produce ONENESS is sealed in, then
ONENESS or unity may prevail.
EPHESIANS.4:3 Endeavoring
to [1]keep[1]
the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is] one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in
ne hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, ne
God and Father of all, who [is] above all, and through all, and in
you all. ONENESS.
So we see that God must seal you in first,
then the oneness comes. Now we still haven't expressed yet
how that ONENESS comes. We can see that you must be sealed first, then the
ONENESS comes. But as yet we still need to focus now a bit more
on how this oneness comes. Because, remember, everything that
will ever be in that oneness is already sealed in and
everything contrary is already sealed out. So whatever
will produce that ONENESS with God must already be inside. Right?
Or you're not sealed yet.
Now in picking up where we left off in ONENESS at pp.
30 let's read it again.
ONENESS PP. 30 " Adam was a part of, or, Eve was a part of Adam, she was
flesh
of his flesh and bone of his bone. And
that's what the correct union is. And that's what the
correct union of the Church is, Spirit of His Spirit, Word of
His Words."
Now watch closely here as he continues...
" And that's what the correct union of the Church
is, Spirit of His Spirit, Word of His Words. "Never [1]DEVIATING[1]
from the Word,"
Rule number ONE for the real true believer is never
to deviate from the Word. What does he mean to deviate:
DEVIATE: A turning aside from a ( course, direction, standard, or
doctrine)
HEBREWS.6:4 For
[it is] impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have
tasted of t he heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy
Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God,
and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to
renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son
of God afresh, and put [him] to an open shame.
E-58 THE LAW HAVING A SHADOW 56-0621 And you reckon yourself dead, and your life is
hid in God through Christ, and sealed by the Holy
Ghost. The only way the devil could ever get you, he'd have
come through washings that you came through, and receive the
same Spirit you did, and then he'd be your brother. See? So he
can't get you. It's you that's never come to Christ
right in the first place. You get to a place, say,
"Well, I--I'm still... Brother Branham, you know the Lord
never did sanctify me from this." If He sanctified you from one thing, He
sanctified you from all of it. He takes your whole soul, body, and
spirit. That's right. Don't be deceived, brother... The Bible said, it's impossible for
that man to do that; said, "If a man once been enlightened and made
partakers of the Holy Ghost and tasted of the powers of the world
to come, it's impossible for him to fall away, to renew himself
again unto repentance." So if your constantly on the up-and-down,
remember brother, you have never correctly ever come to Jesus Christ yet.
So what is the correct way to come to Jesus
Christ. I've seen people come and go, and yet for a period of
time they with all their
heart believed God sent a prophet. But that isn't it! Two men I know or know of who put forth great
efforts with tapes and quote books no longer believe this message.
Another man I know who wrote a tract that has been used in
books on cults that has gone plumb around the world, and yet he left the
message. The men who gave me the books that introduced the message to me
are now deprogrammers against this message. They believed every
word or so they thought. But they didn't. They couldn't
have believed every word correctly. They might have
believed every word but they believed it with a wrong
understanding.
There is a correct way to come and be sealed and a wrong
way, and God will not honor a wrong word and give you
the new birth through it. He can't. Satan will give you 99%
of the word. He'll even give you
all of it with a twist.
I PETER.1:22 – 23 "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth
through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, [see
that ye] love one another with a pure heart
fervently: 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but
of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."
It can not be corruptible seed, but it must be
incorruptible, the Word of God.
So what is the correct revelation of this message that will
bring a correct new birth?
170 HEBREWS
CPT 5 & 6 PT 1 HEB 165-201 - 57-0908 Friends, let us go on to perfection.
We have... we're not... We're without excuse today. We have no
excuse at all. The God of Heaven has appeared in these last days and is
doing the very same things that He did then, when He was here before, when He
was on earth. He's proved. As we are coming through
this Bible, and you've... you, class, know this; that
we have taken miracle by miracle, and sign by sign, and wonder by
wonder, that He did with the children in the wilderness, the things and signs
that He did. The things that He done when He was here on earth,
manifest in the flesh, and the very same things are taking place
today, right here among us. Here's the Word to vindicate it. Here's the
thing to say it's right, to make it right. Here's the Spirit of God
to do the same thing, so we're without an excuse. Let us pray:
171 HEB300 HEBREWS CPT 6 PT 2 HEB 203-247 -
57-0908 That's how it is with Christ, when a
man's borned of the Spirit of God. Not because he shouted, spoke in tongues or
some emotion;
but in his heart, love come in and taken the
place of the world. I'd say he loves and he walks by Him every day. You
don't have to tell him "it's wrong to do this, that, or the
other," he knows
it's wrong. And he walks... he's a
ordained product of God's sovereign grace. Exactly!
For it is impossible for those which were once
enlightened,... made partakers of the... heavenly calling... (now, we've
sometimes believed that was the man who once was enlightened and fell
away again, but the Bible doesn't read it that way)
It's absolutely impossible, for a man... (he says here)...
that has received the Holy Spirit, to ever fall away.
(Now read it and find out if that isn't right. Watch
here, take the text, the whole text, and the contents...
context, rather.)
Now this does not mean you won't have your ups and downs.
But if you are truly borned again, even though you may run from it,
it will never leave you.
306 HEBREWS CPT 6 PT 2 HEB 203-247 - 57-0908 That's the way God and His
Church is, when you're borned in the Kingdom of
584 HEBREWS CPT 6 PT 3 HEB 249-285 -- 57-0915 "For it's..." We got through last
Sunday, just a little further back in the chapter, "For it is impossible,
for a man that's once tasted the heavenly gifts and things, to fall away again
to renew himself to repentance" (absolutely, totally, impossible).
"For he that is borned of God, does not and cannot commit sin.
For the Seed of God remains in Him and he cannot sin" (the Seed
of God is "the Word of God"). "Faith cometh by hearing,
hearing the Word, 'The Sacrifice was made, it's all over!'"
129
PROVING HIS WORD 64-0816 People will come
right up to the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, they'll come right
up to the Word, they'll come up through all denominations,
and all churches, and all catechisms, and everything, but
when it comes to that Word, that crossing line, they say, "Oh,
I don't know about That, my church doesn't teach It that
way." I don't care what your church teaches, the Bible says It's
that way. Then you say, "How do I know It's
right?" He confirms it, and proves it!
289
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS COD 1061-1142
64-0830
Now, watch that pattern. I'm taking a lot of time, but
look! Judas Iscariot followed those same tracks. He was
justified by believing on the Lord Jesus and then accept Him
as his personal Saviour. He was sanctified and give power to cast
out spirits; put his name on the Lamb's Book of Life.
But when it come to
Pentecost and the baptism of the Holy Ghost, the
fullness of the Word, he showed his colors. That's exactly what the
129 PROVING HIS WORD 64-0816 People will come right "
up to the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, they'll come right up to the
Word, they'll come up through all denominations, and
all
churches, and all catechisms, and
everything, but when it comes to that Word, that crossing
line, they say, "Oh, I don't know about That, my church
doesn't teach It that way." I don't care what your church
teaches, the Bible says It's that way. Then you say, "How do I know
It's right?" He confirms it, and proves it! The real true believer will
never deviate from the truth."
Now getting back to PP. 30 of ONENESS brother Branham says,
" the real true believer will not [1]COMPROMISE[1]
on any Word. Remember, it was just one Word that Eve compromised on, one
Word. But the true believer won't [1]COMPROMISE[1]
on any Word."
COMPROMISE: A settlement in which each side gives up some demands or makes concessions 2) an adjustment of opposing principles by
modification of the same. 3) something midway between two other things.
Now if you can remember in May, we spent an
entire message on DOUBT and showed that it was a moving
between two positions. Wavering like the sea's and tossed
about. Vacillating, unstable. And we see today that to compromise is the
same thing. In order to compromise, you must first be
out of position and caught between two positions. Then
you will try to reason each one and find some middle ground. That's
exactly what Satan want s you to do. Then He's got you like he had Eve.
But The True Believer will hold with the Word regardless. Again as we finish
PP. 30 brother Branham says,
"It'll hold the
Sword of the Faith with... in faith, rather, the Sword of the
Word, and claim every Divine [1]PROMISE[1]
God made. That's it.
Now, that's what we want. To claim every Divine promise of
God as our own possession. But first we must know what a promise is. Can anyone
tell me what a promise is?
PROMISE: an oral or written vow of performance. To
give a basis for expectation. To engage or pledge.
To give a basis for expectation. How can you even expect
without something to base your expectation on?
HEBREWS.6:9 But, beloved, we are persuaded
better things of you, and
things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
Why?
If God promises you something, who is
going to keep it from happening. Let them try. If God said
it, then it's got to be.
HEBREWS.6:10 For
God [is] not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love,
which ye have shown toward his name, in that ye
have ministered to the saints, and do minister. 11 And we desire
that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of
hope unto the end: 12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of
them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 13 For
when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no
greater, he sware by himself, 14 Saying, Surely blessing
I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. 15 And so, after
he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
So you can see that the
True believer will not deviate, nor will he compromise with The
promise of God because he has faith, He has Revelation,
because Only The seed of God can express this attribute that
God expressed when He made all things.
The make-believer does not have this attribute because
they are none of His.
II.PETER.3:1 – 5 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you;
in [both] which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
2 That ye may be mindful of the words
which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the
commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior: 3 Knowing
this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking
after their own lusts, 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. 5 For this they willingly
are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old,
and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
HEBREWS.11:3 Through
faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things
which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
So we see that God and God alone has this great attribute
and of course those that are His. After all, did not Jesus Himself
pray to the Father for those that are His. And if we are His, and
we must come into His Image, and He is the Word, then won't we also
possess this attribute of Faith, or revelation that is actually a divine
trust and confidence in His own Word. Does
not the scripture even tell us that we are to come into a maturing
in our faith that will bring about this PARRHESIA, this confidence.
I JOHN 2:28 "
And now, little children, abide in Him; that when He
shall PHANEROO, ( To manifest in His True
Character) we may have PARRHESIA, and not be ashamed
before Him at His PAROUSIA."
I JOHN 4:17 "
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have PARRHESIA in the day of
Judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world."
Why do we have such great confidence?
EPHESIANS 3:12 " In Whom we have PARRHESIA and access with
confidence by the faith of Him."
Because we are operating on His faith. Remember,
Jesus Himself prayed to the Father for us that the
Father Himself would not only seal us in which will keep and
preserve us, but that He willplace everything in us that we need for the
journey, to maturity, shall we say.
HEBREWS 4:16 "
Let us therefore come with PARRHESIA unto the throne of Grace, that
we may obtain mercy, and find Grace to help in
time of need."
I JOHN 3:21 "
Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we PARRHESIA toward
God."
HEBREWS
10:35 " Cast not away
therefore your PARRHESIA, which hath great recompense
of reward."
I
JOHN 5:14 " And this is the PARRHESIA that we have in Him, that, if we
ask anything according to His will, He heareth us."
So now with this in mind, let's look again at Jesus Prayer
to His Father pertaining to you and me.
JOHN 17: 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I
also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I
sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the
truth. 20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall
believe on me through their word;
OK! so here we see that there is another group
which Jesus is also praying for. That's us who have
heard as a result of the first men's ministry. He's praying that we
may be one.
JOHN 17:21
That they all may be one; as thou,
Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that
the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
Now, how do we become ONE. We know that something the Father
has that must be sealed in us will make us ONE. But
what is it? Let's read on.
22 And the (doxa) glory which thou gavest me
I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
The DOXA which is His own OPINION or JUDGMENT of His Word.
JOHN 17: 23 I in
them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and
that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and
hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
So what is the
DOXA or opinion of God an evidence of? The very fact that the Father so
loves you.
109 THE DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST 49-1225 What makes the people cry
and shout, go on? What's the matter? It's the Holy Ghost moving in
them. If they could only realize and embrace Him! Embrace the
Holy Ghost, believing in Him, hug Him to your bosom. Live right, do
nothing that would hinder Him. Say, "O Lord Jesus, I want You.
I want You to stand by me. I'm going to stand by You,
Father." And as you do, He is just pressing to get
into you. He wants in there. He is wooing you unto Him all the
time, friend.
24 Father, I will that they also, whom
thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may
behold my glory(DOXA), which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst
me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, the world
hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known
that thou hast sent me. 26 And I have declared unto them thy name,
and will declare [it]: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be
in them, and I in them.
E-74 THE LAMB'S BOOK OF LIFE 56-0603 Grant it, Father, as all on the altar we've laid. Grant
it for Your glory, as we believe You, and wait on You,
Lord, here is where just bathing in Your beauty, just bathing in
Your promise, feeling that glorious Holy Spirit wooing us to Thee.
Jesus said keep them and make them one as we are one.
As I said before, the word to keep means to watch over
with an active participation as it says in:
PSALM 1:6 “ For
the Lord Knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly
shall perish."
31 ONENESS -- JEFF.IN -- V-10 N-2 -- 62-0211 "They were God's
examples to us, what we should be, them, ever present, never failing.
When they spoke, God answered. He watched them, daily. Night, when
they'd lay down to sleep, He watched over them. In the daytime, He
guided them, fed them, loved them, communed with them constantly,
all the time. They were in God's image, and God was in
them. That's what makes a fellowship. That's what
makes the union, is God in His Church. That's the union.
Much could be said, got many places to go. United with Him,
is Eternal Life. And the only way we can unite with Him is to
come every bit of His Word. That's right, take every promise and
believe It. 32 Now, Eve was united
until she broke one Word, or, doubted one Word being true. That
separated her. Every Word, "Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every Word!" So we can be in God, united,
because Adam and Eve, before the fall, afore the disbelieving
of the Word, was an example of what we could be in Him.
To be united with Him, is Life; to be
separated from Him, is death. Now, if we follow His
commandments! 33 We know we make
mistakes, but you mustn't look at that. It's not your mistakes,
because you're always going to have them. But, you see, it's
following His Rules, following what He said do. Stumble and falling
doesn't have one thing to do with It. A real true servant, if
he will stumble, he will get up again. If he wobbles, God pulls him
right back in the path, as long as he's in the path of duty. But if he's off of
the path of duty, God's not obligated to him. But as long as he's in the
path of duty, God's obligated to him,
knowing that he's just a man or a woman. He's obligated to that
person as long as they're in the path of duty.