Spoken Word no. 213
“Absolutely Undefeatable”
Brian Kocourek, Pastor
December 26th, 2010
Opening
Prayer…
Let’s
remain standing as we open our Bibles this morning to several Scriptures I
would like to take for our text before we read from Brother Branham’s sermon,
The Spoken Word is the Original Seed.
2 Corinthians 1: 7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are
partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
1 Corinthians 15: 58 Therefore,
my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast,
unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know
that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
1 John 5: 4
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the
victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. So as brother
Branham preached, “Faith is the Victory.”
1 Corinthians 15: 57 But
thanks be to God, which giveth us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the next few paragraphs from the Spoken word is the
original Seed, brother Branham lays out a scenario of how God Himself could
come on the scene, and because He was not part of their group or their
organization, they would not let Him come in to minister to them. Then he gets
shows how that is the same pressure that was laid on Jesus, to buckle down
under the pressure and submit or be rejected. Then he brings us to the point he
is trying to get us to see, that God will allow the pressure to come down upon
all of His Seed to show what you are made of. And if you can’t stand the
pressure, then you are not His for every seed must come forth in the image of
the original seed. And if the original
Seed could stand the pressure then so shall all future seeds that come forth
from that Original Seed. So let’s go to reading now a few paragraphs to see
what Brother Branham is telling us here.
The Spoken word is the Original Seed
pp. 102 "Why, you can't come in here; you can't hold a
revival. Give, let me see your ordination papers" a man filled with the Spirit
of God, the real true God Word's, God's
Word made manifest among His ministry. Not
one thing you can say against Him, immorally or anything. Who can accuse Him of it? Come to a
denomination: "Why he ain't Oneness; he ain't Assembly;
he's Trinity. He ain't Trinity; he's Assembly." You poor bunch of illegitimates; shame on you. God on the outside; but what did John say, that last
messenger down there before His coming? "He's able of these stones to rise
children to Abraham. Don't you come saying, 'We belong to this and we belong to
that.' God can... these stones rise children to Abraham."
103
All right, as we go
on now... Oh, how I love this. Christ's bride, as same as Adam's bride and all
the rest, mixed the seed and put Christ out for her denomination. She sure did
it. She certainly did it. She refused God, to be her Husband, like Eve did,
accepted Satan's death-lie weeds. In a results a dead, formal church has been
born from her. Now, you lie--say that's a lie. Where's your Pentecostal? More
formal than the Baptists are. Sure, you know what? It looks like a bad picture right now, don't it? But what did Joel
say in Joel 2:28,
"But I will restore, saith the
Lord." this Laodicean age knocking on the
door trying to get back the most pathetic picture in the Bible.
104 Uh-huh.
As Adam found his wife impregnated with the seed of death of Satan's lie she
had accepted, Joseph found his wife impregnated with the Seed of God, which the
Word she had accepted. What's it all about? What am I trying to say? Now, to
you people on the air, you people out in the car, to you people in the
Tabernacle, do you see why I have stayed the way I've tried to stay right here
and denounce that? It's not I got anything against them men, them women; I
haven't one thing against them; but I
just can't go on that ground. I just can't do it, because it's wrong.
105 How
I got a Scripture here I'd like to take, on Jesus, on His temptation; when he
tried to give Him, said, "I'll
give you all these kingdoms of the world. They're mine."
See? Same thing he come to Eve (See?) first by turning the bread, about eating
and so forth. See? "I
do all this if you'll worship me, you just come join our group."Jesus
said, "It's written, 'Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.'"
106
What is it? Some of you preachers now,
that's too scared to take your stand, afraid that they won't even let you come
into the organization. What else are you going to do then? They kick you
out. I feel sorry for you. First thing, for your weakness. That's right. Where's your faith in God? They told me
the same thing. Sure. I worked seventeen years, till God got me out and built
me around this, and then I thought, "Now,
Satan you come now." See where it's at. When you really realize that God has revealed to you the Truth of the
thing, there's nothing in the world's going to defeat you in it. That's
all. You're absolutely undefeatable; not
you, but God that's in you. Not Christ, not the body, but the Word that was
in Him. Not Mary, but the Word that was born from her. 107
Now, so man shall live what by? Not by his meal ticket, but by the Word of God:
not by your organization that furnish you a place. "Well, let me show your credentials. Are
you in good standing? Got to check on it. Well, yes, you can stand rank about a
hundred percent. Well, we can receive you for a few days for a revival, try you
out and see what you'll do." Who-o-o, my. How can God ever work in a bunch like that? Twice dead, plucked up
by the roots, rooted, rotted and everything else. Oh, my, there's another one. 108 Oh,
people, God bless you. Hear me. I can't believe nothing but God's Word, and I
want It to be my life, everything that I am. I want you to do the same. Let
your walks, your talks, your moves, everything you do, be in the Word of God.
Let the mind of Christ come into you, and that'll impregnate you with the Word.
If you don't, if you let the mind of the denomination come in, you'll be
denominational impregnated. If you
let the mind of Christ come into you, He can't deny His own Word, 'cause He's
God. You'll be impregnated with
the Word and believe It. I don't care if they put you out, kick you out,
run you out, and every door is closed, you'll
go just the same. Amen.
I do not think I can read any further this morning
without commenting on some of the things we have just read here. Now, brother
Branham is talking about a certain attitude that we must come to. You see, this
is not church we are talking about. This is whether you have a revelation or
not, because if you do not, I don’t care how long you have hung around this
Message, if this word is not revealed to you then just wait, something is going
to bring you down. You got a bunch coming somewhere so just wait for it, for it
will come.
He said, Let your walks,
your talks, your moves, everything you do, be in
the Word of God. Let the mind of
Christ come into you, and that'll impregnate you with the Word.
Now, I like that because he’s right, absolutely right.
And he’s talking about an absolute in your life in every way and in every
direction that you turn. And when you have received the mind of Christ you will
see as God sees, and you will speak as God speaks.
Some of you preachers now, that's too
scared to take your stand, afraid that they won't even let you come into the
organization. What else are you going to do then? They
kick you out. I feel sorry for you. First thing, for your weakness. That's
right. Where's your faith in God?
They told me the same thing. Sure. I worked seventeen years, till God got me
out and built me around this, and then I thought, "Now, Satan you come now." See where it's at. When you really realize that God has
revealed to you the Truth of the thing, there's nothing in the world's going to
defeat you in it. That's all. You're
absolutely undefeatable; not you, but God that's in you. Not Christ, not
the body, but the Word that was in Him. Not Mary, but the Word that was born
from her.
Testimony 63-1128M P:74 It's
the absolute assurance that the same God, by the same nature, the same Pillar
of Fire, the same Angel of God, the same Jesus yesterday, today, and forever
has done the same things, by the same power, do the same thing. What a anchor
of the soul, steadfast and sure.
Perseverance
63-0113E P:18 The word "perseverant" means to
be, I think, according to Webster, "persistent--to be perseverant, persistent in making a goal."
And every person on earth, or that's ever been on earth, that ever achieved
anything that amounted to anything, had
to be perseverant. You've got to be
sure first what you've got your faith anchored in. Now, faith is just not a
thing that's so easily floated around at some kind of what we would call it in
a street expression, a hocus-pocus. Faith
can only have its right position when it's placed upon something that's
steadfast. If I told you to go out and put your hand on that tree and be
healed, you could doubt that. So... Why? We have no background to anything.
You'd only have my word. And if I told you that washing in a certain water out
here in the valley would bring healing to you, it would depend on how much
confidence you had in me. And faith cometh by hearing. Hearing what? The Word
of God. Therefore, if this be the Word of God and It is, what It teaches we can rest upon It. God cannot change. God must forever remain God. His Word must be
just as true in this age as it ever was in any age.
Revelation
chapter 5 pt 1 bruised serpent 61-0611 P:41 Now, we find out then that a seal means that it is a finished thing with God;
it's already settled. And every believer was sealed with this
promise from the very beginning, because before the foundation of the world we were predestinated unto the adoption of
sons, before the world ever began. Oh, what
a hope; that makes us rest steadfast and sure, a anchor to the soul that's
not tossed about here and there but anchored in Christ, a hope that's sure.
"Predestinated us before the foundation of the world, to the adoption of
sons by Jesus Christ." Oh, how wonderful. I love that finished work with
God.
When you can go to Romans 8 and know all things are
working together for your good because God has ordained that you be conformed to the
image of His first born son, and so He who called you , justified
you, and He who justified you, hath already sanctified you, and he would has
sanctified you has already past tense Glorified you. So what are you afraid of?
When you read Romans 8, and Ephesians 1, and Galatians
4, you can’t help to have confidence that He that began the good work in
you shall also perform it. And when you read those chapters of scripture you
can’t help to see that your entire destiny has already been planned out for you
right up to your adoption as sons, and your being conformed to the Image of the
first born son. So what are you scared about? God has already before the
foundations of the world, laid out your entire life, not only the one you are
going through now, but the eternal Life in the new Jerusalem He has already made
possible for you by the shedding of the blood of His eldest Son, in order that
the Life that was in Him could be released back upon you.
Romans 8:14 For
as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they
are the sons of God.
Notice, who are the
sons of God? Those who are led by the Spirit of God. So what led you here? If
it was God then it shows you are sons of God because God is the one doing the
leading.
Then he tells us if we
are being led by the Spirit of God, we ought to know wee are sons of God, and
of course this is exactly what Jesus said in John 1:12, as many as were of such
a nature as to receive him, to them gave he the ability to become what they
were ordained to become, sons of God. And not that we have the power to become
what we are not, but as Seed of God, sons of God He has given us the power, the
ability to make a right decision, and to do what we are ordained to do, to
become sons of God, who are born not by our own will, nor by the will of our
own flesh, nor of any power we have, but we are born of God, by the spirit of
God, period. Then if we are born of God, why be afraid of what lays down the
road for you.
15 For
ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received
the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
This is not the time
to be wondering, or fearful about what is down the road, but this is the time
to be in anticipation for all the wonderful predestined will of God, your
father towards you to come to pass. Now, the world is fearful, but I’m not and
you shouldn’t be.
We have too many
promises from God, our Father concerning us at this end-time, and blessed promises,
so what in the world are you worried about? Notice then Paul says,
16 The
Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: Not your spirit bearing witness with God’s spirit, but
His Spirit, God himself has come down to bear witness that you, your spirit is
an offspring from His great spirit.
Look, this same
apostle Paul told us how we would know that we are God’s sons. And in 1
Corinthians 2 Paul tells us that it takes God’s own Spirit to search the deep
things of God. A man’s spirit can’t
understand the things of God, but God’s spirit searches the deep things of God.
And the only way that you can know the things of God is for God’s own spirit to
be in you. So if you find in yourself a hungering to know the deeper things of
God, it is because you have God’s Spirit in your that is doing the desiring for
you, because you are sons or daughters of God. Jesus said, he that hungers and thirsts for right-wise-ness
shall be filled. Filled with what?, Filled with God’s Spirit. You
see what I’m saying?
Now, 1 Corinthians 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery,
even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Then what is it all about? It’s for you. This Message,
God coming down with a Shout, a Message, it’s all for you, for your glory, so
that you might receive His glory, his opinion, his values, his judgments. And
it’s not for everybody. Because the Apostle Paul goes on to say,
8 Which none of the princes of this world
knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 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: You see, it is for us.
The reason we can see it and others can’t is because it’s for us and not for
them. And the only way you can see it is if you are seeing what God sees, and
hearing what God hears.
“for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea,
the deep things of God. Now, he said, The Spirit. He did not say a spirit or
even your spirit, but The spirit and there is only One The Spirit and that is
the Spirit of God. God-Life. And if the God-life that was in Jesus be in you it
will also quicken your mortal body. And a mortal body is one that is capable of
dying. So that means he is talking about this body that we are in right now
being quickened to the secret things of God, His glory, His opinions, His
values, his judgments.
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.
Now, I hope you are getting this. He says if you hear
and understand it is because you have been quickened to it, because it is
actually God’s own Spirit, God’s own life that is now living in you that is able
to hear and understand.
That is why the apostle Paul could say in 1 Corinthians 15: 58 Therefore, my beloved
brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor
is not in vain in the Lord.
And that is why the Apostle
John could say in 1 John 5: 4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the
victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
And what is Faith but something that has been revealed
to you. And this Revelation can only come from God. as Jesus said to peter,
“Blessed are you Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood has not revealed to you
that I am the Son of God, but my Father has revealed this to you and on this
rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall never prevail against
it. Then you talk about being steadfast, immoveable, and absolutely
undefeatable. How can we be anything other than what Jesus Christ was to satan
when satan brought to him all the temptations that he did, yet Jesus kept
coming back to the Word because we was the Word.
Next, the Apostle Paul continues telling us that it is
because we have received God’s own Life, His own Spirit that we are
over-comers, and unbeatable. 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. So he tells us here the sole purpose of our receiving
the Spirit of God is so that we will know the things which are freely given to
us from God. You see, that is the same thing Paul told us earlier that it takes
The Spirit of God to understand the things of God. And John tells us in 1 John
2:20 You have an anointing
from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 21 I
have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know
it, and that no lie is of the truth. And then he says in 27 But the anointing
which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man
teach you: but as the same anointing
teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it
hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. So we see it takes The Spirit
of God which is the anointing upon you to teach you the things freely given to
you from God. 28 And now, little
children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence,
and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 29 If
ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness
is born of him.
And now in getting back to 1 Corinthians 2:13 the apostle Paul
continues, 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.
So you see what Paul is saying here is the same thing
that john is saying over in 1 John 2. That it takes having The Spirit of God
abiding in you in order for you to come to an understanding of the Hidden
wisdom of God. Hidden, not from you who have His Spirit, but hidden from those
who don’t. That ought to make you feel a bit special this morning, to know that
God has hidden His wisdom from the world but has revealed it to babes,
children, His children such as will learn.
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.
Notice the strong words the apostle Paul is using
here. He says it is impossible for anyone who does not have the Spirit of God
in him to know the things that you have been given to know.
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? And now here is the
key, the Apostle Paul says, “But we have the mind
of Christ.”
Now, in getting back
to Romans 8:17 And
if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be
that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Now, this being
glorified together was translated from the Greek words, “sundoxazo,” which was
translated from Two Greek words, sun meaning to be united with, and doxazo which means: to
manifest. So he is saying
that if we are to be heir with Christ, then it is because we shall also
manifest the same opinion, the same values, and the same judgments as he also
manifests. Now, remember, if God is the Word, and Jesus was the manifested Word
then we as sons also must become manifested Word as well if we are be joint
heirs with him.
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.
So we see that the
Glory of God, the opinions the values and the judgments of God are to be revealed
in us. Now, what does that mean revealed IN us. Well, the word reveal means it was hidden but one day becomes
unveiled, or manifested. The word revealed was translated from the Greek word apokalupto and it means to take off the cover.
So that which has been hidden is revealed in us. So God has kept his wisdom
hidden from age to age but has chosen us to un bottle it in. That ought to get
you excited.
Then the Apostle Paul
says, 19 For
the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for this manifestation, or this revealing, or this uncovering, or this making known the sons of God.
Now, listen, the whole
creation has been waiting for this moment. Could it be possible that when Adam
fell, the whole creation has really missed the relationship it had with a true
genuine son of God, and has been waiting for the return of the true Sons of God
to bring it back into the order that it had before Adam fell? Is that what Paul
is saying here?
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 firstfruits of The Spirit, even we ourselves groan within
ourselves, waiting for the adoption,
to wit, the redemption of our body.
There you are. The
whole creation is waiting for the comeback kid. Waiting for the sons of God to
take the position that was meant for them before Adam messed up by listening to
Eve, and not His Father. You think your heart is sick when you think of the
good old days when women dressed modestly, and men were actually real men, and
not caught up into politics, and stuff like they are now. I remember the days
when you could bring your gun to school to show the class, and we started the
school day in prayer and in the pledge of allegiance under God. But even still,
the whole creation remembers when and longs for those days when Adam walked
with God in the cool of the evening and talked with Him, and everything was
healthy and there was no sickness, no disease, not killing, and no sexual
promiscuity. It was a time of innocence like no other time since. And the whole
creation, along with you are I are waiting for that time again. And it can not
happen until we receive the adoption, to whit the redemption of our body.
24 For
we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth,
why would he yet hope for? 25 But
if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
And now this is the
key, if we truly believe it then we are willing to 3ait for it. Live die, sink
or drown, we are willing to wait for it because God promised it will come.
26 Likewise
The Spirit also helpeth our
infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but The Spirit itself maketh intercession
for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 And
he that searches the hearts (and who
searches the thoughts and intents of the hearts? The Word of God does.) And he (God)
that searches the
hearts knows what is the mind of the
Spirit, (In other words, God knows His own Mind and those who
would have His mind) because He maketh intercession for the saints according to The will of God.
Now, here is where we
are coming to this morning, 28 And we know that all things
work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to his purpose. Now, how can you not be steadfast and un-moveable, and
abounding in the Lord when you know that everything is working together for the
good for you?
Hebrews 6: 19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth
into that within the veil;
Now back to Romans 8:29 For
whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of
his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Now, listen here, the
Apostle Paul tells us that we were predestinated to be conformed to the image
of the first born son. So with a promise like that how could you not be
steadfast and un-movable in your stand wit this Word.
And then he said, 30 Moreover
whom He (God) did predestinate, them he also called: and
whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them He (God) also glorified. That means you are ordained to have the glory of God
manifest itself in and through you. Now, look, with these promises, what do you
care what people will say. What can they promise you that they can keep? But
God keeps all His promises. And with promises like these how can you be
anything other than un-moveable and unshakeable and absolutely unbeatable. And
that is what the Apostle Paul says next.
31 What
shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him
up for us all, how shall he not with him
also freely give us all things? You say Paul with him? Yes, if we are
joint heir with Christ, then all things we share with Christ. What more could
you ask for?
33 Who
shall lay any thing to the charge of
God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is
he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again,
who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is
written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep
for the slaughter.
37 Nay,
in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him that loved us.
And if we are more
than conquerors, then what are we? We are absolutely un-beatable, and
un-moveable. The sons and daughters of Almighty God is what we are.
38 For
I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor
height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from
the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Manifested
sons of God 60-0518 P:73 God
by His election grace called you. God by His election grace
sanctified you. God by His election grace and His power baptized you and put
you into this land of rest. They which
have entered into this rest has ceased from their going astray. They ceased
from their works like God did from His. They have joy unspeakable and full
of glory. The Tree of Life is blooming in them. They have long-suffering,
gentle, goodness, patience, faith, meekness, gentleness, and so forth. The Tree
of Life is blooming in them because their hope is anchored in Christ Jesus, the
witness of the Holy Ghost bearing record with signs and wonders following the
believers. "These signs shall follow them that believe." As they go
along, they heal the sick; they cast out devils; they speak with tongues; they
see visions. They... And they walk with
God; they talk with God. No devil can move them; they're steadfast, looking for Eternal Life. Forgetting those
things that are in the past, they press towards the mark of the high calling in
Christ Jesus. There they are. There you are. That's that church.
He
careth for you 60-0301 P:11 Oh,
let me persuade you, in Christ's Name. You precious people here, put all your
hopes on Him, for He's the only foundation. For there's coming a shaking.
Democracy's shook to pieces. Kingdoms is shook to pieces. Nations is shook to
pieces. We're at the end of all things. "But we receive a Kingdom that cannot be moved; steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the mercies of God."
Oh, I love that. I'm so glad tonight to be a Christian. I don't know what I
would do if I wasn't a Christian. I'd probably be a suicide case if I wasn't a
Christian. For knowing and seeing these things, and then with the gift that the
Lord has given me to foresee and understand what He will let me do, just let me
see it... I know it's just across the horizon yonder. See? See it coming as close
as it is, then it makes me scream with all that's in me. Oh, flee the wrath
that is to come.
In 1 Peter 1:7
we are told at the end-time, we are to be tested concerning the revelation that
is give to us, but we are also ordained to pass that test, So our faith is to
be tested yet we are ordained to pass that test. Therefore, the very purpose of
the test is to show approval, and that ought to tell you that the test in
itself and the very fact that you are being tested ought to show you that you
have been ordained to pass the test. We do not give a college entrance exam to
first graders, nor second graders, nor third, fourth, fifth etc, but we give
the college entrance exam to those who we think will pas the test. We do not
test to disprove as non-acceptable, but we test to prove they are acceptable. Otherwise
we would make product tests so difficult that they would never be acceptable,
and then what purpose would that serve. Therefore
what we see with God is that there is a certain un-movable-ness He is desiring
from those that serve him. And so we find the Apostle Paul telling us that we
are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, and that presentation speaks
of taking a stand.
It means to stand
immovable, firm like a rock, ready and prepared. And in this sense it refers to
being of a steadfast mind; no hesitation on our part, and we do not waiver
because we know what we are presenting and we know to Whom we are presenting.
We are Immovable, we are bold and fearless in our stand, and in our offering to
God our very lives, we take our stand, for we know where we stand in Christ.
The Apostle Paul told
us “when we have
done all we can do to stand, then we need only make our stand”. And
in Romans 12 he says, Romans 12: 1-2. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And
be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your
mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of
God.
So when he said that
we must present our bodies as a living sacrifice, he was saying the same thing.
Notice the word Paul chose to use in presenting
our bodies was Greek word paristemi, which is made up from two
words, the prefix para meaning: beside or near, or along with, and
the root word histemi which means: to establish, to set or place in a balance,
or to cause to make a stand. In the use of this word as to make a
stand, the Greek dictionary shed some further light as to the meaning of Paul's
use of this particular root word. For when it speaks of taking a stand, it
means
to stand immovable, firm like a rock, ready and prepared. And in this
sense it refers to being of a steadfast mind; one who does not hesitate, and
does not waiver. One who knows just what you are presenting. Not
"wishy- washy" in your coming to God, but immovable, bold and
fearless, for you know where you stand in Christ.
In the Book of
James we read JAMES
1:2 My
brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this,
that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have [her]
perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 5 If any of
you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and
upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing
wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind
and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the
Lord. 8 A double minded man [is] unstable in all his ways.
Notice how the Apostle James was saying
the same thing here. He tells us that we can't even expect to receive anything
from God if we don't come in faith, believing that we will receive what we ask
for. He tells us that a man that is uncertain and can't make up his mind will
not receive anything from the Lord. So immovable Faith is an essential part of
our relationship to God. And that comes by knowing who He is and understanding
that He does not change.
In HEBREWS 11:6
we read, But
without faith it is impossible to please Him (God): for he that cometh to God
must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek
him.
So our faith must be diligent and unwavering., un-moveable, unstoppable, and absolutely
undefeatable. Not hot one day and cold
the next, but as Abrahams was.
For he is the father of our Faith, and since every
seed must bring forth after its kind or nature so must our be as Abraham’s
faith which we see in ROMANS 4:20 He
staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to
God; 21 And being fully persuaded
that, what he had promised, he was able
also to perform. 22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. 23
Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24 But
for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up
Jesus our Lord from the dead;
In I KINGS 17:1 we
see Elijah take a stand and then be tested in his stand for God and His Word. “And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the
inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, [As] the LORD God of
Now, don't think that Elijah was not himself being
tested in his faith here, For as long as he had water to drink and the raven's
kept bringing the flesh and bread, he was ok, and that they had to do, because
it was in their very nature to do, for God created them that way. Now, I want
you to notice here that it was not the creatures which God foreordained with
that certain nature that failed here but it was the Brook Cherith that failed,
due to the very curse that Elijah himself had called forth in order to punish
Israel and their king for worshipping contrary to the Laws of God.
So here we see
Elijah obeying God's Word and staying in this place, hiding out there and being
nourished through this God ordained drought. But what was going on in his mind.
We read that it came to pass that after a while the brook dried up, and surely
Elijah knew why the brook dried up, because it was out of his very own mouth
that God's curse came forth that spoke of no rain coming until he called for
it. And surely he also knew that God had said to him, that when he called for
rain, it would rain, and so we see how that Elijah must have been tested himself
to simply speak the word and the rain would come. But just as Jesus was so
tempted by Satan when he was in the desert fasting, so too Elijah must have
been tempted to speak those words for rain, and thus he would have water for
his parched lips to drink.
The scripture gives no time reference to let us know
how long Elijah was without water, but it must have been a long period of time and
he was thoroughly tested himself as to his own faith in the Word of the Lord
which he had been given by God to give out.
So we see that God always watches patiently to see
what we are made of, and to He tests us to see where we are in our faith.
8 And the word
of the LORD came unto him, saying, 9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which
belongs to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there
to sustain thee. Again we see that God had told Elijah that He
had commanded someone to sustain him, and this time it is a widow woman. Again
we find that it is the same Hebrew word that was used of the ravens, and it
means simply that God ordained for the nature of this person to be such that
they just had to help this man Elijah.
10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate
of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he
called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that
I may drink. Now, I do not believe this was a well watered
Elijah barking out a command to this woman, and she just stopped everything and
obeyed his every command., but rather here was a man who had been obedient to
God and stayed at a dried up brook until God told him to move on. I can imagine
his lips must have been cracked with dryness, and his countenance must have
been withered and peaked, and one look at this man and the woman must have seen
someone in worse shape than she was in, and so being a woman full of
compassion, she must have forgotten her own trials for the moment and saw that
this man was in worse shape that n even she. And so she responded to his cry
for help with going for the water to help this poor soul.
11 And as she was going to fetch [it], he called to her, and said,
Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. Now, watch
what he said to her, because his words brought her back to reality, and to her
own condition.
12
And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of
meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two
sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it,
and die. 13 And Elijah said
unto her, Fear not; go [and] do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little
cake first, and bring [it] unto me, and after make for thee and for thy
son. 14 For thus saith the LORD God of
Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil
fail, until the day [that] the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth. 15 And she went and did according to the
saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat [many] days. 16 [And]
the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to
the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.
In the book of HEBREWS 12:5 we read, And ye have
forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son,
despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of
him: 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he
receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for
what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without
chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Even Jesus learned obedience by the
things that he suffered. That's Hebrews 5:8
Now, in getting back to our story, we pick up at verse
17 And it came to pass
after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell
sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. 18
And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art
thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?
Now, this
really put Elijah on the spot. Here was a woman who freely gave of her own last
morsel to this man, and now it appears that God has rewarded her with more
suffering. But never forget those immortal words spoken in Romans 8:28 And we know (And we Know, Faith is a
condition of the mind, And We know, and we are aware, and we are certain, and
we are immovable in our belief ) that all things work together for good to them that love God,
(Now, watch how he qualifies this love for God,) to them who are the called
according to [his] purpose. (Yes, to them that are the Called. Not just to them
that are called, because many are called but few are chosen. But to them that are the called,) Now, Elijah's
own faith is once again challenged, but notice how he takes the challenge, He
goes straight to God, boldly into the Presence of God, to make his petition
known.
19 And he said unto
her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into
a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed 20 And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O
LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by
slaying her son? 21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times,
(notice the parallel here, for on the third day Jesus arose.) and Elijah cried
unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come
into him again. 22 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the
child came into him again, and he revived. 23 And Elijah took the child, and
brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his
mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth. 24 And the woman said to Elijah,
Now by this I know that thou [art] a man of God, [and] that the word of the
LORD in thy mouth [is] truth.
This woman recognized vindication, and
she understood by the vindication that what she had gone through was just to
prove her own faith. Now in
reflecting back upon this story we see in the Bible, it is not just placed in
there to give us a warm fuzzy feeling, but rather, God has placed these stories
in His Word to show us that He demands that our faith be unwavering. Here we
saw how that God used Elijah to put the woman's faith to the test. It was a
time when no rain had fallen for the space of many months, and the crops had
failed and the waters had dried up, and yet God was keeping Elijah fed by using
the ravens to bring him sandwiches of meat and bread. Then God calls him to go
to the Widow's home and put her faith to the test. Now it would have seemed
like that the test would have been over when she gave the first of the cakes to
Elijah, But no, a far greater test was ordained for her and Elijah together,
and yet God knew they would pass the test, for he ordained this woman and he
ordained Elijah.
And we are told
in the Book of Acts that as many as were ordained to Life, believed.
That's not being wishy-washy, that means they were real believers in what God
promised them. And so they took a stand and were un-moveable and unshakeable in
their stand.
Let us bow our heads in prayer.