Rising of the Son no. 16

Appreciating Life

November 13, 2016

Brian Kocourek, pastor

 

Peter 1:13  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

 

Let us pray...

 

Now, before we begin our reading from brother Branham's sermon "Rising of the Son", I want you to recognize that when brother Branham uses the word Easter, he is referring to the resurrection. And resurrection speaks of Life.

 

1  ... bow our heads. Lord, as we gather here this fine Easter morning, see the little buds pressing their way out, the bees flying in and getting their portion, the birds singing like their hearts would burst with joy, because there is an Easter, we believe that You raised up Jesus from the dead many years ago today, and we celebrate this memorial day.  And let there come an Easter among us all today. May we, as His servant, understand His Word, that we were in His fellowship then, and that now that we are risen with Him and setting together in heavenly places. Bless the service here in the tabernacle and across the lands where it goes by this telephone. Heal all the sick and the afflicted. May it be a Easter for them also and an exodus from sickness unto strength. And those who are dead in sin and trespass, may they live today through Christ. And we'll praise Thee, for we ask it in His Name. Amen.

 

Now, before we begin to read further into this message, let's just stop for a moment and look at what brother Branham has spoken so far. Because sometimes we read these words and overlook the significance of them, but God Hides in simplicity.

 

Brother Branham opens this sermon by speaking of nature, life and resurrection. And he talks about life, all kinds of life. he speaks of Plant life, animal life, insect life.

 

First he mentions plant life: "see the little buds pressing their way out,".

 

Then he mentions insect life, the bees flying in and getting their portion.

 

Then he moves up into a higher form of life, Animal life: the birds singing like their hearts would burst with joy,.

 

And then brother Branham points out that all of this is made possible because it all speaks of resurrection Life. "because there is an Easter,(there is a resurrection) And then he confirms to God that we look to the resurrection of His son and realize that it made a way for our own resurrection. He says, "we believe that You raised up Jesus from the dead many years ago today, and we celebrate this memorial day. 

 

Therefore let's look at this thought on resurrection life and the significance of it this morning.

 

Now, with this thought in mind that brother Branham lays out the simplicity of life in the budding of the trees, in the flying of the bees to seek out their portion, and the birds making melody as they are sing their hearts out. have you ever stopped what you are doing and just listen to life?

Just think about it for a moment. Our Great God Who is also our father, created all life. And he placed within each form of Life certain attributes and characteristics that each form of life is to express. And when we just kick back and set for a while, and listen to nature it tells us a wonderful story.

 

I think that this generation has missed out so much on the joy of life because we have become trapped into a mindset that is not very healthy. It evolves around things and not around life.

 

Have you ever noticed people setting in a restaurant, husband and wife and each has their nose in their cell phones, instead of looking into the eyes of their spouse and without a word, they are communicating from their soul.

 

You don't see that any more. You don't see the joy of Life, and the expression of life in couples, nor in husband-wife relationships, nor hardly in parent child relationships,

 

I envy the American Indian and his way of Life.Image result for 5000 buffalo slaughtered They lived in nature and learned to become one with nature very much like Adam and Eve did before the fall.

 

In 1871 Colonel R.I Dodge traveled along the Arkansas River through an immense herd of American bison (Bison bison). Dodge estimated that the herd was at least 25 miles across and after consulting with hunters and other travelers, concluded that it must have been at least 50 miles long.

 

The Buffalo was a way of life for them and they tribes followed the herds and lived their lives in thanksgiving to God for providing them the herds. And great were the herds. It is said that there were herds roaming the plains that were and the Bison numbered around 100 million in number, and yet the prairie grass was sufficient for them to live. They ate the meat for their protein, they used the skin for their clothing and housing, they used the sinews for tying things together, and the bones for cultivation of crops. I have a list below of the uses, and we won't spend much time on this because our sermon is not about the buffalo but rather the way men and women of the native American Indian was so respectful of the life of the buffalo that they used every part of it for almost everything in their societal living.

 

Here are a few examples:

 

Horns:

Arrow Points
Utensils (cups, ladles, spoons)
Powder horns
Decorative headdresses
Medication

Bones:

Knives, Pipes
Arrowheads
Splints
Shovels
War clubs

Fat:

Candle Tallow
Lubricant
Soap

Tails:

Ornamental Decoration
Fly brush
Whip

Hair:

Decorative headdresses
Ropes
Pad and pillow filler
Moccasin lining

Muscles:

Glue
Thread
Arrow ties

Stomach Liner:

Water container

Gall and Blood:

Decorative Paint

Skull:

Rituals

Beard and Teeth:

Ornamentation

Bladder:

Medicine Bag

Hooves:

Glue

Scrotum:

Ceremonial rattle

Liver:

Hide Tanning

Manure Chips:

Fuel

Tendons:

Sewing
Bowstrings

Hide:

Moccasins
Buckets
Drums
Splints
Ropes
Saddles and Stirrups
Snow shoes

 

 

At one point in time there were some 100 Million bison (buffalo) roaming the prairies in the United States, and the American Indian were very respectful of the buffalo because they knew their creator had provided it for their necessities of life, and they were very thankful. But by 1873 we see the bison almost decimated by the whote man. In 1873 the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fé Railroad shipped 2,743,000 pounds of buffalo bones, and in 1874 it handled 6,914,950 pounds. The Northern Pacific Railways shipped even larger quantities.

As late as 1886 overland travelers saw immense heaps of bones lying alongside the tracks waiting for shipment at stations throughout South and North Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas. This trade continued until the bones were gleaned so far back from the tracks that it was longer Image result for 5000 buffalo slaughteredprofitable to seek them.

 

Thus we see the European had no respect for life and came into the prairies and slaughtered tens of millions of the buffalo just for sport, and to kill off the food supplies of the Native Indians so the white man could conquer a hungry and weak people. The hides were sent back to Europe for processing into leather.

 

The bones were shipped back east for fertilizer. The white man called the red man who worshipped the Creator God, an uneducated heathen, while the white man worshipped his creeds and dogma's and knew no more about God than nothing. So who really was the heathen?

 

And so we begin this sermon of brother Branham, who Himself was part Cherokee Indian, with his pointing out the nature of buds, bees and bird life, and showing in simple illustrations that each form of life is very special in God's economy and were given certain specific attributes to perform the tasks that their creator had made them for. And all together contributing to the God-ecology of this wonderful planet he placed them in.

 

And when we read what he spoke concerning the buds, bees and birds, we see in each form of life certain attributes and characteristics and how they work together and are satisfied with doing what God meant for them to do.

 

Man is the only creature God made that seems to never be satisfied with doing what God meant for him to do.

 

When I read his opening dialogue and looked at these three little forms of life, the buds, bees and birds, and the expression of life that each performs, it made me think of God hiding in simplicity, and how we have totally missed the whole picture God has for us.

 

The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 8 that all of nature has been waiting for us as sons of God to come to the place where we will manifest as sons of God.

 

Romans 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

 

Now, just think about that. All the suffering we go through in this life is not worthy to be compared to the Glory, the Doxa, the opinions and values and judgments of God that are ordained to be revealed or manifested in us. Yes, IN us.

 

19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.  23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, (that is we that have the Holy Ghost) even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

 

Oh, my, what a time it will be when all of creation will live outs it's life knowing that the sons of God are set for their defense. When sons and daughters of God will not slaughter them, but will take care of them.

 

Can you imagine the crying and sighing that went on among the American Indian when he witnessed the wholesale slaughter of their precious Buffalo? I imagine they sighed and cried for the abomination done by the city man. But that is what Paul tells us the whole creation is sighing and crying about. They long to see Sons and daughters of God who act like sons and daughters of God. Who respect Life, and appreciate with joy all the various forms of life, and al the many attributes and characteristics that are expressed through their life forms.

 

What ought our attitude be concerning God and His creation? what ought our attitude be when God placed us on earth as stewards of the Life forms he also placed here for our benefit.

 

What was Adams attitude towards the creation God set on earth for his stewardship.

 

Notice what God said in Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

 

"Let him have dominion over" all the life forms God set upon the earth. The word dominion was translated from a Hebrew word which simply means to have the rule over.

 

So what does it mean "to have the rule over"? And what is God's expectation of our gift to "rule over" all the life forms on earth? That is a very good question, because the carnal man thinks the word "rule over" means to dominate and control by any means. But that is not what dominion means at all. dominion means "the power or right of governing  and controlling; a sovereign authority.

 

Notice God has given his sons "A sovereign authority". He has given us the power or right to govern and control.

 

Brother Branham explains what this means to have "dominion over" in his sermon  QA on Genesis COD 53-0729 P:18 He got all those things together, and made all the other things, all the animal life, the birds, the bees, the monkeys, and whatever it was, put them all here on earth. And then He asked this question now. "Let us (Who? Father and Son) make man in Our own image." Now, if a man was made something like that little sacred Light yonder, or something like that, It could not be seen (which is a spiritual Being). He manifested or unfolded Himself a little more to make a trinity of Himself by Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And here was God, unfolded Himself now, down into "let us make man (which was His son, an offspring from Him) man in Our own image (He was a supernatural being.), and let him have dominion over the cattles of the field, and so forth." Now, the man led,  the man led the cattle and everything, just like the Holy Spirit leads a real true believer today. The Voice of God out there... The voice of man, rather, would speak and say... call the cattle this way, call the sheep over to this pasture, call the fishes to this water. See, he had dominion; everything obeyed him.

 

Now, listen, we are going to a millennium, where we will be one with nature again. we are going back to a garden of Eden setting, where man had a right kind of dominion over the life other forms God set upon the earth to cohabit with us, and so it is time we begin to look at what God is expecting from us. Because if we get there and have not His mind and His Spirit we would end up doing what man has historically done, and that is to use this authority as a weapon rather than a stewardship.

 

Brother Branham said man was supposed to have dominion over the animals in the same way the Holy Spirit has dominion over us.

 

Now, when has God's Holy Spirit ever ruled over man as an iron fisted dictatorship?

 

When has God ever butchered men? When has God ever taken advantage of man's weaknesses for his own benefit? When has God ever used and abused man for his own joy?

 

My Bible tells me God loves us and long suffers with us. I see nothing in my Bible or the history of mankind where God ever used and abused man for his own pleasure.

 

27  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: (bring it into subjection) and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 

 

And how are we to do this? Like the Holy Ghost does the believer. And remember the Holy Ghost is timid like a dove, so don't get any idea that this speaks of using force at all. The Holy Ghost leas the believer like the dove leads the lamb.

 

29  And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.  30  And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.  31  And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

 

Notice how God gave and he gave and he gave and all was for the benefit of his sons and daughters. And he told us to have dominion over all the forms of Life he had given to his children. But we seem not to understand this dominion is actually a Stewardship.

 

From his sermon, God making His promise 56-1209A P:39 brother Branham said, "Then notice and go back to the lamb. Now, he's so meek and so gentle. And the day that when a lamb comes into the earth, he's born meek and gentle. He's a lamb to begin with. And when a Christian is born into the Kingdom, he takes the nature of the Lamb. Now, the lamb is not, as I said, he can't take care of himself. And a lamb cannot find his way around. A lamb has to be led by the shepherd. And how beautiful to see the dove leading the lamb to Calvary. Amen. God leading, just like Abraham led Isaac to his death that would have been at the sacrifice block, God led Christ to the sacrifice, being led.

 

Church and its condition 56-0805 P:33 Now, another thing the lamb is, the lamb is willing to submit its rights. Now, God wants us to be lambs, but there's so many times that we don't want to submit our rights, forfeit our rights. So many of you say, "Well, I've got rights, Brother Branham." That's true, but are you willing to forfeit your rights? Are you willing to give your rights that God could lead you? That's what's the matter with our churches today in the great majority, that the gentleness of the Lamb of God... We are supposed to be lambs; we have become everything else but lambs. And that's the reason, as soon as we get that attitude, the Dove of the Holy Spirit takes Her flight and leaves.

 

Lamb and the dove 57-0325 P:36 Now, the lamb cannot lead himself. But we call ourselves God's lamb, and we want to figure out our own way. "I'm going to see if I can stand this or not." See? You try to figure out your own way. And as soon as the Dove comes and lights on you, and you try to figure out your own way, and how you're going to do this, and how you're going to do that, God can't lead you anymore, so the Dove just takes Her flight.

 

Then if we are led by the Holy Ghost, and the Holy Ghost  is so much like a dove in its  nature that he when he came to impart His Life into His son Jesus, He came in the expression of a dove, John saw a light like a dove, coming to Jesus and resting upon Him and dwelling in Him.

 

Then what ought our attitude be towards others who struggle to receive that lamb nature, and who struggle to understand these things of God that He has shown to u His Seed?

 

Jesus never just wrote them off because they did not understand. He went after them, not with a whip, that was for the unbelievers who hated the Light. What Jesus did was to give them example after example of resurrection presence, resurrection evidence, and resurrection life.

 

And that is what brother Branham is beginning this sermon with. Signs of Life, attributes of life, characteristics of life, resurrection Life. 

 

Then what will this God-Life resurrection nature produce in us?  It will produce in us a Resurrection and Rapture.

 

The Apostle Paul told us in Romans 8:11 If the Spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, it will also quicken (make alive) your mortal bodies.

 

For, "if the spirit" (pneuma) "if the spirit" (the nature) "of Him that raised up Jesus from among the dead dwelleth in you, He that raised up Christ from among the dead shall make alive again your mortal bodies also on account of His pneuma (spirit or nature) that dwells in you." 

 

From brother Branham's sermon Easter Seal 65-0410 he said,  "And now, if that same Spirit that was upon Him to be the Redeemer in that age, that we have accepted... Now, the promise of in this last days what would take place, if you become part of that Word, you are redeemed with Him, because the same Spirit that dwelt in Christ is dwelling in you, quickening your life to this age. And it will also in the end time quicken your mortal bodies, resurrect them, bring them up again. That takes the gloom away when we look at it in that, and that's the truth.  Romans here, Paul has proved it to us. See? "If the Spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, it will also quicken your mortal bodies." This is the same Spirit that raised Him up that quickened the true believer to Eternal Life. The Spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells into the believer, quickens the believer to Eternal Life.

 

Look, brothers and sisters, what we are looking at this morning is Life, and Life is so beautiful, and life is so joyful, and life is pleasant, and good to the eyes, and to the hearing.  when I go to the lake, and look out over the water, it is living water, and it is so soothing to my soul. The waves are like a melody, and they bring comfort and relaxation to my spirit, and to my body.

 

Oh, if we could only take time to appreciate life. Because we have a promise of Eternal life.

 

In John 3:15 we read,  “whosoever believeth” (ὁ πιστεύων)  in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

 

Now, what good would Eternal life do you if life was so horrible. What good would it be to live forever if life was full of disappointment.

 

We read again in John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that “whosoever believeth” (ὁ πιστεύων) in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 

"everlasting", the Greek word is aionios:  its perpetual, and it means from age to age to age, without end, everlasting.

 

Again we read in John 3:36 “He that believeth” (ὁ πιστεύων) on the Son hath (echoes) everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

 

Look, this ought to tell you one thing, If you are a true believer and brother Branham taught us that a true believer is one who is filled with the Holy Ghost, so if you are filled with the Holy Ghost you will echo life. And what does that mean? You will lie Like He lived, and breathe like he breathed, and think like he thought, and appreciate life like he appreciates life. And we don't appreciate life like we ought to because we are too concerned about our jobs and our things. There is no generation in history that was caught up into things like this generation, and that is only a distraction to keep you from looking at and appreciating life.

 

The mother that has no material possessions to distract her attention, she looks at her children and that is all she wants out of life is to watch her children grow in nowledge and grace and to express the attributes and characteristics they were born with, and that is what brings  joys to her life.

 

We see another promise of God to us concerning Life in John 6:47 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, “He that believeth” (ὁ πιστευων) on me hath (echoes) everlasting life."

 

So what does that mean to echo life? Why is that a promise of God for the believer?  Why is that so important to us?

 

In examining this word “hath” we find the word was translated from the Greek word “echo” and is used over 600 times throughout the Scriptures. The Greek word “echo” has various application of usage, including “to have” or “to hold”, both usages showing possession or relationship,  and so we can see that the root meaning of this word speaks of relationship, whether directly or remotely, and thus the main strength of usage concerning this word has to do with continuity of relationship. 

 

Now the word continuity means 1. The state or quality of being continuous. 2. An uninterrupted succession or flow; a coherent whole. 3. a. A detailed script or scenario consulted to avoid discrepancies from shot to shot in a film. 

 

And as you can see all these descriptive meanings show the attributes of what an “echo” really is. The purpose of an “echo” then, is to bring about continuity, an uninterrupted succession, or flow, so to speak,  to avoid discrepancies from shot to shot or from voice to voice, if we are to be more scripturally accurate. 

 

Thus you can see that an echo will keep the continuity of thought and speech, because an echo not only will say the same thing, but will bring forth the same inflections, and dynamics of the original speech time and time again as it proceeds forth in its course of life.  Thus the Spoken Word we know is the Original Seed,  and as a seed is subject to the commands of God concerning all seeds, that He spoke in Genesis 1:11, that “every seed must bring forth after its kind” or nature.  

 

Thus in each seed that comes forth from the original seed, there must be an ability to echo or repeat what that seed is. And if the Original Spoken Word is a Seed, then that spoken Word Seed must bring forth after its kind.  Thus an ability to echo will guarantee the continuity that each time that Word is repeated it will not only say the same thing, but the same thought as the original will be behind it, because the expression or dynamics of that word will be the same from generation to generation as it repeats itself over and over again, and the repetition being reflected from echo to echo, will carry along with it the same expression and dynamics, and will sound exactly as the original seed sounded.   

 

And if we echo what life was in the Son, then we will virtually do what he did, and say what he said, and live the way he lived, and what a time it will be for us in bodies that will be made unto his own incorruptible body. 

 

John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: “he that believeth” (ὁ πιστευων) in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

 

And again he said in 1 John 5:10 “He that believeth(ὁ πιστεύων) on the Son of God hath (echoes) the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

 

In closing brother Branham said in his sermon, Adoption 60-0522 2E 180 And what is it when you're way out there in redemption, with a brand new body, you've turned back to a young man altogether again, or a young woman, you're never going to die no more. And you look down on earth, and think, "I could enjoy some grapes and some good cold water, but, you know, I don't need it here." But someday Jesus is coming, and this angelic body, this theophany that I'm living in, will not come through the womb of a woman anymore, it'll not come through sexual desire anymore; but because that He was born without sexual desire, I'll be resurrected without it, and He will speak someday and the dead in Christ shall rise, and that body that I once lived in will resurrect into a glorified body, and I'll walk and I'll talk, and I'll live and I'll enjoy life (hallelujah) throughout the glorious ages that is to come through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Notice he's talking about enjoying life. Not hurry up here and hurry up there, but enjoying Life, because we have become are aware of Life. Not only we are aware of His Life living itself out in our life, but we have become aware of all Life that He created, and every form of life in His creation, and all forms of life are just waiting for you and I to be conformed to the image of the first born son.

 

Colossians 3:4  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

 

Let's read one more scripture and then we will close. Let's turn in our Bibles to

 

1 Thessalonians 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?

 

I would like to conclude this message by reading an email from brother Conrad in Australia. It touched my heart to think that an Eternal Word has reached down into his little girls soul. The Bible said, "Train up your child in the way it shall go and when it gets old it will not depart." To me that is not only imparting life, but it is appreciating Life as well.

 

"God bless you, I'm really proud to share this little testimony with you all. Br Branham taught us to apply the token and to always present our token with our prayers. Every day I pray for God to bless my little children and to anoint their ears and eyes. I always thank God for his Word of truth because the Angel of the lord encamps around those who fear him.

 

Today my sister in-law drove up the drive way, and my two little ones ran to meet her. They jumped into her car and where playing with their aunty. So I let them play a little well. Until my sister in-law turned up some music and was encouraging my children to dance, I walked over (because the token must be applied) and as I was approaching the window my sister in-law was asking my 2 year old baby girl Aurora to dance. 

 

What happened next was amazing: Instead of my daughter listening to her aunty, my little girl did not move a muscle but just looked at her aunty and then turned to the radio and put the music volume all the way down. Wow I was taken back, so I kindly asked my sister-in-law not to encourage them. I was so proud of her as the scripture says in 3 john 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear my children are walking in the truth."

 

Let us pray...