The Parables of Christ no. 39
Light
Rev. Brian Kocourek
Luke
REVELATION 3:14 ¶ And unto the angel of the church of the
Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness,
the beginning of the creation of God; 15
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert
cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art
lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and
increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art
wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I counsel thee to
buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment,
that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not
appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19 As many
as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20 Behold, I
stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I
will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit
with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father
in his throne.
Dear Gracious
Father we recognize this call as a call to repentance which is a change of the
mind. And we see that
We all know that we are living in Laodicea and it is
increased with goods, we think we have need of nothing and yet know not that we
are miserable blind, and naked.
So the question we must ask is what good does light
do for a blind man,. The greatest light is the Pillar of Fire itself. So bright
that it will light the whole earth in the new Jerusalem. There will be no need
for the sun or moon for the Lamb is the light thereof.
JOHN
12:35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light
with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he
that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. 36 While ye have light,
believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake
Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.
Walk ye while ye have the light less gross darkness
come upon you. And how does gross darkness overtake you. By leaving the light.
JOHN
1:1 ¶ That which was from the beginning, which we
have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and
our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2 (For the life was manifested, and we have
seen [it], and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was
with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
How is anything manifested? We get our answer in Ephesians
Then what if you did not have light.
I
JOHN 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also
may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and
with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these
things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. 5 ¶ This
then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God
is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we
lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the
light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his
Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Now, I ask the question. If we are not walking in the
light, can we have fellowship, or the real question is do we fellowship with
one another? And the answer is how can
you.
If a man does not have light how does he even know
where he is going? And if you refuse to walk in the light with those that have
the light, then what does that say for you?
So I ask the question, what good does the light do
for a blind man? If the blind lead the blind won’t they all fall in the ditch?
ISAIAH
29:9 ¶ Stay yourselves, and
wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger,
but not with strong drink. 10 For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit
of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the
seers hath he covered.
Now the prophets are the eyes of the people. But what
if they haven’t a clue to what the prophets are telling them? In other words,
what if they have become blinded to the words of the prophet? What good does
light for a blind man? What use is light to a blind man?
ISAIAH
29:11 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is
sealed, which [men] deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray
thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it [is] sealed:
And that is what they say about the se4als that the
Book is sealed, it is not opened. And yet the book is a scroll and unless all
the seals are opened the book is still closed.
ISAIAH
29:12 And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this,
I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. 13 Wherefore the Lord said,
Forasmuch as this people draw near [me] with their mouth, and with their lips
do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward
me is taught by the precept of men: 14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do
a marvellous work among this people, (notice
that God Himself says He will do it, not another, but He himself) [even] a marvellous
work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise [men] shall perish, and the
understanding of their prudent [men] shall be hid. 15 Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their
counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth
us? and who knoweth us? 16 Surely your
turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall
the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say
of him that framed it, He had no understanding? 17 ¶ [Is]
it not yet a very little while, and
ISAIAH
28:9 ¶ Whom shall he teach
knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? [them that are]
weaned from the milk, [and] drawn from the breasts. 10 For precept [must be]
upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a
little, [and] there a little: 11 For with stammering lips and another tongue
will he speak to this people. 12 To
whom he said, This [is] the rest [wherewith] ye may cause the weary to rest;
and this [is] the refreshing: yet they would not hear. (He was speaking but they would not hear. See that ye
refuse not him that speaketh!) 13 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon
precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little,
[and] there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and
snared, and taken.
If you are not going forward you are going backward,
and in this hour to go backward brings you back to Pentecost.
So what is blindness? Webster tells us it is the
power of sight, not willing or able to notice or to understand, or even to
judge.
II
CORINTHIANS 4:1 ¶
Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we
faint not; That means we do not
allow ourselves to give up. If you are a true son, you will get back up when
you fall. 2 But
have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, (we are not sneaky) not walking in
craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of
the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. (In
the Presence of God, and if you are not aware of His presence you will not walk
as you should be walking. And how can you walk in the Light with Him if you are
not aware He is here.) 3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: So
the question is what good will light do for a blind man? When you get older
your eyes seem to need more light to be able to see. I need reading glasses
unless I am in the sunlight. Well, then what about those that are older in the
Lord? You need even more light than you had yesterday to see the same things?
And what is easier to get lost in, light or darkness? 4 In
whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, (notice
the mind is what is blinded) lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the
image of God, should shine unto them. So if they are in the Message
or even out of the message and can not see what the Message is, then they are
blinded. And it is not God that blinds, but the god of this evil age which is Satan.
And how do they become blind? By staring at the wrong light. Just like the
blind man in
5
For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your
servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of
darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in
earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
Notice it has blinded the minds of them that believe
not. Not those that believe but those that believe not. Notice God has
commanded the light to shine into our hearts, our understanding, to give us the
glory which is the doxa or very mind of God. To give the light of the knowledge of the glory
The Doxa of God in the face (presence) of Jesus Christ
Now notice II CORINTHIANS
The greatest train robbery in history took place
using a false light.
ROMANS
Now what if God does not send the man. Then they
which preach, preach error, and they which hear, hear error, and then they that
believe are believing error and thus they which are calling are calling out in
error, and thus God will not hear their call.
So we ask the question what good does light do for a
blind man? Webster said it is the power of sight to understand and to judge.
Heb 10 If we sin willfully after we have heard there
is no more sacrifice for sin.
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. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the
light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Notice they will not come to the light. They do not
walk in the light with Him, and they do not want the correction of the light.
They do not want the reproof. Brother Branham said the only reason we come to
church is for correction. The word corrects the error.
The condition of the heart then is associated with
sight.
JOHN
12:40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that
they should not see with [their] eyes, nor understand with [their] heart, and
be converted, and I should heal them.
The condition of the heart is associated with the
ability to see.
2
PETER
Notice their heart and eyes are associated with one
another. A heart full of adultery and eyes full of adultery.
Again I ask the question, what good is light to a
blind man. The greatest light to ever strike the earth and what good is it
doing man.
EPHESIANS
1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
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, 19 And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward
who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised
him from the dead, and set [him] at his own right hand in the heavenly
[places], 21 Far above all
principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named,
not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Notice the
light came that you might have understanding. The Purpose of Gods presence is
for you to know.
ROMANS
5:1 ¶ Therefore being justified by faith, we have
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: And what if you have not been justified by this
revelation, then can you have peace with God? Then what about people who have
no victory and walk around in a frump all the time? Have they received the
revelation of Christ?
ROMANS
5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein
we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only [so], but we
glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And
patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed;
because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is
given unto us.
Turn with me to 1 Peter So what if we have this
faith, what if we have this revelation? Then according to 1 peter you can
expect to be put to a test. You think God is going to take your word at it?
Well, teacher I know everything you have taught us.
Well, then are you ready for the test> Test? Yes! God proves your faith, God
proves your revelation by testing it.
Satan thought Job just worshipped God because God had
placed a hedge around him. But God said, Not so, and he put Job to the test for
the purpose of showing him off.
I
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 hope by
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance
incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for
you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to
be revealed in the last time. 6 ¶
Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are
in heaviness through manifold temptations: 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 honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus
Christ:
The test is for the purpose of producing something.
We take a test after being taught for twelve years of school. We are not given
the senior test at age six? But after we have received the course work for each
grade then we are tested for that grade and we are told to come up higher.
Why would the trial be more precious than gold?
Because it produces in us that which is more precious than gold. In the world
you receive a higher wage for the more education you have, and the more tests
you take the more value you have to offer. Thus with God it is the same. When
the test comes praise God for it because it is His way of showing you off to
the world. He said there is nothing that he will place upon you that you can
not take, so what are you afraid of then. The fact that you are tested shows
you are worthy of being tested.
From the Word follows faith. And from Faith the new
birth, and from the new birth we pass onto hope which is an earnest
expectation, and we are assured of the blessing.
EPHESIANS
3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the
faith of him. Notice then, His faith
and our capturing His faith leads us to a boldness and a confidence to walk in
the light as he is in the Light. A confidence that can not be shaken.
PHILIPPIANS
3:4 ¶ Though I might also have confidence in the
flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the
flesh, I more: 5 Circumcised the
eighth day, of the stock of Israel, [of] the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of
the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 6 Concerning zeal, persecuting
the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 7 But
what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things [but]
loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I
have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may
win Christ, 9 ¶ And be found in him, not
having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through
the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10 That I may
know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his
sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any means I might
attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 12 Not as though I had already
attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may
apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I
count not myself to have apprehended: but [this] one thing [I do], forgetting
those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are
before, Notice that you have to
forget those things which are in the past and keep your focus on the end of the
road. If you keep looking at the circumstance you will never be stable. They
said to brother Branham, people are saying this about you and your family, and
.
14
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ
Jesus. 15 ¶ Let 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. 16 Nevertheless,
whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the
same thing.
HEBREWS
3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we,
if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
Then what if we don’t? can we be his
house? 7 ¶
Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8
Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the
wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty
years. 10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway
err in [their] heart; and they have not known my ways. 11 So I sware in my
wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) And if you harden your
heart, you will never know peace and rest in Him. 12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any
of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But
exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be
hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of
Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
Remember last week we read where Jesus said, “When the Son of Man
cometh shall he find faith? “ Shall He find revelation?
Let’s bow our heads in prayer.