Spoken Word no. 141

Ordained to Glory

Brian Kocourek, Pastor

January 24, 2010

Now, this morning I would like to focus on just a few words that Brother Branham said in paragraph 144 “In our mistakes... Don't say, "Well, I made a failure." No, that don't make a,…Abraham made failures too. See? In other words don’t be focusing on your failures, when you are ordained to not fail. You need to learn to say what God said about you, not what you see in the glass mirror but the mirror of the Word. So what does the Word of God say about our end? Plenty. For starters, let’s turn to the 1^st book of Peter and read.

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (or living) hope (a hope that has been made alive, how?) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ (out ) from (among) the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, (and if the inheritance is reserved in heaven for you, it means that God already knows you are going to be there.) 5 (You) Who are kept by the power of God through faith (And what is Faith? Faith is a revelation, it is something that has been revealed to you. And so Peter says), (You) Who are kept by the power of God through (revelation) unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (You see right there? It's a revelation, a last time or last days revelation he is talking about.) 6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: (You say, if Need Be? Who needs trials? But just remember, Jesus said, that the Father would not place upon us anything that we could not bear. So there is a reason for all the trials we must go through). After all, is it not a Living sacrifice that we are to present our Lord. Now, notice what peter says next here,

7 That the trial of your faith,(That's the trial of your revelation) being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: (notice then, this tells us that there is an outcome that will result from these trials of our revelation, and that in itself tells us that the test or trial is for the purpose of our being approved and the Wuest translation tells us… If perchance there is a need for it, you have been made sorrowful in the midst of many different kinds of testings, in order that the approval of your faith, which faith was examined by testing for the purpose of being approved, that approval being much more precious than the approval of gold which perishes, even though that gold be approved by fire testing, may be discovered after scrutiny, to result in praise, honor and glory at the time of the revelation of Jesus Christ.)

Notice Peter speaks to us of the Trial of your faith or the testing of your faith. That is how God develops the picture in us! Through the trials and testing’s, and those trials and testing’s are for the purpose of approving us. You don't do all that work with the negative just to wash it clean. You do all that washing and follow the process to develop that image that is in the negative with the purpose of bringing it into a positive.

Now this test is not to test the revelation we have received, but to test our reception of that revelation. For anyone can say they believe it, but as James said, show me your works and I will show you my faith. God gave Noah a revelation that it would rain, and in that revelation a way of escape. Had Noah not acted upon that way of escape he would not have passed the test. But He was ordained to pass the test, therefore, when the test came, he was more than a conqueror, and he was more than able to do what God had shown him needed doing. And he built that ark and his stepping into that revelation is what brought it into manifestation.

So what Peter is telling us here is that there is to come an end-time revelation that has to do with the Revelation of Christ, and there will be a people that are ordained to step into that revelation and become the manifestation of that revelation. That Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Now, just like in school, a test is always given to test our understanding. Therefore, the test is but an examination, it is an experiment or trial that is used to prove the value or to ascertain the nature of something. That is why we see the nature is predicted by God to come forth in Praise, Honor and Glory. And what is this particular thing that is being tested. The scripture says it is our faith. And Br. Branham taught us that Faith is what? He said, Faith is a revelation, something that has been revealed to you. And this scripture tells us what Revelation we will be tested on? It says, this test will come at the time of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. So we will be tested by God as to whether we understood and therefore have entered into the Revelation of Jesus Christ. In other words, that same relationship that Jesus had with his father, we thus entering into His relationship through His blood, become sons in the image of the first born son.

And as Jesus was crowned with Glory and Honour at his coming, so shall we also receive our crown of Glory at the time of the Apokalupsis or unveiling of Christ. Hebrews 2: 9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

Now, I want you to see that in the Alpha Jesus the son of God was crowned with Glory and honour, so also in the Omega we are to be crowned the same way.

1 Peter 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2  Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3  Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. 4  And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

So we are going to investigate this time of testing’s at the Appearing of Christ, because we know that as He is so are we in this world, and when He appears so shall we appear with him in Glory, this same opinion, values and judgment of God. Therefore we want to examine how the tests at the time of His Appearing or unveiling is to produce in us what it produced in the first born son in the alpha ministry of Christ. For God has ordained certain results for us as a result of this testing.

Notice the words of Peter in 1 Peter 1: 5 You who are kept by the power of God and we know that the Power of God is His own word as we see in Romans 1: 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

So we find here in verse 5 that Peter is telling us that we are to be kept by the Word of God at the time of this testing. … You who are kept by the power of God through Faith (through Revelation) that brings you to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time, Now, Wuest translates these words, “last time” as a season which is epochal and strategic in it's nature). The peter says, Wherein ye greatly rejoice though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold testings: Notice he tells us If need be, so we see then that these tests are on an as needed basis. Therefore, the testing are to come, but the number and degree of this testing will depend on whether you need it or not, or better yet they will come and the degree to which they will come will be based on whether or not you pass them the first time around. Now, let’s make this easy for our little brains to understand… If you pass the first grade exam the first time you take it, then you take the test only once. But if you do not pass the first grade exam the first time you take it you must take that exam over again. And you will keep on taking that test over and over and over again until you finally pass it. Then you move up higher. So Peter tells us, Wherein ye greatly rejoice though now for a season, (So you see this testing is for a season, and then he says,) if need be, you will in heaviness because of the manifold or many variations of the same test:

The way I taught at the University, I gave my students the final exam at the beginning of the quarter. I gave them the formulas and problem sets to solve, but I mix up the order so they just can’t just make a cheat sheet with the answers on it. But they take the problems over and over and over again until they master the material, and then they move onto the next unit. And that is the way God teaches and puts us to the test. And once we master the test, we move up higher, and onto the next lesson. But it is all for an outcome that He has ordained us to attain.

Peter said, That the trial (the test) of your Faith (the test of your Revelation), being much more precious than gold that perishes, although the gold must also go through testing by fire as well, but that you may be found after such testing to have your Revelation come to the place of Praise, Honor and Glory at the Appearing of Jesus Christ: (Now, hang onto your thinking caps for a moment because we are coming right back to this thought). Whom having not seen, you love; in Whom, though now you see Him not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of Glory: Receiving the end (That’s the Goal or outcome) of your Revelation even the salvation (final deliverance and setting free) of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the [Grace] that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ (That’s His first Coming), and the Glory that should follow (That His second Coming in which He comes in Glory first, The Appearing then the actual Bodily meeting in the air). Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, (In other words, they were not ready for what has come to us in this hour, and they without us could not be made perfect or finished off.)

…which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the Gospel unto you in which the Holy Spirit Himself was sent down from heaven; which things even the angels desire to look into. Wherefore, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the (Grace) that is to be revealed (unto you) at the Revelation of Jesus Christ."

Now, notice this season of Grace is to come at the time of the season of testing concerning the Revelation of Jesus Christ. And what does this Grace do? It identifies the Revelation of Jesus Christ! Grace, then Grace and understanding Grace, will be an earmark of this Message or this Revealing of Christ.

We see 1 Peter 1: 3-7 that the tribulations or testing comes from divine Love and will work only that which is good for us, because we have a promise from God in Romans 8:28 that “all things shall work together for our good”, and what is that? In Romans 5:4 Paul also tells us, "Knowing that Tribulation worketh patience, and patience character and character hope, and hope maketh not ashamed." Through the testing of our faith, the test then I is used to purify our character to the highest degree. Whatever the testing finds in us, it develops more fully. And therefore the purpose of the trial or tribulation is to expose where our character is weak, where we are yet carnal, weak, blind, wicked, haughty, and so forth. Because without this understanding of how Christ works in us His will, tribulation would only make us more carnal, more weak, more blind, more wicked and more haughty. On the other hand, if we are spiritual, then our tribulations make us strong, wise, pious, gentle and humble and we become more spiritual through our testing.

We also become more powerful, more wise, more pious, more gentle and more humble, as we see in Psalm 4:1 where David said, "Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress."

So we see here that distress will enlarge what ever condition we are in, whether in a carnal condition or in a spiritual one. And that is the purpose of the trials and tribulations. And in fact when the squeeze comes fully upon us, it will only bring forth in us those attributes which God has already placed in us by the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. And then what will happen? Those attributes will become enlarged. Those attributes will show forth in our lives, and as we read of the Blessings in Deuteronomy 28, just as those Blessings will come upon us and overtake us, so will the divine attributes of God show forth in our bodies. " 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. 19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waits for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Therefore, we should never blame the other guy when we are put to the test, but we should thank our God for the privilege of being His and that He wants so much to show Himself in our very being, that he has brought to us the honor of allowing Satan to buffet us. Then instead of being angry with our opponent, we should pity them that they are an instrument in the hands of Satan, yet unknowingly, in the permissive will of God. The Christian who outwardly worships the Cross of Christ and marvels at the suffering of God's only begotten Son, and yet flees from, and detests tribulation and affliction, are simply ignorant and childish in their thinking and indeed are hypocritical in their mind, because the Scriptures tell us that the Cross of Christ is not just some wooden object on which Jesus was stretched out, in Matthew 10:38, Jesus said, "He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me."

So let’s look at the outcome of the testing that is ordained to test our revelation of Christ at this end-time revealing of Jesus Christ.

Peter said it would result in praise, honor and glory. So what are these three attributes or characteristics, that we should hope for this result in.

1 Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Notice the three stages that we go through at the Appearing of Jesus Christ. Peter speaks of 1).Praise, 2).Honor and 3).Glory,

So what is praise, what is honor and what is glory? In order to know the outcome of this season of trials and testing at the appearing of Christ, we must know what we should look for in our own lives at this end-time.

Well, the word praise comes from the Greek word, “epainos”, which is usually translated as praise but more specifically speaks of laudation which is A formal expression or commendation and admiration: It means to give· tribute orally, as in citation. It shows an expression of warm approval: to compliment, acclaim, applaud, or recommend.

Since these three attributes of expression are come to a full maturity of expression at the time of the Appearing, I would like to examine them in Scripture.

First let’s turn to Ephesians 1 because as we were ordained and elect and predestined to this Glory at the very beginning, we see Paul speak of this in Ephesians one.

Ephesians 1: 3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

So we see that the elect will come to the place of a full maturity of verbal expression concerning the glory of His grace. Now, since we know this word glory was translated from the Greek word “doxa” which speaks of the opinion, values and judgments of God, then he is telling us that we will come to the place where our own words of laudation, recommendation, and praise will reflect the very values and opinions of God concerning His grace to us. So we will say what God says, and our speech will echo the speech of God and the values of God and the opinion of God Himself, concerning His Grace.

And not only that but Paul goes on to say in Ephesians 1: 8  Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 9  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, (just think of that. Because He hath abounded to us in all wisdom, the very spirit of Wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Himself comes down to make known to us the mystery of His will. Now, listen, this is no small thing here. To know God’s will is the only way you can know how to please Him.

And he tells us here that He abounds toward us in all wisdom and prudence to make known His will to us. So there has got to be a reason He has come down to make known His will to us.) according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 10  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

So what is this reason that He has come down in wisdom to make known His Will to us? Let’s read on…12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

What does that mean? That means by knowing His will we can say the same thing He says, and we can have the same opinions, values and make the same judgments. Now, let’s read on...

Ephesians 1: 13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, (until the body change, but…) unto the praise of his glory.

So this wisdom and prudence will make known to us that which has been a mystery to the world but will allow us to know the will of God, so that we can speak the same things, the same opinions, and hold onto the same values, and declare the same judgments.

Now, let’s go to the book of Hebrews 13: 15 to see what else Paul says about this attribute of praise. 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. Here Paul calls it the fruit offering of our lips. So we see that the first thing we see as a result for the tests that God gives to us at the Appearing of Jesus Christ is that we will begin to speak the same things,. The fruit of our lips. And did not Jesus say, “By their fruits you shall now them?” and does not the Word of God also teach us that “as a man thinketh in his heart so is he” and ”out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh”?

Now, let’ s look at this second attribute that is to come into manifestation as a fruit of our being or as a manifestation of the sons of God at the appearing of Christ. First he said, praise, the honor, and finally Glory…

So let’s look at this word honor. The word was translated from the GREEK word “time” pronounced “tee-may” it speaks of price but means more specifically the value, the esteem, the dignity and honour. So you can see that this speaks of a true revelation of the preciousness that the elect are in the eyes of God. She sees what God sees her to be. Like the slave who held his head high and worked harder than the others, and it wasn’t because of how he was treated, nor how much food he ate, but he had a high estimation of his real value because he knew that he was the son of a king. Therefore, it will reflect in the conduct of the individual who knows the price that has been paid, the value and estimation or their worth in the eyes of their Father and eldest brother who paid that price with his own life. So this attribute is not spoken but it is seen in the conduct of the individual.

Then we bring our bodies in subjection to what he said, which the word honour comes from a Greek word, time' which means a valuing by which the price is fixed; hence the price itself: and finally we receive the very Glory or Doxa which is the very opinion, assessment, and judgment of God.

And that leads us to the third attribute, from praise to honour and finally to glory, which is “the doxa” of God, His opinions, his values, his judgments, which basically is then the elect receives in her the very mind of God.

Philippians 2: 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Philippians 3:15Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

1 Corinthians 1:3  Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 4  I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; 5  That in every thing ye are enriched (or fertilized) by him, in all utterance, (logos) and in all knowledge; 6  Even as the Testimony (witness) of Christ was confirmed in you: (and what was the testimony or witness of Christ that was established in us also? His testimony, his witness was that God was His Father. And Paul says that this grace is to bring this same witness in us, and so this grace was given) 7 So that you come behind in no gift; (that you come behind in no lack of understanding) waiting for the coming (apokalupsis or unveiling) of our Lord Jesus Christ: 8 (And it is this unveiling of Christ)  Who shall also confirm (who you are or establish who you are) unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9  God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. You see, there is that same thought there. ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son. 10  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for The Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11  For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but The Spirit of God knows. 12  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but The spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Hebrews Chapter 2: 9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. Now, remember if Jesus received a crown of glory and honour at his first coming, then what about us when this is the hour that we are to be conformed to his image?

In closing here are the promises we have concerning our receiving this crown of Glory and honour…

1 Peter 5: 4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. Remember, what is the glory? His very mind…

And how do we receive this crown of glory? Peter told us it comes as a result of the trials and testing we undergo at the time of the unveiling of Christ, and so does James.

James 1: 12 Blessed is the man that endureth the testings: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

O, what a wonderful promise we have in this hour. And Peter told us that this crown is more precious to us than gold that perishes even though it is tried by fire and found to be pure gold.

And Paul spoke of this crown as well at the Appearing of Christ in 2 Timothy 4: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

So you have got to love his appearing, his unveiling. And in fact Paul said this Appearing or presence of the lord is our crown of rejoicing. 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?

And in closing, Paul also said, 1 Corinthians 9: 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible crown.

Let us pray… Dear Gracious and loving Father, we have read from your own Word this morning of this wonderful promise that we have of knowing your will which to the world has been a mystery but you have revealed it to us by Your Great Appearing, and we are truly humbled Father to know that we are receiving your very mind by receiving Your very Word that You have confirmed to us and in us by Your great descent and Appearing with the Shout which we know to be the Message of the Hour, declaring yourself as ever You are. And we pray that our whole body, soul and spirit might come into such harmony with Thee that we will be conformed to the very image of your first born Son Jesus, and in doing so we shall receive a crown that shall never fade away, a crown of right-wise-ness and a crowning of our minds with your own mind. With this great promise that we have seen in Thy Word this morning, Father, how could we ever express the joy we have of knowing this? So help us then to just submit ourselves to your promise and become what you ordained for us to become, for we ask it in Jesus Christ’s precious name, amen.