Questions and Answers no. 1
Why do so many misunderstand the Message?
May 13th, 2007
Brian Kocourek, Pastor
Let us
Pray. Dear Father in Heaven we come to Thee this morning with many questions
that lay in the recesses of our hearts and we know Father that thou art the God
of all comfort and hence we seek comfort from Thy Word. Teach us Thy ways of
Lord, and we shall find rest for our souls. Be with us as we approach Thy Word
for the answers that so many people around the world have and may we find
solace in Thy Word. All this we ask in the Lovely name You gave to your Son
Jesus, Amen.
Before
we begin our Message this morning let’s open our bibles to 2 Timothy 3:16
2 Timothy 3:16 All
scripture is given by inspiration of God (That means it is God breathed. And if it is God breathed then it came
forth from the mouth of God. That is why it is called the Word of God.), and (notice) it is profitable (First
of all) for
doctrine,…
Notice, Paul is
telling us that Scripture is first and foremost for doctrine. Doctrine is the
most important thing because as William Branham taught us “any man has not a doctrine he has not a
ministry”. Revelation chapter 5 pt 2
61-0618 P:33
So if you have not a
doctrine you might as well just shut up and sit down, because you have nothing
to say. And John said in 2 John 10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this
doctrine (the Doctrine of Christ, he tells us), receive him not into your
house, neither bid him God speed: 11 For he that
biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
So we see the
importance of Doctrine is so evident that if a man has not the doctrine of
Christ that says there is one God and he had a son, you are not even supposed
to open up your home to that person. Well, then, what about church? And
protecting the pulpit?
Malachi 1:10 NIV "Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors,
so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with
you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from
your hands. So
much then, for the churches that invite ministers or anyone to come in and
preach to their people. And just because they knew someone or had some sort of
experience. I am sorry, but the hour is too late to be preaching experiences.
It has got to come back to doctrine.
And William Branham
also said from his sermon, Palmerworm locust
caterpillar 59-0823 P:15 A church without a
doctrine is just like a jellyfish; it has no backbone. So, we've got to have backbone in it. And not also backbone, but teeth
also, because the
So you see. doctrine is essential to the Christian Experience, and to the
establishing of the
Therefore before we begin this series on Questions and Answers, I just
want you to understand that if I can not answer your questions from the
Scriptures, then my answers are not worth giving to you, because they should
not be worth listening to. And that goes for visions and dreams as well.
Brother Branham taught us that he had to check every vision he received by the
Word.
And that means he checked them by the very Scriptures that Paul I
referring to here in this Text that we are reading from 2 Timothy 3. And Paul
said first and foremost the Scriptures are given for doctrine. Yes, William
Branham vindicated prophet of God did not trust a vision to be from God until
he had scripture for it.
And he showed us the example of Martin and how Satan had appeared to him
in a vision wearing the crown and said, “worship me Martin, I am Jesus,” and
that old saint looked at that vision and the scriptures came to Him, “The
saints shall crown Him, so he said, Depart from me Satan, and the vision
disappeared. But would that be Pentecostal bait if that happened in this
Message today.
Anointed ones at end time 65-0725M P:146 I
want to show you how deceiving the devil is. One day he was setting in his
study. Up come a mighty angel, crown on his head, golden shoes on, lace around
his garments of gold, and said, "Martin, do you know me?" He said,
"I am your Lord and savior. I'm the one that saved you. Worship me,
Martin." But that prophet, knowing there was a little something strange
there, he kept looking at him. He said, "Martin, I am your savior, Jesus
Christ; worship me. Don't you know me, Martin? "Martin kept looking at
him, the Scripture running through his
mind, he said, "Satan, get away from me." He said, "You got
a crown on your head, and the Word of
God says His saints will crown Him at the end of the age." Wouldn't
that have been Pentecostal bait? Watch
that Word, brother. That's where it pays.
Again in the next quote brother Branham uses the illustration with
Micaiah to show us how important it is to check even visions and dreams with the
Word.
Perseverance
62-0608 P:63 But you see, there was no faith there. He
said, "Surely you ought to have another one somewhere." He said,
"I got one, but I hate him." He said, "He's always bawling me
out.""Oh," he said, "let not the king say so. Go get him.
"Says, "That's Micaiah, the son of Imlah. "So you know what? The
deacon board went over and met him, said, "Now, looky here, Micaiah. If
you want to come back into the organization again, all you said against them,
it'll be forgiven you, if you'll just
say the same thing they say. You say the same thing. "Micaiah, I like
that man of God. He said, "I'll say
only what God puts in my mouth." So he got over before him, and he
said, "Give me tonight." And he must've prayed all night. Along about
daylight he saw his vision. When he saw the vision, he compared it with the
Word. That's the way to check whether
your vision's right or not. Not all kinds of visions is right. But if it's
contrary to the Word, you leave that vision alone. But if it's with the Word,
stay with it.
And again from brother Branham’s sermon Events made clear by prophecy 65-0801E P:46 he said, Now, God knew that
them men was so puffed up and so full of theology that they thought they had
everything right. They had never noticed the Word for the hour. See? So God
said, "You will succeed; go on down." And when Micaiah said that,
that made them prophesying under a evil spirit. They'd have jerked the plug out
of the telephone, or turned off the radio, or done anything, they heard that
coming against them, got up and walked out. But look what happened. Now, Micaiah had to check his vision with the
written Word; therefore, he knowed. He said, "When I come... Put that
man in prison; give him waters of sorrow and bread of sorrow. When I return,
I'll deal with him." He said, "If you come back at all, God never
spoke to me." That's when he knows
his vision is exactly with every Word for that hour. It was Ahab's time.
Brother, sister, this is the hour and the time of the calling out of
And from his sermon Spoken word original
seed 62-0318M P:173 brother Branham said Then
check it with the Word. See, if it isn't the Word, then it is deceiving. See?
Now, if your theology's different from the Word, then it isn't right. See?
Then, what about things that are going on in this message? You know,
theories about the Tent and how it is going to be and where it is going to be
etc. From His sermon, Greater than
Solomon is here 62-0628 P:74 Brother Branham said, There's
the thing to do. Check it. Check these things that's going around today, and
see if it is of the Lord. Check it with the Word.
Even brother Branham didn’t fully comprehend many of the visions until
God gave him the revelation of what that vision was?
True
vine and the false vine 55-0607 P:79 But God, in His prophets and
in His seers and so forth, absolutely knows that these things as God will
reveal it. There's many things He don't
reveal to His servants. Look at old Jacob setting on a stond. Setting up there
and brought his boy's coat back... And you knowed he was a prophet. Brought his
coat back and said, "A beast killed your boy." That was wrong. He
didn't know the difference for forty years. Look at Isaac, setting up there
totally blind, and here come Jacob up and said, "I'm Esau." He
blessed him, for Esau, and a prophet...Look at the--this Elijah, setting there
and here come the Shunammite women and fell down by him like that. Said,
"God's troubled her heart and kept it from me." They don't know all things. They
just know as God will let them know. They're not infallible people. The
Bible said, "Elijah was man subject to like such passions as we are,"
his up and downs, and differences.
But people want to make the prophet or even the pastor sometimes, a
person that is not supposed to be human, and that is not according to God’s
word to do that. Even Jesus could only do what the father showed him to do. No
more, and no less.
Blind Bartimaeus 57-0127E P:22 And
his servant ran and met her. And she said, "All is well." The baby
dead, her husband frantic, said, "All is well." Why? She knew God was
in His servant the prophet. She knew she could hear from God, and she wanted to
know why that her baby had been taken. So she runs up close, and Elijah looks
at her again, and he said, "Her heart is full gloom, and God has hid it from me. "You know,
there's a wonderful thing. God don't
tell His prophets everything. He
just tells them what He wants them to know, not everything. They can't do
nothing in themselves. Just what God shows them, that's what they do. Could you
imagine Isaac setting blind and blessing Jacob in the stead of Esau? Could you
imagine Jacob holding Joseph's coat for forty years, bloody, thinking that an
animal killed it, and being a prophet? Proves God just reveals to His prophets
that what He wants them to know, nothing else. Prophets are not infallible
people. Prophets are not Angels. They are men.
Can you imagine the Son of God asking why God had forsaken Him? He didn’t
have all the answers, so He cried out to God for answers. Why do you think he
prayed so fervently until he sweated blood? He wanted an answer. But finally he
just surrendered himself to his Father’s will.
Christ revealed in His own Word 65-0822M
P:79 Prophets did not always understand what
they were writing or what they were saying, or they would in no wise have said
it, if they could've understood it. See?
So if the prophets didn’t always understand their own visions, then how
is it that everyone is trying to interpret brother Branham’s for us. And didn’t
the Lord tell brother Branham to say nothing about the 3rd pull? And yet we have brothers
holding third pull conventions and preaching series on it, and what can they
say that William Branham said, if he was told by God not to say anything about
it.
Five junctions of time 56-0122 P:31 Now,
the prophets prophesied of things. They didn't know what they were talking
about. They just said them. They didn't understand. Daniel said he couldn't
understand, but he just wrote it out, because it wasn't for his day. The Angel
told him to close up the book until the end time. Many would run to and fro,
and knowledge increase, and at that time he'd stand in his lot and--at the end
of the time, and all these things would take place. He didn't understand it. Many of the prophets in writing did not
know what they were writing. They just wrote it down, because it was
inspiration.
You see, concerning William Branham returning in the resurrection, I have
no problem with that. Concerning a resurrection ministry of say 40 to 50 days I
have no problem with that either, because it happened in the Alpha so it has to
repeat in the Omega. But to say where and when and for how long, you had better
be very careful brother or you will be caught adding to or taking away from
God’ Word.
And people many times can take the words of a prophet or even a vision
that a prophet had and make more out of it than was intended to be made. That
is why brother Branham had to answer
questions Himself about a rumor that got started about moving to
From Questions
and answers COD 64-0823M P:131 265. Brother Branham, is...
(Let's see what this is.) Brother Branham, it is commonly believed by many that
follow your message that you are the Messiah of this day. Is that so? No, sir. Plainly tell us,
Brother Branham. You seem to hesitate in making yourself known, and we know
that with such a ministry as God has given you, you should be identified in the
Scriptures somewhere.
132
266. ...?... Number 2: You told us your purpose of going to
133
267. Brother Branham, I have some questions I wish to ask you. I have heard
people say that you have advised people to sell all their... (Maybe I'd better
leave that one alone too. Let's see. Well, it's already time to quit. We maybe
get this after dinner, but I'll--I'll answer this one or try my best. I don't
know; it's just handed to me. See? Billy brought me a handful just there--there
at the door. See?)I have heard people say that you have advised people to sell
all their homes and follow you to
134
No, sir. I did not say it. If
anything, I've advised people not to do
it. Uh-huh.
I
was reading about Martin Luther here not long ago, not comparing ourselves with
that; but this is a reformation just the same as that was. And -the question
was... The historians, they said, "It's a marvelous thing to think that
Martin Luther could protest the Catholic church and get by with it. That was a
wonderful thing." But said, "The
most wonderful thing about Martin Luther wasn't that. How he could hold his
head above all the fanaticism that followed his meeting and still stay true to
the Word, his calling..." See? No, sir! Don't put your own... Any man or woman that puts anything to what I
say, don't believe what I say. They don't... They say... They...
141
270. Now, Brother Branham, are we missing out on something? These people claim
to believe every word that you say to be true. (But they don't. They don't believe it. Their own actions prove that
they don't.)
145
A minister came to me the other day, said, "Brother Branham, they're
getting the awfullest cult down there you ever seen." Said, "Each one
of them, every morning, they go out; and they said they ain't going to work;
it's too close to the rapture." They're not going to work. Well, that just shows you don't even understand.
See? Right. (This tape's going down there.) So, yes, sir. You ought to take a
lesson from the ant, the Bible says, you know. If they don't work, they don't
eat. So that's just exactly right. Here, just picked up another one of these.
And if you listen to
this tape you will find that several people all asked the same question about
moving to
Look at what Jesus
said in Matthew
chapter 13.
Matthew 13:10 And the disciples came,
and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
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. 12 For whosoever hath, (The Greek word for hath is echo. So whosoever is made
in such a way as to able to give back my
word in the same way I give it) to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance (ands
why does he have more abundance? Because an echo gives it again and again and
again, over and over and over again. So you don’t receive it just once, but
time and time and time again. And it gets richer and more clear each and every
time you repeat it) but whosoever hath not, (again this word hath was
translated from the Greek word echo, but this time it is speaking of those who
are not made in such a way as to be able to reflect back that Word.) from him shall be
taken away even that which he thinks that he hath (even that which
he thinks he is echoing). 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith,
By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not
understand; and seeing ye shall see,
and shall not perceive:
So
we are talking about an inability to hear and understand or perceive. That is
why you can talk to them about the Presence of Christ and the difference
between the appearing and coming, and you can show them actual definitive
factual statements that brother Branham used in defining his teaching on the
Godhead, and they still don’t get it. And it is not just a few that don’t get
it, because brother Branham said in his sermon called Godhead Explained 61-0119A P:74 Now,
Many of you people listening to this would say, "Brother Branham is a
Oneness." I am not. I think you're both wrong, both oneness and trinity.
Not to be different, but it's always the middle of the road.
So many who listen to the tapes believe brother Branham is a oneness just
like he said they would misunderstand. But it is not because the prophet did
not make himself clear, but because they chose not to listen because they had
their minds made up.
Matthew
13:15 For this people's heart (their understanding) is waxed gross, and
their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; (so we are dealing with a will-full ignorance here.) 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, and I should heal them. 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men
have desired to see those
things which ye see, and have not
seen them; and to hear those
things which ye hear, and have not
heard them.
Looking unto Jesus 64-0122 P:11 I
say this with respects, but I say it to sink in. I had more understanding, and
better fellowship, with a bunch of African witch doctors than I did that group
of ministers that morning. They give more consideration to the Word of God, and
asked questions, for that I could give them the hope that laid within me, for
the hope of Eternal Life. These
ministers had no time for it at all. Just quickly, as soon as you'd say something, out they'd go. And so that's the
way it is. They got their mind made up;
they just stay so long, and that's all
they want to know. If it one Word disagreeing with any petty thing that
they believe in, they cannot stay and
listen through it. That's the reason they couldn't believe Jesus Christ at
His first advent. That's the reason
they'll miss Him in the second. They miss Him each time. They always have.
When He's revealed Himself in Moses, revealed Himself in Noah, revealed Himself
in Elijah, all the prophets, they missed
it each time. Jesus said, "Which one of your fathers hasn't put the
prophets in the tombs out there that they're garnishing now?" That's true.
It's always been true. It's true yet today. And yet, in the midst of all this
we're commanded to look. "Look at Him, all the ends of the world."
Church
Age Book Chapter 9 - The Laodicean
Church Age P:78 "You are blind and naked." Now
this is really desperate. How can anyone be blind and naked and not know it?
Yet it says that they are blind and naked and can't perceive it. The answer is,
they are spiritually blind, and spiritually naked. Do you remember when
Elisha and Gehazi were surrounded by the army of the Syrians? You recall that
Elisha smote them blind by the power of God. Yet their eyes were wide open and
they could see where they were going. The
blindness was peculiar in that they could see certain things, but other
certain things such as Elisha and the servant and the camp of
And you know I have
nailed them with that statement overseas and they still find fault and will not
stop to re-examine their wrong beliefs concerning the godhead and presence. But
look, it’s not my business whether one believes it or not. That’s God’s
business. My commission is to give it and then my jobs done, and if they are
elect, then their job is just beginning. Because I don’t go to the churches as
a general rule, I go to the preachers and then if they are open and receive it
then they now give it to their people.
But let’s face it, many things in the word of God are hard to understand.
That is why it takes a revelation from God, which means it is a personal thing
that God is doing for you when you do see it. And many of the visions that a
prophet receives from God are not even understood by the prophet much less the
people until God reveals it to them.
Ashamed of Him 65-0711 P:17 But
my point was this, when you know that you're trying to do what's right, the
first thing is, if you feel led to do anything, then check it with the Word and see if it's right with the Word, and then let nothing stop you. I don't
care how many wheels the Devil throws in the way, just move right over the top
of them. I told my wife and I told Brother Wood, when I got here, and some
friends that I met yesterday, I have
had about five years here that I hardly knowed what to do. It's been a
nervous...
You think you have it
tough. Here is a prophet of God who was dependant upon God to give him a vision
and first he had to check it with the word, and then just to receive the vision
he had to wait on God for it. You can’t produce your own visions. They are sovereignly
given.
Brother Branham
continues, See,
the revival itself amongst the churches has died. Everyone knows that. You feel
it in this Tabernacle. You feel it everywhere. There is a thump, dead feeling.
There's just something isn't right. It's because the revival enthusiasm has
gone away from the people. Go into the churches; you'll see them setting there.
And the pastor stumbling around for a message and something another. And the
first thing you know, he turned it off on some kind of a party they're going to
have, or something. It seems to be a dead thump everywhere.
Again from When their eyes were
opened 64-0212 P:11 he said, And
you take anything that's really way out in the phenomena like that, always check it with the Word. And if
the Word promised it, then it's only God rising on the scene again. That's the
way every promise is.
Influence 63-0112 P:75 You
try to do something that's a little contrary to your doctrine, and you say,
"Aw, nonsense." Check it with
the Word. If it's the Word, believe
it. If it's not, leave it alone. God will vindicate His Word. Right.
What shall I do with Jesus 63-1124M P:116 How
the church ought to be checking it again, and again, and again, and again.
We're waiting for His coming. We're waiting for the takeoff. We better check it with the Word, not
what somebody said. Be sure you know yourself, as a personal experience with
Christ. Check it again, and again, and again. Why? He's got the blood of men
upon his hands. He better check.
Revelation
chapter 4 pt 3 throne mercy 61-0108 P:119 Every vision of the Lord... That's what I say. If the visions we have today is not exactly
Bible visions, then they're wrong. If they reflect, or, any revelation that
shows God anything but what He always was, it's a wrong revelation. The whole
church is built upon it, Matthew 17.
So you see we must go
to the word, for our answers, and in this series we are beginning concerning
“Questions and Answers” that is exactly what we plan to do.
Now, Paul said the
Scripture was given for doctrine and then he said, (2) for reproof, …
Now, the word that was
translated for reproof was a word that also means evidence. So not reproof as
though you are being bawled out, but proof or evidence. The Scripture is given
for doctrine and evidence or vindication. In the book of Hebrews the same word
is used in verse 1.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of
things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Notice
it is the evidence. And so we see that all scripture is given for doctrine and
evidence and then he says for (3) for correction,and
of course that is important because if the scriptural doctrine is given for the
evidence, it is hoped that you will be corrected. And you will if there is any
honesty in your heart. And it is also given for (4) instruction in righteousness: (that means that
all scripture is to be used to instruct you in right-wise-ness, or how to be
rightly wise. Why?) 17 (for the reason) That the man of God
may be perfect (that means mature and finished off in your Christian
Character), and
thoroughly furnished unto all good works. So we see the intent is
not just for yourself, but that God may use you as a fit vessel for His own
plans and purposes.
Now, in getting back to why people allow themselves to misunderstand the
Scriptural doctrinal truths, it is because of their own pride.
Fifth seal the 63-0322 P:28 The
wise of the world is trying in their wisdom to find Him. They only climb away from Him in doing so. See?
God in simplicity 63-0317M P:65 Many
miss Him by the way He reveals Himself.
Now, man has their own ideas of what God
ought to be and what God is going to do; and as I have made the old
statement many times that man still remains man. Man is always giving God
praise for what He did do, and always looking forward to what He will do, and
ignoring what He's doing. See, see?
Revelation chapter one 60-1204M P:75 How
did they miss Him? Because they were looking for something else. And He done
the sign of the Messiah, and they wouldn't hear it. He was a prophet. Moses
said, "The Lord your God will raise up a prophet like me. And it'll come
to pass if they not hear this Prophet, they'll be cut off from amongst the
people." He was a Prophet on earth. Now, because He was what? The faithful Witness of God's Word.
Amen. He was God's Word made manifest:
God hiding Himself in simplicity 63-0412E
P:23 You know, God is so great. He hides Himself
in simplicity, and then reveals Himself in the same thing He hides Himself in.
And God is so great, He can make Hisself simple. That's what makes Him great. So many miss Him in the simplicity--simple
ways that He hides Himself. Now, we know that man cannot do this. Man
cannot make hisself great enough to be simple. See? Now, what makes God so
great is because He can be so simple. And God does not reveal Himself in
greatness, as we call greatness.
God in
simplicity 63-0317M P:72 Many Miss Him by the way that He reveals
Himself, for He is so great, yet hides Himself in simplicity to make Hisself
known to the least. See?