LOOK
#23
God
tests His people
Brian
Kocourek
JOB 1:6 - 22. < Read >
PP.
126 <read>
GOD
HAD A CAUSE TO TEST JOB. HE'S HAD A CAUSE TO TEST THE PEOPLE.
EVERYTHING'S DONE FOR A CAUSE. HE'S DOING THE SAME THING NOW....
HE SENDS THE GOSPEL TRUTH, AND LET THEM LOOK OVER IT, ...THEY
DENY THE REAL TRUTH AND TAKE SOME CREED....BUT
HE DOES IT FOR A
TEST.
WEBSTERS < TEST >: An examination, experiment or
trial, as to
prove the value or ascertain the nature of something.
So
we see that it is a trial that is used to ascertain the nature
or qualities of the thing that is tried.
Brother
Branham is making a statement here that God will
present
the truth to us to test us or put us to trial in order
to examine
the nature or qualities that we have.
Today, by God's Grace we shall examine this thought here of
God
testing for reactions. God testing
for character. God testing our
nature.
Whenever you test something, you test it with the
purpose of
qualifying the thing tested. We do not test things to disprove
them. We test things to prove them.
EX:
Automobiles. We test for:
handling, power acceleration,
comfort etc. Things they are designed and engineered
to have.
We
don't test them for what they are not supposed to have.
EX:
They're not a plane or a boat or a train.
So the
first point we must see in pertaining to what a test is
all about is that you test something
to prove the nature or
qualities that it is supposed to have. If we are sons
of God and
are predestinated to be a certain way, then God must
have created
a certain something within us that will test out
and prove that
He has designed us and engineered us to His exact requirements.
You
do not create the test first and then create the object to be
tested. You create the object first and then you
design a test
that will try each characteristic that you feel needs
to be exact
in order for the object to be fit to your
standards. So you set
up a test or trial for each characteristic that you
want to test
for. Then you put that characteristic to the
test or trial and
you measure it's response. If the response is
not adequate, you
do not alter the test, you make the adjustments in the
object and
then put it to a test again. Eventually you tweak out any imper
fections in the object until
it meets the exact requirements.
I PETER 1:3 - 9. <read>
Now
here we see scripture that tells us we are to be tested
with
the purpose of being approved. (
Read verse <7> again.) It says,
THAT THE TRIAL OF YOUR FAITH MIGHT BE FOUND UNTO
PRAISE, HONOR,
AND GLORY.
Now you might be thinking, "It doesn't say that it
"WILL" be
found unto Glory, but that it "MIGHT" be
FOUND.
If
you examine the whole context closely, it says that the
trial
is more precious than Gold which perisheth. Now the testing is
not worth much if you don't pass the test. What good does it do
to be tested if you are certain that you will fail. You might as
well not even bother.
I
like what some of the other translations say about this scrip
ture:
WUEST:
I PETER 1:7
IN WHICH LAST SEASON YOU ARE TO BE CONSTANTLY REJOICING WITH A
JOY THAT EXPRESSES ITSELF IN A TRIUMPHANT EXUBERANCE,
ALTHOUGH
FOR A LITTLE WHILE AT THE PRESENT TIME IF PERCHANCE THERE
IS A
NEED FOR IT, YOU HAVE BEEN MADE SORROWFUL IN THE
MIDST OF MANY
DIFFERENT KINDS OF TESTINGS IN ORDER THAT THE APPROVAL OF
YOUR
FAITH, WHICH
FAITH WAS EXAMINED BY TESTING FOR THE PURPOSE OF
BEING APPROVED, THAT THE APPROVAL BEING MUCH
MORE PRECIOUS THAN
THE APPROVAL OF GOLD WHICH PERISHES, EVEN
THOUGH THE GOLD BE
APPROVED BY FIRE TESTING, MAY BE DISCOVERED AFTER
SCRUTINY TO
RESULT IN PRAISE AND HONOR AND GLORY AT THE TIME OF THE
REVELA
TION OF JESUS CHRIST;
This tells you one thing. You are tested with the purpose
that
you will be approved. To prove the qualities and characteristics
that were predestinated to be in you.
Notice
also that this approval testing is to come: AT THE TIME OF
THE REVELATION OF JESUS
CHRIST. So there has got to come a REVE
LATION OF JESUS CHRIST and then the test comes at that time.
NIV:
I PETER 1:7
THESE
HAVE COME SO THAT YOUR FAITH ... MAY BE PROVED GENUINE
AND
MAY RESULT IN PRAISE, HONOR AND GLORY WHEN JESUS CHRIST IS
RE
VEALED.
Notice then that this test and the approval is needed in order
for you to move up into PRAISE, HONOR, AND GLORY. Notice further
that it is a part of the REVEALING OF CHRIST.
THE
SORROW COMES IN ORDER FOR THE TESTING OF YOUR FAITH...MAY
BE
FOUND TO RESULT IN PRAISE, HONOR AND GLORY AT THE REAPPEARING
OF
JESUS CHRIST.
DIAGLOTT:
I PETER 1:7
SO THAT THE PROOF OF YOUR FAITH ...MAY BE FOUND UNTO
PRAISE,
HONOR AND GLORY AT THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST.
LAMSA:
I PETER 1:7
SO THAT THE PROOF OF YOU FAITH...MAY BE MADE MANIFEST FOR
THE
GLORY AND HONOR AND PRAISE AT THE
APPEARING OF JESUS CHRIST.
IN ORDER THAT THE PROVING OF YOUR FAITH... MAY BE
FOUND UNTO
PRAISE AND GLORY AND HONOR IN THE
REVEALING OF JESUS CHRIST.
This ought to tell us something about this great Appearing and
Revealing of Christ in this last hour. Not only is He to be
revealed at His Appearing but you are to be put
to the test by
that Appearing and you are ordained to pass the test.
Further
more, it says that this condition of PRAISE, HONOR
and GLORY is
to be found IN you, and notice where it is to be found?
IN the
REVEALING of CHRIST. So if it is to be IN the
Revealing of Christ
that you receive the approval and the characteristics of
PRAISE,
HONOR and GLORY, then you must be a part
of the very revealing of
Christ itself.
PP.
126 <read>
Now,
what brings on this test?
PP.
127 - 134 <read>
At His very Appearing.
In
the Message END TIME EVANGELISM“ he said "
Now, we have already
seen and are witnessing the appearing of the Lord. Now remember,
appearing and coming are two“ different words, to appear
and then“
to come. Now is the appearing, He's
already appeared in these
last few days. Right here with us in the last few years. Now,
it's a
sign“ of His Coming."
Notice
what Brother Branham pointed out in PP. 132. < NONE OF THE
REST OF THEM COULD SEE THE LIGHT BUT PAUL COULD.> Why could
Paul
see The pillar of fire and those with him could not?
Because He was ordained to see the resurrected Christ and the
others were not. There's your test. If you are to be part of
that
resurrection Group, you've got to see the One
who is The resur
rection and The Life.
manifest Himself in His true character>, THEN SHALL WE
APPEAR
WITH HIM IN GLORY. <Then shall we manifest in our true character
with Him in Glory, In Doxa, In
His very OPINION and Judgment.>
Notice
PP. 133 <read>.
There's
your test. Do you see Him or do you not.
ROMANS
FOR
WHOM HE FORE-APPROVED, HE ALSO FORE APPOINTED TO BE CONFORMED
UNTO THE IMAGE OF HIS
SON.
WUEST:
ROMANS 8:29
THOSE WHOM HE FOREORDAINED HE ALSO MARKED OUT BEFORE HAND TO BE
CONFORMED TO THE
DERIVED IMAGE OF HIS SON.
WEBSTERS:
<DERIVE> TO TRACE FROM OR TO A SOURCE.
DIAGLOTT:
ROMANS 8:29
THOSE
WHOM HE FOREKNEW, HE ALSO PREDETERMINED TO BE COPIES OF THE
LIKENESS OF HIS SON.
LAMSA:
ROMANS 8:29
HE
KNEW THEM IN ADVANCE, AND HE MARKED THEM WITH THE LIKENESS
OF
THE IMAGE OF HIS SON...
There was an article I read recently in the S=Dayton Daily News
of a woman who lived in a certain apartment building in
She was coming home from work one night and she noticed
a new
watchman attending the door. She felt something within here as
she saw this man face to face. She didn't know what it was but
she felt a familiarity with him.
As
she began to talk to him she had a gut feeling, so she pursued
her talks with him and within a short time she knew that he
was
her own brother whom she had never seen
because they had been
sent to separate foster homes as young children. He had
been sent
to
The
Bride recognizes her own Brother, the first born amongst many
brethren. He's here. How did she recognize her brother. They had
a similarity or a familiarity in their faces. Their were at
tributes that they both shared.
Oh, can't you see it. If He is our Big brother, we've
got to be
sharing many of the same attributes of our FATHER!
JOHN
20: 17 <read>
And
if We have the same Father, then we have the same
attributes.
Now,
remember what Webster said about Testing:
AN
EXAMINATION, EXPERIMENTATION OR TRIAL AS TO PROVE THE VALUE OR
TO ASCERTAIN THE QUALITY OR NATURE OF SOMETHING.
When does the trial come that is to Prove your nature? At His
Appearing and His
revealing of Himself. Then what is
the Trial?
What is the test? Whether you believe He has Appeared
or not.
Whether you believe
this is Him who is being Revealed or not.
MATT
7: 21 - 23 <read>
I
NEVER KNEW YOU. I NEVER
GINOSKO YOU. GINOSKO is more than a
form of understanding or knowledge, it also shows a
relationship
as Mary used the same word when she said, How can I bare
a child
having Known no man. She was inferring to an intimate
relation
ship which she had not had. And Jesus is saying, DEPART FROM ME
FOR I NEVER KNEW YOU. There is nothing familiar or family-er
about us. I am not one of you.
Didn't
He tell the pharisees in John 8 that they had to have
come
forth from God in order for them to receive God's Word?
So
what is the test of this relationship?
JOHN
8: 41 - 47 <read> < Read 10
pts against Parousia >
Then
if the test is to be able to receive God's Word, what is the
result of the test?
I
JOHN 3: 1 - 3 <read>
We
receive our change when we recognize who the Father is at
His
great Appearing. We see Him and then we become
like Him. For it
tells us that we are already sons, so the attributes are
already
in us. We just didn't know it. But when e see the
Father, be see
ourselves in Him. ....
What brings on the change?
II
COR
ROMANS
12:1 - 2 <read>
I
PETER
FINDING THAT THAT
SCORCHING FLAME OF PERSECUTION IS RAGING AMONG
YOU TO PUT YOU TO THE TEST AS THOUGH SOME SURPRISING THING
WERE
ACCIDENTALLY HAPPENING TO YOU.
ON THE
CONTRARY, IN THE DEGREE THAT YOU SHARE IN THE SUFFERINGS
OF THE CHRIST, REJOICE , SO THAT AT THE UNVEILING OF
HIS GLORY
YOU MAY ALSO REJOICE WITH TRIUMPHANT GLADNESS. YOU ARE TO BE
ENVIED, IF YOU ARE BEING REPROACHED
FOR BEARING THE NAME OF
CHRIST; FOR IN THAT CASE THE SPIRIT OF
GLORY - EVEN THE SPIRIT OF
GOD - IS RESTING UPON YOU.
PP.
126 <read> GOD HAD A CAUSE TO TEST JOB. HE'S HAD A CAUSE TO
TEST THE PEOPLE. EVERYTHING'S DONE FOR A CAUSE. HE'S DOING THE
SAME THING NOW..HE
SENDS THE GOSPEL TRUTH, AND LET THEM LOOK OVER
IT,..THEY DENY THE REAL TRUTH AND TAKE SOME CREED...BUT HE
DOES
IT FOR A TEST. -
PRAYER -