Sunday March 08, 2020
He is the resurrection and life; God expects you to believe Him. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. It was in the beginning with God. All things were done by it, and nothing that was done was done without it. In it was life, and life was the light of men. (John 1: 1-4) Our joy is that the fullness of the Word dwelt in one man, Jesus Christ. God has done so many great things but in such a simple way. In the past, God used prophets, men to speak to us, but today He wanted to descend Himself among us.
Question asked: Is Brother Branham the Incarnate Word?
God watches over his Word down to the finest details. Incarnation has never been mentioned in the Bible, it exists among the Indians. The Word of God tells us about the new birth. "Verily, verily, I say to you, unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3: 3)
Was Jesus Christ our Lord born again?
Without a new birth, there is no birth. "But to all who received it, to those who believe in its name, it gave the power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1: 12-13) We have received the Word, the seed. Now in the beginning was the Word. Jesus Christ is the Word. He is the seed that gives life so He cannot be born again. He’s the life, He must always be in His place. He is the Lord, our God.
When John was thrown on the Island of Patmos because of the Word of God, men may have doubted whether God was with him. God is God, He has His way of doing things. “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the wise and intelligent, and for revealing them to children”. (Matthew 11:25) We need this revelation. Never say, "I know" because it is spiritual pride. Humility must always be in us. We call Jesus, Son of God, not for the trinity but we speak of the power of God. The natural can never have an understanding of spiritual things. “What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. (John 3: 6) Nicodemus, a doctor of the law, did not understand the new birth. David said "you will not allow your loved one to see corruption" (Psalm 16:10) but David had his grave. Naturally, we couldn't understand. Jesus in front of the tomb of Lazarus, He cried but shortly after, He showed that He was the Creator. A son of God must always be spiritual. Do not understand the Word of God with your fleshly thoughts but with spiritual understanding. We have to stay with the basis that the Lord has given us: the Word of God. When a prophet speaks on behalf of the Lord, he declares "Thus says the Lord", but Jesus could not say "thus says the Lord" because He Himself is the Word. He said "Verily, verily" because He is the Truth. When you hold on to the Word of God and stand on it, you will be like Joseph. Misunderstood by others because you don't act like them. The Word of God will never pass. We do not conform to men but to the Word of God. Jonh said, “He must grow, and I must decrease (John 3:30)”. Jesus in the first place, our eyes fixed on Him. He's your Bridegroom, you're going to walk with Him forever. You have to get to know Him. If a man stands up to preach the Word, it is not of himself but it is God who grants Grace. We must not be religious but be born again. We need to know where we come from and what God has done for us. No one knows if it is not the Holy Spirit, which is why He told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem to receive the Holy Spirit. In the Word of God is life. "The letter kills but the Spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3: 6) Just by the Word, you can kill your brother or sister. The Sadducees were with the stone to stone the woman caught in the act of adultery. They had taken the scripture. The Word of God has the capacity to work hearts. The Bible tells us to listen to what the Spirit says to the churches, that is, what God says. Not a prophet or a man but God. Always the apostles first, then the prophets because the apostolic ministry puts the things of God in the right place.
Ephesians 2: 19-20
One foundation, Jesus Christ. The prophets announced Jesus Christ and the apostles preached Jesus Christ. Those whom the prophets announced, the apostles demonstrated to us their achievements. The two ministries have a relationship, an interaction.
2 Thessalonians 2: 1-7
As long as the Lord is always present, the devil cannot do what he wants. As long as the Bride is present on Earth, the devil cannot do what he wants. Once the Holy Spirit is gone, that is, the Bride is going, then God will come back to Israel but Satan will be unleashed on the Nations. The Coronavirus can strike on Earth but the Bride is still on Earth so this virus will stop. As long as we are on Earth, healing is there. We should not fear. We live by faith that is rooted in the Word of God. The people of God in the desert did not lack food or drink and their clothes did not worn out. He is the Lord "who heals all your diseases" (Psalm 103: 3). The people of Israel had headaches, toothaches, women were pregnant. With the Lord our God, we have everything. You just need the key, which is faith. From an old man and a barren woman, God gave more posterity than the stars in the sky. The sign that you are a son of God is your love for your brother and your sister. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength (Deuteronomy 6: 5). We cannot force you to love. God's commandments are not unpleasant but when you love Him, you do these things with pleasure and of your own free will. There was no one to defend the adulterous woman, even the law condemned her, but these men brought this woman to Jesus. The law came through Moses and Grace came through Jesus Christ. You cannot realize the love of God. The Lord knows each of us, the way we look at others must change.
Isaiah 53
Him, the Just, how could he have done this for me, unjust? If I have become what I am, it is not by myself or by my merits but only by the Grace of God. Before Jesus came to Earth, everyone went to Heaven. No one could go into the presence of God. You really have to recognize what the Lord Jesus did. It’s an union with the Lord. Not a forced union but when you love, you submit to his Word. Love is not forced, but it is a pleasure.