Questions and Answers #34
In
quietness shall be your strength
Brian Kocourek, Pastor
November 24, 2007
Last week we spoke on Faith and Confession and we used as our text Isaiah 30: 15 For
thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall
ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and
yet ye would not.
Notice that God was
telling
Now, this evening I
want to continue with this thought on “Faith
and Confession”, but last week we spoke on how important it is “to
think what God thinks” and “to say only what God has already said”.
But this morning I
want to look again at this text that we used for our message on Faith and Confession, and I wish
to look at this aspect of quietness, that we read about,
because after all, he said “in quietness and
in confidence shall be your
strength; and yet they would not”.
So you see God offered
But now, this evening
I wish to look further into these words, in quietness shall
be your strength, because there is something of a mystery or paradox
in these words, “in quietness
shall be your strength”. Usually we think of strength in terms of
numbers or power, and we know that when a person is powerful they are not
usually very quiet, but are loud, boastful, and sometimes obnoxious like
Goliath was.
There is something
about these words, and quietness shall be your strength. Brother
Branham speaks of this in his sermon Hidden life in Christ 55-1110 P:39 Of a morning, did you
ever get up real early, get out real early and smell that fresh air, how it is
and how refreshing everything is? The dew has fell. Oh, brother, sister, if the
only thing you know is go to church, if the only thing you know that you joined
or was baptized, or something like that, why not hide your life away with
Christ. Get alone in the quietness, away
from the world and all of its cares, and settle down and watch what a
refreshing will come. You know, Isaiah spoke of it one time. He said,
"Precept must be upon precept, and line upon line upon line, here a little
and there a little. Hold fast to that what's good. With stammering lips and
other tongues will I speak to this people. And this is the Sabbath (or the
refreshing) that should come from the Presence of the Lord."
And again he said
in Hidden life 55-1006A P:26 In the temporal
temple He's in a congregation, holy place, and holiest of holies. Each one of
them was separated one from another, and each one had different furniture in it
to show the dwelling place, a very beautiful type of the church. The sinner
first comes into the kitchen, as it was; the kitchen's where you eat. The
living room is where you commune. And the bedroom is where you rest. Oh, God.
See? The sinner comes in: "Faith cometh by hearing, hearing of the
Word." He comes and eats the Word. Then he's baptized into the faith, and
accepts Christ as personal Saviour, brings him in then to commune with God. But
then he moves on into the bedroom, the still quietness with God, where all the
things of the world is shut out, and he's alone in the stillness with God.
Brethren, sisters, that's the place this Pentecostal move ought to be today, a
not so much babbling, "We're Trinity. We're Methodist. We're Assemblies.
We're
And again he said, From that time
61-0520 P:55 I think the break of day is the most beautiful time of the
day. See, all the demons has ceased to run, and the Holy Spirit... I think any
man that comes to the pulpit to preach, should stay in the quietness of God,
come out as a sweet smelling savor, anointed with the Holy Spirit to speak the
Word of God.
You won’t find God in
the hustle an bustle of the malls, but you will find him in the secret
Tabernacle of his Presence. God hides in simplicity. He hides in meekness and
solitude. Look at how the little boy, David, a quiet young man, and young boy
who didn’t socialize with the other boys his age. He was a shepherd boy, who
was used to living alone with the sheep. And where did his strength come from? in quietness shall
be our strength . We see the Power of God in that little vessel,
because he trusted in God to deliver him. So who really had the power and strength,
the obnoxious, boastful, loudmouth Goliath, or the passive, quiet little David?
We are told here that in quietness shall
be our strength, So we should want to know what that means.
And furthermore we read last week for our text the words of the Apostle
Paul in 1
Thessalonians. 4:11 where he
commanded us to study
to be quiet. So we see there is something very important to
understanding about what it means to be quiet, because we are told it is our
strength. Then what does it mean to study to be quiet?
Well, these words were
spoken to us in 1 Thessalonians 4:11 just before the apostle Paul spoke to us
concerning the rapture which we find in verse 13 through 18.
And that coincides with
what brother Branham said concerning the condition the bride is to come to just
before we are to be caught away. He said we must lay in the presence of the Son
to ripen and to become sweet in our spirit. And we can only do that by bathing
down in His Presence.
From his message Trying to do God a service
65-1127B P:112 Br. Branham
said, We Have to lay in the
Presence of the Son to be mellowed up;
that's all of it. Plenty green; we haven't got the sincerity, the sacredness,
the thing we ought to have in our midst to know that the Spirit of the living
God, moving in His Word and showing us the things yet.
And the Wuest
translation, we hear the Apostle Paul tell us that just before he spoke of the
Rapture of the elect he said, 1 Thessalonians
4:11 Now,
as for you, I beg of you, please brethren, that you see to it that you
continually are increasing more and more in this love, and that you make it
your ambition to be living a quiet life, that you are cultivating the habit of
attending to your own private affairs, and that you are working with your
hands, even as I gave you a charge, in order that you may be conducting
yourselves in a manner becoming to you as children of God, towards them who are
on the outside, in order that you may not be having need of anything.
I think that one of
the most important things we can do to get ourselves in the right frame of mind
in order to enter into communion with God and in order to really hear from God,
is to get away from all the distractions this old world has to offer. Just get
alone to a place where you don’t hear from anyone or anything so that you can
empty out self that God might fill it up with His Word. I am talking about a
quiet place where peace can enter into our soul, and where you will find rest
for your spirit.
Isaiah said, In returning and in
rest we shall be saved, and he added “in Quietness and in
confidence shall we be strengthened”.
Solomon,
said in Proverbs 15: 1 A soft answer turneth away wrath: but
grievous words stir up anger.
A soft answer, what is a soft answer? It is a weak answer, not a
forceful one, or loud one, but soft and gentle. A soft answer is one that is
gentle and kind, not mixed with anger and malice, but words which subdue and
bring peace.
You do not turn an angry
beats away with an angry countenance, or angry words. You turn that angry beast
away with soft words, and showing them love.
Brother Branham spoke
softly to that man killing bull. He spoke softly to those angry hornets. A soft answer turneth
away wrath. If brother Branham would have spoken harshly to those
bees or to that bull he would most certainly have been attached. But he was
understanding that he had invaded their territory and he was quite apologetic
to them, and they sensed his nature was not one of danger to them, and so they
let him pass.
But we are told also
that grievous
words stir up anger. So what
are grievous words? Our dictionary defines Grievous words as: words
that Cause grief or pain, or anguish: words that serious or words that are dire or calamitous; words
that are grave fraught with danger or harm: in other words, words that are
harmful.
I know people who were
married for 25 years but who finally split because they used grievous words towards
each other. Words that are harmful and not uplifting.
The Bible tells us how
to deal with conflict. It says, if they strike you on the cheek, don’t strike
back, but rather give them your other cheek. Study to be quiet.
Learn to give the
other cheek. When you think someone did something that you feel is wrong or
might be inflammatory towards you, don’t strike back. Ask in a soft way, a
gentle way, what the person meant by those words.
Matthew 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and
a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever
shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy
coat, let him have thy cloak also. 41 And
whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow
of thee turn not thou away. 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy
neighbor, and hate thine enemy. 44 But
I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them
that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in
heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth
rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For
if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans
the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do
not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in
heaven is perfect.
And again in Luke 6:27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, 28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. 29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also. 30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. 31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. 32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. 33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. 34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. 36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. 37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: 38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
The most important
thing in this world is to get your mind under the control of God, be cause your
actions come out of your mind, Don’t go by your feelings! Go by what God said,
because what He said is eternal.
If the mind is not
under control the actions will not be under control, because you can only do
what your mind indicates. Therefore we need to put on the mind of God if we are
going to walk and act like Jesus Christ. We need to think like He thought
concerning every circumstance, and then we will act as He would have acted.
Isaiah 32: 17 And
the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness is quietness and assurance for ever. And the word effect means what is produced by, so we
see that righteousness will produce quietness, and that will be our strength.
Ecclesiastes 4: 6 Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail
and vexation of spirit.
Proverbs 17: 1 Better
is a dry morsel, and quietness
therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife…. Though I give my body
to be burned and do everything that seems Christian, and yet have not love what
does it profit me?
Job 34: 29 When
he giveth quietness, who then can make
trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it
be done against a nation, or against a man only:
1 Chronicles 22: 9 Behold,
a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him
rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I
will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.
The problem is
that we talk too much and listen to little. If we are mortaring at the mouth
all the time, how do we expect to ever hear from God. My Grandfather had an
expression which said, Children should be seen and not heard. But in our
generation we allow children to decide for themselves at such an early age and
unless they have sat and listened until they are mature, they will never make a
right decision.
Jesus said in Matthew 12: 36 But
I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give
account thereof in the day of judgment.
And brother Branham said in his message, Seal
of the antichrist 55-0311 P:60 Well,
God bless you. I love you. And if you want to see real true genuine gifts and
not impersonations, if you want to see real solid Christians, walking and so
salty till the earths a thirsting for them, to be like that... Why, my, the way
people... You can't go down on the street and tell what is Christians anymore.
That's right. They all go down the street, and they act the same; they talk the
same. And all time around, cracking all kinds of jokes and everything like
that, when God said you'll give an account for every idle word that you speak.
What's happened? Because brother, you're letting the devil come in and put it
over your eyes. The first thing you know, the time will come, when God will
give a message and you'll be sealed in or out of the Kingdom. Amen.
And again from his message Contending for the faith 55-0220E P:62 he
said, I pray God that You'll wipe
all unbelief out of our heart. For we realize that we're mortal beings. We're
now bowing our face to the dust where we was taken from and shall return. And
maybe before the sun rises in the morning, that we will have to stand in Your
Presence to give an account for every idle word and everything that we've done
on this earth.
And from Questions and answers COD 54-0103E P:69 20.brother Branham quotes from II Timothy 2:16 reads like this. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase
unto more ungodliness. Yes. All right. You want
to know what the profane babbling is. "Profane--shun profane babblings,
for they will increase." Now, the first thing is, "profane babbling,
for they shall increase." Now, anything that just keeps babbling. The
Bible said, Jesus said, "Let your yes be yes and your no be no, for anything more than this will come to
sin." You're not supposed even to joke and cutup with one another. God
will make you give an account for every idle word that you speak. Did you know
that? The Bible said that you'll have to give an account for every idle word. So what kind of a people ought we to be?
People that's frank, stern, loving, kind, and never a bunch of nonsense,…
In the
Church order COD 63-1226 P:21 Brother Branham said, the
pastor has to do himself before he comes into the audience; he must take the
Bible, study in the quietness of his
room, in the Spirit, and be anointed to come out before the audience to
speak. If he doesn't, he's going to be confused when he gets out there.
And from God in simplicity 63-0317M P:53 he said, And
now, just remember now what we're dedicated to: to reverence, holiness,
quietness before the Lord; worship before the Lord and be just as reverent as
you can be in the house of the Lord. And when this service is
dismissed--immediately after the service is dismissed, go from the building
(See?),.. Then it's not a confusion in the house of the Lord.
And again in Confirmation and evidence 62-0621E P:13 he
said, I think that we all love
that. I think ministers should do that. It's not be out on parties and mixing
up with peoples in a social affairs, I
think we ought to stay in the quietness, in the Presence of the Lord. And
that's tried to be a practice of mine, to enter in every afternoon at three
o'clock, and then talk no more until I enter the pulpit that night.
New ministry 59-1115 P:8 And
let us pray. O Lord, quietly... We realize that we must come quietly into the
Presence of God, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and a
rewarder of those that will diligently seek after Him. And we come in the
quietness of the Spirit to Thy Throne, O God. And we lift up our hearts before
Thee, and say, "Search them, O Lord." And if there be any unclean
thing in us, remove it, Lord, as far as the east is from the west. And if there
be any iniquity in our hearts, something that would hinder our prayers from
being answered, we pray that You will let the Blood of the Lord Jesus move
every stain from our spirit and our heart. For it is written, "If I
conceive iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me."
Who is this 59-0510E P:15 And
our loved ones wants to meet us as well as we want to meet them. What a reunion
that'll be when He comes--to meet our loved ones and see them in their
resurrection body, and glorified, and walking around with the air of the
resurrection. Watching their character,
how it changed, the meekness and quietness, and it won't be a hustle and
bustle, and jump and jerk, but we'll have all eternity to live together.
Oh, this great neurotic age that we're living, just not no time for nothing,
just climbing and jerking and grabbing, why, it's a terrible day.
Mother's day 59-0510M P:27 Then
I think of when we see them standing yonder, our loved ones, our mothers, our
kindred, all our friends, and to see them in their immortal bodies, their
celestial bodies, watching their character,
seeing how they conduct themselves with that sweetness and quietness, no more
nervousness or frustrations. To see them standing in the likeness of the
Lord Jesus, that'll be a wonderful day.
2 Thessalonians 3: 12 Now
them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with
quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
Elisha the prophet 56-1002E P:39 There's
something about the quietness of a night, alone, the dew falls and it freshens.
Oh, if we would only get quiet and alone
with God (See?), how the dew would strengthen us, take the wilt out of us
and make us fresh. Did you ever go into a rose garden early of a morning? Did
you ever go into a honeysuckle bed early of a morning? And the whole air is
just bathed with fragrance. Oh, how I love that. Down in my part of the country
in
Revelation book of symbols 56-0617 P:67 I
love to worship God in quietness like this: something that's got some real
meaning to it. Just to feel that Something's near.
Enticing spirits 55-0724 P:50 Tried
to put his arm in. He's got to have someone to direct him how to put his arm in.
Then when he gets his arm in his little jacket he knows he's all right. That's
the way it is with every born again Christian, when he really gets into God, he
watches his life with God's Word and he realizes he's lined up with every bit
of it. He's got long-suffering, gentleness, quietness, meekness, power, faith,
love, joy, peace. He ain't tossed about like a troubled seas. He ain't worrying
about every little thing. He ain't jumping here and there like a bottle stopper
on a windy ocean. He's set. His heart's pure. His thoughts is pure. His
intentions are pure. His alternative's right. And he knows he lines up with the
Word of God. All hell can't move him. He's lined with the Word of God. He's got
Divine love, purity in his heart for every man and woman. He's got his... He's
abstained from the things of the world. They're dead to him. He don't want them
no more. Why, you couldn't make a Holy Ghost girl put on a pair of them ungodly
looking clothes and get out there for nothing. No, sir
Why I am a holy roller 53-0830A P:2 Now,
I pray God, that You'll bless us this afternoon. Bless the reading of the Word.
And these few moments we're to spend together, may Thy blessings be upon us.
Thank You, Father, for the love offering. And may Your blessings rest upon each
one who give, and those who could not give. And may the offering be used only
for the glory of God. Grant it, Father. And someday over in a better land,
setting down by the banks of the river, where the Tree of Life is blooming on either
side, may every person that's in Divine Presence be there. Grant it, Lord. May
they have a lovely home. We can set down in the quietness of evening and spend
a endless eternity together. Help us now while the battle is on to hoist up the
flag and polish the shield and go forward in faith. We ask in Jesus' Name.
Amen.
1 Peter 3: 4 But
let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even
the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great
price.
1 Timothy 2: 2 For
kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and
peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
Acts 19: 36 Seeing
then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to
do nothing rashly.
Ecclesiastes 9: 17 The
words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among
fools.
Psalms 107: 30 Then
are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired
haven.
1 Peter 3:1 Likewise,
ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands;
that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; 2 While they behold
your chaste conversation coupled with fear. 3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is
not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and
quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who
trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their
own husbands: 6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord:
whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with
any amazement. 7 Likewise,
ye husbands, dwell with them according to
knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being
heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not
hindered. 8 Finally, be ye all of
one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: 9 Not
rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing;
knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a
blessing. 10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let
him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no
guile: 11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him
seek peace, and ensue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. 13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers
of that which is good? 14 But and if ye suffer for
righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not
afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; 15 But
sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be
ready always to give an answer to every man that
asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and
fear: 16 Having a good
conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be
ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
17 For it is better, if the will
of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.
Questions and answers COD 64-0823E P:32 283.
Brother Branham: Question: Should a Christian woman wear simple jewelry, as
necklaces or pearls? Well, sister, I know this means a lot to you, and it means
a lot for me for you to place your confidence I'd tell you the truth. Now
remember, the Bible said, "When you adorn, do not adorn with--with costly
jewels, and pearls, and all kinds of wearing of jewelry, but let that be the
adorning of a peace, and quiet, and meek spirit (which I just quoted), which is
a great price before the Lord." Now, I don't mean by that, sister, that if
you had a pin... Now, this is me, not the Lord. If you had a pin that you
wanted to wear, or a little necklace your husband give you, or maybe
your--something like that that you wore, now, to me, I don't think that's bad.
Now, that's just me. Now remember, I make myself clear; that's my opinion. But
I think it's the approach to it; it's the way you do it. See? It's the motive
behind it. And when you see it's getting a-hold of you, then leave the thing
alone. But I think if you wore your wedding ring...
Church dedication 59-0708M P:17 The
three room house, a three compartment service... One is your body, what you do
for Christ. The other is your spirit, what you think of Christ. The other is
your soul, the faith that you have in Christ. Three room house, completely,
absolutely, dedicated to the service of the living God. Justification, by
faith, sanctification, by the Blood, the filling of the Holy Spirit, entering into peace and rest with God.
No wonder we have so much backsliding. No wonder we have so much troubles in
the churches today. Because they don't come all the way with God till they
enter into that place where it's dead. Man dies out to his own intellectual
thinking. Remember, a little seed, it cannot bear any life until it is rotten.
Put a grain of corn in the ground, just as yellow as it could be, harden cased.
But until that corn dies and rots to its own body, it'll never bring forth
another sprout. And when the new life comes in it's absolutely, altogether
different from the first life. It's soft and flexible and life. It comes from
that little grain of life that's cased in the outside.