ONENESS
# 61
Just
to have Grace
Brian
Kocourek
Wednesday night we examined pp. 230 to 232. I had intended to
finish the message Oneness on Wednesday and recap this morning
but we
only got into pp. 232 where brother Branham said "it is
God
in His Word, backing up His Word, that brings it to pass."
So we
examined that thought of God in His Word performing it
Himself.
And you know what? I'm so thankful that we have such
a
God
as He is because, He is so Faithful to Himself and His
Word.
I'm so
glad He never left it up to me to see to it that you are
saved or
to see to it that I am saved for that matter. Because I
would
have lost all of you by now if it was left up to me.
I
don't think I would intentionally loose you all, but I am
just
your
brother saved by the very same Grace that saves you and I am
dependent
upon the very same Mercy of God that you
are. So isn't
it good to know that God does not look upon our flesh like
we
look upon
our flesh.
You
know, sister Wertz had asked brother Branham to come and pray
for her father one time and he came and she kind of listened in
while
brother Branham was in the room alone with her father. She
said she never heard her father nor brother Branham ever
get
beyond
talking about world war one. So a few weeks later when her
father was passing away she was desperate to see him saved and
she tried to get a hold of Brother Branham, but he died before
brother
Branham could be reached.
So later on when brother Branham came over to talk to them, she
burst out in tears like Mary, Lazarus' sister had when
Jesus
came to their home after Lazarus had died. Martha, his other
sister said, "[1]Oh, Lord, Had you been here my brother would
not
have died[1]." But sister Nadine Wertz told me she just cried out,
"[1]Oh, Brother Branham, I just know he is lost[1]."
And then brother
Branham told her, "[1]No sister Nadine, he'll be all right[1]". Then
he said, "[1]isn't it a good thing that God does not look upon
the
hearts as
men do"[1].
So,
you see, we must never look to each other and look for
evil.
My
kids shared something they had heard that the Indians used
as
a saying and I told them I really liked it. The Indians
had a
rule that went like this. " [1]You may think what you want to
think,
but you are the one who has to live with your thoughts".
I like
that because my mother always used to say to me and my
brothers,
when we had a fight and we thought the other one was
guilty,
she'd say...[1]"It
takes 2 to fight"[1].
And that is so true. If one would want to fight but
the other
doesn't then if the one who doesn't want to fight
just walks
away,
then either there is no fight or the other one will fight
with themselves. So don't ever get into a place where you get
angry
with one another. Jesus said, "[1]when
you are smitten on the
cheek give them your other cheek".
So, just "[1]turn your eyes upon Jesus and look fully
into His
wonderful face, and the cares of
this life will grow strangely
dim, in
the light of His Glory and Grace[1]."
Now
just because you might have bad vibes toward someone
doesn't
necessarily mean that they have bad vibes toward you. I heard
that Brother Branham said,
"[1]if
you let someone get between you
and God,
that person is closer to God than you are".
Now,
Wednesday night we examined brother Branham's thought
about
how God
is in His Word performing it, and we saw from Genesis to
Revelations the reality of having a God and Father who
is so
interested
in our redemption that what He made promise to Himself
first,
He then carried out in the form of a promise to us and
finally
to ensure that His thoughts and intentions come to pass,
He purposely has come down to finish it, to make it happen.
He
certainly
is faithful and I thank Him for it.
Now
this morning I would like to pick up at pp. 233 and
continue
with this
message on Oneness. This will be number 61.
Oneness pp. 233 <read>
Now, I find it interesting how
brother Branham Words this
paragraph
here because He is not just speaking about specific sin
in their
lives, but as he always says, smoking and drinking isn't
sin, it's
just attributes of unbelief. So when he says, those of
you
who don't seem to be overcoming these petty
little
attributes
of unbelief, it's because you don't have enough Grace
in your
hearts to do so.
Now, we are looking at the Grace of God or the lack of
it that
causes
people to live in unbelief. As we read in PP. 233, he said
those who had need of healing or salvation or whatever it was
whether
it be cutting their hair or smoking cigarettes or even as
a preacher not accepting the Truth of the Word. The
reason for
these things is that they are lacking the Grace of God in
their
lives.
DIVINE.LOVE.AND.SOVEREIGN.GRACE --
PRINCE.ALBERT.SK 56-0814
"I used to do a lot of riding. I've rode
many years in round-up
and so
forth; and I walked into wild horses, and somehow in a few
minutes,
he'd have his head laid over my shoulder. I'd just put a
blanket
on him, and walk him around a little while with a blanket
on him,
then throw the saddle on him, and the first thing you
know,
I'd be riding him along. See? He loves you. And if you
really love him, he knows it. Now, listen,
I want to tell you
something.
Human beings are more intelligent than animals,
and
you
can't tell people you love them, They won't believe
it,
unless the real thing's there to prove it. So
you say, "Oh,
brother,
you know we have such great fellowship." And
down in
your heart a grudge? He knows different. God
knows it. Your
neighbor
knows it. You got to be clean and above board, and say,
"Lord
God, create in me a clean heart to love."
You know, people are not as stupid as we would like them to be.
I've shook many a hand of a Christian person who told me they
loved me
and come to find out they have spoken against me behind
my back.
You might think I don't know what is said about me or my
family
behind closed doors, but Paul said in Ephesians chapter 3,
"all that is hid shall be made manifest by the light."
And if we
are walking in the light, then truly the Word of God
is a
discerner
of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And you must
know one
thing for certain, your sins will find you out. You reap
what you
sow. It doesn't take a man with the discernment of like
Brother Branham had to know these things. You have to be half
baked or
half dead not to know. So let's not pretend any longer.
If evil thoughts come your way. Give them a death
blow. Don't
feed on
them.
Now, I'm not saying they will never come. I believe they will
come.
If this church is being led by The Holy Ghost, and if
the
True
Word of God is coming forth from this pulpit, then I
expect
to be
attacked by Satan.
In fact if the attacks don't come, then I would have to wonder
what is
happening.
MATT
18: 1 - 10 <read>
Now, with these Words of Jesus and the Words of brother
Branham
this morning, I would like to examine this Grace that
brother
Branham
is talking about. I believe we have our troubles with the
body of this death because we don't have the measure of
Grace
that we
should have.
We
talk about Grace and we sing about Grace but do we really have
Grace?
Or do we just have religion? How many believe the Elect is
made up
in such a way as to echo back God's Word? Well, we say we
believe and we have Great revelation and we even talk it but is
that
really an echo?
did not Paul teach us in 1st Corinthians 13 that "Though I have
the gift
of prophecy" (which brother Branham told us means to be
able to
expound the Words of God.) "Though I have the gift to
be
able to speak forth the Word, and understand all the mysteries,
and all knowledge; and though I have [1]all[1] faith which we know is
all
revelation,...and have not LOVE, I am still nothing".
So, what I am saying to you this morning is that
we can talk
about
Grace and we can sing about Grace, but until we show Grace,
we haven't got a thing. And we can't have this
Grace without
having Love. For Grace and Love are twin sister, and you
can't
have the
one without the other.
136 THE.MESSAGE.OF.GRACE JEFF.IN 61-0827
"Think of
love and grace as sisters, twin sisters. You
can't
have grace without having love. They're twin
sisters. Exactly
right. [1]Before
you can have grace, you have to have love".
"Before you can actually show somebody a favor, you
love them;
right or
wrong, you have to love them, anyhow, or you can't. See?
[1]So love and grace is the same thing[1]. They're just twin sisters,
that's all, love and grace. They, we were... We can't
see one
without the other one. "God so loved the world, gave
His only
begotten Son," He shed His grace, and brought it in our
hearts
through the Holy Ghost. See? There's just nothing
you can do
without working one with the other. Grace, grace of God is what
saves
us".
Now, that is quite a statement. But I believe that what he said
is
"thus saith the Lord!" So if you don't have The Love of God in
your heart for your brother or sister in the Lord, then neither
do you
have the "Grace of God which is shed abroad in your hearts
by the
Holy Ghost".
Let's just follow this through for a moment. How
many believe
brother
Branham was speaking God's thought's here? And did he not
say that
Love and Grace are twins? Did he not say , "[1]So
love and
Grace
is the same thing?"
ROMANS
5: 1 - 8
So we
see here that Grace has to do with love. And this love
is
not just some hyperbola. It is an action that shows self
denial
on our
part.
104 ADOPTION.OR.PLACING JEFF.IN AD.PT.4
60-0522.2E
"[1]THUS SAITH THE LORD, it'll take perfect love to
put you in
that place, for that's all there was there[1]. No matter how many,
how much
religious demonstrations, how many good deeds you done,
or
whatever you done, that won't count nothing on that day. It'll
take perfect love. [1]So whatever you do, you lay aside
everything
else,
until you are just so filled with the love of God, till you
can love
those who hate you[1].
I'm just, as I
said this morning, I was made... My whole make
up is
grace. A lot of people say, "Now, you scratch my back,
and
I will
scratch yours. Yeah, you do something for me, and I
will
do something for you." That's not grace. Grace is, if your back
is
itching, I will scratch it anyhow, whether you scratch mine or
not;
you slap me on the face, and say, "my back needs
itching,
needs scratching," I will scratch it.
See? That's it, do
something.
I don't believe in works; [1]I believe that works is
love.
Works is-works is the manifestation that grace
has taken
place.
I don't live true to my wife because I
believe she'd divorce me
if I
didn't; I live true to her because I love her."
Notice what he said here. He said, "Works
is Love and it is the
manifestation of Grace."
1 Thes
1: 3 - 5 <read>
Our Gospel came not in word only but in power and manifestation
of the
truth. How?
Read
Wuest translation.
E-25 BEYOND.THE.CURTAIN.OF.TIME --
JEFF.IN -- 61-0305
"I am more convinced than ever in my life, that
it will take
perfect love to enter that place. There was no jealousy, no
tiredness,
no sickness, no old age, no death. Only supreme beauty
and joy. (Hallelujah!)
Whatever you do, lay aside everything else
until you get perfect
love.
Get to where you can love everybody, even every enemy. No
matter if
the plain is rocking, the lightning is flashing, or the
guns of the enemy are upon you, these things do not matter, get
perfect
love."...
...Press
on in that perfect love, which will take you to that
beautiful
and joyful place beyond the curtain of time."
So
how do we manifest the love of God which is shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy Ghost? It is measured in how we
treat one
another.
21 PERGAMEAN.CHURCH.AGE -- JEFF.IN -- ROJC
229-285 -- 60-1207
"Try to
do something good and just keep being good; hold no
malice,
no grudges, don't let any bitterness. No matter how
bad
the person is and how bad they talk about you, don't you never
think evil in your heart against them; 'cause right there the
Devil
will set right in, work up something right there. Just keep
it all
covered up with godly love, confession, and making right,
and do
good to those who do evil to you. "If you only do good
to
those who
do good to you, why," Jesus said, "don't the publicans
the
same?" See, the sinners, anybody can be good to those
that's
good to them. But be good to those who are not good to
you, do
something for those that would not do nothing for you. Speak a
good word
for the man that would speak evil against you, and that
way you keep all the bitterness out of your heart; and
you're
always in
love with everybody then, as long as you stay in love."
35 A.SUPER.SENSE -- JEFF.IN -- V-20 N-7 -- 59-1227.2E
"Now don't
you listen to one foul thing the devil has got to
say.
See? If the devil shows you some, or tells
you something
evil,
about one of the members of the Body of Christ, don't you
believe
it. For, as soon as you believe it, you mar your experi
ence. 36
And if you see one of the members
of the Body of
Christ doing something evil, don't tell nobody else; but go
to
that member,
and with love, and see if you can't bring them back
to Christ
again. And if you can't do it, then tell one person, or
let them
go with you. Do it the way the Scripture said. See? But
don't...37 If somebody Sister So-and-so, or Brother
So-and-so,"
don't you
believe one word of it. You just leave it go. Because,
remember,
it's the devil trying to tear you to pieces. Now
just
look for him to come in, 'cause he will do it. Now you
let the
good man of the house, faith, stand right there, and don't you
receive
one thing. These people have been set in Heavenly
places
with you,
fellowship together around the blessings of God, taking
the
communion at the table, and the Holy Spirit has witnessed "
"that they are the children of God. So let's just be real sweet,
kindhearted,
forgiving, loving. And if the other person
talks
evil
against you, you talk sweet against them. Watch how
sweeter
comes to
you then. See? That's right. Just always return good
for
evil,
love for hate. And just..."
135 ENTICING.SPIRITS -- JEFF.IN -- DE
79-112 -- 55-0724
"No matter
how long you've been a Christian, do you still got
those little old spirits that talk to you? Makes you fly loose.
Makes
you talk about somebody. When somebody comes up and goes to
speaking
about somebody else, you join right in with them and oh,
just run them down. That's wrong, brother, don't do
that. [1]That
will finally keep you out of the promised land.[1] Now, I'll just
add this. It will take you out because only
perfect love can
enter in. "If you just got that little old thing that
you
oughtn't
to have, if the love of God really isn't in your heart,
won't you
be lady and men, walk up and say, "God, right here I'm
going to dump it out this morning, right here. I'm
going away
from this
altar a different person." Would you come?"
Now I
firmly believe that when people want to keep fusses going
they are lacking the Grace of God in their life. In fact
it is
because we do not understand what Grace is or what it is
all
about
that we continue to be moody and pout and carry on like we
do.
If
you take your stand for something that God has revealed to you
in your
heart, it should never matter if any one agrees with you
or not.
If you believe you truly have something from God that
is
a
blessing to you, then it is only natural that you want to share
it with others. But what I can't understand, and the thing
that
bothers
me most is this. Why do we as Christian people get
upset
at those
we share with that turn us down. We shouldn't get upset
with them. We should pity them and pray for them. If you
share
with them and they just can't see the Glorious things God
is
showing you, Love them anyhow and that will show that the Grace
of God is
alive in your hearts by the Holy Ghost.
But if
you get mad, upset or even angry
because someone else
might disagree with you, then it shows that you haven't got
the
Grace
of God in your heart. And I feel sorry for you. I can't for
the life
of me figure out why people just can't live for God. It
seems some times that we long for every
one else approval in
stead of
God's approval and we get mad if we
don't get it.
Now with these words of admonition, let's look at what Grace is
and what
it is all about.
Now,
How many of you have received the Grace of God? Then
my next
question is this. What measure have you received? You see,
Paul
said we receive it in a measure. Every one must receive
his or
her
measure of Grace.
So
if Grace is something that can be measured, then there must be
some
means of measuring it. So then the question remains, "How do
I know
what measure of Grace that I have? How can I measure
my
own self
to see what measure I have received from the Lord?
Can
you take a yard stick? No! Can you take a measuring tape? No!
Then
how do I measure it? Well, your measuring devise
whatever it
might be
must be a scriptural one, right? And what did the scrip
ture tell us to do with every spirit?
1 JOHN 4: 1 <read>
Now,
we all want to make that appropriate for the other guy,
but
it says
every spirit. do you have a spirit? Have you tested your
own
spirit by the Word?
Look, we all know the principal of reaping and
sowing, right?
What you sow, you shall also reap, correct? Then
that is our
measuring
instrument. How much Grace have I received? I can check
it easily
by looking to see how much Grace I give out. Isn't that
the same
as an echo? If I am really one of His Seed, then won't I
have a
capacity to echo forth what He gives to me?
Then that my brother and sister, is what this message is
all
about.
If I confess Him He will confess me before
His Father,
right?
Then isn't the Word confess the words
HOMO-LOGOS which
means the
same logos or the same thoughts expressed outwardly?
Now, let's just ask ourselves three little questions
concerning
the
subject of Grace:
#1)
What is Grace?
#2)
Where does it come from or Who does it come from.
#3)
What is it supposed to produce. If you sow it what
will you
reap. So then what
are it's fruits. Jesus said by your fruits
you shall know
them. So what is the evidence of Grace in ones
life.
# 1 )
What is GRACE?
WEBSTER:
It simply means Good will or
favor; thoughtfulness
toward others. Mercy and clemency or forgiveness.
The unmerited
love and
favor of God toward man.
So we
must ask ourselves a little further. What is
favor? If
Grace is unmerited or unearned love or favor. [1]We know what love
is[1].
Especially God's love. It is a self sacrificial effort made
on behalf of one person by another. [1]But what is favor[1]. It means
to be
partial toward. To be friendly or show a kind regard
for.
To show good will towards and approval of.
Now
I want you to begin to put some of these things together. God
has shown us unmerited love and favor, for yet while we
were
sinners
he sent forth His only begotten to lay down His life for
us. While
we were yet in our sin and unbelief, He showed love to
us. While
we were yet full of worldly reveling and running after
His
enemy the devil, He still loved us and wanted our friendship.
Yet while we disagreed with Him and His Word and had our hearts
set
against His Truth, He still wanted to be our friend. He still
sought out our love. He didn't get emotionally upset. He
didn't
feel put out. He loved us regardless of our actions toward
Him.
He
not only loved us with unmerited love, but we found favor with
Him without having earned one bit of it. He showed partiality
toward us. He showed kind regard and good will to us. That is
what
Grace is.
Now I
might ask if we have it, but before I do you must also
understand
what Grace produces. Because you can say, yup! I have
accepted the Grace of God in my heart. But you may be only
presuming to have what you don't have. Now, if you
really have
the Grace
of God in your heart it will and must produce a fruit.
So what are the fruits of Grace: But before we will answer this
we must
first ask ourselves this question:
Where
do we get this Grace. Or by Whom
do we receive it?
Now in
JOHN 1: 17 it says, "Grace
and truth came by Jesus
Christ."
And just before that the scripture told us that in
the
beginning
was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word is
God and the Word became flesh. Then immediately after, it
tells
us that
Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ.
Now
we already know from what brother Branham told us that
Grace
and Love are twins and in fact are the same. But here the
scripture says, Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ. And if
Jesus is the Word, then Grace and Truth again are seen as twins
being
birthed forth from the word of God. Twins again. So
outside
of Truth, outside of the Word of God you can not have
Grace.
Therefore
if you walk in the light as He is the light, then your
sins are freely forgiven. Outside of the
light there is no
redemption
nor is there forgiveness of sin. And neither is there
anything
that could even substitute for Grace.
No
Truth no Grace. ROMANS 5: 1- 11 Access
by faith into Grace.
1 TIM 1: 14 Faith and love abundantly
Notice the Grace is to bring forth a fruit by the Truth of the
Word.
Notice the same wording is also used in Ephesians chapter 1
Ephesians 1: 5 <read>
He had
heard of their faith. Now what is
Faith? It is the
Revelation of God. And what came out of this
Revelation? Love.
Right?
Love toward whom? Toward all the saints!
And
remember, Grace and Love are twin sisters. They are the same.
So the
Word will produce in you a work which brother Branham
called that work, love and it produces a Grace in
you. An
unmerited favor. Just so you won't fail to understand
this, we
read to
you where brother Branham said, you must first have love
then
Grace follows.
Now, how many of you loved your wife before she
loved you, or
visa versa. When you became determined that you loved your
wife
to be
you began to show unmerited favor and friendship
and
kindness
to her, is that not right? Then what happened. She began
to respond, and voila! She began to get the
same revelation,
right?
Now, your catching on. Grace and Love are twins. You can't have
the one without the other. And Grace and truth
came by Jesus
Christ
and He is the Word Revealed. He is the Revelation of God.
So essentially this revelation of Christ is to produce a
love
which produces a grace in your hearts one to another as He
has
already
shown His Love and Grace to you, as you reflect Him then
you begin
to do the same.
It does not matter how you are being treated right now, it only
matters how you want to be treated. If you truly have a
revelation in your heart of the Love of God for your fellow
man
it will
produce in you a grace for them also.
Now
we know that this has not been in man as he ought to have but
must come before we get out of here. We know that the
scripture
tells us that there is a great measure of Grace that is to come
at the
Revelation of Jesus Christ.
1
PETER 1: 5, 8 - 10, 13
It is
to come at the revealing of Christ. The
Revelation will
produce it. In fact the Revelation of
Christ not only will
produce
it but will multiply it.
2 PETER 1: 2 - 4
So we
see that through this Grace, not just receiving it but
actually it takes a hold of our entire thought process until it
replaces
our very own nature with His nature.
You know the many scriptures that show how we come into
His
image.
Well, He is Love, He is Mercy and He is Grace. And if
we
are to
come into His image won't we reflect the same. When Christ
who is
our life appears, won't we appear with Him in the same
mind set?
1 COR
1: 3-4 tells us we receive this Grace
at His
unveiling and it brings us to a place where we have the
same mind
and same judgment.
So,
now, knowing what Grace is and where it comes from, let's ask
ourselves
the third question.
#
3) What will Grace produce in me?
Now,
to know that, we must ask first what does the scripture tell
us Grace
produces.
In
1 Cor 1:3..2 COr 1:2..Gal 1:3..Eph 1:2..Phil
1:2..Col
1:2..Philemon 3..1 Thes 1:1..2 Thes 1:2..1 Peter 1: 2 and Rev 1:4
tells us that the Grace of God brings with it a
peace that
surpasses all understanding. Why? Because the world can not
understand
how you can have peace in the midst of trials and how
you could
ever find any love for your enemies.
You
see, it is easy to love those who love you, but to love those
who
oppose you is not humanly possible.
JOEL 2: 12 - 14
His
Graciousness or His ways of Grace brings forth Mercy, slow to
anger (patience) a great kindness and it leaves only blessings
for those
Whom He favors. The same also in TITUS 1: 4,2 Tim 1:2
1
HEB 13: 9 It establishes our hearts
HEB 12: 28 It allows us to serve God
I would like to ask this question? Is His Grace
that we are
supposed
to be reflecting or echoing producing the same?
What else should this Grace produce in us beside the
Divine
nature of God which He promised in 2 Peter 1?
It is to help us
to grow
up into Him in all things.
2 Peter 3: 18
1 Cor
1: 4 - 5
This
Grace that He gives us makes us accepted in Him.
EPHESIANS 1: 5 - 6 In Love He predestinated
us to be
accepted in the beloved. And brings redemption which is
a buying
back to the original condition.
Now I
ask. Have you had a relationship go astray with a
brother
or sister. Have you shown Grace to them and accepted
them for
what they are regardless if they see things your way or
not.
Regardless of how they might be perceived to be
treating you.
Have
you accepted them in the beloved. Have you extended
Mercy to
restore
that one in the Spirit of meekness considering yourself.
If not,
I ask where is your reflection of His Divine Grace. If
you've
received His then surely you've got it in there somewhere
to
reflect back.
EPHESIANS
4: 29 - 32
Only
perfect Love will enter beyond that curtain of time.