ONENESS # 39

A False calling

MARCH 14, 1993

Brian Kocourek

ONENESS PP. 164 <read> Now remember, last week we read in Luke 10 that the seventy  went out  even  casting  out  devils, and we  know  that  the  seventy deserted Jesus when He started bearing down hard with the Word.

When He made water into wine and multiplied the loaves and  fishes, they all backed Him 100%. But when He started to use the Word as  a Two Edged Sword, they said that is a hard saying,  who  can hear it.

JOHN 6: 60 - 71 <read>

Notice,  He didn't let up when the seventy left. He hit the  rest
who  stayed right between the eyes. God doesn't fool  around  and
neither  do  his  ministers. The people all wanted  a  feel  good
religion,  but  couldn't take the Sword that  draws  blood.  They
don't want a bloody religion. They want a bloodless one.

JER 48: 10

"  Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully,  and
cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood."

Jer 48:10 NIV

"A curse on him who is lax in doing the Lord's work! A curse  on
him who keeps his sword from bloodshed."

Jer 48:10 AMPLIFIED

"  Cursed be he who does the work of the Lord negligently -  with
slackness, deceitfully; and cursed be he who keeps back his sword
from blood ( in executing Judgment pronounced by the Lord)."

ONENESS PP. 164

" A man that casts out devils and denies God's Word is a liar!"

ONENESS pp.l65 <read>

Now,  let's  just stop here and examine what brother  Branham  is
talking  about here. Many people say they are one with the  Truth
and the ministry that is teaching the Truth, but are they?

They  say  they are one because they do what the Word  says.  But
then  claim they are righteous because of what they do. Oh,  they
might not tell you, but just watch their actions, they can't hide
what they really think. Like brother Branham said, it's hard  for
you to be around them because they always have something negative
to say about the next guy. They create an atmosphere that  every
one can feel except themselves, because they are only  reflecting
their own self righteousness.

These  are they who outwardly obey the Word and therefore  regard
themselves as righteous. Therefore they do not really seek to  be
justified  by Grace through faith in Christ. It is apparent  that
they  do not want Christ's righteousness, because they are  fully
persuaded and believe that they are already in full possession of
righteousness.

They  say  in their prayers, "Lord, we have done what  Thou  hast
commanded  us to do." On the other hand, those who are of  faith,
pray:  "Lord, we cannot do it, nor have we done it, but Grant  us
Grace that we might do what Thou hast commanded us".

Do  you notice the difference between them. Those who are of  the
law  are arrogant and boastful, they who are of Faith are  humble
and  despise their own righteousness. So, throughout their  whole
life, God's believing, spiritual people, pray with their  hearts,
their  lips and their whole conduct that they might be  justified
by Grace and kept in His Faith till the end. They also pray  that
they  may  never regard themselves as having apprehended  and  so
cease  in their striving after sanctification. They finally  pray

that  they  may never regard any work of theirs as one  by  which
they have obtained the righteousness of life."

ROMANS 3: 9 - 12, 23 <read>

How  can they be led to Faith in Christ who think that  they  can
merit some sort of favor because of their own self righteousness.

Now, listen. Self-righteousness takes on many different forms and
shapes. And one of them is those who say, we have no need of  any
man  to teach us, we have the Holy Spirit. Then why did  He  say,
that  He will send us teachers and pastors and  evangelists  etc.
for the perfecting or maturing of the body of Christ.

ROMANS 5: 1 - 2 <read>

Now  let's  just see what Paul said here. He says, since  we  are
justified by Faith, we have peace with God. Therefore what he  is
saying  in a round about way is that without Faith you  will  not
have  peace with God. Do you believe that? He also says  that  we
have  access  to Grace through Faith, is that also  correct?  And
then  he says that we may rejoice with an earnest expectation  of
coming into the Glory which is the Doxa or opinion, assessment or
righteous judgment of God. Is that what he says?

Then we see that none of this can come to us without Faith right?

So  then  where  does this faith come from. we know  that  it  is
Christ's Faith that we must receive and not our own faith in Him,
but His own faith He had in God. Right?

GAL 2: 16, 20 <read>

So  we see it is His faith that we must receive, right? Then  the
question  remains, How do we receive it. By what vehicle or  what
vessel does God use to bring it to us that we might receive it.

Now  brother  Branham quoted ACTS4:32, where they  that  believed
were of One heart, one soul, and one mind. How did they get  that
way. What did God do. Did He sweep down in some supernatural way?

Did He come as a whirlwind? Was it a burning bush? No! It was the
preaching of the Gospel.

EPHESIANS 4: 11 - 15 <read>

Unity of What? The Faith! How? By the ministry of Christ in  five
offices.  Five  gifts that He gave to the church. Read  verse  13
again.

ROMANS 10: 13 - 17 <read>

NIV  verse  17  "  Consequently, faith  comes  from  hearing  the
message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ.

Now  let  me read to you what Martin Luther  said,  

ROMANS 10;14 <read>

Even  though they say that they hear, they boast in vain,  unless
they  hear  true preachers; for to hear false prophets  means  as
much  as not to hear. They hear and they do not hear;  they  have
ears,  but do not hear, nor do they preach the Word of God.  This
is  a striking statement against all conceited hearers  and  stu
dents of the Bible.

ROMANS 10: 15a <read>

This  is  directed against all conceited  teachers  and  arrogant
instructors.  These four statements 10: 14-15 follow one  another
in  such a way that one leads to the other, but so that the  last
forms the foundation on which the others rest.

1) "It is impossible that those preach who are not sent".

Doesn't the Word itself say He will make a way for His Gifts,  or
a  gift maketh a way for itself. So if they are called  where  is
the people to hear them. I have never seen so many self appointed
preachers until I came into this message. If they are called  why
don't  they  have a people to preach to. Don't blame  it  on  the
people, blame it on the lack of a gift! What does Matt 7 say? Not
all  who say Lord, Lord, shall enter therein. But He  that  doeth
the will of my Father.

Didn't we read in JER 48 " A curse on him who is lax in doing the
Lord's work! A curse on him who keeps his sword from bloodshed."

2) "It is impossible that those who hear are without a preacher".

3) "It is impossible that they believe who do not hear

4) "It  is  impossible that they call on Him that  they  do  not believe".

5)"It is impossible that they who do not call upon the name  of
the  Lord shall be saved. So, then, the entire source and  origin
of  salvation rests on this, that God sends out someone, (a  true
minister of the Word). If He does not send out any, then they who
preach,  preach falsely, and their preaching is no  preaching  at
all.  In fact, it would be better for them not to  preach.  then,
they  also who hear, hear error, and it would be better for  them
not  to  hear. Then also they who believe,  would  believe  false
doctrine, and it would be better for them not to believe".

"Then they who would call upon Him would call falsely (upon  a
false Lord) and it would be better for them not to call."

You  know,  that  is exactly 2 COR 11: 1-4,  where  they  receive
another Gospel, another spirit and thus another Jesus.

He  goes  on  to say..."For such preachers do  not  preach;  such
hearers do not hear; such believers do not believe, such  callers
do  not call; they will be damned because they would be saved  by
falsehood. So we read in Proverbs 1:28 "then shall they call upon
me,  but  I will not answer, they shall seek me early,  but  they
shall  not  find me: for that they hated knowledge, and  did  not
choose the fear of the Lord."

He  then said, "Only they can preach with certainty who  proclaim
the Gospel without error."

ROMANS 10: 15b <read>

"By  this quotation the Apostle shows that only those can  preach
truly  who are sent by God. Those cannot preach the  Divine  Word
and be messengers of God whom He has not sent and to whom He  has
not  entrusted  His Word. With the same words  the  Apostle  also
points  out  the nature of spiritual peace and its  gifts.  These
blessing are heard only in the Divine Word and are apprehended by
Faith. They  can not be presented in visible form  as  the  Jews
expected".

"In  Verse  15 the word "beautiful" stands for purity,  for  they
that  preach the Gospel of peace and bring glad tidings  of  good
things  do not proclaim the Gospel for their own advantage or  on
account of vain Glory, as this happens here and there today. They
preach  solely  from  obedience to God and for the  sake  of  the
salvation of their hearers".

So then those True Preachers who preach the True Gospel will echo
the sentiment of Paul when he said in

1 COR 14: 36-38 <read>

"Did  the  word of God originate with you? Or are  you  the  only
people  it  has  reached? If anybody thinks he is  a  prophet  or
spiritually  gifted,  then  let him acknowledge that  what  I  am
writing  to  you is the Lord's command. If he  ignores  this,  he
himself will be ignored."

156-2 SMYRNAEAN CHURCH AGE CHURCH AGE BOOK CPT 4

"In every age we have exactly the same pattern. That is why the
light  comes through some God-given messenger in a certain  area,
and then from that messenger there spreads the light through  the
ministry of others who have been faithfully taught. But of course
all  those who go out don't always learn how necessary it  is  to
speak ONLY what the messenger has spoken. (Remember, Paul  warned
the people to say only what he said, I Corinthians 14:37",...

"If any man think himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let  him
acknowledge  that the things that I write unto you are  the  COM
MANDMENTS  OF THE LORD. What? came the Word of God out from  you?
or  came it unto you only?") They add here, or take  away  there,
and  soon  the message is no longer pure, and  the  revival  dies
down.  How careful we must be to hear ONE voice, for  the  Spirit
has but one voice which is the voice of God. Paul warned them  to
say what he said, even as Peter did likewise. He warned them that
EVEN HE (PAUL) could not change one word of what he had given  by
revelation.  Oh, how important it is to hear the voice of God  by
way  of His messengers, and then say what has been given them  to
say to the churches."

But  there are those in this message who have done away with  the
five-offices  God has placed in His church. Some refer to  it  as
the  five-fold ministry. Others have done away with the  ministry
altogether and don't even go to church anywhere.

But  as  Martin Luther said, if they don't hear from one  who  is
true  they  don't hear at all. And if they don't hear  then  they
have  no  faith  and  they cannot believe  for  faith  cometh  by
hearing  the Word of God. Then if they have no faith,  then  they
are not even saved. It's a pretty serious thing what some  people
are doing who claim to believe but by their actions show they  do
not believe.

E-52 THIRSTING FOR LIFE 60-0304 "  And  this little deer will get

out to itself, away  from  the
herd.  That's the one the wolf works on. And to you, old  man  or
woman,  when you separate yourself from believers... People  say,
"I  can  stay at home, be just as good a Christian as  I  can  at
church."  You  can't. The Bible said, "Not forsake  our  assemble
ourselves  together,  and  that  much more as  we  see  the  time
coming." If  you're a Christian, you long to go  where  other
Christians  are,  and fellowship with other  Christians.  So  you
cannot  stay  away from church and live the same  life.  You--you
can't do it, because it's like, "I--I--I--I'm hungry, but I  will
never go to a table. I just... I will never eat. I just--I  ain't
going to do." See? You've got to go and feed on the Word of  God,
and  fellowship  one with another. We need one another  more  now
than  we ever did need each other is now. When you  get  yourself
singled  out from the rest of them making yourself just a  little
different,  you  don't want to associate with them  because  they
believe  this,  and  don't want to associate  with  that,  you're
getting  on  dangerous  ground, right  then,  keeping  away  from
church.  Find the one of your choice, and remain there, and be  a
Christian  brother  to all of them. That's the way to be  a  real
Christian. Then we've got fellowship, protection; people love you
and pray for you".

3 IDENTIFICATION 64-0216

"If you don't have a church, you must see you'll die spiritual
ly. You'll just dwindle away".

ONENESS pp. 165 - 166 <read>

ACTS 4: 32 <read>

Now how did they come into one heart, one soul which is one mind?

Well,  there is one faith, one Lord right? And that One Faith  is
His Faith, right? And Faith cometh by hearing, so they could come
into  oneness  only by hearing. And as Paul said in  ROMANS,  how
could they hear if God didn't send them someone?

To show you how important this is to God, when God sends someone,
He  wants  you must hear that person, and this  He  considers  as
doing the works of God.

JOHN 6: 28-29 <read>.

E-146 PERSEVERANT -- S.GATE.CA -- 62-0623

" Now, that's the way to get something done. Now that's the  way
you congregation ought to be about your pastor, see. That's  when
God will answer. That's right. You've got to approach God's gifts
in the right way, with reverence. And ministry is minister gifts.
They're gifts in the body--five spiritual gifts that's  predesti
nated, and foreordained of God to the church. I know there's nine
local  gifts in the body, but these are God's  office  gifts--the
office--apostles,  prophets, teachers, pastors, evangelists.  And
we must respect them, if we expect something from God."

That's the problem with the people today. God's gifts have become
too  common. They don't get nothing because they don't  show  the
proper  respect. You know, they had the same problem  with  Jesus
too.  The scripture tells us He could do no miracles  because  of
their unbelief.

MARK 7: 1 - 6 <read>

Isn't  it  the same thing today. They hear the  Word  as  they've
never  heard  it except perhaps from someone of  the  stature  of
Brother  Branham, and then they say, "My, I don't know  where  he
gets that stuff, but it's tremendous." Then they turn around  and
say, I don't like his character, I don't like his nature."

What's  wrong  with people anyway. Don't they realize  when  they
reject  the  messenger,  they  are  rejecting  the  message?  The
messenger and the message are one. That is "Thus saith The Lord",
by the lips of God's Prophet.

So  then who is right? The One who is preaching God's True  Word,
or  the  one  who  claims  to believe  only  he  can't  take  the
messenger.  Either  the Tree is good or it is bad. Make  up  your
mind.

MATT 7: 18 - 20 <read>

And didn't brother Branham tell us that the Fruit is the teaching
for the season.

E-49 BLIND.BARTIMAEUS 56-0414

And  God set in the Church first, what? Missionaries, or  apos
tles;  apostle and missionary, as I told you, taught you, is  the
same thing, "one sent." Apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelist,
pastors, God set in the Church for the perfecting of the  Church.
That's  Divine  gifts  that God foreordained  and  set  into  the
Church.  See? Those are for the perfecting of the  Church.  Jesus
speaks  through  His pastor, speaks through His  teacher,  speaks
through  His seer, His prophet, speaks through His missionary  to
the countries, and so forth. That's His gifts that's He's put  in
the Church.

So if God Foreordained and Predestinated the gift to the  church,
then  God knew every thing about that Gift and how it would  ring
forth the message to the people he chose the gift for. Refuse His
Gift, You refuse Him. You say, "Well, I don't buy that. I have a
hard time swallowing that". Ok, then you don't believe the Bible.
Because Jesus said,

JOHN 13:20 <read>

So,  either we receive the one He sent or we don't. One word  off
is Satan's kingdom.

You remember the quote I read sometime back where brother Branham
said,  God make the one He uses. He fashions there  style,  their
manner, their delivery, everything about them to fit the  message
and  the  day. Then he said, that's to catch some  and  to  cause
others to reject it. So be careful what you accept or reject.

ISA 53: 1 - 3 <read> Despised  and  rejected. And that's what we thought  of  Him.  He said,  if they call the Master of the house Beelzebub,  how  much more they'll call you.

E-31 SPEAK.TO.THIS.MOUNTAIN 57-1215

"The  Bible  said there's five offices in the  Church  that  is
ordained  of God and put in the Church--office holder.  First  is
apostles, prophet, teachers, evangelists, pastors. They are God's
foreordination,  by predestination, by foreknowledge. He saw  it,
placed it in the Church for every age".

So  if you have any complaints, talk to God about it. He made  us
the  way  we are for a purpose. Maybe, just to know you  off  the
way, did you ever think of that?

E-12 JESUS.CHRIST.THE.SAME 61-0205.2E

"  Those are God-given gifts that's set into the Church.  They're
predestinated  of  God,  and set to the Church.  You  can't  make
yourself a minister. God's got to call you to be a minister".

Now, getting back to the PP. 165, how can you have oneness if you
reject the very gift God gave you to bring you into Oneness  with
Him?

HEB 13:17 <read> PRAYER.