Relationship Series, #1
Fellowship Through Relationship
This morning I
would like to begin a series that I believe will help us to understand our
relationships better. In fact I have entitled this new series, simply
“relationships”.
As you know,
we have several young adults in here who will become eligible for marriage over
the next few years, should the Lord tarry, and marriage is not something that should to be entered into
lightly. In fact, marriage is the most important decision in our life outside
of accepting our salvation through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for
our sins. Brother Branham said, from Thirsting for Life 60-0304, Greatest thing God give man outside of
salvation was a wife. Seal of God 61-0216, I
think that a wife is the best thing a man can have outside of salvation.
Now, I have
searched for a quote that would say the same thing to a woman about a man, but
I guess there is no second best thing to salvation for you girls. Course he did go on to say, 114 065 But remember, woman was made for man, not
man for woman. The last created being that God ever created was a man. A woman
is a byproduct from a man. And she was made for a man, not man made for the
woman and visa versa to them. And man falls at the shrine of women. That was
the very thing that started it at the beginning. That's what happened in the
beginning. When God's son Adam could not be tempted to doing what was wrong,
Satan come into the person called the serpent, which was like a man; and
there's where it started. And Eve got from behind the Word of God, and that
caused every heartache, every graveyard. Every sin that was ever committed
started right there. Here it is again.
What... Women was the cause of the first fall, and women ends up the
time. She started it; she ends it. (like the old expression, “if mama’s happy, every-bodies happy, but if mama
ain’t happy, then no-bodies happy.) No wonder the Bible said, those that escape
out of Zion shall be glorious in the sight of the Lord.
And since
marriage is the most important event in our life outside of our salvation, then
it should never be entered into lightly. In fact in the wedding ceremony which
Brother Branham used, he said, It is
therefore not by any to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but advisably,
soberly, and in the fear of God. Therefore,
it behooves us to be careful how we proceed, and to be fully prepared for such
a life together. He said, It is therefore
not by any to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but advisably, soberly
and in the fear of God. Therefore we see three things which
he states here.
Marriage is to
be entered into #1) advisably which means that you are to
seek advice. Can anyone tell me what advisably means? It is the adjective of
the root word advice, which means to seek the counsel, or opinion of someone
who has knowledge. It means also to notify or inform, to consult or to pass on
knowledge. It implies the making of recommendation as to the course of action by
someone with actual or supposed knowledge.
Therefore if marriage is to be entered into advisably, then it can not
be entered into without preparing for it.
Therefore, if we are to take such a major one time step in our life, we
had better know what we are getting into, because you can’t do it twice in
God’s judgment.
#2) He said, it
must be entered into , soberly.
Now, what does he mean by saying, it must be entered into
soberly? I’ll give you a clue, this has nothing to do with alcohol. So what
does the word soberly mean? The word soberly means, temperate in any way, not
extreme or extravagant. But serious, solemn, grave and sedate. Not bright, garish or flashy, but with
quietness, plainness, sane and in self control. In other words, well thought
out, having your mind, your emotions, and your flesh under control. That’s your
body, soul and spirit under control, knowing fully what you are entering into.
#3) Last but
not least, he said, it must be entered into in the fear of God. And the
fear of God is what? In Psalms 111:10 The fear of the LORD [is]
the beginning of wisdom, a good
understanding have all they that do [his commandments]: his praise endureth
for ever. And again in Proverbs 1:7
we read, ¶ The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of knowledge: [but] fools
despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 9:9 Give [instruction] to a wise [man], and he
will be yet wiser: teach a just [man], and he will increase in learning. 10 The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of
wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy [is] understanding. 11
For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be
increased. 12 If
thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but [if] thou scornest, thou
alone shalt bear [it].
Psalms 19:8
The statutes of the LORD [are] right, rejoicing the heart: the
commandment of the LORD [is] pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD
[is] clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD [are] true [and]
righteous altogether.
Proverbs 1:28
Then shall they call upon me, but
I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: 29
For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: 30
They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. 31
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled
with their own devices. 32 For the turning away of the simple shall
slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. 33
But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from
fear of evil.
Proverbs 2:1 ¶ My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments
with thee; 2 So that thou incline
thine ear unto wisdom, [and] apply thine heart to understanding; 3
Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, [and] liftest up thy voice for
understanding; 4 If thou seekest her
as silver, and searchest for her as [for] hid treasures; 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the
LORD, and find the knowledge of God. 6
For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth [cometh] knowledge and
understanding. 7 He layeth up sound
wisdom for the righteous: [he is] a buckler to them that walk uprightly. 8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and
preserveth the way of his saints. 9
Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity;
[yea], every good path. 10 ¶ When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and
knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; 11
Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:
If we want to
have a marriage that lasts, one that is focused, and that is entered into with
understanding and prudence, then we need to enter it in the fear of the Lord,
for the fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom.
And so this
morning, we will begin our study of this area we call relationships, and
especially how fellowship comes through relationship. After all, each of us are
placed here in life, with only limited amount of time, and we are given
through birth, a specified amount of relationships, and it is how we work with
and live within these relationships that will determine whether our life is a
success or not. When a man dies, no one remembers him for how many hours he
spent at the office, or for how many dollars he was able to stash away. But
when it comes down to whether our life is a success or not, will be determined
by what kind of an influence we had on others. How did we relate, what kind of
effect did our life have on the lives of others.
Therefore, I
would like to look into this area which we could all use a little help from the
Word of God, so that we might be able to shore up our own relationships,
Husband with Wife, Wife with Husband, parents with children, and children with
parents. Sibling with sibling etc. And child of God with child of God.
Now to begin
with, we need to know what the word relationship means, because if we do not
know what this word means, then we will never be able to conceptualize our
relationships, and therefore we would not be able to judge whether we are
bettering them or not. After all, I don’t know of any one who thinks they have
the best relationship with their spouse of children and would not like to
improve those relationships.
Now, the word
relationship comes from the root word relation, or relations. Webster tells us
that the word relation has to do with a connection or the manner of being
connected. Then he tells us it is the connection of persons by blood or
marriage, and uses the word kinship to express this relationship. A relation is
a member of the same family.
Is Your Life Worthy
63-0630E 138 069 Christians, oh, you must have a personal relationship to God. In order to be a son of
God, you must become relation to God.
He must be your Father in order for you to be a son. And only His sons and
daughters are saved, not the members of a church, but sons and daughters.
There's only thing--one thing that will produce that; that's the new birth. The new birth is the only thing that will
produce relationship to God. Is that right? Sons and daughters...
Romans 5:1-2 ¶
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ: By whom also we have
access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the
glory of God. prosagoge {pros-ag-ogue-ay'} AV -- access
(3) 1) the act of bringing to, a moving to 2) access, approach: to God, i.e. that
relationship with God whereby we
are acceptable to him and have assurance that he is favorably disposed towards him
Now,
relationship is not fellowship. These are two different words. We hear so often the person say, I would
like to have a relationship with that person. But according to Webster and
Brother Branham, relationship has to do with family access, or family
connectivity, where as fellowship is
something altogether different. Two
fellows in the same ship. Which means you are sharing the same experiences and
the same journey. But what we will find today is that it takes relationship to
give you true fellowship. And that should be the focus of every family in here
this morning, is to have true fellowship with your spouse, with your children,
with your siblings. There is nothing better in this life than for a man to be
able to share his life with another, and when you get two or more in your ship
of life it brings you into fellow ship.
In the Message God’s Provided Way, brother Branham
said, “We enter into fellowship through relationship, by being borned of the Holy Spirit,…” “God's
right in him, just burning up thing as he goes. He can't stand still. Why? He's entered into the fellowship by
relationship. Relationship: He's borned
again; he's a new creature in Christ. He come through the waters of
separation; he walked through the Blood of sanctification; he went into the
fellowship of the Holy Ghost. Yes, sir, he
was born, into the fellowship; God's only provided approach. There's no other
approach no where, no time, or any way, only through that.”
Ephesians 2:18
For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19
Now therefore ye are no more strangers
and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of
God; 20 And are built
upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being
the chief corner [stone];
Ephesians 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
Therefore we are looking at
relationship here as having to do with the connectivity between kin or family.
In Matthew 19:5 we read where Jesus said, “For
this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife:
and they twain shall be one flesh. Now this word flesh is the Greek word (sarx) which means = flesh
- but is used of natural or physical origin, generation or relationship;
As we read on
in Matthew 19:6, Jesus continues by saying “Wherefore they are no more twain, but one
flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder”. And the Word Twain is the Greek word suzugos
{sood'-zoo-gos} which means
AV --a yokefellow
(1) people who are yoked together:
united by the bond of marriage, relationship, hence, a yoke fellow, or partner.
Again we read
in the book of Acts 7:14 Then sent Joseph, and called his father
Jacob to [him], and all his kindred,
threescore and fifteen souls. And
that word for kindred is the Greek word, suggeneia {soong-ghen'-i-ah}
AV -- which means kindred (3)1a)and is defined as a kinship, or relationship 1b) kindred, relations
collectively, family.
Genesis 2:23 And Adam said, This [is]
now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because
she was taken out of Man. 1320
basar {baw-sawr'} 1d) kindred,
blood-relations
Fellowship Through Reconciliation 55-0605
E-49 049 But
when a man correctly one time comes in and lays his hands upon the head, by
faith of the Lord Jesus Christ, and confesses his sins, then the Blood of Jesus Christ... The Life that was in that was God
Himself. And that man, the life that
returns to that man after he has confessed his sins and accepted Christ, he's
brought into a relationship with Christ by the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and
there's no more desire in his heart to sin. Amen. That's the reason Hebrews
10 said, "For the worshipper once purged has no more conscience of sin. "There you have fellowship. The
things of the world is dead. You don't recognize it no more. You reckon
yourself dead, and your life is hid in God through Christ, sealed by the Holy
Spirit. And then you're looking to the heavenly things. Used to be, you couldn't hardly set in church
ten minutes. But when you really got the Holy Spirit, you can set in church day
and night, for there's something in you feeding. The trouble today people has
worldly spirits.
Fellowship Through Fellowship 56-0120 E-29 Notice...Fellowship, God wanting to fellowship
with man, always wanted to do it. The Old Testament, all of it was full of
the shed blood. "Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of
sin." And where there's no
remission of sin there's no fellowship. You've got to get away from sin before
you can ever have fellowship with God, 'cause God can't fellowship with
sin. So you're borned a sinner, shaped in iniquity, come to the world speaking
lies, and how can you ever do it? You just might as well quit right now to
begin with. You can't do it within yourself, but there is One Who died to bring you to fellowship, back not only to
fellowship, but relationship with God, to make you sons and daughters of God.
Died for that purpose, come here, proved Hisself Emanuel, omnipotent. And when
an Omnipotent speaks, the miraculous happens.
238-7 Thyatirean Church
Age - Chapter 6 Here, as through all the ages there are two groups, both
proclaiming their revelation from God and their relationship to God. "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth
sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them which are His."
God’s Provided Approach to Fellowship 60-0630 021 Here some years ago they had the religions of
the world met... I was reading it in a book. They had this Lady Maccabee from
Oklahoma, here, that's rested out here on--might have been in Tulsa--one of
these places... She was running through the street, driving a stage coach,
smoking a cigar, breaking the speed limits with a stage coach. And when they...
All the religions, different religions raised up and told their part of their
religion, how great it was. The Mohammedan priest told how great his religion
was. The Buddha told how great his religion was.
A certain
little minister (I can't call his name now.) was representing the religion of
America, Christian religion. And when he got his time to the platform, he told
the story of this great, foul woman, how low down she was till even they didn't
want to get around her to even get close enough to her to tar and feather her.
She was so immoral; she was so degraded; there was nothing could help her. Then
he said, "Gentlemen of the religions of this world, can your religions
produce anything that would cleanse the hands of this certain vile
person?" Everybody set still,
right on the end of their seats. No one said nothing.
Then he jumped in the air and screamed and kicked his
heels together. He said, "The Blood of Jesus Christ won't only clean her
hands, but it'll clean her heart and make her as pure as a lily." The
Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ takes away sin, and cleanses us from all of our
iniquity, and makes us new creatures in Christ Jesus. Nothing else will do it;
creeds, forms, or nothing else will take it's place. It's been tried, but it
takes the Blood.
022 That's the only place for Divine
fellowship, is under the Blood. That's the only remedy God knows. He based
it... He's infinite. What He says first, he has to always remain with that
through His program. Now, when they'll
come to the courts, realizing that they're defiled, setting in the
congregation, knowing they're wrong, by faith they apply the Blood, believe it,
accept it, the washing of the water by the Word, cleanses them then and makes
them ready.
023 Now, here's where the thing comes, here's
where the point comes. Most people says, "When I believe, that's all I
have to do." Now there's where the rub comes. The man that's hit the
water's of separation could not yet enter into the holiest of holies. He could
not yet come into the congregation. He accepted it, believed it, and believed
it was for him, and he was sprinkled with the waters of separation, but as he
went journeying on towards the place of fellowship, the first thing he had to
meet, there at the door, was seven stripes for the seven church ages: God in
all ages. Nothing but the Blood... And he had to know, that going on before him
went a sacrifice, bleeding. He had to recognize the Blood before he could come
in the congregation. 024 Now, when he
come under this blood, then he walked into the congregation, into the Presence
of the Shekinah Glory of God and then was in full fellowship, worshipping under
the Blood. What a beautiful picture of
Christ at Pentecost, bringing His church into full fellowship. It's like the
young couple that I was speaking of. When they get married, that's not the whole
thing. They haven't done nothing but taken a ceremony. The minister has only
said, "I pronounce you husband and wife." It's not ready yet. What
does he do? He takes her to his house that he's prepared for her.
Now, many people here might disagree with me by this, but
you don't live but in a three room house. Oh, you may have many other rooms,
but you've really only got three rooms. That is the kitchen, the living room,
and the bedroom. You may have three or four bedrooms and you may have a kitchen
and a dining room and so forth, but really a person only lives in a three room
house. You live in a three room house in your body: soul, body, and spirit. God
lived in a three room house: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Everything is in a
three. And a three is a triangle. Take a triangle and shine a light on it,
well, where three meets in one place, will produce seven different colors.
Seven different colors is a rainbow. The rainbow is a covenant. Oh, it just
keeps going on and on and on and on. On, because in that, God made a covenant
through these three things: the hyssop, scarlet, and so forth. And the Light of
God shining upon this, makes a covenant, a covenant that God made.
025 Now, when the
woman is brought, the young bride (oh, how he loves her), but yet, they're not
truly in full fellowship yet. Now the first thing... What is the kitchen to do?
Is where you eat. That's like it is in the first courts of the church. You eat
here. Come, set on the back seat, listen to the Word, and the first thing you
know you begin to, "O God, that meant me." You accept Him as your
personal Saviour; by faith you grasp it. Then you begin to eat the Word. You
begin to--to feel that you have accepted Christ as your personal Saviour. You
begin to feast upon the Word; you enjoy It. Where used to you'd get up and walk
out of the building if preacher didn't say something just suited you--not
right. You'd get up and walk out. But after you once accepted Christ, you've
been separated then. The waters by the Word of separation separated you from
your evil thinking.
Then the next thing comes is into
the--the living room where you take your little bride. She takes her veil off.
You're coming a little closer. Then when you do you put your arms around her,
talk to her, embrace her... That's how it comes into the fellowship of the Lord
Jesus. Before you do, you are separated from your sins. Then embrace the Lord's
Gospel. You embrace the--the written Word. You believe It with all your heart.
"God, it doesn't matter what You want me to do, whatever you have planned
in my life, I'm ready now to receive it." That's in the--the living room.
Then, still you say, "Isn't this far enough?" No, sir.
026 The next room is the bedroom. Then when you
go to this bedroom, then it's--you come into fellowship and relationship. You
become into a relationship, then you have complete fellowship, because you
cannot have complete fellowship until you become relationship. Anyone knows
that. And listen. So is it with the
church today. We got too many people; we got too many of them that's ashamed to
go into complete relationship with God to new life and new birth. If we're the
Bride of Christ, then why can't we go into relationship, then all the shameness
and backwardness and all's gone from us? If we come into complete relationship,
been borned again, I don't care... The President of the United States could be
standing on the street; you'd shout, "Hallelujah, Praise the Lord.
Hallelujah." You don't care, because you're come into a relationship.
You're borned again. You're a new child. You're in the Shekinah Glory with God,
fellowshipping with Him. That's what the ch... What we need today, brother, is
a worship under the Blood, a worship in complete relationship, to die out.
027 What if the little bride said, "Now,
wait a minute. I just... I don't know... I don't know if married life consists
of such things." She would never come into fellowship with her husband.
She could never come into relationship or fellowship until she first comes into
relationship. That's what's the matter
with the church today, that say, "Oh, I don't believe in that there kind
of religion that makes you shout and call it 'heartfelt religion,' and, I don't
believe in such things as that." No wonder you've never come into it yet.
You come into it and really get under the Shekinah Glory of God, when the power
of the Holy Ghost is falling down upon you, you'll know something happened to
you, that you've passed from death unto Life and become a new creature. God is
first.
028 How
was it... Charles Finney, that time that made the statement about how he used
to... He was... I believe it was Charles Finney, that... He'd been preaching,
or someone... (It might not have been him, I've just read it somewhere.) That
he was a preaching. He had sermons and two little women was praying for him
that he would get the Holy Ghost. And he told them he had the Holy Ghost. And
one day he went out behind the--his office to pray and knelt down where an old
tree had blowed down. And while he was praying, why, a stick broke and he
thought someone was coming up. And he jumped up and said, "Hmm, hmm,
hmm..." [Sound of clearing his throat--Ed.], looked around. He thought
somebody's there and see him praying... Then he set down and he said, "If
I was talking to my boss in the office, I would like for anybody to see me
speak to my boss, but here I'm ashamed of somebody to see me speak to my
Lord." There he come under
conviction, threw off his cloak of malice and hatred and strife, and fell on
his face, and cried out before God, until God filled him with the Holy Ghost.
Then something happened. Then he was different. He got the starch out of him.
Something taken place, because he come into the Shekinah Glory, into the
relationship with God and fellowship Divine.
God’s Provided Way Fellowship 60-0709 E-57 057
(Excuse me for this rude
expression.) But that's not complete
yet. Fellowship complete can only come
through relationship. And the only way
you can completely fellowship with this wife as your wife, she's never become a
complete fellowship to you until she has abide in relationship; that's the
bedroom. There's where new life
begins. And that's the way it
is with the church today. We can never take creeds and things, and ever bring
back real genuine fellowship, until we become relationship with God, to be
borned sons and daughters of God. You say, "That's rude, preacher."
It's the truth though; it's the truth.
Angel Of The Lord 51-0502
… the Blood of Christ won't only
clean hands, but it'll clean the heart, make the vilest sinner a new person,
purified, cleansed by the Holy Spirit, give them their inheritance that they
lost long ago by the fall, put them in
relationship with God to become sons and daughters. Amen. It's enough to
stir the heart of anybody.
Believest Thou This?
53-0906A 082 Something's got
to happen. Something's got to happen.
There she was recognizing, recognizing His Deity, recognizing His authority,
recognizing what relationship He was to Almighty God, recognizing His power
before God. She said, "Whatever You ask God, God will give it to You,
and I believe You're just exactly what You said You was." Oh, my. Something's got to happen now. The
strings are coming together, winding around. He said, "Where you buried
him?" She said, "Come,
see." And away they went.
Law Having a
Shadow 54-1203 E-28 02
A man must be borned again by the Spirit of God, and then the … Spirit of the Creator Himself comes into
the individual and claims relationship as sonship. You see it? Then that
person is an offspring of God, and God Who spoke the worlds into existence, and
this man's an offspring off Him. He can believe anything. All things are
possible unto him, for he believes he's a part of God. He's a son of God or a
daughter of God.
God Perfecting His Church 54-1204 E-24
024 And our relationship is restored to Jehovah
through the offering of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And Christ's body
was only revealed in that Blood cell and through the offering of Blood (which
is Life), that He might destroy the life of sin and bring in the Life of
righteousness through His Son, Christ Jesus, putting a part of His Life in ours, and we are together. Didn't Jesus say, "In that day, you'll know that I'm in the Father, the Father is in Me,
and I in you, and you in Me?" There you are. Then the Church of the
Living God is the anointed body of the Lord Jesus Christ, walking on earth
here, giving every hope and everything to the outside world, that the--nothing
else can give, Eternal Life.