Spoken Word #14
“If
God is with you, why are your prayers not answered?”
Brian Kocourek
March 30th, 2008
This morning
we will take our text from Malachi chapter 3 and Acts chapter 3.
Malachi 3:16 Then
they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and
heard it, and a book of remembrance was written
before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. 17 And
they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my
jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his
own son that serveth him. 18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and
the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that
serveth him not.
Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles'
doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43 And (reverential) fear came upon every
soul and many wonders and signs were
done by the apostles. (Notice that nothing happened until the atmosphere was right, and it took
reverential fear to create the right atmosphere. And the Doctrine is supposed
to produce this right atmosphere of reverential fear.) 44 And all that believed
were together, and had all things common; 45 And
sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 46 And they,
continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house
to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having
favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as
should be saved.
Wuest translation: Acts 2:42-27 And
they were giving constant attention to
the teaching of the Apostles, and to that which they held in common with
them, and to the breaking of bread and to the gatherings to where the prayers
to God were offered. And a reverential
fear came upon every soul. And many miracles that excited amazement and
attesting miracles were performed by the Apostles. And all those who believed
were gathered together as a unit and were holding all things in joint
participation, and were selling their houses and lands and other possessions
and kept on distributing them to all, according to anyone was having a need.
And daily they continued to remain in the temple, in perfect unanimity, breaking
bread at home, partaking of food together in gladness and simplicity of heart,
praising God and having the good will of the people. And the Lord kept on
adding to them daily those who were being saved.
Let us pray, Dear
father we have come into Thy presence this morning to hear from you. We know
Father that you have come down, and we see the hand writing on the walls, and
we know that the sixth and seventh visions of your prophet are almost ready to
be concluded, but before that seventh one become manifested openly we know we
shall be in the arms of Christ, gone, having left this world. Therefore,
Father, how ought we to live in this world, and how ought we to be preparing
our hearts to enter into that Holy convocation with the saints of all ages.
We ask your divine
presence to help us to become what you ordained for us to become, where you
ordained before the foundations of the world that we would be a holy people, in
your presence. For we ask this in that wonderful name you gave your son by
inheritance, the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Now,
being that last night we took of the communion table, I would also like to read
from I
Corinthians 11:27 because this also
speaks of that atmosphere of fear and expectation. Wherefore
whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this
cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But
let a man examine himself, and so let
him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to
himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
31 For
if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that
we should not be condemned with the world. 33 Wherefore,
my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another
Now, I believe what is missing from the churches today is this
reverential fear. The churches are too much like lodges today, and everything
has become a social gathering instead of a self introspection when we come
together in prayer and worship. We are living in a wicked world where the
governments are being controlled by the Catholic church
behind the scenes, and we have a Pope who has stated openly that all Christians
outside the Catholic Church are heretics, and the only true believer is the
catholic. This man has undone all the ecumenical efforts of his predecessors in
one speech, and has opened the way for that domineering religious spirit to
once again bring forth a persecution among those who do not fall in line with
the organized church. And the people perish because they have no vision. And
they can not even get answers to their prayers. Mark 16 Is not working for
them. James 5 is not working for them. Why? We will find out this morning.
From his sermon Get the people to believe
52-0717 P:4 Brother Branham said, Now,
I wish to read something about prayer over here in the good Book, in James
the 5th chapter, beginning with the 14th
verse. Everyone listen closely now. Is
any sick among you? let him call the elders of the church; and let them pray
over him, anointing with oil in the name of the Lord: The prayer of faith shall
save the sick... the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed any sins,
they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one
for the other, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a
righteous man availeth much." The effectual
fervent prayer of a righteous man..." Now, a righteous man
is not a sinless man. See? A righteous man is a man who is confessing his sins in a righteous One. You see? See,
a righteous man... Now, watch, to prove it, the next verse: Elias
was a man subject to like passions as we are (See?),
and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth
by the space of three years and six months. (A man that has his
ups-and- downs, just like we do, not an Angel, a man... See?)And
he prayed again, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth brought forth her
fruit.
James 5:
16 Confess your faults one
to another, and pray one for another, that
ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Psalm 32:1 Blessed is he whose transgression is
forgiven, whose sin is
covered. 2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth
not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. 3 When
I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day
long. 4 For
day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the
drought of summer. Selah. 5 I acknowledged my sin unto
thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my
transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the
iniquity of my sin. Selah. 6 For this shall every one
that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest
be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. 7 Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from
trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.
8 I
will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide
thee with mine eye. 9 Be ye not
as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held
in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee. 10 Many
sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him
about. 11 Be
glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
Faith without works is dead 53-0905 P:20 I said, "No psychiatrist could ever
pull that out of you. No," I said, "that had to come
Divine." I said, "Now, you go to your husband and make that
right." She said, "I can't, Brother Branham. I got three
children." Said, "It'd break my home up." I said, "Well,
it's going to break it anyhow." I said, "Because you're not going to
live like that. You're going completely insane." I said, "You can't
keep that." And I said, "That's way back in the gable end of your soul."
She said, "Well, I've confessed that to God." I said, "It wasn't
God you sinned against. It was your husband. If you'd have been a single woman,
it'd been different, but you sinned against your marriage vow." And I She said, "Well, Brother So-and-so told me." I
said, "Sister, that don't have nothing to do with
it. That unconfessed sin, and they could pour oil on
your head till they got a gallon on there. They could stomp, and kick, and
snort, and run across the platform, and scream, and holler. That'll... That
Devil will stay right there. He's got a right to, and as long as he's got a
right to stay there, he will hold his grounds." And I said, "You'll
never..." I said, "I've done all." She said, "I just can't
do it."
Faith without works is dead 53-0905 P:25 Now, you couldn't have poured enough oil on
her, anointed her with oil. You couldn't have stomped, or hollered, or... Devil don't care how loud you holler. He don't pay
no attention to that. That's right, but he will
recognize faith. Yes, sir. He will have to know where truth lays, and he will
recognize truth, and he will recognize faith. And if you have
got something... That's the reason I watch close. Now, on these lines
like we're going to have tonight, we just pray for the people, and lay hands on
them and so forth. That's the way that... That's going to be up to you. So you confess your sins before you come to
the platform and say, "Lord," and everything's in your life, you
straighten it up now before you come. For be
it assured to you that that thing will hang right over you as long as you got unconfessed sin.
Show us the Father 59-0419E P:70 Now, you in the prayer line that's standing
here now, to come into the line, if there is any unconfessed
sin in your life... Remember, I'm laying it right back in your lap, my brother.
Look, if you have got sin, that you have
not confessed, just be it aware that you'll be worse
than ever if you come here to be prayed for with unconfessed
sin in your life. You make things right. If that's in your life, step out
of the line just a minute, make that right; come back in the line. But don't
come like that. Now, that's the reason my lines use to be, when I combed each
person closely to see if there was sin in their life by the visions of the
Lord. Then the reason I did that was to be sure. If God permitted Satan to put a something on the people and I come
along with prayer and take it off, then I would be in trouble with God. And
so I don't want to do that, and that's the reason I kept it just one by one and
watch closely that nothing pass by. Now, tonight, not a discerning line, not in
the discernment, but just to pray... So if you've got unconfessed
sin in your life, don't come in the line before you make it right. Now, then if
you have, when you pass by here, don't come by just say, "I'm going up and
let Brother Branham pray for me." Get that off your mind.
Led by the spirit 59-0407 P:55 I
see they're still trying to get them all in line back there, so I'm waiting
just a few minutes to see if they still got them lined up. Now, let's bow our
heads just a moment now while we make ready. Set reverent now, waiting, each one now, waiting on the Holy Spirit. Now, you that's in
the prayer line, if you've got any unconfessed sin
your life, just be it known unto you, that God
will never heal you as long as you got unconfessed
sin in your life. And that's why I take that line real slow, the old line,
for the Holy Spirit would reveal to me. And all you are witness of that, how
sin's been called out of people, told them, and this woman here in adultery
with this man setting up here. You know how those things has
been. And that's the reason I comb the case real close, before I try to pray a
prayer of faith for them. 'Cause what if
God let the devil put that sickness on them to bring them to discipline, and
here I come around with a Divine gift with faith and took it off of them?
See, I'm in trouble with God, like
Moses who smote the rock instead of speaking to it.
Go tell 60-0417M P:85 And,
remember, if any of you has got any unconfessed sin,
be it known unto you that God will never
heal you with that unconfessed sin. Make it right
before you come through here, 'cause it
might make you worse. See?
Balm of Gilead 59-0614 P:55 But
now, remember, if God has permitted
sickness to come on you to bring you to discipline, and you refuse to
discipline yourself before God, then step out of the line. Don't come in there,
because you... It might make you worse. If you're sinful, and you got unconfessed sin, make it right with God before you come to
God for prayer.
Greater witness than John 53-1107 P:47 In a few minutes, here they come back up
the steps, tears streaming down their cheeks... Ah-ha, Satan lost his hold
then. See? Now, there's where it's at. See? Now, that settled it. But as long as that sin was under there, no
matter how loud you scream, how hard you stomp, how much oil you pour on, how
loud you pray, or how easy you pray, or whatever you do, that devil will stay
right there. 'Cause he has a legal right, as long as you got unconfessed sin. That's right. And you'll watch
on the platform... You seldom here me say something about, "I cast out
this devil." I have to see first
whether it's the will of God to do that first. I'll pray for the person,
but never call over that demon.
Do you now believe 53-1106 P:9 Now, if
there's something hanging over you, sin, and you don't confess that, you could
anoint that person, pray for them, do everything you want to do, it'll... Satan
will stay right there as long as you got unconfessed
sin in your life. Or some times something that you haven't done, something you
neglect to do. And in there God reveals it if there's anything wrong. Then you
make that right; your healing is complete.
God in His people 50-0227 P:26 Now, the gift declares all diseases. Now,
this is the claim. The gift declares all diseases, rebukes sins, calls the secrets of the people's hearts. And remember, that
any persons come into the prayer line, if
you come with unconfessed sin, remember, it'll be
told from this platform. No matter how vulgar and bad it is, it'll be told from
the platform. Now, that's a great statement to make. And remember, I stand
before thousands of people, but It's never failed one
time.
Then what about the great white throne judgment? You won’t be able to
hide then. And don’t confess the blood, because as long as you have unconfessed sin, God will not hear your prayer and the
blood is not obligated to take away your sin.
Psalms 66: 18 If
I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
Harvest time 64-1212 P:80
Didn't Jesus say, "Many will come to Me in that
day, and say, 'Lord, haven't I prophesied in Your Name? In Your Name I've cast
out devils. I've done mighty works. I've been a great man in
the organization. I've done all these things, these things'"? He'll say,
"Depart from Me, you that work
iniquity." What is iniquity? It's something that you know that's right, and you
concede it and won't do it in your heart. When you know that that Bible teaches a certain thing, and you won't do
it, that's iniquity. And David said, "If I hide iniquity in my heart, God will not even hear my prayer."
Is that Truth? Is that the Bible? Now, surely you couldn't get angry with that.
See? Jesus said that, "Many will come to Me
in that day, and say, 'I've done all these things,' and I'll say, 'Depart, you
workers of iniquity.'" Same as did Adam. Adam said,
"Lord, I did this, I did that." But one Word (See?), one Word did it.
That's all it takes, just disobey one Word.
Behold a greater than Solomon is here
62-0721 P:86 Someday You want Him to say,
"It's well done, My good and faithful servant. He that will confess his
sin...""But if I regard iniquity in my heart, then God
will not hear my prayer," said David. What is iniquity? Iniquity
is something that you know that you're doing that you ought not to do and still
won't repent of it. If I regard iniquity in my heart, knowing
that I should do it, and don't do it, then God
promised, the Bible promises that
God will not hear your prayer, if you know you should do it and won't do
it. That right, brethren? That right, brother ministers? It's true,…
Works is faith expressed 65-1126 P:44 Well, that's the same way with preaching
Divine healing or anything else. As you go along, you begin to learn. If you don't learn, there's something
wrong. See? You've got to learn, and you've got to learn how to accept God
and what it really means. We allow it, sometimes say, "Well, this guy
didn't have enough faith; this guy didn't do this and this. There's a reason
there for that; there's a reason. Sometime
it's unconfessed sin.
You could pour a gallon of oil on a person, and scream till you got hoarse; it
would never move that devil. No, sir. You've got to confess that. That's what
discernment does, say, "Go make that right; bring that out." But it's
so slow doing that. You see? And then the rest of them get impatient, and they
say, "Aw, I never got prayed for."
Deep calleth to
deep 54-0624 P:48 That's the same thing we have
to do here. If an evil spirit... If there's unconfessed sin or something, or
some out of the will of God, you could anoint them all night long, and cry, and
scream and do all you wish to, that demon will stay right there. That's
right. He has a right to. Well, that's what you have to watch. God has put a curse on somebody for
something, then you come along and take it off, you get in trouble like Moses
did. That's right.
Enticing spirits 55-0724 P:35 You
can't bless what God has cursed, neither can the devil curse
what God has blessed. It's an individual affair, no matter how poor, or how
stupid, how unlearned, how uneducated; what God's blessed is blessed. What God
has cursed is cursed. Know to differentiate what is right and what is wrong. Micaiah knew good and well that that wasn't the Lord that
was with them preachers. But what was the matter with those preachers? Notice
what they did. They had been dressed the best; they had been fed the best. They
had come together in their parties and so forth, in their alliances until the
place had gotten to, where they only knew their own theology. And the Bible
said that Micaiah, when he was looking at the vision,
he said, God said, “Who can we get to go down there and deceive Ahab." And
a lying spirit said, "I'll go down there and entice Ahab through those
preachers." Because they have to go out there in order to bring the Word
of God to pass.
God keeps His Word 57-0115 P:50 Jehoshaphat
said, "But hadn't he got one more?" One more?
One more, the whole organization...?"Said, "So what
about it? The whole organization says we're right. All the doctors and
all of them say we're right." "Seems to me like I read where the
Lord... Ahab, you just got another one?" He said, "I got a
holy-roller out here," or something, ever what he was. He was an outcast,
off brand. He said, "He's the son of Imlah; his
name is Micaiah." But said,
"I hate him." Oh, sure you do. Said, "He won't join with
my group." Well, I don't blame him. Said, "Oh, my," said,
"he's radical. And he never says anything good against me." Now, that
lets the cat out of the bag right then. See? See, the reason they said that?
See? Said, "He never says anything aga..."
How could he say anything good against him? They're a good for him, 'cause he
was no good to begin with. God had condemned him and rejected it. And how you
going to bless what God has cursed? Or how you going
to curse what God has blessed?
Anointed ones at end time 65-0725M P:55 Notice both of them, both of them anointed.
Now, how could you tell which was right and wrong? Watch what the Word promised
to Ahab. The prophet which was before him, which was Elijah, one of the
greatest prophets of the age, that was a vindicated prophet, that vindicated
prophet said that because Ahab had done this evil, that the dogs would lick his
blood (took Naboth's life), and that the dogs would
eat Jezebel and the--her body would be dung upon the fields. Now, how can you
bless what God has cursed? Or how can you curse, as Balaam said, what God has
blessed? See? But these prophets were sincere. There were no doubt but what
they were good men, honorable men, for to be a prophet in
Perseverance 62-0608 P:64
So Micaiah gave his prophecy, that
he saw
Micaiah
the prophet 61-0426 P:42 You
know, it used to be black was black and white was white. You mix it together
and you got gray. So that's just the way it it.
They're so mixed up. What is the drawing line between right and wrong? Methodists is right, what about Baptists? If
Presbyterian's right, what about Pentecost? There's a drawing line
somewhere. That drawing line is God's Word. That's the Word. God's drawing line
is His Word. "Let every man's word be a lie, and Mine the Truth."So how can we bless what God has cursed? How
can you let the men be married two or three times and deacons in your churches?
How can you let the women who wear bobbed hair and shorts, and dress themselves
all sexy come up in the platform, and play the piano, and get out in the
streets and walk around like that, and not say something about it? You can't
stop it, but you can give a word against it. And ninety-five percent of them
smoke cigarettes, and carry on, and drink beer.