LOOK  #21

THE FIRST MOVE

MAY 17,  1992

                          Brian Kocourek

 

 

I KINGS 18:1  -  2, (read) 

 

In  vs 18:1 God made the promise to send rain once Elijah  showed
his  Self  to Ahab. By vs 40 he not only had  showed  himself  to
Ahab,  but had slain the 400 prophets of Baal and God  vindicated
His  Message before the people. Now let's see what he says in  vs
41.

 

I KINGS 18:41 (read)

Now  where was the sound. Was it something he could hear. Or  was
the sound, actually the Promise God had made to Him before he met
with Ahab?

 

I KINGS 18:42 -  44. (read)                              

When  he  sent his servant up the mountain to look for  the  rain
clouds, what was His reaction when his servant came back  without
any witness to the dynamics. Go up again, and again, and again.

<  SEVEN TIMES = SHIBAW> A PRIMARY CARDINAL NUMBER;

SEVEN AS THE SACRED FULL ONE: it also means an indefinite number.
In  other words, keep going back and looking until you  see  that
Word manifest Itself.

 

PP. 111 - 113. (read)

<111>  HE ACCEPTED THE FIRST MOVE. (The first move of what?  What
did  He  accept? and when did he accept it? It  wasn't  what  his
servant  went to go look for. If that is what he  accepted,  then
why  was  he  looking for it. What He accepted was  the  Word  of
promise  from God that the rain would come when he went  to  meet
Ahab. He met Ahab, and now God had to keep His word.

 

<112>   YOU WHO BELIEVE CREEDS INSTEAD OF THE WORD, COME BACK  TO
THE  WORD.  JUST SEE THE FIRST MOVE. ( What move, The  Word.  The
Promise!) FAITH ACCEPTED IT. (Accepted what? The first move which
is  the Word!)  THERE'S WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR. What is he  looking

for? The Word. The Word. The Word. )

 

<113>  WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD. ( Then he  gives
some  evidences of things which let you know, The Coming  of  the
Lord is at hand.)

 

Now in putting our thoughts together for this little message  for
you this morning, Let's look at this thought here where he  said,
" HE ACCEPTED THE FIRST MOVE."

 

That's  what  we want to do. We want to accept  the  first  move.
There's  something about the first move that's is so very  impor
­
Tant.

 

Now, the key is to know what the first move is. We must know what
the first move is. Then we accept it when it comes. But, the real
question is, the first move of what?

 

What  was  the illustration that brother Branham was  using?  The
first move he is speaking of is this. Elijah had the Word of  the
Lord  that  it would not rain for 3 1/2 years. Then one  day  God
spoke  to him again and told him that he was to go and meet  with
Ahab.  When  he did this that God commanded him to do,  He  would
send  the  rain. So, upon meeting with Ahab, Elijah had  a  mount
Carmel  showdown. He was on top of the mountain so to  speak.  He
now  was  in the place to where the promise of rain was  able  to

come in manifestation. Every thing was set in order. Every  thing
was  ready.  Now  it was all back in God's lap so  to  speak,  to
confirm His promise.

 

Remember,  brother Branham telling us that the hat had to  be  on
the  chair? ( Explain: ...) everything had to be in  it's  proper
place for the vision to be fulfilled.

 

So why was brother Branham telling us about this illustration  of
Elijah. Let's not forget, that this Message is entitled,  "LOOK".
He preached it right after the Seals were open. The people missed
what  had  been done in "The seals". They were looking  for  some
great big something, but it didn't come that way. He had preached
"  God Hiding in Simplicity," just before he preached the  "Seven

Seals" to prepare their minds, but they still didn't get it. Then
after the "SEVEN SEALS" were open, he again preached "GOD  HIDING

HIMSELF  IN SIMPLICITY". Why? What were they missing?  What  were
they looking for?

 

As  we said, when we began this series, Why would he preach  this
message, "LOOK"? Because they were not looking at what God wanted
them to look at. He began by saying we are looking for the Coming
of The Lord. We are all looking for that. But you are not looking

in  the right direction. You are going to miss this  great  Event
because you are focussing upon a wrong understanding. Your  focus
is not on the right manner in which He will come. You are looking
for  some great visible Appearing in the skies and That  has  al
­
ready  taken place. He has come down in the form of  the  "Word",
and because you are looking for something else, you will miss His
coming altogether.

 

PP. 113. <read>

He says, WE ARE LOOKING FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD. And all these
things  that you see happening are evidence that He is here.  All
the great commotion that took place upon Mount Carmel was just an
evidence  that  God was on the seen to keep His Word.  How  close
then is the Coming of the Lord, when His fulness is already here.

The  only thing missing is the Body, which is the final stage  of
this great coming that we shall see after we receive our change.

 

The Second coming is in process because it begins with His  great
Appearing. His Parousia. He has come down with a Shout.

 

I THES 4:15 - 18 <read>
 

PP. 114 - 115 <read>

So  then what is the first little move we are looking for in  the
Coming  of the Lord. The SHOUT, which is the Message.  Focus  all

that you have on that.

 

Oh,  you  say, what about the Voice and the Trump of  God.  Don't
worry about the Voice and the Trump of God. If you hear the SHOUT
that means you are in the whole thing. When Elijah saw God vindi­
cate Him before all the people in the presence of Ahab, that day,

He knew that The abundance of rain was on it's way. Then when  he
saw  the first little move of a cloud the size of a mans hand  he
knew  it was already a done deal. "GO TELL AHAB TO GET  DOWN  OFF
THE MOUNTAIN QUICKLY, FOR I HEAR THE ABUNDANCE OF RAIN."

 

THE  FIRST  MOVE  IS ON. He has Descended with a  SHOUT  and  the
change of the body is in process. You say what?

 

We  know that the SHOUT is a message going forth to  prepare  the
Bride  for  a rapture, right? The Kalusma =  a  military  command

calling the people to order. Then the Voice of the Chief  Messen­
ger which is Christ calling forth The Resurrection. But in  order
for  we  which are alive to be caught up together with,  we  must

receive a change in our bodies. FOR, FLESH AND BLOOD (as we  know
it) CAN NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD. We need a change.

 

I JOHN 3: 2 <read>

We receive our change when we see the one who has descended  with
the  shout.  Our Father. And how do we see Him? He is  the  Word.

Then we must see The Word. The Shout.

 

ROMANS 12: 1 - 2 <read>

It is the renewing of the mind that gives us our change in  order
to  be  caught up with the resurrected saints.  So,  brother  and
sister, if we are having our minds changed by the SHOUT which  is

the  Great  Appearing and Parousia (Presence) of Our  Lord  Jesus
Christ, then we are already in the process of our body change.

 

Brother  Branham said, "WHEN WORD IS PILED UPON WORD, UPON  WORD,

IT WILL TAKE A HOLD OF EVERY FIBER OF YOUR BODY."

 

Do  you realize that when Elijah saw that Little cloud,  he  knew

the  rain was already a done deal. Do you realize, that when  you
see  the SHOUT, which is the descent of the Lord, you are  seeing
the Rapture in it's beginning. You are receiving your change. You

are being caught away. It's all a process. It is not an instanta­
neous thing.

 

Jesus  said, you have to commit adultery in your mind before  you
commit the action. You receive the change in your mind before you

receive  it  in your body. Just because you don't see  your  body
change, doesn't mean it's not happening. Doesn't your mind reside
in your body? Doesn't your Spirit dwell in this earthen frame?

 

Now  I am not saying that we have arrived and that the change  of
the  body is into manifestation yet. But the seed work  is  done.
The Word forms a body around the seed that is planted.

 

So  we  must look at "the first little move". The  SHOUT  is  the
FIRST move God does in His descent. And the first move we receive
in our change is a renewing of the mind. So if the mind is  being
renewed, doesn't that tell us that we are in it. We are a part of
it?  When you see the SHOUT you know you are a part of the  whole

descent process of the Lord which includes the change of the body
and the catching away of the Gentile Bride.

 

Do  you think that God would permit you to be part of  the  SHOUT
only to miss the rest of the process? That's not even scriptural.

 

PHIL 1:6 <read>         From The UNRECOGNIZED PRESENCE  (6-18-64)

WORKING  FOR THIS ONE PURPOSE: FOR YOU TO RECOGNIZE THE  PRESENCE
OF  JESUS CHRIST, SEE? IF HE IS PRESENT, THEN WHY EVERY THING  IS
SETTLED. HE MADE THE WORD, HE'S HERE TO CONFIRM IT.

 

I COR 1: 4 - 9 <read>

Notice  in verse 6 he is speaking past tense of the Testimony  of
Christ being confirmed. Now in verse 8 he is speaking in a future
tense of the saints being confirmed. WHO SHALL CONFIRM YOU.  Why?

Because at that time you have become the Word.

 

Now  this  word CONFIRM here is the word BEBAIOO which  means  to
make firm, to establish and make secure. In other words a sealing
in.

 

II COR 1:21 - 22 <read>

He is here to establish as True that which was doubtful or uncer­
tain. He is here to prove we are His own.

 

And  How does He do it? Remember, JOHN 1:10 HE WAS IN THE  WORLD,
AND THE WORLD WAS MADE BY HIM, AND THE WORLD KNEW HIM NOT.

 

JOHN 3:19 - 20 <read> And what is LIGHT but The Word.

 

But  notice the difference between the world and those  who  came
forth from God as His offspring.

 

JOHN 3:21 <read>

 

JOHN 18:37b EVERY ONE THAT IS OF THE TRUTH HEARETH MY VOICE.

 

JOHN 6: 44 - 54 <read>

 

I JOHN 3:1 <read>  Why?

 

JOHN 17: 14 <read>