Spoken Word #93
Blind
and Deaf to the Word
Brian Kocourek
May 3rd, 2009
Luke 8:4 And
when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every
city, he spake by a parable:5 A
sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and
it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. 6 And some fell upon
a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked
moisture. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it,
and choked it. 8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an
hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 9 And
his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? 10 And
he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the
Let us pray. Dear Father we come to Thee as the all
knowing omniscient Sovereign King, Who is the Only Wise God, and we ask that
you would help us this morning Father as we read from Thy Word to receive a
better understanding of what it is that you would have us to know in this hour.
We know that this is the hour of
Brother Branham used Luke 8 and verse 10 to
bring to us this sermon on the Spoken Word is the original Seed. And we find
him speaking of this in the last half of paragraph 70 which I will call 70b. … “And when he
had said these things, he cried... (screamed out, something maybe like this
when He said, "Bring forth a hundredfold. He that hath an ear let him
hear." In other words, if your ear's in tune with God, let him hear. See?)
... his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? And he said,
Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom... (The mysteries...
See what He's talking about here? Now, watch. What is the mysteries of the
kingdom? Watch just a minute.)... mysteries of the
Now, this morning I would like to address these
thoughts that br. Branham is alluding to here from what Jesus said in Luke 8: 9 And his disciples asked him, saying,
What might this parable be? 10 And he said, Unto
you it is given to know the mysteries of the
What does this mean, seeing they might
not see? And hearing they might not understand?
What we are looking at
is the ability to see with our eyes, and know with our heart. To hear with our
ears and to be able to understand what it is that we are hearing.
Jesus tells us here
that only some are ordained to perceive what they see and understand what they
are hearing when it comes to the Word of God. He called those who could do so
blessed.
This scenario that we see in the book of Luke we see
also in the book of Matthew 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou
unto them in parables? Notice,
when he spoke to a mixed multitude, he used stories and parables, and they asked
Him why He did that. And He told them it is for hiding from them what they are
not ordained to know and understand.) 11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom
of heaven, but to them it is not given. He says, you are supposed to
know these things but they are not supposed to know.)
Notice in verse 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing
see not; He says they are able to see with their eyes, but they are not able to see with the eyes of
their heart and
hearing they hear not, and although they are hearing with their ears, they are not able to
listen and therefore neither can they understand. He then says, neither do they
understand. 14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By
hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and
shall not perceive: 15 For this people's heart (that’s their
understanding,)
is waxed gross, and their ears (the ability to listen attentively) is dull of hearing,
and their eyes they have closed;..
So they closed their own eyes willfully. “lest at any time
they should see with their eyes”,. Notice
He says these people are only looking through their own eyes. They are left to
themselves.) and
hearing with their own ears, which tells me that these people cannot
look with the eyes of God, nor do they hear with the help of God, and they understand
with their own heart, Notice the understanding is with their own
hearts, and yet we have a promise of a new heart, but these people do not have
a new heart. They do not have a new understanding, because they are left up to
their own heart or their own understanding.
The Bible teaches us, “There is a way which seems right unto man, but
the end thereof are the ways of death”. Man can not get the right
understanding on his own. Revelation of God’s Word is a gift from God and
either He gives it to you, or you are left on your own without it. “lest at any time
they should see with their eyes,and
hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted”,….
So you see if they were converted they would not see
with their own eyes, nor would they hear with their own ears, nor would they understand
with their own heart, but they would see with God’s eyes, and hear with God’s
ears and understand with the mind of Christ.
16
But blessed are your eyes, for they
see: and your ears, for they
hear.
So we see that those who can see with the eyes of God,
and hear with the ears of god, and understand with the mind of Christ are those
who have been given a new heart and a new spirit from God. Therefore there is
no way for us to see and hear and thus understand what the
EZEKIEL
36:26 A new heart also will
I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the
stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and
cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do
[them].
Concerning
this new heart and new spirit, Brother Branham said in the message IMPERSONATION OF
CHRISTIANITY 57-0120M So God had to give
you a new heart, not a patched up one, a
new heart. That's your intellects that you think with, a new way of thinking. 043 Then He said after that, "Then I'll give you a new spirit." What's that? A new
desire, "I want to do right."
And then God said, I will give you My Spirit. First
God gives you a new understanding,
Flesh and blood
has not revealed this to you, but My Father which is in Heaven. God
gives you that new understanding.
Then that new understanding
brings forth a new desire in
your heart, and finally God gives you His Own Spirit, His own god-Life and
places it within you which is “Christ in the you, the Hope of Glory”. Christ in
you, the anointing of God in you, the earnest
expectation of having the very mind that was in Christ be in you. Look, how
else could you understand the things of God except the spirit of God be in you.
I
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 (of = out from ) God; that we might know (and here
is the key, we receive the spirit of God that we might know the things of God) 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,(Why?) because they are spiritually discerned. 15But
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.
So you see then, that it takes a mind that has been
anointed from God to be able to see and hear the things that are freely given
to us from God. But the natural man can not see nor can he hear, and neither
can he understand. And so we see that Jesus used parables because they would be
given in such a way that those who did not have the Spirit of Christ in them,
would not in any way, shape or form be able to understand, perceive, and have
any clue as to what they really meant. And we will find out from Jesus own
Words in Mathew 13 when he is asked about his use of parables, he tells them
that he uses them so that those who are not ordained to see will not be able to
get it, and those who are ordained to get it will.
Again we find this understanding being again
referenced in the Book of Mark.
MARK
4:10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the
twelve asked of him the parable. 11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but
unto them that are without, (the Greek word there was EXO which means outside or
those on the outside,) all these things are done in parables: 12 for the
reason That
seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not
understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be
forgiven them.
In fact in the Gospel of Mark Chapter 4:24 we hear Jesus warn the people to be careful in
what manner they are hearing or listening. And he said unto them, Take
heed what ye hear: with what measure
ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. Now,
the word “what”
was translated from a Greek word which does not mean “what” as though it is
speaking of “a particular thing” you are hearing, but rather it means “in
what manner you are hearing”. Therefore a better rendering would be, “take heed in what
manner you are hearing, for with what you use to measure it out, that is what
you will be given.” In other words, Jesus is telling them that the
way they come to hear is the way they will hear. Therefore, his warning was not
to be careful about the actual thing they were hearing, but the attitude in
which they came to hear. Fort the attitude in which they came will either cause
them to go away blessed or cursed. The
Word is a two edged sword and it cuts coming and going. And if people come to
the Word with their minds already made up, that is what they will go away with
as well.
In the Book of Deuteronomy 28 we see that the attitude that the
people take towards the Word of God will either bring them blessings or it will
bring upon them cursing. They will be blessed if they take it into their heart
and believe it and live it, but if they turn their hearts from it, that same
word will then become a curse to them.
Therefore when Jesus is warning us that we must be careful how we
approach the Word, he is not giving us new advice. This is the very same advice
God gave us in the Book of Deuteronomy.
Deuteronomy, the book of Two laws, shows us the 2 laws of the blessing
and cursing, but both come by the same Word. It all depends on what you do with
it, and how you approach it. If you come with your mind already made up, then
it becomes a curse to you. If you come with an open mind and an open heart,
then the Word will bring Life to you.
Again we find Jesus
give the same warning in the Book of Luke.
Luke 8: 18 Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and
whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.
Now, in this translation we see the words, Take heed therefore how ye hear, but we know that Jesus is not telling them
to take heed how you hear as if there is some other way to hear than with the
ears. Therefore, again we see it is not the particular thing but rather the
manner in which they have come to hear that he is warning them about.
The Greek word that this was translated “how”
means “in what way”. Therefore again we hear Jesus say in Mark, “take heed in what
manner you hear”, and in the book of Luke, we hear Him say, “Take heed in what
way you hear.” Now, both of these statements are very consistent,
and could actually be translated using the same words.
Now, the problem as I
see it is that people who go through life looking through a rear view mirror
are certain to crack up. And so will the church. As Brother Branham said in his
audio letter to Br. Vayle, “if they only see it
in the hour past, then there's no hope for the church. The church must see it
in the present tense and "For it is impossible for those which were once
enlightened and didn't move on with the Word as it come to pass...they’re dead,
gone."
Jesus said they were ordained to see but not perceive and to hear without
understanding. And yet we find in 1 John 5:20 And
we know that the Son of God is come,
and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and
we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God,
and eternal life.
So we can see from
this very scripture that the very purpose of the Son of God coming to earth was
to give us an understanding of God.
1 John 5:20
And we know that the Son of
God is come, So we see here that
he is speaking of the Son of God. And he’s telling us there’s something about this
coming we should know.) and he tells us this coming hath
given us an understanding,. John tells us here that there is something that
the Son of God did for us by his coming, and that is he gave us an understanding.
And then he tells us what this understanding was given for, what it’s purpose
was. “That
we may know him that is true,” Therefore, we must ask
ourselves this question. Was the coming of the Son of God to give us an
understanding of the Son, Himself? Or did He come that we might know “Him that
is True” which is God!
And who do you think
this one is that John is speaking of here? He said the Son of God came that we
might have understanding of “Him that is True”. Now, scripture tells us that
Jesus did not come to declare Himself, but He came to declare the Father.)
JOHN 1:18 No man hath seen God
at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he
hath declared [him].
JOHN 8:19 Then said they unto him,
Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye
neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my
Father also.
JOHN 8:54 Jesus answered, If I
honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom
ye say, that he is your God: 55 Yet ye
have not known him; but I know him:
and if I should say, I know him not, I
shall be a liar like unto you (because
you say you know Him when you don’t know him, making yourself a liar) but I know him, and
keep his saying.
Now, in getting back
to 1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and (His coming) hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true,
(so we see that the coming of the Son of God was to give us an
understanding of the One that s True which is God and notice as John
continues), and
we are in Him that is true, even (the word even means in
the same manner or in the same way we are) in his Son Jesus Christ. This (One that is True
is) is the true God, and eternal life.
Now, that is how you
read that verse of scripture. It speaks of the coming of the Son of God to make
manifest or declare the Father to us in such a way that we might know and
understand the Father as never known and understood prior to this coming.
Now, brother Branham
taught us that God interprets His Word by bringing it to pass. Therefore it
takes manifestation of the Word to bring to us full understanding of that Word.
Without seeing how the Son of God played out His role with the Father, we
would not truly understand who the Father is nor our role that we must play as
sons, and thus we would not understand “Him
that is True, the only God.”
Now, although the Son of God came to give us understanding, Paul told us,
now we see
through a glass darkly, but at the Parousia we shall see Him Face to Face which
is Presence to Presence. He said, now we know in part, then shall we know even as we are known.
In 1 Peter 1: 13 we read, I PETER 1:13 ¶ Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be
sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the
revelation of Jesus Christ;
And we also find in 1 Corinthians 1 Paul speaking of this same thing.
I
CORINTHIANS 1:4 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 by him, in all utterance, and [in] all
knowledge; 6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting
for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: 8
Who shall also confirm you 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. 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.
I JOHN 2: 20 ¶ But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and
ye know all things. So it is very evident that the unction is to cause us to Know the truth. John continues, 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. 22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He
is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 23 Whosoever denieth
the Son, the same hath not the Father: but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath
the Father also.
And why is that? Because if God had a Son that makes Him a Father… It’s
so logical they can’t even see it… 24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from
the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain
in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. 25 And this
is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. 26 These things
have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. 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. 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 parousia.
So we see that something is to happen to us, an anointing that gives us
new birth, and helps us to know, and understand and have confidence in what we
understand when we stand in his presence at the time of His Parousia, and we
can stand in confidence because we are righteous, and we know we are righteous
because we do what is right. 29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one
that doeth righteousness is born of him.
That is why Paul told us in Ephesians 1:18 The
eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what
the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, So he opens our eyes that we might know and understand
what our inheritance is all about.
Hebrews
10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those
days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws
into their hearts, and in their
minds will I write them; And who
is to do it? God said He would be the one to do it. Then that is why He came
down in this hour, to place His Word in our Minds and in our hearts to do His
Will.
Hebrews
8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of
Is it because the
believer is more intelligent than the unbeliever? Is it because we are so much
better than the rest? I don't think it has anything to do with us, but it has
all to do with God's purpose and plan. 1 Corinthians 4:7 "Who maketh thee to differ from another?
And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it,
why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?”. Then, it is God himself who makes the elect
to differ from the non-elect. How is it that we might understand while others,
try that they might, never seem to come to a knowledge of the truth?
Without understanding
the Godhood of God we will never understand His Sovereignty, and without
understanding His Godhood we will never understand God, Who He is and Why He
does what He does. Our conception then of God becomes only one that is made up
in the minds of men. Then they worship the God of their own imagination.
Notice the carnal man
can never understand God. I 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.
The carnal man will
not even come to the Light which means he will not come to gain understanding,
but rather he flees from the light. JOHN 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the
world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light,
lest his deeds should be reproved.
PROVERBS 14:12
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways
of death. PROVERBS 16:9 A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD
directeth his steps. You see, we don't even understand God's ways, or his
thoughts, therefore how could we ever on our own choose the way that would be
pleasing to Him.
That's why we read in 1 Corinthians 2 we need
God's own Spirit in us if we are to understand His Word. 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
knoweth.
I CORINTHIANS 1:18
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us
which are saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, I will destroy
the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the
prudent. 20 Where [is] the wise? where [is] the scribe? where [is] the disputer
of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after
that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by
the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 22 For the Jews require
a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified,
unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto
them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the
wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the
weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how
that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, [are
called]: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the
wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things
which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised,
hath God chosen, [yea], and things which are not, to bring to nought things
that are: 29 That no flesh should glory
in his presence. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto
us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31 That,
according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
JOB 32:8 But there is a spirit in man:
and the inspiration of the Almighty
giveth them understanding.
Now, in looking closer
at this understanding that comes from God, let’s read from JOHN 8:37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek
to kill me, because my word hath no place in you 38 I speak that which I have
seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. 39
They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them,
If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. 40 But now ye
seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God:
this did not Abraham. 41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him,
We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, [even] God. 42 Jesus said
unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and
came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43 Why do ye not understand my speech? [even]
because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of [your] father the devil, and
the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and
abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a
lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45 And
because I tell [you] the truth, ye believe me not. 46 Which of you convinceth
me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye
therefore hear [them] not, because ye are not of God.
Now, here we see three
characteristics of the natural man, or the man who has not been born again.
These three characteristics are found in every man that is not born again. And
they are... #1) He can not receive the things of God.#2) Because the things of
God are foolishness to him.#3) because he just can not understand them.
PSALMS 1:1 Blessed is the man that
walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners,
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the
LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a
tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his
season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so: but [are] like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the
congregation of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knoweth the way
(or the course of Life) of the righteous:
but the way (the course of Life) of the ungodly shall perish.
Therefore the Lord
actively works in the Life of the righteous, to make sure that the Righteous
understands the True Revelation and disclosure of God. In other words, God
purposes in His heart to make sure that His kids know Him. Now that sounds like
a real dad, doesn't it? But with the ungodly it’s not so. Notice what is said
about the ungodly... : but the way (the course of Life) of the ungodly shall
perish ( 'abad, that means they are left to themselves…)
Now in getting back to
1 Corinthians 3,
let’s pick up at verse 16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord,
(When what shall turn to the Lord?, notice he is speaking about the heart,
which is the understanding, then what happens?) the veil shall be taken away.( The
blindness shall be taken away... ) so the understanding turning to the Lords
understanding removes the blindness.
I CORINTHIANS 13: 9
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect
is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. And there is no one perfect but God... Then
this speaks of when He, God comes... 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a
child, (why did I understand like a child? Because “I thought as a
child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see
through a glass, darkly; but then face to face, (Face to face? That word is
personal presence.” Therefore, there is coming a time when we are to
see Him Presence to Presence.) now I know in part; but then (When? At that time
that He is personally here,) then shall I know even as also I am known. This word Know is from the Greek word epiginosko,
which means to become thoroughly
acquainted with, to know thoroughly; to know accurately, know well... to
recognize; by sight, hearing, of certain signs, to perceive who a person is...and
when we have come to that point then will I understand...
But what has hindered this knowing? God tells us
himself in ISAIAH 28:8 For all tables (pulpits) are full of vomit
and filthiness, so that there is no place clean. 9 Whom shall he teach
knowledge? and whom shall he make to
understand doctrine? That's the message! The NIV puts it this way, "Who is it he is trying to teach? To whom is
he explaining his message? To children weaned from their milk, to those just
taken from the breast? (In other words, in the hour when they
are no more babies…) 10
For it is: Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule; a little here, a
little there." 11
Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues God will speak to this
people, 12 to whom he
said, "This is the resting place, let the weary rest"; and,
"This is the place of repose"-- but they would not listen. 13 So then, the word of the
LORD to them will become: Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule; a
little here, a little there-- so that they will go and fall backward, be
injured and snared and captured.
So we see that the pulpits
at this time are considered tables full of vomit. That’s yesterday’s food
regurgitated with the acids of man. And every one knows that acid is malice.
And so the pulpits do more damage to the Word of God than they do to help the
people to know their role in the family of God.
Because the beauty of
what God is doing here right now is that he has come down to become our very
life. In Colossians 3:4 we
read, When
Christ, who is our life,
shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. This tells
us that When Christ Manifests in His true character we shall do the same. Again
we see in 1 John 3: 1-2 the same
thing. 1b
therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. The
world can never know the true elect because they can never know Him. If you do
not see the correct understanding of the Godhead, you will never really know the
elect, but you can not identify god Life.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and
it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear,
we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
In Luke chapter
24 it
took Jesus expounding the Scriptures to open the eyes of the two disciples who
walked with him on their road to Emmaus. And I want you to notice, it was the
little things Jesus kept doing to help these two come to an understanding that
finally opened their eyes to see Him as He really was. Every thing He did was
with the purpose in mind to show them the light of what had just taken place in
their day and He took everything to the Word, and by the Word revealed the day
and it's condition.
32 And they said one to another, Did not our
heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened
to us the scriptures? Look at the
reaction of these men. Their hearts begin to burn within them, and when this
began to burn up inside it isn't long before you want to go and tell others
what has happened. 33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to
42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled
fish, and of an honeycomb. 43 And he took it, and did eat before them. 44 And
he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet
with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of
Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45 Then opened he their understanding,
that they might understand the scriptures,
Now, by this time they
had known Him and followed him for 3 -1/2 years and yet they still didn’t have
their eyes opened to what was happening in their day. 46 And He said unto them, Thus it is written,
and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name
among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And ye are witnesses of these
things. 49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye
in the city of
Now, with this in
mind, then what ought our attitude be towards others who are struggling to
understand. Jesus never just wrote them off, but 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, showing resurrection life.
Book
of Exodus 1 55-1005
P:8 Jesus said, "Except a
man be born again, he cannot understand
the Kingdom of heaven." There's
no way of understanding it until you are born again, and then God reveals Himself to you, and
then you know that you've passed from death unto Life, because no man can call
Jesus the Christ, only by the Holy Spirit. See? The only way that you'll ever
know that Jesus is the Christ, is when the Holy Spirit personally witnesses to
you that He is the resurrected Lord Jesus. No matter what He would do, what
kind of signs, what kind of miracles, you'll never know it until your personal
experience with God. You say, "Well, I believe it because the Bible said
so." Well, that's good. The Bible, it's true. It knows it. "Well, the
preacher said so." Perhaps, he knows it. "Mother said so." She
knows it. But what do you know about it?
You'll never know it until it's revealed to you individually by the Holy
Spirit. And then, by accepting it, you become a new creature in Christ Jesus,
born a second time.