Seek The Truth

SEEK THE TRUTH
THE 2012 ARTICLES

By John Collins
www.seekyethetruth.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
In The Beginning..............................................................................................5
Behold! The Lamb of God!..............................................................................8
Impure Sacrifice.............................................................................................10
Son of Man.....................................................................................................13
Powerless Christ.............................................................................................15
The Buck Stops Here......................................................................................18
Worshipping What?........................................................................................20
Judgment or Grace?.......................................................................................22
Handing Over The Reins................................................................................24
Sir, I Perceive That You Are A Prophet............................................................26
Condemn The Woman Or Save The City........................................................28
Believe The Sign............................................................................................30
Youre Not Alone............................................................................................32
Faith In Faith..................................................................................................34
The Authority Of The Son...............................................................................36
Hiding The Gospel..........................................................................................38
What Is The Good News?............................................................................42
Prophet Like Unto Me.....................................................................................46
My Father Gives The Bread............................................................................49
Cafeteria-Style Religion.................................................................................51
The Gnostic Holy Spirit..................................................................................53
Its Time To Stand Up.....................................................................................55
Casting The First Stone..................................................................................57
The Fruits Of Trick Photography.....................................................................59
Your Father, The Devil....................................................................................61
Worldly Message Of Divine Healing...............................................................63
Divine Healing In The Branham Campaigns...................................................65
Failed Prophecy of the Womans Vote............................................................67
Donnie Reagan, Most Racist Pastor In America..............................................70
Raping Women...............................................................................................77
Mixed Marriage..............................................................................................79
The Good Shepherd.......................................................................................83
Rosicrucians...................................................................................................85
Creators Of Squirrel.......................................................................................90
A Sodom Condition........................................................................................93
Hindering The Kingdom.................................................................................97
Rev. Jim Jones and William Branham..............................................................99
Adding New Prophecies Into The Table.....................................................102
Jim Jones and the Open Door.......................................................................105
Job................................................................................................................107
The Toddler Prophet.....................................................................................108
Bridge Prophecy...........................................................................................110
Baptism........................................................................................................112
The Prophecies of 1933...............................................................................113
An Angered God...........................................................................................115
Faith Healing................................................................................................116
A Pillar Of Fire By Night................................................................................118
A Cloud By Day............................................................................................119
Marks of the Beast.......................................................................................120
Ground Rules...............................................................................................122
Jehovahs Witness........................................................................................125
The Easy Questions.....................................................................................126
The Cloud.....................................................................................................127
The Bridge...................................................................................................129
The Church Ages..........................................................................................131
Grips of Fear................................................................................................133
Tragedy of Donnie Morton............................................................................135
Driverless Eggcar.........................................................................................136
California: Still Standing..............................................................................138
The Twisted Scripture...................................................................................140
A Strange Birth............................................................................................143
Childhood.....................................................................................................144
Fatherless....................................................................................................145
The Commissions.........................................................................................146
Moving Targets.............................................................................................148
Franklin D. Roosevelt...................................................................................150
John F. Kennedy............................................................................................155
Creation.......................................................................................................159
Enoch...........................................................................................................161
Moses...........................................................................................................162
Balaam.........................................................................................................164
Elijah............................................................................................................166
The Prophets................................................................................................168
Gene And Leo..............................................................................................170
The Gospel...................................................................................................175
The Achievement Of The Holy Spirit............................................................178
Divorce Your Wives......................................................................................180
Pretending To Be God...................................................................................182
King James Only...........................................................................................184
Temporary Hell.............................................................................................187
The Evening Light........................................................................................189
Become Like Sinners....................................................................................192
A Call To Action!...........................................................................................194
Only Begotten Son.......................................................................................197
Horizons by Norman Bel Geddes...............................................................199
Future Home vs. Dispensational Truth.........................................................200
The Light Struck The Lens...........................................................................201
Jim Jones and William Branham the Doomsday Prophet..............................202
The Intersection of Jim Jones and William Branham....................................203

Who Is The New Voice Speaking For Seek The Truth?..................................205
Wed Like To Have Your Suggestions............................................................206
Leaving The Message..................................................................................208
John 1:17-43................................................................................................212
Moving Forward...........................................................................................216
Galatians 3: Faith Or Works..........................................................................220
He Who Is Without Sin.................................................................................225
Our Chains Are Broken.................................................................................228
Sin Is Unbelief...........................................................................................232
About This Book

This book is a collection of blog entries from the website,
www.seekyethetruth.com. As individual posts, they chronologically outline a
progression of thought during the course of an entire year. As such, they are
not intended to be read and understood as the final word. With each blog
post, discussions uncovered hidden facts and truths that were not common
knowledge at the time the post was created. As a progression of thought, it
is also to be understood that the views and opinions of each posts authors
may not remain the same today. As new facts are presented, understanding
of each topic is also subject to change.
Often, passages of scripture are referenced in the blog posts. The authors do
not claim to be an authority of scripture or a theologian. As students in the
Bible writing blog posts, it is to be understood that a progression of Biblical
knowledge and understanding is also included with the articles posted. The
understanding of scripture at the time of the post may not be the current
understanding by each author.
This book is intended to be a resource for those impacted by the Message of
the Hour, the religious following of William Marrion Branham. Followers of
Branhams doomsday cult experience much the same journey as they
attempt to deprogram and seek to find themselves in normal Christian life.
During this journey, many of these posts will seem familiar to this subset of
the Christian faith while they will be very unfamiliar to Christians who were
not raised in a doomsday cult.
Signs of the Time

Signs of the end time are all around us, and have been for years now. Great
signs and wonders, wars and other Biblical prophecies are happening all
around us to show us the way.
It is very important that we never mock or ridicule these signs, no matter
how great or small. Instead, we must put them through the Bible test to
make sure we are following the One True God.
There are many signs described in the Bible to watch for. Many people do
not study God's Word to find them all, listening only to their teacher(s)'
descriptions of the signs.
Below is a list of some of the predictions given by the Bible, and how to make
sure that you are following the instructions given by God's Holy Word:
1) 2 Peter 2:1-2 : False Teachers Bring Heresies, Gather Followers of
Themselves and Not the God's Word
Be very careful that every word of your teacher points to God's Word, and
not themselves.
All worship is on God.
The Bible promises "swift
destruction" on these teachers. Watch the lives of these teachers as
vindication of God's Word.
2) Revelation 11:9-10; 17:8 : Global Communications Would Show the Beast
The Bible promises that a method of global communications would show the
"people and kindreds and tongues and nations" these events.
Some
teachers may not permit you to use these forms of communications, but use
these tools to see the signs of the time.
3) Zechariah 14:12 Weapons of Mass Destruction
Zechariah prophecies about the atomic bomb of today, "Their flesh shall
consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall
consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their
mouth."
4) 1 Thessalonians 5:3 Global Cry for Peace
When the men of the earth see the violence rising up from all nations, cries
for peace and safety will be heard.
5) Isaiah 17 : Damascus (Syria) Will Be Destroyed
Saturday, Feb 5 2012, the U.N. speaks out against Syria, saying that the
country was a threat to global peace. Already, war is looming over Syria
6) 1 Timothy 4:3-4 : Movements for Vegetarianism (New Age Movement)
The number of people avoiding meats and favoring vegetables only are on
the rise.
7) Daniel 12:4 : World Travel Bringing Increased Knowledge
Today, with the global economy, world knowledge is quickly spreading from
culture to culture.
8) Luke 21:11; 2 Corinthians 11:14 : Earthquakes, Famine, Disease, and UFOs
Many are afraid to watch the sky for fear of being deemed "UFO fanatic", but
the Bible teaches to watch for these signs. Be very careful calling them
"angels", for as Corinthians states, "Satan disguises himself as an angel of
light".
9) Ezekiel 38: Russia (Magog) Will Attack Israel
Israel's current stand against Iran is causing the world leaders to watch
closely for the attack. Since Iran controls a major flow of oil through the
region, such an attack would cause many to strike Israel.
10) Revelation 9:15-16; 16:12: The Kings of the East (China) Preparing Army
of 200 million.
When this prophecy was given, there was approximately 170-400 million on
the entire planet. Currently, China has over 300 million men fit for military
service.
11) Matthew 7:22-23 : Deceptive Signs and Wonders
With the rise of evangelism and Charismatic preachers, there is also a rise in
people hungry for signs. We must be careful to worship the God they teach,
not the teacher.
12) Luke 17:28-30 : Homosexuality on the Rise
The Bible is very clear on this point; homosexuality is of the devil, and the
world would become more like Sodom in the end time.
13) 1 Timothy 4:1; Luke 17:26; Genesis 6:1-4: Fallen Angels Will Deceive the
Church
A subject not often discussed, history points to the fallen angels that
produced the Nephilim, or giants, and remains of those giants have been
discovered in various parts of the world. Some cult followings, such as
Joseph Smith, have claimed to have visitations from these angels. Typically,
these angels produce a doctrine that points to the leader instead of the Good
News that Jesus Christ died for all.
14) Matthew 24:26 : Leaders Teaching They Were Spoken To "Directly By
God"
If they say to you they were spoken to in private, the Bible says "believe it
not".
15) Luke 21:25 : Solar Flares
Currently, solar flares are causing massive changes in the magnetic fields in
the north, giving brilliant displays of northern lights.
16) 1 Timothy 4:1 : Following After Spirits and Strange Doctrines
In the last day, religious leaders will teach from the "spirit world", instead of
spreading the Good News that Jesus died for our sins
17) 2 Peter 3:3 : Mocking the Signs and Wonders
Be careful to study the signs and wonders, and do not make jokes or
mockery about any of them. If they are from God, it is Blasphemy.
18) Ezekiel 29:14-16: Egypt's Rule Diminished
At the time of this prophecy, Egypt was a mighty ruler of nations. Today,
archaeologists struggle to find even the history of their power.
19) Luke 21:26: Extreme Weather Causing Fear
Active volcanoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, and earthquakes are starting to rise
and be international news almost monthly.
20) Luke 19:41-42; Romans 11:25-27 : Israel Accepting the Gospel of Jesus
Christ
Many teachers, past and present, spread doctrines that the Gospel of Jesus
Christ was not for the Jews. The Bible teaches us that Israel would accept
the Gospel when the Gentiles came into the fold.
Vindication of a True Prophet

Does discernment, healing, and prophecy vindicate a true prophet of God?
Oral Roberts had thousands of accurate discernments, healings, and many
accurate prophecies.
Answer: Oral Roberts had a very successful ministry throughout his life. He
was able to discern the name, address, and disease of his followers through
what he claimed to be "the fire of God" flowing through his right hand.
Others of the day had vibrations through their left hand. Many had successful
and accurate prophecy.
The Bible does not allow for mistake; with a prophet, one strike and you are
out. Gifts of discernment, healing, and prophecy does not vindicate a
prophet, we must test the prophets to make sure that we are not following a
prophet with even one failed vision. If a vision fails, then the prophet is not of
God. Oral Roberts must be vindicated only by testing his every vision for
accuracy through the Bible, and through history.
20120207_Excommunication
Excommunication
Excommunication is a Biblical method of correction that, when used properly,
is meant to help the unruly Christian to learn the error of his ways and enter
back into the fold. The Bible gives us a clear instruction on how this
correction should be administered, and the grounds for usage.
Some modern day cult followings, such as the Mormons and the Jehovah's
Witnesses also use excommunication, but with one major difference. Their
extra-Biblical insights lead to adding extra-Biblical grounds for shunning and
methods of correction. While this helps to keep their followers held within
their cult, they do not realize many of their "extra-Biblical" methods actually
originated from Pagan practice.
While the Biblical instruction for shunning is a means for correction and
eventually leading the offender back to God, the Pagan practice of
excommunication involved a much deeper spiritual effect on anyone
rejecting their beliefs. Pagans believed that if a follower questioned their
false gods, it might lead others away from the following. Not only were they
placed under a ban, they were no longer protected by their false god and
would in danger of utter destruction.
The Bible gives us the Truth about excommunication, and how it should be
used for leading a sheep back into the fold:
Matthew 18: The follower should be a member of the church administering
the punishment. The Bible references a sheep that has wandered from the
shepherd
Matthew 18: The follower should be a sinner who has rejected Christ and has
failed to repent
Corinthians 5: Fornication, greed, idolatry, drunkenness, and swindling are all
grounds for excommunication
Romans 16: Rejecting Christ
If your spiritual leader has not followed the Biblical formula for
excommunication, the only alternative is the Pagan formula. The Bible
teaches us to test everything to make sure we are following the true
instructions given in the Word of God. Any questions of the doctrines will
have a Biblical answer, or the doctrines are not of God. Leaders who know
there are no Biblical grounds will excommunicate a follower so that others
will not learn of the errors in doctrine.
As with everything in your lives, you don't have to worry or fear because God
has given you the Word. If you compare it to the Word and it does not stand
up to the Bible test you don't have to fear it at all.
10
An interesting article makes us fear it less; most of us have already been

excommunicated from the Catholic Church. (read article)
It should be noted that even the Catholic church as seen the error of their
ways and repented of it.
11
The Message
The prophet Isaiah foretold of the coming of Christ, and the Message that
Christ would bring through his death on the cross. This Message was the
Gospel, which is the Good News that Jesus came, died for our sins, and
everyone who believed on Him would be saved. The Message was Good
News that we no longer were slaves to our sin; the Savior had conquered sin.
Isaiah 40 says that we should be comforted. "Comfort ye, comfort ye my
people, saith your God." He foretold John would be preparing the way for
Christ, making the pathway to salvation. He compares the people of the
world to grass of the field, and the grass would grow or fade away because
God had the power of all things. He told the people of Jerusalem to praise
and worship the God they were going to behold.
Romans 1 says that Paul was set apart to preach this Good News as was
foretold by Isaiah in the scriptures. Grace and Peace from the God the Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus Christ would bring not only salvation,
but obedience to Him.
Paul's Message was the Good News that Jesus died for all mankind, not some
chosen few that has chosen to follow a doctrine brought forth by a man.
Many spiritual leaders have come and gone, teaching their followers that
they had the special insight required to be worthy and called by God to the
rapture.
Some of those doctrines have blossomed into very large
organizations with many followers. The headquarters of the leadership for
the many organizations can be found in various parts throughout the world.
We should rejoice in faith in Jesus Christ. As Paul said it, we should be
"mutually encouraged by each other's faith", for the gospel is "the power of
God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the
Gentile."
Every one of us should follow the Message, and that Message is the Good
News that Jesus Christ died for all, from the Mormons to the Baptists, from
the Catholics to the Lutherans, from the Islamic to the Buddhist people.
Every single person who comes to believe in Jesus Christ through faith can
be saved, and faith will eventually bring obedience to the Word of God.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we spreading the Message?
12
Deceive The Very Elect If Possible

Throughout the world, Oral Roberts is regarded as a true man of God, a hero
to the Pentecostal faith. With his very successful spiritual healing campaigns,
he made a huge impact on not only America, but throughout the world.
David du Plessis was deeply involved in helping those involved with the
Charismatic movement. He worked directly with evangelists throughout the
Pentecostal churches, the Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship
International, and more. According to the religious media of the times, Oral
Roberts had the largest and most successful healing ministries of all the
ministers that Mr. du Plessis worked with. Now, over forty years later, the
name Oral Roberts is still synonymous with religious healing.
Many others during and after the time of Roberts ministry are known to have
great spiritual gifts present in their ministries, and these ministers use these
gifts as tools to increase the faith of their followers. Some of them claim to
have the gift of prophecy, similar to Robert's claims starting in the '60s.
While these spiritual gifts are indeed gifts from God to bless his children,
they can also be deceptive by those who would use them for the wrong
purpose.
Matthew 24 warns, "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets,
and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible,
they shall deceive the very elect." When we read this entire chapter, Christ is
warning of those who claim to have the gift of prophecy while using these
gifts of the Spirit. These prophets could use these spiritual gifts to deceive
the "very elect" children of God if it were possible to do so.
Some have claimed that this passage is referring to the "two spirits",
insinuating that there would be a deception regarding "true church" and a
"false church". Jesus is warning us to watch the prophets, they would
deceive using great signs and wonders. When the scripture is read in
context, the passage is speaking of the "many false prophets" that would rise
and deceive many." These signs and wonders would be a tool used by the
prophets in their deception.
We must be careful as we watch the Spirit move through the churches.
Spiritual gifts do not vindicate a messenger, and we must put their message
through the Bible test.
20120210_Not_Ashamed
13
Not Ashamed
In the book of Romans, Paul describes his commission for spreading the
Gospel of Jesus Christ. He described his audience to be everyone, from the
Greek which was well known to be a culture full of wisdom and knowledge, to
the Barbarians which were known to possess little or no knowledge of the
day. He admitted that he had purposed in his heart to spread the gospel to
Rome some time before, and leads you to believe that there was some
question as to whether or not he was afraid of bringing his teachings to
Rome.
In response, he replied, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is
the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." Though Paul
knew that he would have an unwelcome reception in Rome, he was not
afraid or ashamed to bring the Truth to the Romans. Jesus Christ had died for
their sins, and salvation was available to everyone who accepted Jesus as
their savior and believed on Christ.
To judge a man was, in Paul's words, "inexcusable". No man was without sin,
so any man who judged another was just as guilty of sin as the one they
judged. As consolation to those under judgment, he proclaimed that their
continual patience in seeking for glory, honor, immortality, and eternal life
was for everyone. God is not a respecter of persons.
We should take this as our example today. There are many Christians in the
churches across the world, and many pastors preaching to the saved. Who is
preaching to the lost? Who sits with the drunkard as he sits mourning some
tragedy, or reasons with the drug addict who cannot break his addiction?
How many people are rejected and avoided because they are Islamic, Hindi,
or Buddhist?
Paul was not stagnant, not preaching in a church of saved Christians. Paul
had put on the full armor of God, and was not afraid to preach to those born
into idolatry. Paul was not ashamed.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: are we spreading the Gospel to the
sinners, or are we ashamed of the Gospel and preaching it to the saints?
20120211_Puffed_Up
14
Puffed Up
During the time Paul was preaching to the Corinthians, the groups of
Christians had divisions among the churches. Members of the faith had
studied the doctrines under the teacher that had brought them together, but
had become "puffed up" as he called it -- thinking that their study of the
doctrine had built them up to greater esteem.
To the extent that Paul himself had become despised and judged by the
"puffed up" churches. In Corinthians 4, he described himself as judged by
men, reviled, persecuted, defamed, and literally "filth of the world" in the
eyes of men. As a result, he spoke out against it. He did not intend to
shame the followers in their great mistake, but instead offer a warning
against what they were doing.
He instructed the followers to take an account of his ministry, that he pointed
only to God and not the doctrines of men. He felt it was very insignificant
that they had judged him, especially since he did not judge himself; God was
the judge of all things.
Paul warned "not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of
you be puffed up for one against another." He said that he would visit the
divided churches and speak to them, but would not be versed in these
doctrines of men. Instead, he would come speaking of the power of the
kingdom of God. He would not come to them violently preaching against
their mistakes, or as he put it "with a rod", but would instead speak to them
in love and the spirit of meekness.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: have we became "puffed up"? Across
the world, many Christians have been taught under the leadership of great
men who were truly men of God. Do we hold their doctrines in such esteem
that we judge other churches who worship Jesus Christ under a different
teaching? Do we sit down to fellowship and worship with others in one of the
many denominations or independent churches considering them brothers
and sisters in Christ, or are we "puffed up," judging them?
If so, we should heed Paul's warning and focus our eyes on Jesus Christ.
15
The Large Body of Christ

Paul, speaking to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 12 stated that we are all
one body of Christ. He wanted to make it clear to the Church that all
members who claimed Jesus as their Lord were members of the Body of
Christ.
He reminded them that they were just as guilty of being carried away by
"dumb idols" as the other members of the Body of Christ, but those who said
that "Jesus is the Lord" were members of the body because they could only
say it by the Holy Ghost.
The gift of the Holy Ghost was not a special privilege to to a select chosen
few. Paul felt led to instruct the church that there were many members of
the body, not a small chosen few. He compared the Church to the human
body, informing them that the Holy Ghost would come among all members of
the body. Even if the manifestation of the Holy Spirit came differently among
the different parts of the body, they were all of the same body.
He said that there was a diversity of gifts that would be brought among the
Church, but they were of the same Holy Spirit. There would be different
administrations, or followings of teachers, but they all served the same Lord.
Each group, or denomination would have a diversity of operations in the
church, but the same God was the one working each operation. One group
may have wisdom and another knowledge. One may have faith and another
healing. One may work miracles, and another may prophesy. One may have
discernment and another speaking and interpretation of tongues.
All of these members of the vast body of Christ were of the selfsame Holy
Spirit. All who believed were freely given what the Holy Spirit felt they
needed to increase their faith.
Are we guilty of
not have a gift?
administration?
other groups do
casting out a member of the Body of Christ because they do

Do we oppose a member because they are under a different
Do we feel that because we have a certain knowledge that
not have that we are the only member of the Body of Christ?
One might ask themselves: if the gifts are given to the Church as a blessing
to increase the faith, maybe God realizes that more faith is needed in that
particular member? Any member of the large Body of Christ is part of that
Body, and the Holy Spirit gives each member of the Body just what it needs
when it needs it.
16
Greatest Gift is Love

1 Corinthians 13 Gives us the key to understanding the true meaning of God
and his instructions to us as Christians: it's all about love. If we have love, all
that Paul preached against will simply vanish away.
Paul said that even if he spoke with the tongues of an angel, he would only
be making a loud noise unless his ministry had love. If he was able to see
and understand great mysteries, and even make mountains disappear, he
was nothing without love.
A message of love endures, and does not produce followers that are envious
or "puffed up" as Paul puts it. Prophecies may fail, tongues of angels may
cease to speak, knowledge of mysteries will vanish away. According to Paul,
we know only part of the prophecy and the mysteries anyway, and they will
vanish away.
Paul likens this to the time he "spoke as a child", and "understood as a child".
Once he learned the true meaning of God, he looked beyond these things.
Since he could not see everything in these mysteries, he compared it to
looking through a dark glass of wine; it can't be seen clearly, so look beyond
the mysteries. Instead, look to faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of
these is love.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: are we following a ministry of love?
Has it produced a people that are boastful that they know the mysteries or
the ones who gave the mysteries, or has it produced a people that only focus
on love? If the voice has "vanished away", do we still look behind to that
voice, or are we still speaking "as a child?"
17
Hymenaeus and Alexander

In the letters to Timothy (1 Timothy 1; 2 Timothy 2), Paul gives the example
of Hymenaeus and Alexander. They were once enlightened with the Truth,
but had caused a "shipwreck" concerning the faith by injecting their
doctrines into the ministry. Like many have done, these two men created a
following of themselves and their doctrines rather than a following that
focused on faith in Jesus Christ.
Paul warned Timothy not to give heed to some of these "fables and endless
genealogies" which were questioned by ministers in an attempt to show
worthiness by bloodlines rather than by godly edifying in faith. As written in
Acts, God made the blood of all nations of men on the face of the earth
through "one bloodline." Jesus speaking to the Pharisees (John 8) agreed that
they were the seed of Abraham, but said that they were "of their father, the
Devil." Any attempt to prove worthiness through genealogy was a worthless
attempt, yet these doctrines of men were coming forth and causing a
stumbling block in the faith.
Some had "swerved" to teach doctrines that involved the laws of the Old
Testament, studying and teaching the laws without understanding what the
laws were for. According to Paul, the laws were not made for a righteous
man, but for the lawless and disobedient. The ungodly and sinners, unholy
and profane, murderers, whoremongers, homosexuals, kidnappers, liars,
perjurers, and any other thing contrary to sound doctrine was the reason the
law was given. The laws were good and just, and had their purpose, but the
power of love would outlast any law.
Paul reminded them that the commandment was love out of a pure heart and
good conscience, through faith unfeigned. Paul himself was a blasphemer,
persecutor, and injurious to Christians, but had obtained mercy since he was
an unbeliever when he did these things. Christ did not die for the saints
alone, but also for the sinners. Paul admitted that he was the "chief" of the
sinners.
He gave Timothy a commission to wage a mighty war against these
doctrines. He instructed him to hold on to faith and good conscience. "The
grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in
Christ Jesus."
Ministers today have taken the bloodlines and made doctrines out of them,
trying to show the balance of good and evil throughout the ages. They have
taken the laws of the Old Testament and hand-picked the ones that fit their
doctrines, not understanding that the consequences of these laws were in
18
many cases punishable by stoning to death. Not many churches today gather
the congregation together to witness a stoning.
As Christians, we need to ask ourselves: are we giving heed to fables? Are
we following doctrines about the bloodlines of Cain and Abel and placing
these doctrines above the Bible? Are we following teachers that teach some
of the laws of the Old Testament though that law was designed for the
ungodly? Or are we pouring ourselves into the Bible to learn more about faith
and love in Jesus Christ?
Different Jesus?
Simon Magus is considered by the early Christians as the "father" of the
Gnostic faith. He was well known throughout the people of Samaria, to the
point that he was regarded as "the great power of God." Acts 8 describes his
early days of sorcery, and then his conversion by Philip once he believed in
"the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ." After his conversion, he
worked with Philip beholding many miracles and signs. He later realized that
he could not give the gift of the Holy Ghost, and was not comfortable without
being involved in the spirit world. By trying to purchase the power of the
Holy Ghost with money, he showed that he was full of bitterness and not
love.
While the Church was in the early stages, Gnostic beliefs were also starting
to take hold within some of the followers of Christianity. Their doctrines were
very close to the original faith, but also incorporated some Pagan ideas that
would eventually become the adversary for early Christians such as Irenaeus
who fought against heresies. They were unable to leave behind their sorcery
and connections to the "spirit world".
Paul was no stranger to these early Gnostic ideas, and spoke out against
them in 2 Corinthians 11. He compared these ideas to how the serpent
beguiled Eve through subtilty, and warned them "so your minds should be
corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. He warned them not to accept
any Jesus other than the one Paul preached, any "holy" spirit which they had
not already received, or any other gospel which they had not already
accepted.
There were no mysteries that must be fulfilled to the believers, no strange
lights needed to prove God. He warned them not to marvel at great lights,
for "Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light". Such people Paul
regarded as "false apostles" and "deceitful workers" who were pretending to
be apostles of Christ. Their end would be according to their works.
Jesus Christ was taught by Paul in simplicity, but the people saw themselves
as wise; looking for a greater sign. Paul warned them that in doing so they
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were gladly allowing fools to bring them into suffering and bondage, allowing
a man to exalt himself and smite them on the face. Paul confirmed that the
"God and Father" of the "Lord Jesus Christ" knew that he was telling them the
truth.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves, have we let Gnosticism in the
church? Have we let a man exalt himself and teach us a "different Jesus?"
Do we marvel in strange lights? Paul was not ashamed to proclaim that the
Lord Jesus Christ had a "God and Father". Are we ashamed?
20120216_Culture_and_Custom_of_the_Jews
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Culture and Custom of the Jews

In Galatians 2, Paul describes the time he spent with others preaching the
Gospel of Jesus Christ to very diverse groups of people. At the time, many
still taught that the laws of the Old Testament were still required for
salvation, and Paul was faced with strong opposition to his ministry of grace
and love.
The Jews still held on to the law that circumcision was required for salvation.
While God called Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, Paul was called
to preach to the Gentiles. Other apostles recognized the grace that was
given to Paul, and sent Barnabas to his right hand of fellowship to preach to
the heathen.
This was discovered on a certain occasion, when Peter was eating with the
uncircumcised Gentiles -- which was forbidden by the law of the Jews. Peter
quickly withdrew and separated himself for fear of those circumcised who
would accuse him of eating with the uncircumcised. This caused a great
disturbance in the churches, insomuch that other Jews started separating
themselves and Barnabas was carried away with them.
Paul was against the accusers, saying they "walked not uprightly according
to the truth of the Gospel". The Gospel of Jesus Christ was the Good News
that Jesus came, died for all, and all who believed on Him would be saved.
Paul called Peter before all of these divided members, and confronted the
issue head-on. If Peter was a Jew living like the Gentiles, why would he try to
make the Gentiles live as the Jews? Jews will be Jews by nature, and not
considered sinners by the Gentiles for their beliefs. Gentiles will be Gentiles
by nature, and should not be considered sinners by the Jews for their beliefs.
Paul knew that the culture and customs of the Gentiles did not require
circumcision.
Paul said that man was "not justified by works of the law, but by faith of
Jesus Christ." The only justification needed was that they might be "justified
by the faith of Christ", and not by the law. According to Paul, in "the works of
the law shall no flesh be justified." This would in effect make Christ the
minister of sin. God forbid!
Paul said that through the law, he was dead to the law. Christ lived in him,
and his new life in the flesh he lived by the faith of the Son of God, who died
for all. Paul said that holding onto these old laws would frustrate the grace of
God. If righteousness came through the law, then Christ died in vain.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: do we preach a doctrine of legalism,
or of grace? Do we still hold onto those old laws, when Paul himself cast
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them aside to a new "life in the flesh?" Are we dividing members of the
church because we pick-and-choose laws that some disagree with? Are we
imposing laws on our churches that were for a different culture or custom?
Have we brought forth a doctrine that would have made Christ die in vain?
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Baptism Required for the Holy Ghost?

Acts 10 gives an account of a centurion named Cornelius who feared God
and was in constant prayer. He gave much alms to the poor, insomuch that
God recognized his love for others.
An angel of God came to him, saying that his prayers and alms were up for a
memorial before God. The angel commissioned him to send men to Joppa,
where a woman by the name of Tabitha, the disciple, was causing quite a stir
not only for her alms, but for having just been raised from the dead.
While they were traveling, Peter had a vision about eating wild beasts and
other unclean creatures which he had never before eaten. God spoke to him
in the vision that instructed him that he should freely eat anything that God
had cleansed. The vision came three times, and weighed heavy on Peter's
mind. While he was thinking about the events shown in the vision, the Holy
Spirit announced that Cornelius and his men had arrived, and that Peter
should believe what they said because they were sent by God.
When Cornelius met Peter, he immediately fell down at his feet to worship
Peter. Peter quickly informed him that he was also a man, and that he should
quit worshipping him and stand up.
Cornelius began to give his testimony to Peter, and Peter realized that
Cornelius was speaking the truth. Though Peter was well respected, and
many had gathered during the event, Peter proclaimed that "God is no
respecter of persons". In every nation, there were good, godly men and
women that feared God and worked righteousness. God had sent a message
of peace to the children of Israel, that was preached by Jesus Christ.
Peter began to give his testimony, and how he had witnessed the things that
Jesus did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. He described the
death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, and how that all who believed on Him
would receive forgiveness for their sins.
While he was speaking, the Holy Ghost fell on the people, both Jews and
Gentiles. His message of Love and Faith in Jesus Christ was fully justified by
the event, those listening to his sermon were filled with the Holy Ghost
regardless of their culture or nationality. He proclaimed that they could not
forbid the Gentiles to be baptized; they had just received the Holy Ghost! He
commanded them afterwards to be baptized in the name, or authority, of the
Lord.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: do we give to the poor? Do we
recognize women can also be disciples? Do the elders of the church allow
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others to raise them up to a place of worship, or do they quickly tell them to

stop before it happens? Do we preach that a person must be baptized in one
particular formula or another in order to receive the Holy Ghost? Have we put
so much emphasis on baptism that we no longer recognize it as an outward
display of our dedication to Jesus Christ?
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I Was Not Disobedient

According to Acts 25, when Paul was brought before King Agrippa to testify
for himself against his accusers, he stood strong and bold. He said that he
was happy that he was finally able to answer his accusers in front of one who
was an expert in all customs and questions brought forth by the Jews.
Paul raised his hand to testify, and said that he was raised as a Jew from his
youth. He was a member of the most straight (legalistic) sect of the religion
at the time, living as a Pharisee. He knew the scriptures well, and how the
Promise of Israel would come. His accusers were upset because Paul
proclaimed that God had the power to raise the dead, and the doctrines of
the time did not permit such a belief.
He told how he had in the past did many things contrary to the "name" (or
authority) of Jesus of Nazareth. Imprisoning many saints, putting them to
death under the authority of the priests, persecuting them, Paul was at one
time just like his very accusers.
After Paul was converted in the wilderness, though, he was made a minister
and a witness. He made a very good witness, because he knew clearly the
things which he had already seen as a legalistic Pharisee, and would be
given experiences from God along the way to help him bear witness. With
this combination, he would be able to open the eyes of the Gentiles and turn
them "from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God." Those
that were sanctified by faith would be given their inheritance that was in
Jesus Christ.
Paul was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision. He carried out God's
perfect plan first unto Damascus, Jerusalem, Judaea, and then to the
Gentiles. Because of that, his very life was threatened.
Yet he continued. Every word he spoke was according to the scriptures, he
said nothing else. The scriptures told about Christ's suffering, resurrection,
and salvation for the Jews and Gentiles.
When he had finished speaking, Festus screamed out to Paul, calling him
insane. Festus said that Paul's study and learning had made him crazy.
Paul did not argue, did not attempt to debate. He simply replied that he was
not mad; he was speaking the Truth from the scriptures with soberness. In
doing so, he almost persuaded King Agrippa to become a Christian.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: do we accuse those who do not live
according to a legalistic doctrine? Do we persecute those who would stand
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for the Bible over any man, be it sinner, saint, pastor, or prophet? Do we call
some crazy for their stand? Would we stand up for the Gospel even if it
meant that our very lives would be threatened? Have we been disobedient to
God's calling for us?
Accept the Gift of Grace by Faith in Jesus Christ

Paul said (Romans 5) that we were justified by faith, and in this, we have
peace with God through Jesus Christ. Through Jesus, we can have faith in our
grace, glory in our tribulations which give us patience, experience, and hope.
Because of hope, we can stand unashamed. The love of God is in our hearts
by the Holy Spirit which is given to all of those who believe.
Christ died for the ungodly -- who most men would never have died for. For a
righteous man, very few men would give their lives. For a good man, almost
no one would die for but Jesus. God provided this love to us, so that we
could also love those that we respect enough to die for -- as well as those
that we would not even consider giving our lives for.
All men are sinners by nature. Eve was beguiled by the serpent, but Adam
knew that eating the fruit would displease God. "Wherefore, as by one man
sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all
men for that all have sinned." Through Jesus Christ, we can have joy within
ourselves and not feel internal condemnation, for through Jesus Christ we
have the atonement for sin. Because of this, God "commendeth" his love
towards us.
Before Adam's sin, sin was not in the world. But until the law was given,
there was no other sin; "sin is not imputed when there is no law." Sin is not
unbelief, but failure to live according to the law. Death reigned over the
people that had not sinned, from Adam to Moses. Because of Adam, all were
brought into sin and death, but because of Jesus, all were given grace. By
one man, Jesus Christ, grace is given freely to all who believe on Him.
Adam's fall, though well known as the first sin that started it all, Paul
compared to Jesus Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. By one man,
death came into the world, and by one man, life came into the world. By the
sin of one man we were all made sinners, and by the obedience of one man
we were all made righteous. The law was given so that sin would abound in
all mankind, but through Jesus Christ, grace would abound.
Sin reigned unto death. Before Jesus Christ, death was man's punishment for
sin. Many laws were punishable by death, and the sacrifice was the only
atonement for sin until Jesus came. After Jesus Christ died on the cross, was
buried in a tomb, and rose again, He conquered death and the grave. He
conquered sin and the law. Now, grace reigns, not law. Grace is freely given
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to all who believe, from the lowest sinner in the bar rooms to the most
devout Christian in the pew.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: do we condemn ourselves because of
our sin? Does our head hang in shame because we have unbelief? Do we
still hold to the law, which was given to increase sin? Or do we accept the
Gift that was given by Jesus Christ on the cross?
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Repentance Leads to Salvation

Paul (2 Corinthians 7), was dealing with a people whose hearts were
hardened -- not by God, but by themselves. Evidently, they had been
accusing him of spreading corruption and doing wrong in the name of Jesus
Christ. He told them to open up their hearts to him, because he had done
nothing wrong. He had not corrupted anyone or taken advantage of anyone.
He said that he was not preaching "at" them to condemn them, he
considered them close enough to live and die for. They were the burden of
his heart. Instead, he was acting brave and bold to help them. Even though
he as being afflicted and persecuted, he was overflowing with joy because he
knew that he was ultimately helping them. This gave him great comfort
within.
When he came into Macedonia, he was very weary from lack of rest and
constant battle. His mind was heavy from the fear he had within him. But
just when he needed comfort, God sent Titus to lift the spirits.
Even though Paul had written something that hurt the people deeply, he did
not regret it. He could see that his letter had caused much grief, but only for
a little while. Now, he could rejoice because the people were grieved into
repenting. It was a Godly grief that suffered no man loss.
"Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation," he said. It was
without regret. Worldly grief produces death. The people were burdened by
the old law, but could accept Jesus Christ as their savior and be free,
rejoicing! He was amazed at their indignation, fear, longing, zeal, and
punishment.
He told them that the reason for his letter was not for the sake of those who
had done wrong in staying in the old ways, but for the sake of the One that
could give them comfort. Paul did not speak poorly of those who were doing
wrong. Instead, he boasted about them before Titus. He rejoiced because
he had perfect confidence in them.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we open our hearts to the Truth?
Do we persecute those that stand for the Gospel? Do we accept the Gift
Jesus has given on the cross, or do we remain in indignation, fear, longing,
and punishment? If something in the Bible differs from our own beliefs, do
we accept it, or do we harden our own hearts? Would Paul speak with
perfect confidence in us?
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Said the Clay to the Potter

Paul speaking in Romans 9 told the listeners to listen to his words, he was
telling the truth and did not lie. His conscience was bearing him witness in
the Holy Ghost. He spoke in heaviness of heart and continual sorrow,
because he wished that he was sent by Christ for his brethren, the Jews, who
God blessed for ever.
But not all of the children were Israel which were from Israel's seed. Because
they are the seed of Abraham, they are all children, but in Isaac would their
seed be called. Those that were children by genealogy were not the children
of God, but were the children of the promise.
Because they were members of the group living righteously at the time, that
did not make them the only children of God. God had told Moses, "I will have
mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will
have compassion." It was not because of them that had a strong will and
were living according to the beliefs of the day, but it was all because God
had showed them mercy.
Even Pharaoh was raised up according to God's purpose. God raised him up
so that He could show His power, and that His name would be declared
throughout the earth because of the mighty works that God performed. God
will have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and will harden the hearts of
any that he chooses to harden.
Some Jews of the time asked Paul, "Why do you find fault with us? We have
lived the very best we knew how, and have not resisted the will of God."
Paul's reply was, "No, you are a man; who are you that you could reply
against God?" How can the clay respond against the potter who formed it?
The potter can make one vessel good and beautiful, but can make another
vessel for a different purpose.
Paul asked them, "What if God wanted to show his wrath, and make his
power known, and instead of making righteous, holy people, He made a
people that were set to destruction?"
God calls who He chooses to call. It is not a "select" group that have lived
according to the instructions of a "select" leader. He forms vessels of mercy
so that they can be His glory. Just like the people of Osee, who He said He
would call "His people", when they were not His people. He called them His
beloved, when they were not beloved. One day, Paul said, there will be a
place where God has said that "ye are not My people," and in that day the
same would be called the children of the living God.
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Paul said that it was not a small, select group. It was not a people who lived
righteously. It was not a group following a certain leader. The Gentiles did
not live righteously, yet attained righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ.
Israel lived righteously, and sought after the kingdom of God by living
righteously in the flesh and not the spirit. Because of that, they stumbled
like they had tripped over a stumbling stone. And this was according to the
scriptures: "Behold I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and
whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we think that we are righteous
because we are a member of a certain group or a follower of a certain
leader? Do we think that God calls us only because we live righteously? Do
we look down on the unrighteous as the Jews did? Have we decided that we
are of the "good pots" by the potter, so we look downward on the "bad pots?"
Have we tripped over a stumbling stone?
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Do Our Actions Deny God?

In a letter to Titus, Paul told him that he was "his own son after the common
faith", and that common faith was grace, mercy, and peace from God the
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our savior.
Because of the devotion of Titus, Paul had left him in Crete. Titus was
commissioned to set things in order, and ordain elders in every city.
These elders were to be blameless. They were not to be strong minded
towards their own will. They must be the husband of only one wife. Their
children must be faithful to the cause, not children that were seen as unruly
or those who caused others to riot.
These bishops must be good stewards, not easily angered, not drunkards,
not those who would fight, not money hungry. They were to be lovers of
hospitality, show love of mankind, sober, just, holy, and of a good
disposition.
They were to be able to hold on to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, so that they
would have a solid doctrine that would convince those who were speaking for
some other purpose. For there were many unruly people, people who spoke
and preached in vain. There were many deceivers, especially those who held
onto the old covenant of circumcision.
Paul said that their mouths must be stopped. They corrupt entire houses of
people, teaching things that they should not teach. They did this for their
own personal monetary gain.
One of these people preaching deceit was a prophet. This prophet said that
the Cretians were always lying, and had an evil spirit. The prophet said that
the Cretians were slow bellies, or lazy.
Paul said, "This witness is true. Rebuke them sharply, so that they could be
strong in the faith". Even the prophet was to be rebuked, for he had spoken
lies. These people should not listen to fables. They should not listen to the
doctrines of men, that turned them away from the Truth that Jesus Christ had
came, died for all, risen, and saved all who would believe on Him.
To those who had accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, and had faith that
they were saved by grace, they were pure. All things to them were pure.
Those who did not believe Jesus Christ saved by faith were defiled. They
were unbelievers, to which nothing was pure. Even their own mind and
conscience were defiled.
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They professed that they knew God, but their own actions denied Him. They
were abominable and disobedient. Every good thing that Paul and Titus were
doing, these deceivers were objecting to wickedly.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we devoted to the Good News,
that Jesus Christ came and died for all who believed on Him, or is our
devotion towards another man's doctrine? When we witness to other people,
do we witness of Jesus Christ, or do we witness a man and his doctrine? Do
we show hospitality and love in our home and in our community? Do we
rebuke the leaders preaching deceit, who do not show hospitality and love?
Do our actions deny God?
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Preach a Sermon Through Your Actions

In Titus 2, Paul tells Titus how to win souls to Christ:
Speak the things which are sound in doctrine: old men should not be
drunken, should not be silly or moody, and believe in Jesus Christ. They
should have love and patience.
Old women should behave in a way that shows holiness: not gossipers or
false accusers. They should not be drunken, and teach good things to
others. They should teach the young women not to be drunken, to love their
husbands and love their children. They should teach the young women to be
discreet, obedient to Christ, and obedient to their husbands so that the word
of God is not blasphemed.
The young men should also be sober minded, showing a pattern of good
works. They should show that they have a good doctrine that has not been
corrupted by men. They should not be silly, but sincere. They should not
say things that could be condemned, so that the unsaved would be ashamed
because there is no evil thing that can be said of them.
The grace of God that brought salvation appeared to all men. Jesus Christ
taught us to deny ungodliness within ourselves, and deny our lusts. We
should not be drunken, but righteous and godly while in this present world.
We should be looking for that blessed hope, the glorious appearing of the
great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ. The one who gave Himself for us, so
that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify a people that was
different from the world, a people that loved good works.
These are the things that we should teach others, and we should rebuke with
all authority. Let no man despise you for teaching these things!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are these the things that we teach?
Are our old men teaching love and patience? Are our old women gossipers?
Are they teaching the young love and obedience to Christ, or an obedience
to a man? Are the young men teaching the Gospel, or the doctrines of men?
Are we rebuking those who do not follow this with the authority of Jesus
Christ? Or are we living our lives in a way that the unsaved can find fault?
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Heirs of Salvation
To the Hebrews (Hebrews 1), Paul said that in many times and many ways
God had spoken to the people by the prophets in the days of old. In Paul's
day, however, he spoke to them through his Son, Jesus Christ. God had
appointed Jesus Christ to be heir of all things, and through Christ, he had
made the worlds.
Jesus Christ was the brightness of God's glory, and was made in the image of
God. Christ was made to uphold all things by the power of the word of God.
All by Himself, Christ purged our sins and sat down on the right hand of the
Father.
Christ was made better than the angels, because he had obtained a more
excellent name than the angels. None of the angels were to be called God's
begotten Son, God would not be called Father to any angel. When the Father
brought Christ into the world, his first Son, he declared that all of the angels
of God were to worship Him.
The Father said to the angels that He makes the angels spirits, and his
ministers a flame of fire. But to the Son, the Father said that "Thy throne, O
God, is for ever and ever."
The Son's kingdom was a sceptre of
righteousness, for the son loved righteousness and hated iniquity. Therefore,
God, even the same God that the Hebrews worshipped, anointed Christ with
the oil of gladness above all of the people.
In the beginning, the Lord laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens
were the works of the hand of God. The heavens and the earth would perish,
but God would remain. God would fold the heavens and the earth and
change them, but God Himself would remain the same even after time itself
had failed.
Paul asked them, which of the angels did God ask to sit at His right hand?
Which of the angels did he make their enemies a footstool before their feet?
The angels are all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who
would be heirs of salvation.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we caught up in the doctrines of
man, or are we worshipping this wonderful God who sent His Son for us? Are
our ministers a flame of fire, or have they sizzled out with the same old
stories and teachings? Do we revere the prophets of old more than the
Christ who gave His life to purge our sins? Are we the heirs of salvation?
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New Covenant
In Hebrews 8, Paul gave a summary of his sermon, describing the things that
are most important.
He said that our high priests were no longer priests of men as they were in
the days of old, we have a new high priest. Jesus Christ is the high priest
who sets on the right hand of the Father. Christ is the new minister of the
sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle; the one that God built, not man.
Every high priest is ordained to give gifts and sacrifices, and it is of necessity
that Christ had gifts and the sacrifice to offer. If Christ were on earth, he
would not be a priest; the priests of the earth are to offer gifts according to
the law. Every priest is set to be an example of heavenly things. Even
Moses was admonished of God, and instructed to do everything according to
what he was showed by God on the mount.
Now, priests are to be the mediator of a new and better covenant. The
covenant is established upon better promises than the old covenant. If the
old covenant was perfect, then there would have been no need for the new
covenant!
God found fault with those who were under the old covenant, and said,
"Behold the days come when I will make a new covenant with the house of
Israel and with the house of Judah."
The new covenant would not be a set of laws read from the old rulebooks; it
would be a covenant that God would put into the hearts and minds of the
people. Inwardly, they would feel condemnation for the things that were
wrong, and joy in the things that were good. Through their own hearts, God
would show himself as a God, and they would show themselves as His
people.
There would be no need for every man to teach about the One True God
anymore, all men would already know Him, from the least unto the greatest.
God would be in their hearts and minds.
Through the new covenant, God would be merciful to their unrighteousness.
Their sins and iniquities would be remembered no more. The old covenant
would be taken away, and replaced with the new. The old covenant would
vanish away. Jesus Christ had died for all men, risen from the grave, and
conquered their sins and iniquities. All who believe on Jesus Christ will be
saved, and there was no need for a set of laws, for God's instructions would
come from within the heart.
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As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we serve the new High Priest,

Jesus Christ? Do our ministers now give to the poor, or do they keep their
profits? Do they preach the laws of the old covenant that is decayed and
vanished away? Do we listen to these old rules, or do we listen to our own
hearts? Have we accepted the new covenant? Are our hearts ministering to
us, cleaning up our lives, and bringing us closer to God?
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Receive Chastening with Joy

In Hebrews 12, Paul told the people to lay aside every weight of sin that
burdened them down, because they were surrounded with many witnesses of
the wonderful things that Jesus Christ had done. He told them to run the
race with patience.
Jesus was the author and the finisher of our faith, the one who endured the
cross so that we could have joy. He despised the shame, and now sits down
at the right hand of the Father.
Jesus endured such a contradiction of sinners when compared to his perfect
life. Paul told the people not to be wearied or let their minds be troubled
because of sin; no man has ever resisted sin until they had died for it except
Jesus Christ.
As children, they were taught not to despise the chastening of the Lord, and
not to be weak minded when they were rebuked by God. God loves to
chasten his children, and does so with every son and daughter that He
receives. Paul said that if we can endure chastening, God deals with us as
His own children, as a father with a son.
If we cannot endure chastening, then we are not His children, we are
bastards and not sons. Paul said that our earthly fathers had corrected us
and we respected them. How much more should we be in full subjection
unto the Holy Father, so that we might live? The earthly fathers chastened
us after their own pleasure, but God chastens us for our own profit -- that we
might be partakers of His holiness.
No chastening in the present seems joyful, and causes us much grief.
Afterwards, though, it brings peace and righteousness to all that are
chastened.
Therefore, we can rejoice! Lift up our hands in praise instead of hanging
them downward, and stop trembling in fear because of our sin! Stay in the
path of righteousness, so that we are not straying because of the grief of sin
-- instead let our sin be healed by grace!
Live in peace with all men, our brothers and our accusers. Without peace, no
man shall see the Lord God. Do not let ourselves be burdened down with our
sins, or it will cause bitterness in ourselves and defile us.
If we do not have peace, we are fornicators or profane people, like Esau -who for only one morsel of meat sold his birthright. He would have received
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the blessing, but instead he was rejected. He found no place of repentance,

even though he had sought repentance carefully with tears.
Paul said that they were worshipping the mountain that Moses received the
law by God. No animal was even allowed to touch the mountain, or it was
killed. Moses was so upset that Moses said he would fear and quake at the
sight.
Paul said that they were now standing at the new mount Zion, the city of the
living God, the heavenly Jerusalem with an innumerable company of angels.
Jesus was the mediator of the new covenant, just as Moses was the mediator
of the old covenant. The blood of Jesus Christ speaks better things than that
of Abel.
He told the Hebrews that they should not refuse the speaker, because if they
refused him that spoke on the earth, they certainly would refuse God that
speaks from heaven. God's voice shook the earth when he first spoke, but
he promised that he would speak once more and shake not only the earth,
but heaven as well.
When he spoke the second time through Jesus, he signified that he removed
those things that were shaken. Paul said that we should have grace,
because we are receiving a kingdom that can't be moved. We should accept
and serve God with reverence and godly fear. God is a consuming fire that
will consume all that He has chosen.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we burdened down with our
sins? Are we running our race with patience? Do we receive our trials with
sadness, or with joy? Are we living in peace with all men, or are we profane
like Esau? Are we worshipping the holy places here on earth, or are we
worshipping the Holy Father? Do we refuse our speakers here on earth?
Have we received the new covenant that Jesus Christ brought, or have we
denied ourselves the kingdom of God?
38
Faith Comes by Hearing the Word of God

Romans 10 tells us that the desire of Paul's heart and his prayer to God was
that Israel would be saved. They had a zeal for God, but this zeal was not for
the things they knew about God. They were ignorant of God's righteousness,
and so they were trying to establish their own righteousness. They had not
submitted themselves to the righteousness of God.
Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believed on
Him. Moses described the law, which was the way of righteousness under
the old covenant. The man that lived by the law would be given life. But
righteousness through faith tells us that the law cannot make us ascend into
heaven or descend into the earth to bring Christ back from the dead. Now,
righteousness brings the word of faith, which Paul preached.
Paul said that if we confess the Lord Jesus aloud, and believe that he was
raised from the dead from within our hearts, we would be saved.
The heart of man believes unto righteousness, and the confession of our
words makes salvation. The scriptures say that whoever believes on Him will
not be ashamed.
There is no difference between the peoples. Whoever calls upon the name of
the Lord will be saved. Paul asked: How can the people call on Jesus Christ
when they had not believed on Him and the things that He taught? How can
they believe in Him when they had not heard? How can they hear what God
said without a preacher? How can the preachers preach unless they are sent
from God? It is written in the scriptures, "How beautiful are the feet of them
that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" But
not all of the preachers had obeyed the Gospel. Therefore, faith cometh by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Paul asked them, had they really not heard the word of the Lord? The sound
of the prophets went around to all of the earth, and their words went unto
the ends of the world. Moses and Isaiah both prophesied about Jesus Christ.
Isaiah said to Israel that "All the day long, I have stretched forth my hands
unto a disobedient people that said things to the work of their own good."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we think that the things we know
will take us to heaven? Do we think that by living our lives according to laws
taken from the old covenant we will be saved? Do we preach that all who
believe on Jesus Christ will be saved, or do we preach that belief on
something else will save us? Do we preach peace? Or have we been like
Isaiah described Israel: disobedient?
39
Bringing the Hearts Back to the Fathers

I've asked several people now, simply because it was a question I had most
of my life:
If William Branham was the one who was to restore the "original faith" and
turn the "hearts of the men back to the fathers," What did he bring that did
this?
Some said the seven church ages and seven seals, but most of that content
was copied word-for-word out of books by Clarence Larkin. One of the
"church angels" was not even alive during his "church age." Some said
prophecies, but none of the prophecies were anything that would change our
hearts back to the fathers, and many of them didn't happen like he said.
Others said faith that we could speak things into existence with the "spoken
word", but where can we find someone who has this "gift?"
Most say the divine healing, but after watching some of the others in
Branham's day, such as Oral Roberts, it seems as though their gift may have
been a little more powerful and widespread.
What are your opinions? This question is one that I buried for years,
wondering about it but was afraid to question.
40
Gifts and Callings Are Without Repentance

In Romans 11, Paul continued his defense of the Jews, which were under the
laws of the old covenant. He said that God did not cast away his own people;
Paul himself was an Israelite of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of
Benjamin.
God did not cast away his people that he foreknew. God told Elijah that God
had even reserved seven thousand men who had not bowed their knees to
the image of Baal. He said that during the present (Paul's) time, there was
also a remnant to be saved according to the election of grace.
If they were saved by grace, then they were no more saved by their works
according to the laws. Otherwise, grace itself is not grace. If it were only by
the good work that they did and the good way in which they lived their lives,
then there would be no more grace. Israel had not received the grace that
they were seeking after, but there were an elected few that obtained it while
the rest were blinded. It was written in the scriptures, "eyes that they should
not see and ears that they should not hear," and Israel was blinded.
Paul said that by living according to the laws, they had not fallen. Through
their failure to receive grace, salvation would some unto the Gentiles. When
the riches of the world started to diminish in the Israelites and increase in
the Gentiles, how much more the fullness of grace?
Paul spoke to the Gentiles as an apostle of the Gentiles. He was magnified
before them, so that Jews who would live under grace (as Paul did) would be
saved. He could not cast the Jews aside, because if he still received them,
they would be given life.
Paul used the example of a tree. If the root was Israel, and it was holy, then
the branches of the tree were also holy. If some of the branches were broken
off, they would be grafted into the new tree God had planted that
represented grace. The Gentiles should not boast against the other branches
who had lived under the law and were now living under grace. Because they
did not believe in the old law they were broken off. They were broken off so
that Paul could be grafted into the tree of grace.
Paul said that the Gentiles should not disgrace the branches that had broken
off of the old laws and now stood by faith and grace. God had spared both
those that had broken away as well as the Gentiles living under grace. They
should instead continue in goodness, otherwise they would also be cut off.
Even if some who did not believe were later grafted in, God is able to graft
them in again!
41
As concerning the Gospel, the Good News that Jesus Christ had come, died
for us, and rose again, the children of Israel were enemies for the sake of the
Gentiles. God had blinded them, and they were still beloved for the Father's
sake. The gifts and calling of God are without repentance, and Israel had
been called for a purpose.
In times past, the Gentiles did not believe God, but had received mercy.
Now, the Jews did not believe, and through the mercy of the Gentiles the
Jews may also obtain mercy. God had pushed the Jews unto unbelief so that
he could have mercy upon all flesh.
God is a wonderful God that gives many blessings to his children from the
wisdom and understanding of Him. His decisions are not to be understood
by men, and we cannot understand the plan that he used to bring us to our
salvation. No man has known the mind of God, or had counseled him in His
decision.
Through God are all things, and all things are of God.
should be given. To God be the glory for ever, Amen.
To him all things
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: do we cast away those that live

according to the laws? Do we understand that they can also be saved by
grace? Have we received mercy by grace, or are we still a "broken branch?"
Do we despise those who burden down their followers by the law, when it
may be that through them, God may show others grace? Are we saved by
grace?
42
How an Angel Came to Me

Recently studying the stories of "how an angel came to me", and found
something unexpected.
The very first newspaper found about William Branham is June 30, 1947 -back when tape recorders were scarce. His story differs a bit from later
retellings, and like the prophecies, are somewhat of a "moving target."
The name that the Associated Press used, "Rev. Henry Branham from
Jeffersonville" (which William Branham confirmed) has some interesting
things associated also, but need further research before posting. Evidently,
there was a Hatfields/McCoys situation going on in KY a few years earlier...
What is most interesting, though, is the ages that he used. When these didn't
match, it made me want to look at some of the other ages and dates he
gives. http://wmbranham.net has already has a good bit of this research, but
a few things I came across make me want to dig just a little deeper.
Interested to hear what others think. Do you think this is the same angel in
all these accounts and Bro. Branham somehow forgot this life-changing
event, or do you think these are different angels in different accounts?
43
The Root of All Evil

In 1 Timothy 6, Paul said that as servants, we should honor our masters so
that the name of God and his doctrine would not be blasphemed.
If we work for a master that believes in Jesus Christ, we should not despise
them, because they are brothers in Christ. We should do them a good
service, and teach others to also do a good service.
If any man does not do a good service, or teaches otherwise, they do not
teach the good that the Lord Jesus Christ taught. They do not obey the
doctrine that was according to godliness. In doing so, these men are proud
yet they know nothing. They question their masters, and argue. Through
this, they have envy, strife, create separation and plant evil ideas.
If any man think that their gain shows godliness, they are not teaching the
truth, and we should withdraw ourselves from their conversation. Godliness
and being content are the treasures we should focus on, not money. We
brought nothing into this world, and we can carry nothing out of it.
The love of money is the root of all evil. Those that covet money have erred
from the faith and have pierced their own hearts with many sorrows. As
Christians, we should flee from the love of money. We should follow after
righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and meekness. We should
live our lives according to faith, and gain eternal life. Wherever our calling is,
we should show our faith and love so that there are many witnesses of our
good works.
Paul gave them charge in the sight of God as the witness. Christ Jesus was
peaceful and loving unto death so that Pontius Pilate might witness a good
confession. Paul told them to keep this commandment without blemish until
the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul said that they should show
unto others the blessed and only King of kings and Lord of lords, who dwells
in His majesty that no man has seen. We should give the honor and the
power everlasting, amen.
We should charge them that are rich in this world, so that they do not
become high-minded or trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God who
gives us richly all things to enjoy.
If we do good, then we are rich in good works, ready to distribute and tell
others. We lay a good foundation against the time to come, so that we can
lay hold onto eternal life.
44
Paul told Timothy to keep committed to his faith, avoiding those that were
speaking nonsense profanely. He told Timothy to avoid oppositions of
science which some professed and erred concerning the faith. "Grace be
with the, amen."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: do we show grace and love for our
employers, so that we are a good witness? Do we grumble and complain
about our employers in the eyes of our co-workers? Have we been filled with
the love of money? Are we witnessing to the rich by giving to the poor? If
we are of those that are rich, do we distribute and tell others to do the same?
Are we speaking nonsense, or are we teaching the love of Jesus Christ? Have
we laid our foundation for eternal life?
45
The Second Resurrection Before the Resurrection

In the surrounding area, if you mention the Branham Tabernacle, the
response is "oh, those people who pray to the pyramid grave every Easter
hoping "that one guy" will raise from the dead." (heard this several times
now, in both Kentucky and in Indiana.)
Within every church, there are different opinions of this, from those
expecting it any day to those expecting it some Easter to "ride this trail
again", to those who think it won't be until the resurrection of the saints.
I can understand the theory of William Branham rising when the dead in
Christ rise, but can we explain the other theories according to the Bible? I
only remember one that rose from the dead, what are your thoughts?
46
Continual Sanctification
In Colossians 3, Paul began speaking about the continual process of
sanctification throughout our lives.
He said that if we are risen with Christ, we should seek those things which
are heavenly, where Christ sits at the right hand of God. We should set our
affection on the things that are above, not the things that are on the earth.
We are dead, and our lives are sheltered with Christ in God. When Christ
returns, we shall also return with him to glory.
We should cleanse and mortify ourselves of idolatry.
Fornication,
uncleanness, inordinate affection (soul ties instead of soul mates), evil lusts,
and greed are the very reason that the wrath of God will come on the earth
to the children of disobedience. Being born in sin, we live in these things for
a period of time, but when we are changed, we cast them aside.
Afterwards, we need to continue with the sanctification. We should not be
angry with one another or provoked unto wrath. We should not be filled with
malice, or the intent to wrong others. We should not blaspheme God. We
should clean up our communication with one another. We should not lie to
one another.
Through the process of sanctification, we put aside the old man that once did
these things, and put on a new man, which is continually renewed in
knowledge. The new man should desire to be more like the One that created
man.
Christ created all man. He is neither Greek nor Jew, old covenant of
circumcision or new covenant of uncircumcision.
Christ is neither a
barbarian, Iranian, slave or free man. Christ is all of these, and he is in all of
these.
As the elect chosen of God, we should be holy and loved by all, showing
mercy, kindness, humble mindedness, meekness and long-suffering to all.
We should hold back from arguments with one another, showing forgiveness.
As Christ forgave us, we should forgive others.
Above all of these things, we should have love, which is the bond of
perfectness. We should know the words of Christ which will give us great
wisdom. We should teach and instruct one another with psalms, hymns, and
spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts unto the Lord.
Whatever we speak or do, we should do all of them in the name of the Lord
Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Jesus Christ.
47
Wives should submit themselves to their

do. Husbands should love your wives
Children should obey their parents, for
should not provoke the children to
discouraged.
husbands, as the Lord wants us to

and not be bitter towards them.
this is pleasing to God. Fathers
anger, otherwise they will get
In the workplace, we should obey our employers. Not just the things that will
make us look good in their eyes, but in singleness of heart while fearing God.
Whatever we do, we should do it from the heart as though we are doing it
unto the Lord and not unto men. If we do this, we will receive the reward
from the Lord. We will receive our inheritance, for we serve the Lord Jesus
Christ.
He that does not continue in sanctification, and continues with hearts that
are wrong, will receive from God what he deserves. God does not look to the
works that man have done to build themselves to great esteem; with God
there is no respect of persons.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: is our affection placed on God or the
things of this world? Are we continuing in idolatry, or do we place our hearts
and minds only on the love of Jesus Christ? After the old man was replaced
with the new man, did we continue to learn and grow in Christ? Do we love
the heathen like the saint or the Muslim like the Christian? Paul said Christ
was in all of these, do we see Christ when we look at the barbarian? Do we
love our family, or do we cast them aside when they disagree with the old
ways?
Are we continuing with sanctification, or have we stopped short once the old
man was gone?
48
Speaking in Tongues Movement

I read this sometime back when I was in one of the other forums. Having a
good friend in a church that has a strong focus in speaking in tongues, this
one peaked my interest.
Since the writer had worked with William Branham through the large healing
campaigns that started the widespread following, it peaked my interest.
Everyone should read this to put things into proper perspective -- it is God
that gives the gifts in the church, not man.
http://www.bereanresearchinstitute.com/03_Doctrines/D.0030_14_Why_I_Left
_the_Tongues_Movement_-_Alfred_H._Pohl.html
This article, combined with what I see today in the churches, made me
realize the words of Paul: I can have great works, but if I do not have love, I
have nothing.
49
Jeffersonville History
So I've been digging through over a thousand newspaper articles of local
history -- Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.
One thing caught my eye:
Quote:
Gambling in the 1930s and 1940s was instrumental in Jeffersonville's
recovery from the Great Depression and the Flood of 1937. Casinos, betting
parlors, night clubs, and even a dog track were present, giving the town the
nickname "Little Las Vegas"
When WMB talked about horse races and gambling in his life as a sinner, he
never really talked about the places he would frequent:
He changed my soul from the things of the world unto the things of God,
from horse races, and gambling, and adultery, and lying, and stealing.
-- 54-1003M THE WORD BECAME FLESH (INDIA TRIP REPORT)
I think some of you men was out here on the corner, preaching the gospel,
and beating an old guitar, throwed in jail, and run out of the city, for the very
cause, paving the road that I'm running smooth on. You're the men should be
honored; you're the women that should be honored. It should be you up here,
and not me. When I was a sinner boy, out yonder astraddle of a horse, trying
to see who could ride a bucking horse the longest, or roping calves or
something. You were on the corner preaching gospel; I was running horse
races
58-0517B ZACCHAEUS
And to think that many of these men here were on the field preaching when I
was a sinner boy, around horse races, so, or around the boxing ring
somewhere
58-0609 THE MESSAGE TO THE LAODICEAN CHURCH
The funny part is that he later denied this experience:
Now, we different. Melvin's not a Christian, and he likes baseball, horse
races, and things like that. And I--I think he likes chocolate pie, so I'm sure
we differ there. So I--I don't like horse races or baseball, I like fishing and
hunting.
60-1207 THE.PERGAMEAN.CHURCH.AGE_
So here's the part I'm trying to figure out:
50
If the church was started in 1933 (or 1931 by some accounts), and the
gambling in Jeffersonville was in the 30's and 40's, and the first time you
hear about WMB was in 1947 (Illinois), and his experience with the angel was
either 2 or 7 or 11 (depending on his account), when did he run horse races?
51
No Other Gospel
Writing to the Galatians (Galatians 1), Paul was shocked at how quickly the
people turned away from grace and started following the doctrines of men.
He said, "Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord
Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this
present evil world according to the will of God and our Father."
He marveled because not long ago they were taught grace of Christ, but
quickly turned to another gospel.
He said that the doctrine they believed was not another gospel; there was no
other. There were some that were troubling the people by teaching a false
gospel, and had perverted the gospel of Christ.
Paul said that if Paul himself, or even an angel from heaven preached
anything except what Paul taught, then they should be accursed. He even
repeated himself a second time, saying "I say now again, if any man preach
any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed!"
Paul asked them, was he trying to please men, or God? He said that if he
tried to please men, then he was not a servant of Christ. He spoke clearly
that the gospel he preached was not to please any man. He did not receive
it by a man, was not taught it by a man, but Jesus Christ revealed Himself to
Paul.
In the days long before, Paul persecuted the church of God. He profited in
the Jews' religion above many other men in his own nation because he was
very zealous in the old traditions of his fathers.
But the same god who separated Paul from his mother's womb called Paul by
grace to reveal God's Son to Paul so that he could preach the Gospel of Jesus
Christ to the heathen. Paul said that he did not start discussing and debating
with his own flesh and blood, and did not go to Jerusalem to talk to the
apostles that were apostles before him. Instead, he went into Arabia and
returned to Damascus for three years.
After three years, he went to Jerusalem to see Peter and spent only fifteen
days. He did not even see the other apostles except James, the brother of
Christ.
After seeing Peter and James, he returned to Syria and Cilicia, and was not
known (by face) to the churches of Judaea which were believers of Jesus
52
Christ. When they heard that this one who once persecuted them now was
preaching faith, they glorified God in Paul.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: do we teach grace and faith in Jesus
Christ, or do we teach man's doctrines? If an angel came down from heaven
teaching another way to salvation than simply the faith of Jesus Christ, would
we listen to it? If a teacher who once taught us salvation by faith and grace
started teaching salvation by some other way, would we listen to it? Would
we be like the churches in Syria and Cilicia, who received the gospel of faith
after only a fifteen-day walk with God? Are we teaching the Gospel, or are
we accursed?
53
The Correct Way to Have Faith

In Romans 14, Paul told us to receive not only the brothers and sisters who
are strong in the faith, but those that are weak in the faith as well. He said
not to receive them to dispute, but instead to help them.
He referred to the week and the strong as those eating, and that we should
not despise those that do not eat at all, saying that we should not despise
those who had no faith at all. Those who eat, or had faith, should not judge
those that did not eat, or had no faith, for God had received them.
Paul asked, "Who are you to judge another man's servant? To his own
master, he stands or falls, and he is able to stand for God is able to make
him stand."
He that regards the day regards it for the Lord, and he that does not regard
the day does not regard it for the Lord. He that eats, or has faith, does so for
the Lord and gives the Lord thanks for it. He that does not eat, or does not
have faith, does not eat it for the Lord, yet he gives the same God thanks.
None of us live for ourselves, and none of us die for ourselves. Whether we
live or whether we die, we do so for the Lord. The path that we choose, to
live or die, we are all the Lord's children. For this end, Christ both died, rose,
and lived again so that He might be the Lord of both the living and the dead.
"Why do you judge your brothers?" Paul asked. "Why do you separate
yourselves from your brothers? We ALL will stand at the Judgment seat of
Christ!"
It is written in the scriptures that every knee shall bow and every tongue will
confess to God. Every one of us will give an account of themselves to God.
Therefore, we should not judge one another any more. Instead, we should
judge that no man puts a stumblingblock or any situation that would hurt a
brother in his journey.
Paul said that he knows and is persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is
nothing unclean by itself. It is unclean to him that says it is unclean or feels
condemned by doing it.
If your brother or sister is grieved by your meat (or faith), then you walk not
in love. Don't destroy him with your meat (or faith), for which Christ has
died. Do not let the good that you do be spoken evil by others who do not
have faith.
54
The kingdom of God is not meat and drink as these examples, but is
righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. He that has righteousness
and peace and joy serves Christ, and is acceptable to God, and is approved
of men.
Therefore, we should seek the things that make peace, and edify one
another. The meat (or faith) should not destroy the work of God. All things
are pure, but it is evil for a man who eats (or has faith) with offense. Paul
said it was not good to take communion or anything else if it made a brother
stumble, get offended or get weak.
Paul said, "Do you have faith? Have it alone before God. You will be happy if
you do not condemn yourself in the things that you do. Those that doubt are
condemned if they eat, because they do not eat by faith. Whatever is not of
faith is of sin.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: do we despise those who do not
have the same faith we do? Do we judge another man or woman for the way
they live their lives? Or do we judge our brothers in the faith who put
stumbling blocks before others? Do we separate ourselves from other
churches who serve the same God? Do we show our faith in private as Paul
said to do, or do we show it in front of others that might get offended? Do
we seek after peace and love? Do we try to have faith in things we really
don't believe, which Paul says is sin?
55
The Visions, Discernment, Healings, Prophecies

As a former MSG believer who knew his WMB and MSG backwards and
forwards, had "special" insights into WMB's life through first-hand accounts,
personal feelings that are based on many things in WMB's life not on tape,
and know many things other followers do now about his life, I'd like to put a
charge to others like myself:
Many of us have known for years that not all the visions did not happen
exactly like WMB said them. Many of us have known for years that he
stumbled over hard names with the discernments. Many of us have watched
those "healed" around us suffering the same afflictions until the day of their
death. Many of us have known about "personal glimpse's" that just didn't
sound quite right. Like myself, none of these things really matter in our
personal walk with Christ. When he said that he would kill a brown bear "next
year when I return" or not has no bearing on our salvation. One might even
ask why God would have WMB tell us about brown bears instead of
something that would help us in our walk with Christ.
The thing that bothered me was not the visions, healings, discernment, or
"personal glimpse's", but did his teachings line up with the Bible?
Why did he add the words "to dwell in" to the words of God when He said
"This is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased? Who can add words to
God?
Why did he teach that ten generations of a child born out of wedlock would
not be bride, when WMB himself was within ten generations of a child born
out of wedlock?
Why did he originally say 14 generations? Why did he choose to hold this law
of the old covenant and leave off the stoning of those that fornicate? We
haven't had a good stoning lately.
Why did he say that God won't even honor the prayer of women who cut
their hair when the old covenant instructed women to shave their heads for
mourning? Who really even believes that God won't honor their prayers when
the Bible tells us different?
Why did he say that Satan was equal with God one day, when this idea only
comes from Pagan worship?
Where does the Bible speak of a "foolish virgin" vs "wise virgin" rapture?
Does this also come from Gnostic texts?
56
Why say that only perverted men wear shorts, when there is a picture of
WMB himself wearing shorts in Africa?
Why preach the "modest apparel" scripture and leave off the second half of
the verse that says for women not to braid their hair? Is it wrong for both, or
not wrong for either?
Why say that Enoch lived 500 years when this is only found in the noncanonical Book of Enoch?
Hundreds more questions can be asked, each one showing a teaching that is
contrary to the Bible.
I charge everyone, MSG follower or non-MSG follower to post their questions
and new discoveries in the "General Bible Question" forum. Let God's Word
stand and the word of every man fail. If the Bible contradicts WMB, I choose
favor towards the Bible.
The Bible is my Absolute. WMB's son says the MSG is his absolute, and there
are those that now worship WMB's son, saying that all will bow down before
him in the New Jerusalem. Where do you stand? Is the Bible your absolute?
Do you put the words of man above the words of God?
I challenge you to make your decision for or against the Word of God in the
"General Bible Question" forum.
57
Those Blessed FBI Agents

WMB had a fascination for FBI agents. To the point that he thought every one
of them who attended a meeting were converted.
The problem is, the ones that he "converted" were not FBI agents. Neither
George J. Lacy or Al Farrar were FBI.
Al Farar was a police officer for 25 years, from 1927 to 1952. He went on to
be a state legislator.
WMB saw him in 1950 (or before) while he was a police chief, and was very
clear in saying Farrar was FBI -- because all FBI agents who attend meetings
were evidently saved for some reason --- a very odd thing to say.
Quote:
" I said, "Every time an FBI agent come in my meeting he got--they got
saved. Their chief got saved in my meeting, Captain Al Farrar" I said, and, oh,
I said, "No FBI does anything like that."
52-0224 BELIEVING.GOD_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN V-19 N-7 SUNDAY_
Quote:
The next morning, they flew the picture away to Washington, DC for a
copyright. Before it could be released, it had to go before the FBI
examinations. And when they did, they went and got the best, George J.
Lacy, the best there is in the United States. He kept it for two or three days,
and to see if there was any touch-up, or anything was wrong, that picture
would...
50-0714 AT.THY.WORD_ MINNEAPOLIS.MN FRIDAY_
Ref: http://www.cityoftacoma.org/Page.aspx?hid=2063
http://newspaperarchive.com/the-daily-chronicle/1971-06-10/page-4?
tag=tacoma+al+farrar
http://www.asqde.org/about/presidents/lacy_g.html
58
Two Visitations from the Angel

Luke 1 describes two visitations by the angel Gabriel to two different children
of God. One doubted the angel, and one believed.
Luke was a Gentile, not a prophet, not one of the disciples, and lived as a
second or third generation Christian. His account of the Gospel is told
chronologically, and he had studied it until he had what he described as a
"perfect understanding." His account was delivered from his studies that
included eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, as well as the scriptures.
You can tell by reading that his writing was the work of his years of study.
He first tells the story of Zacharias and Elisabeth, who were unable to have a
child until the time that they were very old. They had tried for years to bear
a child in a time when childbearing was considered a blessing from God and
being barren was considered a curse from God.
They cast lots outside the temple, and Zacharias' lot was to burn the incense
when he went into the temple of the Lord. This was a great honor and fearful
event, one which must be executed exactly according to the laws of Moses.
Those who did not execute the burning of the incense were in danger of
being smote dead by God himself, as had happened in times before. It is said
that they tied ropes around the feet of those entering the temple; if they
were smote dead by God, the worshippers outside the temple could bring the
body out by pulling the ropes.
The multitude of people stood outside the temple praying as Zacharias went
inside the temple. While he stood there, Gabriel the Archangel stood on the
right side of the alter of incense. When Zacharias saw him, he was very
fearful, surely in fear of being struck dead by God.
Gabriel said "Fear not, Zacharias, for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife
Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou
shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth." Gabriel
went on to tell him how his life should be consecrated to God, and how John
would be filled with the Holy Ghost even from the womb. He told Zacharias
how John would turn the hearts of the children back to God.
Just as described in Malachi 4:5, Gabriel promised Zacharias that John would
have the spirit of Elijah. Gabriel promised Zacharias that John would return
the hearts of the fathers to the children (Malachi 4:6). John would bring the
disobedient to the wisdom of the just (Malachi 4 4-6).
Zacharias did not fully believe Gabriel. When he spoke his doubts to Gabriel,
Gabriel smote him dumb in the temple, telling him that he would be unable
59
to speak until the things which he spoke were completed. The people outside
the temple began to fear, because he spent so much time inside. They knew
when he came out that he had seen a vision, because he was unable to
speak.
When Elisabeth conceived, she hid herself for five months. She said that the
Lord had dealt with her to take away her reproach among men, the curse of
the barren.
A month after it was known that she was with child, Gabriel was sent from
God to Mary. He told Mary that she would conceive Jesus, though she was
still a virgin. Mary did not doubt; instead she questioned how it would
happen since she was a virgin. Gabriel told Mary about her relative Elisabeth,
and assured her that nothing was impossible with God.
Mary quickly went to Elisabeth, who was now a little over six months with
child. When Mary told Elisabeth of the words Gabriel spoke, John leaped in
Elisabeth's womb, and immediately Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.
She said loudly, "Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of
thy womb." They began to praise the Lord together, and give account of the
wonderful things that God had done for them and others.
When Elisabeth's time came for delivery, they asked Elisabeth and Zacharias
the name of the child. Elisabeth said, "John." Zacharias could not speak, so
he asked for a tablet to write upon. When he wrote the name "John", and
those around him said the name, he was immediately able to speak. He
began to praise God.
Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to prophesy. In the
prophecy, he praised the Lord God of Israel, who had visited and redeemed
his people. He said that salvation had came in the house of David [Jesus], as
the prophets of old had prophesied since the world began. His prophecy
confirmed the words of Malachi 3 and 4 as he spoke.
Zacharias told them how they would be saved from their enemies and from
the hand of all that hated them (Malachi 4:1-3). He said that John would
restore righteousness through the "sun of righteousness", [Jesus] (Malachi
4:2).
The prophecy continued to say that John would be called the prophet of the
Highest (Malachi 3, 4), and would prepare the way of the Lord (Malachi 3).
Zacharias said that the "dayspring" or sunrise had visited them. (Malachi
4:2). Jesus would guide their feet unto the way of peace.
The book of Luke further describes how John went on to prepare the way
before the Lord Jesus, which was and is terrible to those who did not believe
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(Malachi 4:5). It is wonderful to those who are faithful to Him and believe on
Him. Those who were under the old law of Moses were eventually brought to
the hearts of the children who lived under the new covenant of grace. The
hearts of the children were joined to the hearts of their fathers by faith
instead of by law, just as Gabriel and Malachi had foretold.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we search the scriptures and
study the accounts given by others until we have "perfect understanding" as
Luke did? Would we be like Zacharias who doubted, or Mary who believed?
Would we have strong enough commitment to God that we would stand
before Him in a temple at risk to be struck dead? If we were struck dumb in
church, would we even remain committed to God?
Have our hearts
remained joined to the fathers through Grace and Faith in Jesus Christ? Or
have we separated, trying to go back to the old laws?
61
A Pardon Not Accepted

Though it is a good, touching story, the "Pardon not received" story told so
many times is not historically accurate.
Quote:
You remember the pardon that the man was shot, that I sometimes tell,
during the civil war when he was a good man? He was innocent, and they
found him guilty, although he was guilty in a way, that he run away in time
of battle. And they found him guilty and was going to shoot him. And a man
went to President Lincoln and said, "Mr. Lincoln, this is a Christian man. He
was scared, the boy. I know his people. He was just afraid. He didn't mean no
harm. He run away." Said, "Mr. Lincoln, it's in your hands. You're the only one
can pardon him." Mr. Lincoln picked up a piece of paper and his pen and
signed, "Pardon this So-and-so. Abraham Lincoln."
He ran back to the jail, and he said, "Here it is. I got your pardon."
And the man said, "I refuse to look at it. It would have a big seal on it. It
would be everything. You're only trying to make me a laughing stock. It is not
Abraham Lincoln. Anybody could sign his name, but it would have to be
documented by his seal and so forth if it comes from him." And the man
persuaded him, though the man in the prison thought he was kidding, and
just walked away. The next morning, he was shot. And then after he was
shot, then there was a Federal Court trial, because Abraham Lincoln, twentyfour hours before the man was shot, signed his name that this man was
pardoned. And then the government shot him anyhow. Then what? Then the
Federal Court of the United States said-come to this decision of the Federal
Court, said, "A pardon is not a pardon unless it be received as a pardon."
61-0730M Gabriels Instructions to Daniel
The first time this issue came to the Supreme Court was in 1833 during
Andrew Jackson's presidency. Some interesting things to note:
*The defendant was not innocent. He was caught stealing and reading US
postal mail, and endangering the postal worker.
*There is no record that the president knew his family, or that he even was a
Christian
*The pardon was not hand-written on a hand-written note; it was an official
document with president's seal.
*In 1927, the Supreme Court ruled that a pardon did not have to be accepted
by the recipient, it was the decision of the courts.
Supreme Court Ruling:
Quote:
United States v. Wilson, 32 U.S. 7 Pet. 150 150 (1833)
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The defendant was indicted for robbing the mail of the United States, and
putting the life of the driver in jeopardy, and the conviction and judgment
pronounced upon it extended to both offenses. After this judgment no
prosecution could be maintained for the same offense, or for any part of it,
provided the former conviction was pleaded.
The power of pardon in criminal cases had been exercised from time
immemorial by the executive of that nation whose language is our language,
and to whose judicial institutions ours bear a close resemblance. We adopt
their principles respecting the operation and effect of a pardon, and look into
their books for the rules prescribing the manner in which it is to be used by
the person who would avail himself of it. A pardon is an act of grace,
proceeding from the power entrusted with the execution of the laws, which
exempts the individual on whom it is bestowed from the punishment the law
inflicts for a crime he has committed. It is the private though official act of
the executive magistrate, delivered to the individual for whose benefit it is
intended and not communicated officially to the court.
Pardon from Andrew Jackson:
Quote:
"Andrew Jackson, President of the United States, to all who shall see these
presents, greeting:"
"Whereas a certain George Wilson has been convicted before the Circuit
Court of the United States for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania of the
crime of robbing the mail of the United States, and has been sentenced by
the said court to suffer the penalty of death on 2 July next, and whereas the
said George Wilson has been recommended as a fit subject for the exercise
of executive clemency by a numerous and respectable body of petitioners,
praying for him a remission of the sentence of death, inasmuch as, in such a
case, sentence of imprisonment for twenty years may yet be pronounced
against him on the indictments to which he has pleaded guilty in the circuit
court of the United States for the said district, and a still more severe
imprisonment may be awarded him for the same acts in the criminal courts
of Pennsylvania, now therefore, I, Andrew Jackson, President of the United
States of America, in consideration of the premises, divers other good and
sufficient reasons me thereunto moving, have pardoned and do hereby
pardon the said George Wilson the crime for which he has been sentenced to
suffer death, remitting the penalty aforesaid, with this express stipulation,
that this pardon shall not extend to any judgment which may be had or
obtained against him in any other case or cases now pending before said
court for other offenses wherewith he may stand charged."
"In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of
the United States to be affixed to these presents. Given at the City of
Washington this 14 June, A.D. 1830, and of the independence of the United
States the fifty-fourth."
"[L.S.] ANDREW JACKSON"
63
Commentary on Biddle v. Petrovich (1927):

Quote:
There is, however, an apparent limitation on the Burdick rule as applied in
the law of commutations. In Biddle v. Petrovich (1927), the recipient of a
Presidential commutation of sentence from death to life imprisonment
claimed it was invalid because he had not consented to the commutation.
The Supreme Court ruled that his consent was not required. Mr. Justice
Holmes wrote: "A pardon in our days is not a private act of grace from an
individual happening to possess power. It is a part of the Constitutional
scheme. When granted it is the determination of the ultimate authority that
the public welfare will be better served by inflicting less than what the
judgment fixed...Just as the original punishment would be imposed without
regard to the prisoner's consent and in the teeth of his will, whether he liked
it or not, the public welfare, not his consent determines what shall be done."
This logic could theoretically be applied to pardons as a whole, but the
Supreme Court has not yet overruled Burdick.
64
Faith Without Actions

James 2 tells us that our faith should have no respect of persons, and that if
we do not put our actions behind our faith, then our faith is dead.
If a man comes to you richly dressed, while another man comes to you in
poor and nasty clothing, you should not favor the rich man by giving him the
good seat. If you do so, you are showing favor and are thinking evil
thoughts. God chose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the
kingdom. He promised His kingdom to them that love Him.
James challenged them; "You have despised the poor!" He said that the rich
men are the ones that oppress you and take you to the courts. They are the
ones that blaspheme the name of Jesus Christ.
James said that they should uphold the law according to the scripture; "Thou
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself and you will do well. If you have respect of
persons, you are committing sin and have broken the law."
Those that keep the entire law, yet break one little part of the law, is guilty of
all of the law. James gave the example of adultery and murder. God said not
to commit adultery and not to kill. If you never commit adultery and yet kill,
you have broken the law.
Therefore, you should "practice what you preach." Those that do will be
judged by the law of freedom instead. If you judge others with no mercy,
then you change from mercy to judgment in the law.
What does it gain a person if he says that he has faith, and does not show
the good deeds to others? Can faith alone save him?
If a brother or sister is naked with very little food, and one of you says
goodbye with peace, and pray that they be warmed and filled, yet does not
give them the things they are in need of, what good does it do? If you do not
put actions behind your faith, your faith is dead.
If a man says that you have faith and they have good deeds, and asks you to
show your faith without your works while he shows his faith through his
deeds, who has done better?
James said, "You may believe in God, and you do well -- but the devils also
believe and tremble." He tried to make the vain men understand that faith
without works is dead. He asked them, "Was not Abraham justified by his
actions when he offered Isaac his son upon the alter?" Faith was made by his
actions, and the by his actions the faith was made perfect. The scriptures
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were fulfilled, which said that "Abraham believed God and it was imputed
unto him for righteousness, and he was called the Friend of God." Through
their actions, men are justified, and not only by faith.
James gave another example of Rahab the harlot. She was justified by her
actions when she received the messengers, and helped them by sending
them out another way.
As the body without the spirit is dead, so is faith dead without actions.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we respect certain Christians
above others? Do we love and help the poor and needy? Do we accuse
others of breaking parts of the old laws while we break other parts of the old
laws ourselves? If a natural disaster took the homes of several Christians,
would we help only those who kept the parts of the law we choose to honor,
or would we help everyone in the community? Are we judged by the law, or
by grace? Have our churches grown into blessings of God's grace, or has it
grown into a place of bitterness between the brothers and sisters? Do our
actions show our faith and grace in Jesus Christ, or is our faith dead?
66
Back to the Original Faith

Jude tells us that we should have mercy, peace, and love abundantly. He felt
that it was necessary to write a letter to the people that would bring them
back to the faith that the saints had taught, since they had strayed.
Certain men had crept into the congregations of Christians, ungodly men
that turned the Christians away from the grace of Jesus Christ. He reminded
them how God saved the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, and then
destroyed those who did not believe. He reminded them how even the
angels did not remain in heaven, and were in chains of darkness until the
day of judgment. He reminded them how Sodom and Gomorrah turned
towards fornication, and was set as an example of the vengeance of eternal
fire.
Jude said that these "filthy dreamers" who despised authority defiled their
own bodies by speaking evil of their authoritative figures. He reminded them
that Michael the archangel himself would not rebuke Satan when disputing
over the body of Moses, and would not bring any accusation against the
devil. Instead, Michael said, "The Lord rebuke thee."
These people, Jude said, speak against things they do not understand. They
take the things that the know and understand and corrupt themselves in it.
Jude said they have gone in the way of Cain, and the error of Balaam the
false prophet. They perished in the gainsaying of Core. They take away
from the love when they fellowship with you, yet they are empty vessels like
"clouds that are without water" or "dead trees without fruit that has been
uprooted." Jude described them as "raging waves of the sea, foaming out
their own shame."
Even Enoch prophesied that this would come. Enoch said that the Lord
would come with ten thousand saints to execute judgment on all. They
would convince all that were ungodly of their ungodly deeds, and all their
harsh teachings. They are murmurers and complainers that walk after their
own desires, and they speak in such a way that causes other men to admire
them.
Jude warned them, there would be those in the last time that would walk
after their own desires, who would create a mockery of the Gospel. They
would separate themselves from other Christians, because they did not have
the Holy Spirit.
Jude instructed them to build themselves up in the faith of the Gospel,
praying to the Holy Ghost. They should keep the love, and look for the
67
mercy that was given by the Lord Jesus Christ that would bring them eternal
life.
They should have love and compassion, and make a difference in peoples
lives. Their joy should be in Jesus Christ, who is able to keep them from
falling and present them as faultless before the presence of God's glory. We
should give our glory to God the Saviour, who is our only dominion and
power both now and forever.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we kept the Gospel of Jesus
Christ as our highest respect, or have we turned to some other teaching?
Have we been turned by "dreamers" who created a great following by
speaking out against other leaders? Do we listen to men that think they
have the power to rebuke Satan? Have we heeded Jude's warning that there
would come those who would cause Christians to separate themselves from
other Christians? Do we put love and mercy above all else as the apostles
instructed? Is our joy in Jesus Christ, or is it in a man who tells inspiring
stories? Are we making a difference in people's lives through our love and
compassion? Are we giving God the glory?
68
Marilyn Monroe Vision of a Heart Attack

Many of Rev. Branham's followers do not know that Marilyn Monroe did not
die of a heart attack. Many have never heard that she died naked on her
bed, not running and clutching her heart. They have never researched the
facts that surrounded her death, and the actual cause of death of the famous
actress. Worse, they do not realize that her death has no actual bearing on
their eternal salvation, and that it is highly unlikely that God would use this
type of prophecy in His mighty works.
Quote:
Now, it don't make any difference how much I'd say it, they're still going to
say she committed suicide. But the child did not. She died in a heart attack.
And if you'd watch, she had her hand, trying to get to the phone, the phone
in her hand. She had a heart attack. They said sleeping pills was there. She
had been taking them for a month, see, or more, out of that bottle. She died
in a heart attack. And she died about four or five seconds before four o'clock,
exactly.
Branham, 62-1013 THE.INFLUENCE.OF.ANOTHER_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN
Her housekeeper found Marilyn Monroe dead in her bed on August 5, 1962.
There are several theories about who was responsible: deliberate suicide,
accidental overdose by herself or by her live-in housekeeper, murder by U.S.
government agents, or murder by organized crime. However, there is no
doubt about the cause of her death: Monroe died of "acute barbiturate
poisoning" caused by an overdose of Nembutal (38-66 capsules) and chloral
hydrate (14-23 capsules), which should never be combined in normal doses.
The drug overdose was enough to kill ten people. Marilyn Monroe did not die
of a heart attack at the age of 36.
69
Pillar of Fire Deemed Supernatural by the FBI

George J. Lacy, who Branham claimed to be the "head of the FBI fingerprint
and documents for the United States Government" was proof by science
(according to Branham) that he had a supernatural halo. The actual report
from Mr. Lacy simply stated that:
Quote:
Based upon the above described examination and study I am of the definite
opinion that the negative submitted for examination, was not retouched nor
was it a composite or double exposed negative.
Further, I am of the definite opinion that the light streak appearing above the
head in a halo position was caused by the light striking the negative.
George J. Lacy, Report and Opinion
George J. Lacy was never the "Head of the FBI Fingerprint and Documents"
division, if such a position even existed, and he never claimed the
photograph to be supernatural according to written statements.
He held a private consulting firm that specialized in document investigation
in Houston, TX, and accepted document investigation projects for paid
service.
During Mr. Lacy's early work in law enforcement he arrested Charles Ponzi,
the namesake of the Ponzi Scheme. He began his career in forensic science
as a general criminalist and ballistics expert. As a ballistics expert, he worked
on the Bonnie and Clyde case. He later specialized in questioned document
examination. He was responsible for establishing the Houston Police Crime
Laboratory. Mr. Lacy maintained a private practice in Houston, Texas for
many years.
George Lacy was the author of number of articles and professional papers,
such as "Handwriting and Forgery Under Hypnosis," published in the Journal
of Criminal Law and Criminology and "Magnification versus Enlargement,"
published in the Canadian Society of Forensic Science Journal. Mr. Lacy
passed away in 1962.
70
WMB's Big Lie: Paralyzed from Faking Sickness

Branham warned many of trying to trick him in the prayer lines. He would
give several accounts of this story throughout his ministry, putting the fear of
death into the hearts of any who would question his methods. These
accounts would not line up, though, with some accounts differing drastically
in less than one year's time.
If it were possible, by WMB's account, this man would have died, ran
screaming, fell paralyzed, remain bedfast years later, died six weeks after
the incident, died six months after the incident from cancer and remained
paralyzed.
1. The man fell down on the floor and began screaming (1950)
2. The man received the diseases that he wrote on his card and was still
suffering from them (1953).
3. The man had died from his diseases (1954).
4. The man was bedfast "to this day" (1956).
5. The man ran screaming from the auditorium when WMB publicly exposed
his plan (1956).
6. The man died a year after the incident (January 1957).
7. The man was still in "serious condition" (June 1957).
8. The man died 6 months after the incident from cancer (1958).
9. The man was carried from the auditorium paralyzed and is still paralyzed
(1958).
10. The man died six weeks after WMB exposed him (1961).
11. The man died six weeks after the meeting (1961).
12. The man received the diseases that he wrote on his card (1963).
20120308_Do_not_Judge_Others
71
Do not Judge Others

Matthew 7 tells us not to judge, otherwise we ourselves will be judged.
With the things that we judge others against, we will also be judged against
the same. Jesus asked why we show the small fragments in another's eye,
when we ourselves have large objects in our own eyes. How can we ask to
help them remove the fragment when we have a large object blocking our
view? Those who do this are hypocrites, and Jesus said to remove the large
object from our own eyes first.
He said not give our holy things to dogs or throw our pearls to the pigs in the
mud, or they will trample our holy things and return them again to us.
We should ask, He said, and it will be given to us. Seek, and we will find.
Knock, and the door will be opened. Everyone that asks receives, and every
one that seeks will find. To those that knock on the door, it will be opened.
What father will give his son a stone when he asks for bread? Or a serpent
when he asks for fish?
If we, being evil, know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more
does the Father in heaven give good things to us when we ask? Whatever we
would have men do to us, we should also do to them; this is the law and the
teachings of the prophets.
The gate that leads to destruction is very wide, and many will go down the
path of destruction. The path that leads to life is very narrow, and few will
find it.
We should beware of false prophets -- they come disguised as simple,
humble sheep but are inwardly ravenous wolves. You will know them by the
fruits that they produce. Every good tree will produce good fruit, but every
bad tree will produce bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit.
How do we know false prophets? Like the trees, by their fruit you will know.
Not every one that calls Jesus Lord will enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Only those that do the will of the Father. Many try to get into heaven by
claiming their prophecy in His name, or by their casting out devils or other
works, but Jesus will tell them "Depart from me. I never knew you."
When you hear the words of Jesus, He will consider you a wise man. The
foundation he makes by the words of Jesus will be like a rock instead of
sinking sand.
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When he was finished teaching, everyone was astonished. He spoke with

authority instead of one of the scribes.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we judge others? Are we
increasing the judgments against ourselves by the many things we judge
others by? Are we seeking the things of God, so that He can give them to
us? Do we test the prophets against the followings that they have produced?
Are we putting our foundation in Christ, or the doctrines of man?
73
Latter Rain and Healing

I never really put much thought into it, but there were several ministers
teaching the "Latter Rain" at the time WMB was teaching it. Most have
disbanded, and saw the error of their ways, but WMB is not alive to publicly
announce the error.
Quote:
And isn't it just the same Holy Spirit tonight, if He promised He would send in
the last days these things? Did He promise He would send this in the last
days, "and it shall come to pass in the last days," saith God? How He
promised in Mark 16, "Go ye into all the world..." That's New York. See?
"Preach the Gospel to every creature. These signs shall follow them that
believe." He promised it. And then He promised the former rain and the latter
rain. And we're living now, have been for years, under the latter rain.
Latter Rain teachers put emphasis on baptism of the Holy Ghost over faith in
Jesus Christ, believe there is a five-fold ministry that brings present-day
prophets, believe you must have an "experience," and more.
Many have devoted their lives to Apologetics now.
Quote:
"After being ordained into full-time ministry by a RHEMA graduate and
acknowledged prophet I started a small ministry called "Latter Rain
Ministries." I had several cassettes and booklets by William Marrion Branham
and prayed I too could have such a supernatural ministry. I, like many others,
believed that the Lord had restored the office of the apostle and prophet.
Many prophetic words were spoken over my wife and I regarding the move of
God and the end time glory which was about to be manifested and our role in
this coming move. Now I know that I, and all my friends in ministry, were
Montanists to the core, (although probably none of us knew it at the time). It
was only recently (within the last two to three years) that the Lord has
opened my wife and my eyes to the Truth of His Word, which has been
subsequently revealing the darkness of what we once gladly walked in. I
know from personal experience the great attraction Latter Rain holds for
people. Adherents want to be on the cutting edge of spiritual advancement.
Adherents want to see God's power manifested, the sick healed, feel His
presence, etcetera. The problem is almost all of what transpires in neoMontanist congregations is subjective experience devoid of any solid Biblical
foundation. The Bible ends up being used to prove the experience, it matters
not where the texts are drawn from, and context is immaterial." - Rev. Robert
S. Liichow
74
This quote is striking when you think about it. Many of the errors that have
been pointed out in WMB's teaching, and many of the questions that people
have within their hearts, are simply because WMB didn't understand context.
To WMB, jumping from book to book, verse to verse was context -- instead of
reading the chapter as it was written.
Quote:
If I should say a subject out of this to draw a context, I would like to use the
word: "A Super Sign."
59-1227M A.SUPER.SIGN_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN V-15 N-7 SUNDAY_
I want to take for a text, to draw a context from that 27th verse "Be Not
Afraid, It Is I." And the words I wish to use is, "It Is I."
60-0720 IT.IS.I_ LAKEPORT.CA WEDNESDAY_
Now, to draw a little context tonight, let us call your attention to a Scripture
reading in the Bible in the book of Isaiah. Let us turn into Isaiah, the 21st
chapter of Isaiah, and read the 11th verse of Isaiah 21:
60-0722 WATCHMAN.WHAT.OF.THE.NIGHT_ LAKEPORT.CA FRIDAY_
Many who have found the errors in teaching or the prophesies that have
failed still try to twist facts and justify their beliefs because they believe WMB
had the only claim to healing -- which is not correct.
Quote:
The Latter Rain movement, along with elements of the Healing revival slowly
dissolved into parts of the larger Charismatic movement. Dancing, lifting of
hands and spontaneous praise are marks of the Charismatic movement.
Some parts of the Charismatic movement have a blend of influences that
may include both the Latter Rain, the Healing revival and the Jesus
movement, elements distinctive from traditional Pentecostal theology.
The Healing revival of the early day Kansas City "prophets" occurred
between 1947 and 1957 with Oral Roberts, Jack Coe, William Marrion
Branham and Paul Cain. Chuck Smith, founder of Calvary Chapel, served as
Paul Cain's Healing revival campaign manager at one time.
"In Latter Rain circles truth is changing and evolving. Scriptures do not have
one meaning; the meaning evolves as does the fellowship. What Latter Rain
people look for in the Bible is the "present day truth" which is arrived at by
the Holy Spirit as revealed through a current crop of apostles and prophets.
In 1990 a shift occurred and the Apostolic movement began to be birthed.
My wife and I have met no less than six apostles - most of whom used to be
pastors, then prophets, and now apostles. Over the last fifteen years we
75
have spiritually surfed various moves of the Holy Spirit and they all can be
reduced to being nothing more than Latter Rain acolytes, only the error has
progressed even more radically since 1947." - Rev. Robert S. Liichow
The part that really caught my eye is the part regarding the "Manifest Sons."
These spiritual leaders raised themselves up to a platform so high that
eventually followers started worshipping them. Look what we have today!
Pastors now teach that WMB's every word was infallible. WMB's son are
worshipped across the world, and songs are being written how all will "bow
down" to him in the "new Jerusalem."
Manifest Sons claim the ultimate anointing will glorify them to such a degree
that they become "Christ" on Earth, an corporate embodiment of Christ,
destined to rule over all humanity!
Manifest Sons dogma claims Christianity is not complete without economic,
spiritual and day to day control of all human life through whatever means
necessary - the "apostles" are the generals and individual acolytes make up
the bulk of Joel's army of mindless human robots that pathetically follow the
wolves dressed in sheep's clothing!
Quote:
"At the apostles gathering as we worshiped the Lord and gave ourselves to
the Spirit, a vision appeared. I saw the Heavens open, and a great white light
appeared, radiating out from the One in the center, as the light from the sun
does. As I looked, I saw it was Jesus, and He held in His Hands a Child, who
had just been recently born. He extended the Child and asked, "Who will be
responsible for this Child?, Who will care for it, nurture it, and see that it is
kept safe from those who would harm or destroy it?" The Lord reached down
into our midst, and said "will you (apostles gathering) be responsible for this
Child?" Our voices rang out, "we will accept this Child as our own, we will
bear the full responsibility for it, we will nurture and cherish it, and bring it to
full maturity...we will see that no harm comes to it." Jesus then, handed the
Child into our collective hands, and said, "I will be with you, I will provide ALL
THINGS NEEDED to bring this Child to maturity and for it to accomplish the
Divine Purpose I have Ordained for it on Earth...My Glory will be seen, and
the Harvest will be reaped. A Man Child is birthed who is to bring about a
dramatic change in the entire structure of the CHURCH....The Man Child will
bring full Apostolic Order." - vision given to apostle Paul Cunningham at the
2nd apostles gathering
Major adherents of Manifest Sons mythology include: Earl Pearly Paulk, Oral
Roberts, Paul Cain, William Marrion Branham and Benny Hinn
76
Liichow evidently found many of the Gnostic similarities in the teachings, and
considered it "mythology."
Quote:
Around 1947 William Marrion Branham, Percy Hunt and George Hawtin begin
to codify Latter Rain mythology as the "New Order of the Latter Rain."
William Marrion Branham's mythology formed the basis for the "New Order"
of the Latter Rain dogma.
William Marrion Branham was seen as the "prophet" (Elijah) of the
movement.
77
Perfect Love
In Matthew 5, Jesus taught a message of Love. He started by uplifting all of
those that were burdened down.
He said the ones with low spirits would have the kingdom of heaven. Those
that mourn would be comforted. Those that were humble and poor would be
rich when they inherited the earth. Those that hungered and thirsted to be
righteous would be filled with righteousness. Those that were already pure
in heart would see God. Those that made peace would be called the
"children of God."
He taught not to worry about being persecuted for believing in His name.
Those who were persecuted for believing in Christ would gain the kingdom of
heaven. When men insult and persecuted them, and said all sorts of bad
things about them that weren't true, they should rejoice. They should be
very glad, for their reward in heaven would be very great.
Jesus said that the prophets of old were also persecuted before them. He
gave an example of salt, calling these that were persecuted for His name
sake the "salt of the earth." If the salt lost its taste, who would use it to
spread on their meals? It becomes good for nothing, cast aside, and walked
on by the feet of men.
Jesus also used an example of light. These that are persecuted are the "light
of the world." They are a great city set upon a hill that cannot be hid from
the eyes of men. Men do not light their candles and put them under
something to hide the light -- they put them on a candlestick to raise it up
and give light to all that are in the house. He said that we should let our
lights shine in this way before men so that they can glorify our good works
and glorify the Father which is in heaven.
Jesus said not to make the mistake that he came to earth to destroy the law
or the prophets that taught the law. He was there to fulfill the law. Not one
little marking of the law would be removed until the laws and the prophesies
were fulfilled.
He said that if any one broke even the least of the commandments, and
teach others to do the same, they would be called the least in the kingdom
of heaven. But, if anyone keep the commandments and teach them to
others, they will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. He warned them,
if their righteousness did not exceed the righteousness of the scribes and
Pharisees, they would not even enter into heaven.
78
He started giving examples of love and respect towards others as the way to
honor the commandments. He said that in the old days, they were told not
to kill. If anyone killed another, they would be in danger of the judgment.
Jesus warned them: "Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause
shall be in danger of the judgment. Whosoever shall call his brother
"worthless" would be in danger of the council. Whosoever shall call his
brother a fool shall be in danger of hell fire." Therefore, Jesus said, they
should not bring their gifts to the offering at the alter while they held
something against their brother. They should first go and reconcile their
brother, and then come to the alter with their gifts.
He said that they should agree with their adversaries quickly while they
speak to them. Otherwise, the adversary could deliver them to the judge -who would deliver them to the officer to be cast into prison. Jesus said that
they would in no means come out of the prison until they had paid the
largest sum of money.
He said that they had heard in the old times that they should not commit
adultery. Jesus said that whoever looked at a woman and wanted her had
already committed adultery within his heart.
He gave examples of their bodies as ways to purify themselves and stop the
things they were doing wrong. He said that if their right eye was looking at
something it should not, they should pluck it out and throw it away. If their
right hand was doing something that it should not, they should cut it off and
throw it away. It would be better for one of the members of their body to be
removed than the whole body be cast into hell.
He said that they had allowed divorcement letters to allow men to put away
their wives. He warned them that any one of them that divorces their wives
except for fornication had caused the woman to commit adultery, and any
man that married one that was divorced had committed adultery.
He said that they had heard in the old times that they should promise
nothing of themselves, but instead should promise by the Lord. Jesus said to
promise nothing by heaven, because it is God's throne. They should promise
nothing by earth, because it is God's footstool. They should not promise
anything by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. They should not
make promises towards themselves, because they could not turn one hair of
their head black or white by themselves. Instead, their communication
should be "yes" or "no." Anything more they offer as promise becomes evil.
He spoke to them about fighting with one another. He said that they had
heard "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth," but he warned them that
they should resist evil. Any one that strikes them on the right cheek should
turn the other cheek to let their adversary strike it as well. If any man sued
79
them by law and takes away their coat, they should let him have their cloak
as well.
He said that we should give freely to those that ask. From any that would
borrow from us, we should not turn them away.
Jesus reminded them that they had heard that it was good to love their
neighbors and hate their enemies, but he said this was not correct. They
should love their enemies and bless those that would curse them. They
should do good things for those that hated them, and pray for those that
despitefully use them or persecute them. If they did this, they would be the
children of the Father in heaven. He makes the sun to rise on the evil and on
the good, and sends rain to the just and the unjust.
Jesus asked them: if you only love those that love you back, what reward do
you have? Even the publicans do the same! If they only welcome their
brothers, what are they doing that is showing greater love than others?
Don't the publicans do the same?
Instead, we should become more perfect in Love, just as the Father in
heaven is perfect.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we guilty of persecuting other
Christians who believe in the same Christ we do? Do we stay downcast in
our burdens, when we are the ones that will inherit the earth? Do we insult
or say things that aren't true about other Christians? Has our salt lost its
taste and are we hiding our lights? Do we become easily angered at our
brothers? Do we love our enemies? Do we give freely to those in our
communities that are in need? Do we love only those that love us back? Do
we have perfect love?
80
What is the Message?

One question I have, and can't get a good answer to. I'm interested to hear
your opinion.
What is the Message? William Branham, according to Message folk, was sent
by God to prepare the bride by giving them "rapturing faith" that was formed
by unlocking the mysteries of the Bible.
Each MSG church around the world has a different opinion of what this is
referring to. What is yours?
Second, since he was taken before he finished, who will complete the
process? Each MSG church around the world also has a different opinion on
the person. Who is yours?
81
Love That Attracts Sinners

Luke 15 tells how the words of Jesus and his message of Love attracted the
publicans and sinners to hear the words that He spoke.
The Pharisees and scribes did not like this one bit; they started speaking
quietly among themselves about how Jesus received sinners and ate with
them. Jesus knew what they were saying, and gave them this example:
Which of you, having a hundred sheep, and lose one of them, do not leave
the ninety-nine sheep in the wilderness to go after the one that is lost? And
when you find it, do not rejoice with your friends and neighbors, saying,
"Rejoice with me! I have found my sheep that was lost!"
He said to them, the same is the joy in heaven whenever one sinner repents.
More joy than over ninety-nine that are just and need no repentance.
Jesus gave another example of a woman that had ten pieces of sliver. If she
loses one piece, she lights a candle, sweeps the house, and searches
diligently until she finds it. Once she finds it, she rejoices with her friends
and neighbors. He said that the same joy is spread through the angels of
God whenever one sinner repents.
Finally, He gave an example of a father and his two sons. The younger one
said, "Father, give me the portion that is allotted to me," and the father
divided the portion to his son.
Not long afterwards, the younger son went to a far off country, and wasted
his inheritance with sinful living and harlots. When he had spent everything,
the land was consumed with famine, and the son was in need. He became a
citizen of that country so that he could work, and started tending the hogs in
the mud. So hungry from the famine, he would have even eaten the husks
that the hogs ate, yet no man gave him any food.
When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, "How many hired
servants of my father's house has enough bread to spare? Yet I am dying
from hunger!" He said, "I will arise and go back to my father's house." I
have sinned against God and my father, and am no longer worthy to be
called his son, but will ask that I be made one of his hired servants.
He went back to his father, but before he was near, his father saw him and
had great compassion on him. He ran, and greeted him with a kiss. When
the son told him his story, he expected his father to be upset.
82
Instead, his father sent for his servants to bring his best robe, jewelry, and
shoes for his feet. He told them to bring the largest calf and prepare it for
dinner, so they could eat and be merry. They celebrated over his return.
When the older son heard the music and dancing, he went to the servants to
ask what was going on. They told him that his brother had returned, and the
father had prepared a meal to celebrate his safe return.
The older son was angry. He refused to go in to celebrate. Therefore, his
father went out to speak with him, and pleaded with him to come in. The
older son argued, "All these years I served you perfectly. At no time did I
even break one of your rules, and yet you never even gave me a baby goat
to celebrate! But as soon as my brother came home, who I remind you was
living with harlots, you gave him the fatted calf!"
The father replied to him, "Son, you are always with me. Everything I have is
yours. It was to make your brother welcome, because he was once dead but
now lives again. He was once lost, but now he is found."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we preach a message that will
attract the sinners to become closer to God? Would we even receive them
when they come into our churches? Do we preach to the sinners, or do we
preach to the saints? If one of the saints goes astray, do we try to help
them, or do we shun them, telling other saints not to associate with them? If
they come back, are they received with open arms? Or do we speak against
them in private for all of the things they have done? Do we have the Love
that Jesus describes in Luke 14?
83
Really? You're Pulling My Leg!!!

In the Voice of Healing magazine, which was Founded by WMB and Gordon
Lindsay, there are many, many prophets and healers featured throughout the
life of the magazine. Each had miraculous healings and spiritual visions, that
were proven and vindicated as a sign from God.
There is no doubt whatsoever that God healed many through these
campaigns of these 30+ "prophets" and "healers". But they all seemed to
have one thing in common:
These men of God would use a trick of some sort in order to increase the
faith of the people to the point of healing.
Take this one example:
The pastor tells the "injured" that one of their legs is shorter than the other.
Amazingly, the person with the short leg often doesn't even know, so this
must be a divine "prophecy" from God alone.
When the person sits, they face the audience. The "healer" turns the
person's legs -- but the person's torso still remains facing the audience due
to gravity alone. With one buttock farther from the foot than the other, the
leg that is facing the audience appears much, much shorter!
Even worse, some of these people -- who could walk when they entered the
meetings -- were told to use a wheelchair as they entered the meeting, so
they "wouldn't make it worse." To the audience, a person in a wheelchair with
a short leg had just had their bone lengthened "by God", and came up out of
a wheelchair.
There is reasonable question as to whether each of the short-leg patients
were "in on it," because there seemed to be an awful lot of people running
around with one leg shorter than the other one.
A.A. Allen was one that used this parlor trick several times in his ministry. A
magician (James Randi) shows a class how to perform the same "miracle".
Watch the video as Allen performs the "miracle", and then how Randi
exposes it:
http://youtu.be/ZfYZuqS1t0A
Unfortunately, this was not limited to A.A. Allen. You'll never guess who also
claimed the shorter leg healing in his ministry:
http://www.seekyethetruth.com/img/leg.png
84
Even today, ministers use it to increase the faith so that the people start
believing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tcma2fpyaeI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=B7vgpf_q50I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6XLe3rYQzM&feature=related
85
Smoking Man's Filter

People outside the Message have debated whether WMB really had literal
conversations with the Lord about a pack of cigarettes as he led us to
believe, or whether he only experienced an overactive imagination.
Quote:
So I turned around and went down by the river, and I thought, "I'll go down
here and hide till they get done so I can get out." And on the road down, I
happened to draw... My attention was drawn to look over to my right side,
and as I did, there laid a empty cigarette package, where one of them had
throwed down in all the running of the--when the squirrels were going
through the bushes. And I picked up this certain cigarette pack and was
look... I never picked it up (I beg your pardon.); I looked down at it. I didn't
pick it up, 'cause I don't like the smell of the things to begin with. And I
looked down there, and it's a--a certain tobacco company that I guess I
shouldn't call their name, but you'll know. It said on there, "A thinking man's
filter and a smoking man's taste ."
A Thinking Man's Filter, August 22, 1965 (tape #65-0822E)
Quote:
I was going, walking through the woods; I was squirrel hunting (this fall) and I
looked down. And, of course, I can't call the cigarette company. You know it.
And there laid a--a cigarette pack laying there. And I just passed by it,
looking for--in the woods. And I seen that package laying there, and I looked
back again, it said, "A thinking man's filter, a smoking man's taste." I just
started walking on through the woods. And Holy Spirit said, "Turn and pick
that up." I reached down and picked it up, "A thinking man's filter, a smoking
man's taste."
Leadership, December 7, 1965 (tape #65-1207)
The question is raised, did he pick them up, or did he leave them on the
ground? Did he obey the Lord or not?
Quote:
I started walking on down a little further in the woods, and Something
attracted me, "Go back to that cigarette pack." I thought, "Heavenly Father,
I'm going down here to that tree where those squirrels was spoke into
existence by You one morning. Why would You call me back?" And Something
said, "You've got a sermon coming for Sunday. Your text is wrote on it." I
thought, "On a cigarette pack?" I went back. And I begin to think, "A thinking
man's filter," what a deception that is. If a man was a thinking man, he
wouldn't smoke at all. But, you see, people swallow that.
God's Power to Transform, September 11, 1965 (tape #65-0911)
86
He felt so condemned by this sermon that he found himself asking

forgiveness if the text of his sermon was sacrilegious. This sparks quite a
debate, because if the Lord is the that told him to pick it up, whether he
obeyed and picked it up or disobeyed and did not pick it up, it was the Lord
that instructed him to do so.
Quote:
I pray for myself with them, that, Lord Jesus, that You'll hold Your Filter. And if
I'm saying anything sacrilegious, Lord, I--in my heart I don't know it. I pray
that if it's wrong for me to take Your Word and use such a thing as that, You
forgive me for it. But, Lord, I thought when You spoke to me there in the
woods, You know the time and the morning, it just--I couldn't get it off my
mind. I accepted it as coming from You.
A Thinking Man's Filter, August 22, 1965 (tape #65-0822E)
People completely miss the most important question:
Why would he give such a long, drawn out story about the Lord telling him to
pick up (or not pick up) the filthy object, when he actually got the sermon
from Billy Graham???
Quote:
"60-1204E THE.PATMOS.VISION_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN ROJC 69-130 SUNDAY_
120 How many heard Billy Graham today? It was a wonderful sermon he
preached on, how that a people could believe a lie and just keep on in that
lie and--and even justify themself and think that they were doing what was
right. The American public taking, he said, and saying, "A wise man's filter,
and the smoking man's cigarette," taking one of the Devil's lies, and instead
of making him a fool, whatever he is, to smoke such a thing and try to make
him a wise man. He's a fool to even smoke it, when the... when it's full of
death and cancer and everything else, and still he puffs it down his lungs.
He's a fool. Not a--not a--a wise mans filter, and there is no such a thing. A
wise man don't use the stuff.
"There's no life unless it's in Oertel's 92," or something like that. There's no
Life outside of Christ, that's the real true Life. What makes men and women
drink that stuff? Because they're trying to satisfy that thirst in there that God
put in there to thirst after Him, and they're trying to satisfy it with the things
of the world. And that's the reason we have those things. That's the reason
people act like that, because they're trying to quench that thirst that's in
them for God, and the Devil's giving them death instead of Life."
87
Blameless Before Others

Paul speaking to the Philippians in Philippians 2 was teaching the message of
Love.
He said that if we are to find any consolation in Christ, or find any comfort of
Love, any fellowship in the Spirit, or any mercy, we must have the same Love
that Jesus Christ had. Paul asked them to give him the joy he longed for,
asking that they all have the same Love.
He told them to let nothing they do be done with glory in themselves, but to
humble their minds to lift up others around them. They should not be proud
of the things they have, each one of them should give glory to the things of
others.
Paul told us that we should have the mind of Christ. Christ was in the form of
God, and was equal to God. But though He was equal to God, He made no
reputation for Himself. He took the form of a servant and was made to look
like men. As a man, He humbled Himself, and was obedient in all things until
he died on the cross.
God also exalted Jesus, and gave Him a name which is above every name.
At the name of Jesus, every knee should bow -- in heaven, in earth, and even
under the earth. Every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, which
gives the glory to God the Father.
Paul praised them for their faithfulness. He said that they had obeyed not
only when he was around them, but also in his absence. They had worked
out their own salvation with fear and trembling. But not them, it was God
that worked in them for His good pleasure.
Paul asked that they do these things without grumbling and complaining, or
disputing the words he said:
They should be blameless and harmless. They should be the sons of God,
without doing a single thing that would cause others to rebuke them -- even
though they were in the midst of a crooked and perverted nation. They
should shine as the lights in the world.
They should hold to the word of life so that Paul could rejoice in the day of
Christ's return, that he had not preached to them and labored in vain. If he
would be offered to the sacrifice and service of their faith, he would have joy
and rejoice with them.
88
Paul said that for that reason, they should also have joy and rejoice with him.
He promised to send Timothy to them shortly afterwards, so that he could
comfort in knowing how they were doing.
Paul said that he had no man who had his state of mind, flowing with Love.
No man could naturally care for their state of affairs as he did, because every
man seeks out their own glory, instead of things to give the glory to Jesus
Christ.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we have and teach the same
Love that Jesus Christ had and taught? Do we lift ourselves up above others,
or do we lift up Christ? Do we follow Christ's example of humility and Love?
Do we work out our own salvation with fear and trembling? Are we
blameless, or do we do things that even the crooked and perverted people of
this world can find fault with us? Do we shine our lights to the world? Are
we flowing with Love?
89
Bro. Branham Won't Be in the Kingdom of the Lord??

I will be the first to say I don't know the answer to this one. ... I know what
the Bible says, and who am I to judge?
According to WMB, a bastard child won't make it into the kingdom of heaven
for ten generations, and local pastors teach this harshly.
Quote:
God even said in Deuteronomy that a bastard child would not even be
permitted into the generation, into the congregation of the Lord for ten
generations. That's how bad adultery is: ten generations: ten times forty:
four hundred years before a hybrid...
A woman that's married to a man, or a man married to a woman that'll cross
the lines of holy wedlock, and bring in a illegitimate child, the generations
will not come into the Kingdom of the Lord until ten generations.
Deuteronomy 30--23:2.
All right, it won't come in--a illegitimate child, he or his generation, or his
generation, or his generation; even though they're trying like Esau, weeping
to find a place, it takes ten generations. Forty years is a generation. Can you
see this damnable, corruptible world is ready for judgment? So evil, cross
up--cross up what God has joined together.
60-1113 CONDEMNATION.BY.REPRESENTATION_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN V-2 N-13
SUNDAY_
He's referring to Deuteronomy 23:2, but again, he has "snipped" a portion of
the scriptures and taken it completely out of context.
Quote:
He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not
enter into the congregation of the LORD.
A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth
generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD.
Deuteronomy 23:2
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?se ... ersion=KJV
OK, so I have two questions here, and they have very strong consequences if
WMB was right:
1) I have been wounded in the "stones" many times rough-housing as a
child. Does that mean I can't go to heaven?
90
2) Nancy Branham, WMB's great-great grandmother bore Lewis Branham,

WMB's great grandfather out of wedlock. Does this mean that WMB can't go
to heaven either? (ref http://wmbranham.net/)
Or maybe we should not "snip" parts out of the old laws, and accept the fact
that Jesus came so we would be under grace instead of law!
As I heard in a sermon once, "I'M RESTING ON THAT!!!!!' [that=grace]
91
Judas Iscariot in Heaven with Us?

WMB struggled with the concept of predestination, because the book of
Revelation tells how your name can be removed from the book of life.
Because of this, he "invented" two books.
1) The Book of Life
2) The LAMB'S Book of Life
Quote:
Here it brings into view, the two books that's going to be mysterious to you
when you read the book of The Seven Church Ages. The two books: Book of
Life, said, one says you can put your name on, you never comes off; other
one says you take his name out of the Book of Life. This brings it perfectly in
view, right here. I'm going to stop a few minutes, maybe, on a few notes
here, and catch this before we close.
65-1125 THE.INVISIBLE.UNION.OF.THE.BRIDE.OF.CHRIST_ SHREVEPORT.LA V-2
N-15 THURSDAY_
He explained this by saying that the first book "The Book of Life" was the one
that our names were written when we were born. The second book, "The
LAMB'S Book of Life" is the one that your name can NEVER be removed from.
Quote:
Not shake hands or join a church or pack the paper from place to place. Get
your name written in the Lamb's Book of Life, and it'll stay there forever.
Amen. That's right.
53-1110 I.WILL.RESTORE_ OWENSBORO.KY TUESDAY_
Now, your old book is gone, with your old union. Now, your name in your old,
in your... has been transferred. Now, you say, "Do you mean to tell me that
my old book..." God put it in the Sea of His Forgetfulness. You stand perfectly
before God. Now, your name is now in the new Book; not the book of life, but
the Lamb's Book of Life, what the Lamb redeemed.
65-1125 THE.INVISIBLE.UNION.OF.THE.BRIDE.OF.CHRIST_ SHREVEPORT.LA V-2
N-15 THURSDAY_
There's one problem with this, however. According to WMB, Judas Iscariot
had his name written on the "LAMB'S Book of life, not the "Book of Life."
Quote:
92
And Jesus said, "Don't you rejoice because the devils is subject to you, but
rejoice because your names are written in the Book of heaven." Is that right?
And Judas Iscariot was with them, one of them, called-out, sanctified, and his
name written in the Lamb's Book of Life
53-0729 QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.ON.GENESIS_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN COD
WEDNESDAY_
Those of us who read the scriptures know that Judas Iscariot was not on the
Book of Life, and that the Bible does not teach two separate books. Judas
was the "son of perdition."
It does raise a good question, though. Did Bro. Branham think that Judas
Iscariot was saved? Is that why he used portions of the Gnostic texts that
came from the Gospel of Judas? Or did he simply not read his Bible?
93
Which Nurse?
It is very odd that many of the events in WMB's life story do not match, and
some of the discrepancies can easily be attributed to poor memory of old
events.
This one, however, raises a few eyebrows. This was the single-most
traumatic event in each of his life stories. To lose one's wife is no small event
in one's life -- it would have been so devastating to him that he would have
ran the events surrounding her death through his mind over and over for
years and years.
Each detail of that horrible time would become so stamped in his mind that it
would form a mental image that could not be altered with the passing of
time.
Here's the problem:
Rather than simply saying "I don't remember her name", he gives four
different names for the nurse that his wife spoke to when she gave him such
a good compliment.
Quote:
50-0820A MY.LIFE.STORY_ CLEVELAND.OH SUNDAY_
And she said, "Evelyn," she knew her, a schoolmate. Said, "If you ever get
married, I hope you have a husband like mine."
Quote:
51-0415A LIFE.STORY_ PHOENIX.AZ SUNDAY_
She called the nurse, Miss Cook. She said, "Come here." She said, "Set down
just a minute. I've just got a few minutes left."
And she was Hope's friend. And she was biting her lip.
She said, "When you get married, I hope you get a husband like mine."
Quote:
51-0722A LIFE.STORY_ TOLEDO.OH SUNDAY_
And she said, "Come here, Hilda," it was a friend of hers. And here's what
made me feel. She said, "I hope when you get married you have a husband
like mine.
Quote:
53-1108A LIFE.STORY_ OWENSBORO.KY SUNDAY_
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I said, "Just a minute, nurse." We knew her real well.

My wife called her over. She said, "Juanita," said, "I hope when you get
married you have a husband like mine." Said, "He's been so good to me,"
and she had her arm around me.
So this raises several questions:
1) Why would he forget the name of the nurse?
2) Why would he put the emphasis on this compliment, when she was on her
death bed?
3) She evidently died in a hospital. Why can nobody find a death certificate?
95
Branham Taught the Trinity?

Most message believers will quickly tell you they deny the trinity, and the
"Trinitarian World" is all mixed up thinking that there are three Gods. Any
Bible-believing Christian should know that there are NOT three Gods, there is
only one God.
What they don't realize is that in some instances, WMB taught Trinitarianism,
and other instances he taught Oneness. During the times he taught the
Godhead as the Trinity, he was teaching it the same way the "Trinitarian
World" teaches -- They do NOT teach Trinitarianism as three separate Gods.
Quote:
But there you are. In that triune trinity of God... Now there's... Now, God in
His oneness, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Now, we don't say "our
Gods," as heathens. It's "our God." See? It's the threefold Being of God.
Now, notice. Now, Satan is in a trinity also. And his powers are in trinity.
53-0608A DEMONOLOGY.PHYSICAL.REALM_ CONNERSVILLE.IN DE 21-40
MONDAY_
The common view among the churches matches this above description by
WMB exactly:
Quote:
God is a trinity of persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The
Father is not the same person as the Son; the Son is not the same person as
the Holy Spirit; and the Holy Spirit is not the same person as Father. They are
not three gods and not three beings. They are three distinct persons; yet,
they are all the one God.
The word "person" is used to describe the three members of the Godhead
because the word "person" is appropriate. A person is self aware, can speak,
love, hate, say "you," "yours," "me," "mine," etc. Each of the three persons in
the Trinity demonstrate these qualities.
96
Brother Jim Jones

Reverend James Warren "Jim" Jones (May 13, 1931 - November 18, 1978) was
the founder and leader of the Peoples Temple, which is best known for the
November 18, 1978 mass suicide of 909 Temple members in Jonestown,
Guyana along with the killings of five other people at a nearby airstrip. Over
200 children were murdered at Jonestown, almost all of whom were forcibly
made to ingest cyanide by the elite Temple members.
William Branham was involved with the start of the Peoples Temple in
Indianapolis, Indiana, and Jones was a regular in the congregation at WMB's
meetings.
Large portions of the recordings were cut out of the tape to hide the fact that
THE Jim Jones was the one being celebrated to the ministry, but the fact
remains that WMB helped Jones get started.
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Marvelous Faith
In Luke 7, Jesus entered into Capernaum to find the servant of a centurion so
sick that he was ready to die. When the centurion heard of the arrival of
Jesus, he sent for Him to come and heal his servant.
The elders of the Jews appealed to Jesus, saying that he was worthy to be
saved. They described how the centurion loved their nation and had built a
synagogue for them.
When Jesus was near to the house, the centurion sent friends to Jesus, saying
for Him not to trouble Himself, he was not worthy for Jesus to enter his
house. Yet if Jesus said the word, his servant would be healed. The
centurion made the example of how he himself was set under authority, and
the commandments given to his soldiers and servants were executed upon
his command. Jesus is the master of all things.
Jesus marveled at him. He said that he had not found one with so great faith
in all of Israel. When they returned to the house, they found the servant
healed.
The next day, as they were entering into the city of Nain, they found a dead
man being carried out. He was the only son to a widow, and Jesus had great
compassion on her. He told her, "Weep not." He touched the casket and
commanded the dead man to arise. The dead man sat up and began to
speak, and all glorified God.
Afterwards, rumor started spreading throughout Judaea and the surrounding
area that Jesus was a prophet of God. John the Baptist sent two of his
disciples to Jesus, asking if He was the one that the prophets spoke about.
As an answer, he healed many of their sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave
sight to the blind. Jesus answered, return and tell John what you have just
witnessed, how the blind see, the lame walk, lepers and cleansed, the deaf
hear, the dead are raised, and the gospel is preached to the poor.
When the messengers of John departed, Jesus began to speak out John to the
people, confirming his position as the forerunner of the Christ. John was not
a reed easily shaken with the wind, and not a man called to live in a fancy
king's court.
He was a prophet, but Jesus said that he was much more than a prophet. He
was the one described in the scriptures who would be the messenger before
Him, and would prepare the way before the Christ. He said that there was
not a man born of a woman that was a greater prophet than John the Baptist.
At the same time, the least in the kingdom of God was greater than him.
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As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we so humble that we would tell

Jesus we are not worthy for him to enter our house? Is our faith in Jesus
Christ so strong that He would marvel at us? Do we place our healing in our
own faith, or in the God who is the healer? Are we a reed easily shaken with
the wind? Do we accept that the "least in the kingdom" is greater than John
the Baptist, or do we place our confidence in those who are "puffed up?"
99
Wisdom Through Knowledge

In Proverbs 1, Solomon teaches us wisdom. He says that we should know
wisdom and instruction to perceive the words of understanding.
We should receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equality,
so that we can bestow our knowledge very carefully to the simple minded,
and teach the young men knowledge and discretion.
The wise men will hear and increase learning, and will increase his
understanding around others who are wise. To understand a proverb and its
interpretation, they will hear the words of the wise and their riddles.
By increasing themselves in knowledge, they are serving the Lord.
however, despise understanding and instruction through wisdom.
Fools,
Solomon instructed his son to hear the words of his father, and not to forsake
the law of his mother. They would be an an ornament of grace shining from
his head, and chains that would keep him safe.
He warned not to let sinners entice with wicked plans and devices against
the innocent without a cause. They should not plan evil things against them
for their own gain. Instead, he instructed to run from all evil, for they lay
wait for their own blood and for their own lives.
Such is the way for every one that is greedy. Through their gain, they are
taking away their own lives.
Wisdom is not hidden in secret mysteries -- it cries out loudly throughout the
streets. It cries out throughout the city saying, "how long, you simple ones,
will you love simplicity? How long, while the scorners delight in their
scorning and the fools hate knowledge?"
In God is wisdom. "behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, and will make
known my words unto you. Because I have called and you refused, and I
have stretched out my hand and no man payed any attention, I will laugh at
your troubles and will laugh at you in your fear."
When distress and anguish come upon you, fear comes as desolation, and
your destruction comes as a whirlwind. Those in fear will call upon God, but
he will not answer. They will seek for Him in the morning, but will not find
Him.
They are the ones that hated knowledge, and did not choose to serve God.
They will remain eating the fruits they have produced, and be filled with their
100
own devices. Even the simple will turn away from them, and the prosperity
of fools will destroy them.
But whoever listens to the Lord will dwell safely and will not have any fear of
evil.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we seek wisdom? Do we seek
equality? Do we fellowship with the wise who are advanced in wisdom, or
the simple minded who are just beginning their journey? Do we follow after
those who are greedy? Do we try to find wisdom in secret mysteries when it
is calling us like a siren in the streets? Do we refuse knowledge? Are we
eating the fruits we have produced, or waiting on the Lord to feed us? Are
we filled with fear? Are we even listening to the Lord?
101
The Important Letter of Love

John writing to the bride in John 2 said that the Truth dwelled within us and
would be with us forever.
He wished grace, mercy, and peace unto them, from "God the Father, and
from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father", in Truth and love.
It gave him great joy that he found their children walking in the Truth, just as
was commanded by the Father.
He implored them not to lose the original commandment, "that we love one
another." In perfect love, we should walk after His commandments, and that
we love one another is the commandment that they had heard from the
beginning. They should walk in Love.
He warned them that there were many deceivers that had entered into the
world. They did not teach that Jesus Christ became "a man" to live a perfect
life and die for our sins. He said that this was a deceiver and an antichrist.
They should review their own lives, so that they did not lose the things which
the disciples had taught them, and that they might have a full reward.
Whoever did not walk in Love was not abiding in the doctrine of Christ, did
not have God, and transgressed against Him. He that abided in the doctrine
of Christ has both the Father and the Son.
If there was any one that came to them, and did not bring this doctrine of
Love, they should not receive them into their house. Nor should they bid
them that God be with them on their way. He that did would be a partaker of
his evil deeds.
John had so many things that he wanted to write unto them, that it was more
than he could write with paper and ink. The rest, he decided to say when he
spoke to them face to face.
Out of all the things that John could have written them, the most important
thing he could write was the message of Love.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we strayed from the original
commandment? Do we walk in Love? Do we let deceivers place importance
on other things instead of love? Do we let deceivers teach Jesus was "more
than a man", and nullify the One who lived a perfect life to die for our sins?
Do we allow those not teaching Love to continue? Do we consider it the
most important commandment? Do we have perfect Love?
102
Let our Love Continue

Paul said in Hebrews 13 that we should let our Love for others continue.
We should never reject strangers in our midst, for by entertaining strangers
some have entertained angels without even knowing it.
We should
remember that some of these angels are also bound to the strangers, and
suffer misfortunes as you do.
Marriage is honorable in all things, and the bed is not defiled. Those who live
adulterously and sleep with whores will God judge.
Our conversation should be without longing for another's possessions. We
should be content with the things that we have, for God said he would never
leave us or forsake us. Through His faithfulness to us, we may boldly say
that The Lord is our helper, and we will not fear what men will do to us.
We should remember our pastors and leaders that have spoken the Word of
God to us, and follow their faith. We should consider the outcome of the
words they speak.
Jesus Christ is the same today. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday. Jesus
Christ is the same for ever. We should not be carried away from the fold with
any different strange doctrine than this. It is good that our hearts be
established with grace, not with strange doctrines that have not profited
those that believe them.
We have an alter, yet those that are servants of the tabernacle have no right
to eat the bodies of the sacrifice. It is burned outside the camp. Jesus also,
so that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the
gate. We should therefore go to Christ outside the camp, bearing his
reproach.
We have no city that lasts forever. We seek a city that will last forever.
Therefore, we should offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. The fruit
of our lips should give thanks to Him by His name. It is very good that we do
good things and talk about them to one another. God is well pleased with
this.
We should obey our pastors and our teachers, and submit ourselves to them.
They watch for our souls, since they will be required to give an account for
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them. They rule over us so that through our devotion, they can give their
account with joy and not with grief.
Paul said to pray for him, because he had a good conscience and was willing
to live honestly.
He prayed that the God of peace that raised up our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ from the dead, who is the great shepherd of His sheep through his
everlasting covenant, would make everything they do perfect. He prayed
that God would have the people do the things that would please God in His
sight, through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory for ever and ever, Amen.
He instructed them to take heed to this short letter.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: have we let our Love for others
continue? Do we reject strangers because they do not believe as we do?
Are we content with the things God has given us? Do we consider the
outcome of what our pastors and leaders have spoken?
If they are
continually wrong, do we remain in their camp, or are we outside the camp
with Jesus, bearing His reproach? Do our pastors realize that they are
responsible to give an account for each member of the flock? Do we do the
things that please God? Have we taken heed to Paul's letter?
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The Man, Christ Jesus

Paul said in Hebrews 2 that we should listen more closely to the things we
had learned from the apostles so that we don't let them slip away.
If the word spoken to us by the angels was strong and enduring, then every
disobedient act that we did would cause us to have judgment. If so, how
then, can we escape if we neglect the great salvation given to us by Jesus
Christ? Jesus instructed us first by himself, and then it was confirmed by
those who heard him. God also bore them witness with signs and wonders,
miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost.
The angels teach obedience to salvation, but God has not put the angels into
subjection for the world that is to come.
Yet some preached, what is this man Jesus? Why are you listening to a man
over the angels and prophets of old? You made him a little lower than the
angels, crowned him, and set him king over yourselves.
They simply did not understand! Jesus was made a little lower than the
angels so that He could die. He was crowned with glory and honor. By the
Grace of God, he died for every man. Through him, all things are made. By
him, all things are created. He will bring many children of God into glory,
because He is the captain of their salvation made perfect by His suffering.
He that sanctified them and they who are sanctified are one and the same.
This is the reason He was not ashamed to call them brethren. He said, "I will
declare my name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing
praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in Him. Behold I and the
children which God hath given me!"
The children are the partakers of the communion, and He also took
communion, so that through His death, He would destroy him that had the
power of death -- the devil! And he would deliver those that had the fear of
death throughout their lives from their bondage.
That is the reason he did not come down as an angel, he came down as a
man, the seed of Abraham. In all things, it pleased God to be made like his
brethren the Jews, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in all
things pertaining to God, and make a reconciliation of the sins of His people.
As a man, he suffered being tempted, and now is able to help those that are
being tempted in their time of difficulty.
105
As Christians we should ask ourselves: Have we let the original message

Jesus brought slip away? Do we hold onto the things the angels spoke, which
lead to judgment? Do we also try to claim that Jesus came down as God,
nullifying his redemption as a man? Do we raise the devil to omnipotence,
thinking he can be everywhere at all times tempting the people? Do we
accept that all men sin, and for this cause Jesus died for us? Do we allow
Jesus to help us with our temptations, or do we turn Him away?
106
Jesus Christ is our High Priest

In Hebrews 5, Paul said that every high priest from among men is ordained
not by God, but by men.
The high priest was ordained so that he would offer both gifts and sacrifices
for sins. He would have compassion on those who did not know or believe
the word, and help those who were backslidden. The high priest himself
would have compassion on them, for he himself is full of weakness and
failing.
The high priest made offerings for not just the sins of the people, but for
himself. Yet no man except Aaron took the honor to become high priest upon
himself.
Jesus Christ also did not not glorify Himself to be made a high priest. The
same Holy Father that said to Jesus, "Thou art my Son, today have I begotten
thee" said in another place, "Thou art a priest for ever and after the order of
Melchisedec."
Melchisedec offered prayers and offerings with strong crying and tears unto
God. He feared God, and knew that God was able to save him from death.
Though Jesus Christ was a Son of the Heavenly Father, he learned obedience
by the things that he suffered as a man. Being made perfect, he became the
author of eternal salvation unto all that obey Him. Christ was called of God a
high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
Melchisedec did many things as a man, some of which were hard for Paul to
even speak about. The people had become dull of hearing clearly the words
Paul spoke.
Paul said that in the time they ought to be teachers, they needed someone
to teach them again the original teachings of the prophets of old. As a baby,
they were in need of milk, instead of meat. Every one that used milk,
according to Paul, was not skilled in the word of righteousness, because he
was just a baby. When the baby reached a full age, they were ready for
meat.
The strong in the Gospel were the ones that were able to handle the meat.
They use their senses to discern both good and evil.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we raised our pastors up to the
point we think they are ordained by God and not by men? Do we think our
pastors are the only ones worthy to intercede? Do our pastors confess their
own sins before us? Do they cry daily for those who've never known Jesus
107
Christ? Do they have compassion on the backslidden Christian? Or do they

instead try to hide and cover up their own sin? Do they try to say that Jesus
was "just a man" and lived a perfect life as our example, when Jesus was God
and every man is born into sin? Do they still teach the old laws instead of
the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Are they giving us milk instead of meat?
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Teachers of Wisdom
In James 3, James told the people that not many of them should become
teachers. The teachers would have more to be judged by.
Teachers, in many things, can offend all people. But if any man did not
offend others by the words he spoke, the same is considered a perfect man,
able to control his whole body.
James gave an example of horses. We put bits in the horses mouths so that
they obey us. With that single bit, we can turn their whole body.
He gave another example of ships. Though they are great and mighty, and
are driven by fierce winds, they still can be turned with a very small helm by
the man who turns it.
In the same manner, the tongue is a very small member of the body, and it
boasts great things.
James said to watch how great objects can be destroyed with just a little fire.
And the tongue is like a fire, a world of iniquity can be created by our
tongues through the words that we speak. The tongue is among our
members of our body, yet it can defile the whole body. It can set our bodies
on the course of hell, and be burned with hell fires.
Every kind of animal in the world is tamed by mankind. But no man can
tame the tongue -- it is an unruly evil that is full of deadly poison. With the
tongue, we can bless God. With the tongue, we can also curse men, which
are made by God. Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing.
James said, "My brothers, this should not be so."
He asked them, "Does a fountain send bitter and sweet water at the same
time? Can the fig tree bear olive berries? Or a vine bear figs? Can a
fountain yield salt water and fresh water?"
James asked them, "Who is a wise man that is full of knowledge among you?
Let him show a good conversation with meekness and wisdom."
He said that wisdom does not come from heaven, but it is earthly, sensual,
and devilish. Where envy and strife are, there is confusion and every evil
work.
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Wisdom that is from above is first pure, then creates peace. It is gentle,
easily asked for. It is full of mercy and good fruits. It is without partiality,
and without hypocrisy.
The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by them that make peace.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we all try to become teachers, or
do we put the bits in our mouths and let God lead us? Are we pushing
forward by a mighty wind, or have we let God use the helm? Do we teach
love and mercy, while at the same time condemning those who do not follow
our sets of laws? Do we pray for them at night, and curse them with our
words during the day? Is our conversation with meekness and wisdom? Is
our wisdom from men, or from heaven? Has it created peace? Is it full of
mercy? Has it produced good fruits? Or is it with hypocrisy?
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With Not One Valid Prophecy, Was There a Prophet?

This question was posted in another topic, but is the shocking discovery as I
began my journey to seek the Truth.
I was unable to find one prophecy given before the actual event that came to
pass as WMB "prophesied". Most were claimed as "prophecies" over 20 years
later...
I was only able to find 2 prophecies that were spoken before the event but
they did not happen at all.
The question before was to ask about those that failed -- with God it is a "one
strike you are out policy" with a prophet.
But the real question here is: was there really a "prophet"?
111
Fruits of the Spirit

Luke 13 describes how some of the witnesses of Pilate's mixing blood with
the sacrifices of certain Galileans by killing them and spilling their blood.
The people thought those who suffered were sinners above all the rest of the
Galileans, because they had died in such a terrible way.
Jesus asked them, "Do you really think these Galileans were sinners above all
the Galileans because they allowed this?" Jesus told them that was not true,
and unless they repented, they would all perish.
He reminded them of when the tower in Siloam fell and killed eighteen men,
and asked them if they thought those men were sinners because they died.
He told them again, it was not true and unless they repent, they would all
perish.
He told them a parable of a man who had a fig tree planted in his vineyard.
He came to it for fruit, but found none. The man said to the tender of his
vineyard, "All these years I come seeking fruit from this fig tree, and find
none. Cut it down!"
The tender of the vineyard answered, "Master, let it alone this year, and I will
tend it with special care. If it bears fruit, then it will be good, and if not, we
can cut it down."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we think that other brothers and
sisters in Christ suffer only because they are sinners? If we do, have we
repented of it, so that we ourselves will not perish? Do we tend to those who
are struggling, helping them with special care? Do we help them grow in
Christ so that they can bear the fruits of the Spirit? Do we still "watch for the
dead tree to grow" when it has not bore any fruit? Are we ourselves showing
signs of bearing fruit?
112
Spread the Word!

In Mark 4, Jesus was speaking to a very large crowd of people by the side of
the sea. So many people were gathered that he entered into a ship to speak
to them while they sat on land.
He gave a parable about a farmer who was spreading seed. As he spread,
some of the seed fell away, and the birds came and devoured the seed.
Some also fell away on stony ground without much dirt, and it sprang up
very quickly with no depth to the ground. The sun rose and scorched it,
because without any root, it could do nothing but wither.
Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew around it. The thorns choked
it, and it yielded no fruit.
Some, though, fell on good ground. It sprang up and increased, and started
yielding fruit. Some brought thirty, some sixty, and some a hundred.
When he was alone with hid disciples, he asked them about the parable. He
said that they alone were given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to
everyone else, Jesus spoke in parables.
Jesus said that in seeing, they may see things and not perceive what really
happened. In hearing, they may hear things and not understand them. It is
better to speak to them in parables so they would be converted to Christ,
and their sins be forgiven.
Then, He began to explain the parable to them.
The sower spread the Word. Those that are by the way side where the Word
is sown, Satan comes immediately and takes the Word away from them.
Those that are on stony ground are the ones who have heard the Word and
immediately receive it with gladness. They have no root in themselves, so
they only endure for a short time. Afterwards, when persecution or affliction
comes for the Word's sake, they are immediately offended.
Those which are sown among the thorns are the people that hear the Word,
but the cares of this world, deceitfulness of riches, and lusts of other things
start entering in. These things choke the Word, and it becomes unfruitful.
The ones sown on good ground are the people who hear the Word and
receive it. They start to bring forth fruit, some thirty, some sixty, and some a
hundred.
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Jesus asked the disciples, is a candle supposed to be put under a bushel or

under a bed? Shouldn't it be set on a candlestick?
He said that there is nothing hid which cannot be shown. There was nothing
kept secret, that was not spread abroad.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we spreading the Word to
others? Are we spreading the Word everywhere so that we can bring forth
many fruit? Do we take care to help the Word in the weaker ones, so that it
takes root and grows? Do we let riches and other things choke out our fruit?
Do members of our congregations start to bring in thirty, sixty, or a hundred
new fruit? Do we shine our lights high on a candlestick, or do we hide it
under a bed for only a small group to see? Do we become obsessed with the
mystery of the parables, or do we hear and understand them? Are we even
sowing seed at all? Is our seed the Word, or are we spreading something
else?
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Eat, Drink, and Be Merry with God's Gift

In Ecclesiastes, Solomon considered his life and decided that most of what he
did was in vain. He wrote several warnings against vanity.
In Ecclesiastes 5, he said that we should carefully watch what we do when
we enter the house of God. It is better to listen than to offer the "sacrifice of
fools," which though was offered to God, was evil.
He said not to speak too quickly or let your heart be too hasty to speak to
God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. We should let our words be
few when we speak to God. He said that a dream comes with much activity,
and a fool's voice comes with many words.
He said that when you make a promise to God, you should not delay in
keeping it. God has no pleasure in fools. You should keep the promises that
you make to God.
You should not let your mouth lead you into sin by speaking many words. If
your promise fails to come to pass, do not tell others that it was a mistake.
Solomon asked, "Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the
work of your hands?" When dreams increase and the words grow many, you
will find vanity.
God is the one you must fear.
Likewise, when you see the oppression of the poor, and those who do not live
their lives right, do not be amazed. The officials are watched by a higher
official. The higher officials are watched by those higher than them. This is
profitable for a land in every way, it shows a king committed to cultivated
fields.
Solomon said that those who love money will not be satisfied with money.
Those who love wealth will not be satisfied with his income. This also is
vanity. When their goods increase, those who love them has no advantage
other than to see them with their own eyes.
The one who labors has the best sleep. Whether he eats little or much, he
sleeps well. The stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.
Solomon warned that there was one evil that he considered very
disheartening. Riches kept by their owner, and those riches were lost in a
bad investment, and nothing to give to their children. The one who lost it
will die just as he came into the earth, taking nothing with him though he
worked very hard for his wealth. Solomon asked, "What does this man gain?
115
He toils and labors only for the wind? He eats his meals in darkness, and is
cursed to sickness and anger."
Solomon said that what he found to be good and fitting was to eat and drink,
and live happily with what is allotted to you in life. It is good to work for the
few days of life that God has given you, and be satisfied. To everyone, God
has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and power to
accept his lot in life and rejoice in his labor. This is the gift of God.
Those who are happy with what is given to them will not sit contemplating
the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we too hasty when we speak to
God? Do we pray long, drawn out prayers with many words as a fool? Do we
make promises to God that we never keep? When our prayers are not
answered, do we think that God was the reason? Do we love money? Have
we become fat from our riches to the point we struggle to find sleep? Do we
hold onto our wealth, invest it unwisely, and have nothing to give to our
children? Are we happy with the things that God has given us, or do we lust
after more? Have we accepted the gift God has given us?
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Rejoice in the Word!

As the temple and the walls around Jerusalem were being rebuilt, Nehemiah
declared a day of celebration -- which was upsetting to some of the elders of
the church.
When Joshua and his family started rebuilding the temple, some of the
priests, very old men who had seen the first house of the Lord tried to
overpower the rejoicing of the people with their weeping. According to Ezra
3, David had instructed them to celebrate with music and praise unto the
Lord, but the elders did not like it and tried to drown it out.
Nehemiah 8 describes how the people were gathered together, packed
tightly into the square before the Water Gate to listen to Ezra talk about the
Book of the Law.
Ezra stood before the people on a wooden platform and read from the Book
of the Law. He blessed the Lord, and all the people agreed with him, bowing
their heads to the ground and worshipping the Lord. Others joined in and
helped the people to understand the Law, and read from the Book of Law
until the people understood.
Afterwards, Nehemiah joined with Ezra and declared the day holy before the
Lord, and commanded them not to mourn or weep. All the people were
weeping as they heard the words of the Law.
Nehemiah commanded them to eat the fat and drink sweet wine. He told
them to send portions of the meals and wine to those who did not have
meals or wine prepared. Most of all, he told them not to be grieved, for the
joy of the Lord was their strength.
Finally, the Levites calmed the people, saying telling them to stop their
mourning. The day was holy, and they should not be grieved. All the people
went their way to eat and drink, and to send portions to others so there
would be great rejoicing throughout the land. They were rejoicing because
they had understood the words that were spoken to them.
They built their houses as Moses had commanded them, and there was great
rejoicing. Day by day, he read from the Book of the Law of God, and
continued feasting until the eighth day when they joined together in the
assembly.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do our elders get upset in our music
and celebration? Do they read from the Word of God, or from the words of
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some other man? Do their words make us sad? Do they condemn us for
drinking wine and celebrating? Does the Word of God make us sad, or does
it make us rejoice? Do we read the Word day by day? Do we rejoice in the
Word?
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Persecuted for Christ

In Matthew 10, Jesus warned that persecution would come to the disciples.
He said that he was sending them out as "sheep in the midst of wolves," so
they should be both "wise as serpents" and "innocent as doves." Men would
try to cause them harm, and even brothers, fathers, and children would rise
against them unto death. Those that endure to the end would be saved.
Jesus told his disciples to have no fear for persecution. There was nothing
hidden that would not be revealed. The words that Jesus spoke to them in
private, they would proclaim loudly on the housetops. They should not fear
death, because their enemies could not kill their soul. Instead, they should
fear the one that can destroy both body and soul in hell.
He asked them, "Isn't it very cheap to purchase two sparrows? Yet neither
one will fall to the ground apart from the Father in Heaven." Even the hairs
of their heads were numbered, and they were more valuable than many
sparrows.
Everyone that acknowledges Jesus before men, Jesus would acknowledge to
God the Father. Whoever denies Jesus before men, Jesus would deny before
God the Father.
Jesus cautioned them not to think He came to bring peace to the earth. He
had not come to bring peace but war. He came to set a man against his
father, and a daughter against her mother. He said that whoever loves their
father or mother more than Him was not worthy of Christ. For any man to
find life, he must first lose his life for Christ's sake. Whoever loses his life for
Christ's sake will find it again.
Jesus said that whoever receives his disciples receives Christ, and whoever
received Christ received God who sent Him. Those that receives a prophet
would only receive a prophet's reward. Those who received a righteous
person would receive a righteous person's reward.
Whoever is kind enough to give one of the little ones even a small cup of
water because he is a disciple would by no means lose his reward.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we fear persecution? Are we
"wise as serpents?" Are we "innocent as doves?" Do we think that there is
something hidden that only our small group has? Do we acknowledge Jesus
before others? Do they even know we are Christians? Have we given up
everything to serve Him? Do we receive those sent by God to preach the
Word? Have we received Christ?
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Saving the Saved

Luke 5:27-32 Tells the story of a man name Levi, who was a publican.
In this time period, tax collectors were sent from Rome to collect taxes from
all cities under Rome's rule, and a publican was a tax collector for the Roman
empire. These people were greatly despised by the Jews, who felt they were
unclean; mostly Pagan worshippers sent from Rome to disrupt their culture.
As tax collectors, they were highly discriminated against. They had no place
with the other Jews of stature, forced to sit with the ones that the Jews
considered as low-life or sinners. They were so despised that they were used
in the example of ex-communication, saying that the offender must be
treated as a "tax collector."
Jesus was not discriminative, however. He saw Levi sitting at his tax booth,
and asked him "Come and follow me." The Bible makes no mention of Levi
previously being a believer of Christ or even being kind toward the Jews, yet
he left everything and followed Jesus.
Levi prepared a great feast in his own home for Jesus, and invited a large
crowd of other tax collectors and sinners to join in the feast. Jesus did not
take one look at the crowd of sinners and immediately head for the door,
instead He joined them for the feast and began to eat and drink with them.
The Pharisees and their scribes started complaining to His disciples. They
asked, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"
Jesus answered that those who are well have no need of a doctor. Those who
are sick are the ones who need the doctor. He said that He had not came to
earth to call the righteous, but He came to call the sinners to repentance.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we separate ourselves from the
sinners, or others who do not believe as we do? Do we invite the sinners to
join us for worship, or are we ashamed if they sit next to us in the pew? If we
are seen in public with sinners, are we ashamed to be with them? Do we
gossip about others who are not ashamed to be around sinners? As pastors,
do we spend our days preaching to the saved, or are we searching for the
lost? Do we try to call the saved to repentance and shun the sinners? Would
we ourselves be considered a "tax collector" by Jesus if he were here today?
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A Legion of Witness
Luke 8 describes how Jesus sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is
opposite of Galilee. It was a country of Gentiles that was culturally more
Greek than Semitic, and describes a herd of pigs which were unclean to the
Jews.
There was a man living there who had been naked for a long time, living in
the tombs of the dead instead of the houses with the others of the city. He
was well known in the city, and had been bound in chains and shackles
under guard many times. Each time he was captured, the man would break
the bonds and be driven to the desert among the tombs by the demon that
were in him.
When the man saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him. With a loud
voice, he said, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High?"
Though there is no history of the man ever coming in contact with Jesus, the
demons within him recognized who Jesus was. They immediately knew that
Jesus was the Son of God.
Jesus asked the poor man what his name was, and the man replied "Legion,"
which was the name of the basic military unit of the great Roman army. He
was called that because he had many demons inside of him.
The demons begged Jesus not to command them to depart the man and
leave him for the abyss, for they knew that at His commandment they would
be forced into darkness. Instead, the begged Jesus to command them to
leave the man and enter the herd of pigs on the hillside.
Jesus did not make war with the demons, though he could have called ten
thousand angels to come and destroy them. By simply speaking, he could
have cast them into the darkness forever. He did not take anger against the
demons. He gave them permission to enter the herd of pigs. They
immediately left the man and entered the pigs, which then rushed down the
steep bank into the lake and drowned.
Herdsmen of the pigs were standing by to witness this great event, and they
fled to the city and started telling it throughout the city and the country. The
people came to see what had happened, and they saw the man once
possessed with demons fully clothed, in his right mind, and walking with the
arm of Jesus around him. Those that seen it went back to the surrounding
country and told them how the demon possessed-man had been healed.
Jesus had been there for some time. From the time the man was healed, the
herdsmen spread the news throughout the country, several came to witness
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the event, and then they spread their news throughout the country. Still,
they were filled with fear of this Son of God who could speak and demons
would flee.
Jesus got into his boat, and the man who was healed begged Jesus to come
with Him. Jesus told the man to return to his home and declare how much
God had done for him. The man returned, and was a mighty witness for God.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: If we saw a naked man, would we
turn our eyes and walk away, or would we try to help the man? If we saw a
man who was troubled in his mind, would we try to find help for him, or
would we let him live his life in torment? Would we shackle him, or pray for
him? Would we try to keep it secret from others who would pray with us? Do
we think that Jesus would not have compassion for them, when Jesus showed
compassion for the demons themselves?
If we had such a terribly
embarrassing problem and were healed, would we keep silent about it, or
would we declare the Power of God for healing us? Would we be a witness
for Christ?
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Mysteries Out of Context

If you search the word "mystery" in the MSG, you'll quickly find that WMB
was fascinated by mysteries, at over 400 of the 1100+ sermons. If you
broaden that to include antiquities and study of ancient civilization, you'll be
shocked to see how most of the sermons he preached involved some
mystery or another.
So much that at the end of his ministry, he would be found saying that the
"bride" must have the "mystery of the seven seals" to have rapturing faith in
a few roundabout ways.
Take the following quote:
Quote:
Now, this blessed old Book is a Book of all books. And there's only One can
rightfully interpret this Book, and that's the Holy Spirit. He's the Writer of it.
And it's only One that can really interpret. No matter how well we think we
know it, we don't know it until the Holy Spirit has revealed it, because it's-it's all a mystery. It's cut up in mysteries. And God said He did it purposely,
so He could hide It from the smart and wise, but He would reveal It to babes
such as would learn.
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On the surface, this looks good. None would argue.
But if you really catch what he's doing here, you quickly find that he has
taken away the listener's ability to understand the Word of God, for it's
hidden in mystery.
The first problem here is context. This quote from the bible, "hide it from the
smart and wise," and "reveal it to babes such as would learn", comes from
Matthew 11:25.
Quote:
At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven
and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent,
and hast revealed them unto babes.
This quote, used over and over by WMB refers to the Pharisees and their
Scribes not being able to notice that John the Baptist was Elijah. If you read
the entire chapter in context, you find that he is praising God that the
Pharisees and their Scribes, who were vainly puffed up by their ways, and
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having their hearts hardened, refusing to submit to the righteousness of God.

They set about to establish their own salvation by their good works.
Had the Pharisees and Scribes knew that John the Baptist was the one
Malachi 3-4 spoke about, they would have certainly kept him from the
sinners who needed salvation.
Jesus said in the same chapter (referring to that which was hidden), "John
came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of
Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look at him! A glutton and a
drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is justified by
her deeds."
The only "mystery" that was to be made known was really who would be the
Christ child. After his resurrection, ALL who believed in Jesus Christ could be
saved, and there was no hidden mystery.
Peter criticized several who took some of Paul's writings and misconstrued
them -- making mysteries out of his words. He condemned these people who
tried to make mysteries out of the Bible, calling them "ignorant and
unstable."
Quote:
So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort
to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our
Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you
with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters,
speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are
hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do
the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. (2 Peter 3:14)
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Wisdom in Christ
Matthew 12 describes how certain scribes and Pharisees came to Jesus and
said "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you."
They were testing Jesus to see if he would produce some great sign that
would convince them of his divinity, although they had just witnessed Jesus
healing a man with a withered hand and a mute.
Jesus replied that "an evil and adulterous generation" looks for a sign. He
said that no sign would be given to them except for the sign of the prophet
Jonah. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and
nights, Jesus would be three days and nights in the heart of the earth.
Jesus warned the scribes and Pharisees that the men of Nineveh would rise
up at the day of the judgment with their same generation and condemn
them. The people of Nineveh repented at the teachings of Jonah. Jesus said,
"Behold, a greater than Jonah is here."
Jesus then made a reference to wisdom, through "The queen of the South"
who came to hear Solomon.
According to 1 Kings 10:1-13,The queen of Sheba had heard of the great
wisdom of King Solomon, and journeyed to see him to test him with
questions. The queen was astounded by Solomon's great wisdom, and gave
a blessing to Solomon's God, though she herself did not believe in his God.
According to Josephus "Antiquities of the Jews", the queen of Sheba was the
queen of Egypt and Ethiopia, who were generally known as worshippers of
the sun god. This is supported by other accounts of the queen of Sheba in
other ancient texts. Yet she still came to hear Solomon, and blessed the One
True God.
Jesus said the queen of Sheba would also rise with the people of Nineveh at
the day of the judgment and condemn their generation. Since she came
from afar to hear the wisdom of Solomon, she would also condemn them.
Solomon was well known for his amazing wisdom, and well respected from
the time of their generation even unto today.
Jesus said, "Behold, a greater than Solomon is here."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we look for a sign? Do we look
for healing as a sign, when even the Pharisees did not give credit to healing?
Do we accept the greatest sign of all, the resurrection of Jesus Christ? Do we
seek after Him with wisdom as the queen of Sheba did Solomon? Do we
condemn others who worship other gods, or do we convert them to Christ
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with wisdom? Do we accept the message of Jesus Christ as the ultimate

wisdom? Do we behold the greater than Solomon that is in Jesus Christ?
127
Altar Calls Through Fear

Most MSG preachers will deny this now, but I remember a time hearing the
same sermon in about 5 different MSG churches.
It would start out with quotes from "God of this Evil Age", condemning the
entire world and its churches. In the middle, it would talk about the bride that
was being prepared for the groom. At the end it would be the weeding out of
the good from the bad.
Then the fear tactic would start, and it would draw a great altar call: "As it
was in the days of Noah. How many survived with Noah? ... 8 souls. Friends,
we need to get closer to God!!!!"
This is a common theme through WMB's message. The "little bride" the
"chosen few".
Quote:
I was speaking here a few days ago upon this Scripture, "Strait is the gate,
and narrow is the way, and but few there'll be that will find it."
And a young man who was riding with me in a car, said, "How many would
you say would be saved in this generation?"
I said, "Eight or ten."
"Oh," he said, "Don't say that, brother."
I'll say, "I'll lengthen it to fifty, and that's as many as I can go."
He said, "Fifty people?"
I said, "Jesus said when He was on earth, 'As it was in the days of Noah, so
shall it be in the coming of the Son of man.' Days of Noah, there was eight
souls saved." Now, remember a generation fades out each day, ends that
generation. Take fifty a day for six thousand years and see what you've got.
And he said, "Well then, Brother Branham, I'd like to ask you this question. All
the people that's claim to have the Holy Sprit, and so forth, won't they come
in the resurrection?"
I said, "If they had the Holy Sprit. But what we been putting too much
emphasis on, is on other things instead of the real thing, the love of God."
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Reading the Bible without my "MSG goggles" on, I do find a few scattered
scriptures to support a "chosen few". There are far greater scriptures to
support a very, very large group of the saved.
I remember after finally coming to this realization, and looking at the people
around me at the restaurant we were in after church one Sunday. Without the
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"MSG goggles" on, you start seeing brothers and sisters in Christ everywhere
you go! It's incredible!
Quote:
He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord
of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. (Luke
10:2)
Quote:
And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and
they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. (John
10:16)
Quote:
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds[c]
and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the
body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the
stature of the fullness of Christ (Eph 4)
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Teaching on Moses
One of the many problems I find with WMB's message is the fact that he
placed the prophets at a place that was far higher than God intended them
to be. The prophets themselves were almost at a level of worship, just as the
Pharisees did in the day when Jesus rebuked them.
Quote:
Moses had the Word. Now remember, after the Word was made manifest,
Moses was Moses again. See? But while that Word was in him to be give out,
he was God. For he wasn't Moses no more; he had the Word of the Lord for
that age. Nothing could touch him till that was over, had that Word with him.
So therefore, when he come, the people turned their heads; they couldn't
understand. He'd been changed; he was a different fellow. He come with that
Word. And he put a veil, the Bible said, over his face, for he had the Word.
And he was the Word to them.
The Unveiling of God, June 14, 1964 (tape #64-0614M)
Prophets are NOT a man that becomes GOD, they are the mouthpiece for
God to speak through.
Quote:
Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to
Moses directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen.
(Acts 7:44)
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Vain Worship
Matthew 15 describes how the Pharisees had kept parts of the old laws, yet
left other parts behind for their own benefit. The Pharisees and scribes
condemned Jesus, saying "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the
elders, they do not wash their hands when they eat?"
According to Exodus 30, people were required to make a bronze basin that
sat upon a bronze stand for washing. Aaron and his sons would wash their
hands and their feet before they went near the alter to minister, otherwise
they would die. This was a statute they must keep forever, and their
offspring throughout their generations, according to the scriptures.
Jesus knew that the generation that lived under the law had passed, and that
the law had already became twisted to the advantage of the Pharisees. He
answered them, "Why do you break the commandment of God for the sake
of your own tradition? God commanded 'Honor your father and your
mother,' and 'Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die', but you tell
your fathers 'What you would have gained from me is given to God.'" In
doing this, they dishonored their fathers. For the sake of their tradition, they
had made the Word of God void. Jesus said, "You hypocrites!"
Jesus reminded them what the prophet Isaiah prophesied:
"This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. In vain
they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men."
Jesus did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill the law. The law had
failed, so Jesus came set things back in order by grace and faith in Him.
Through Love, the law would be corrected.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we keep portions of the old laws
for our advantage, and omit others? Do our churches have a large bronze
basin? If we realize that a large bronze basin is not needed, why do we not
realize that other laws under the old covenant were for the generation before
us? Do we hold onto the doctrines of men over the grace, love, and peace
that Jesus taught? Are we worshipping in vain?
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Signs from Heaven

Matthew 16 describes how the Pharisees and Sadducees came demanding a
sign from heaven.
The Pharisees and the Sadducees were both groups of Jewish priests, but
greatly opposed one another. The Pharisees believed there was a coming
Messiah, believed in holding onto both the oral and written traditions of the
Mosaic law, and resurrection of the dead. The Sadducees, on the other hand,
believed only the written law, and denied resurrection and angels.
Jesus answered them, explaining how they have enough interpretation to
determine the weather. If it is a red sky in the evening, they knew it would
be fair weather the next morning. If it was red in the morning, they knew it
would be stormy weather. He said that though they could predict the
weather, they did not have enough interpretation of the scriptures to see the
very signs before their eyes.
He said that "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no
sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah." He then left them and
departed with his disciples.
When they reached the other side, Jesus warned the disciples to beware of
the "leaven" of the Pharisees and Sadducees. This confused the disciples
because they did not bring any bread.
Jesus asked them, "how is it that you do not understand?" He had just fed
four thousand with only seven loaves of bread, they needed no physical
bread. He said that it was not bread that he was speaking about.
Then, the disciples understood what Jesus was saying. They understood that
it was the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees that Jesus was speaking
about.
Leaven, when added to dough, causes the bread to rise and become "puffed
up". Leaven is a fungus that is added to the dough, not naturally found in
the grain. Jesus was referring to the teachings of these groups that added
their own doctrines to the Truth.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we seek after a sign? If Jesus
came today in blue jeans and a T-shirt, would we recognize Him? Would we
ask Him to prove Himself with a sign? Do we hold to the teachings that our
preachers and evangelists give us that include more tradition than Gospel?
Do they include "leaven," causing others to rise in stature and become
"puffed up?" Are we part of the "wicked and adulterous generation?"
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133
Churchianity vs. Christianity

My friend writes:
In honesty I look at this I only see myself in a very few of the Christian
category side. The Christianity side I've seen in some very dear Christian
friends is what I focused on while writing this. It was their example that has
helped me see through the differences in Legalism and true attributes of
Christianity. After years in the Message, I have learned the differences
between the two very well. I believe if we can just focus on HIS WORD and
HIS DESIRES rather than by what others tell us we need to do, He can show
us the light that can even come through times of extreme darkness. I know I
still feel like I'm fumbling though life trying to figure it all out after years of
indoctrination in a man-made system. I believe the scribes and Pharisees
were the legalistic churchianity's that are still very present in the same way
today. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. Could it be He has tried
to teach us through His teachings that the Bible churchianity's, the legalist,
and misguided people from the times He came in flesh were the very
example of what we are NOT supposed to be today?
I'm quite simply not as knowledgeable as most of my friends when it comes
to the Bible so forgive me for my simplicity, but this is something that I wrote
some time ago and at that time I really felt God opening up to me that I
myself had been so mislead for years and was walking as the scribes and
Pharisees in Jesus day thinking the Message was the only way and anyone
outside that was wrong. Was that thinking any different than the religious
fanatics of Jesus day??
"Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel".
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the
outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and
excess".
"Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter,
that the outside of them may be clean also."
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited
sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of
dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness".
"Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full
of hypocrisy and iniquity".
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"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the
tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous".
135
I Predict that a great fish will swallow Jonah!!!

This is one question that I can certainly find no answer to.
The book of revelation outlines the seven church ages (to Asia). Copying a
book by Clarence Larkin, WMB got the dates of the time periods for each of
these church ages. Then, by "divine revelation", WMB told us who the
"messenger" was for each "age," placing himself at the throne of the last
church age.
Aside from the fact that one of these "messengers" was not alive during his
church age (Columba), and another was born in another church age (Martin
Luther), there is the problem with Paul that I overlooked when writing my
book.
John the Revelator wrote the book of prophecy around the year 95 AD. The
book outlined the future church ages.
The Apostle Paul died in 67, almost thirty years before the book of prophecy
was written.
Out of a book of prophecy, which foretold the future coming events, why
would John the Revelator "prophesy" that the Apostle Paul would rise up in a
church age that had already came and gone?
That would be like me prophesying that a great fish will swallow Jonah, and
he will be inside that fish for three days! And it will all happen ... a long time
ago!!!!
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Shhhhhhhhhh! Don't Tell Anyone!

I remember a story from when I was growing up from a pastor that was very
close to WMB.
The topic of salvation was being discussed in private, which let to a few other
things, but finally ended up to the point that all it took was faith in Jesus
Christ for salvation. WMB got a very serious look on his face, leaned over to
this pastor, and said, "shhhhhhh! Don't you tell anyone that!"
This moment in time had a large impact on this pastor (though being young,
I never understood what that impact actually was. I just remember the scene
as it was described.)
When you stop and think about this, it's true. It only takes faith in Jesus
Christ!
Quote:
For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the
gift of God (Eph 2:8)
The strange part of this story, now that I'm reading the Bible through my own
eyes instead of some man from the past, is the "shhhhhhh" part of it! It's
quite a difference from:
Quote:
That which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the
housetops. (Luke 12)
137
Upon the Rock

Matthew 16 describes how Jesus came into Caesarea Philippi, and asked his
disciples who the people thought the Son of Man is.
Caesarea Philippi was a Roman city at the southwestern base of Mount
Hermon, in a district known as the "Panion," named after the Greek god pan.
It was founded by Philip the Tetrarch, who made it into a capital of his large
Tetrarchy, or Roman system of government. It is the city where the woman
with the blood issue that Jesus healed was from.
Though this city was filled with Pagan worship from the temple Herod had
erected, the people recognized Jesus as a powerful man of God. Some said
He was John the Baptist, who Herod had already killed. Some thought Him to
be Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets, who also were already dead. The
city could recognize the spirit that was in Christ, and that it was a good one.
The disciples told this to Jesus, and Jesus asked them, "but who do you say
that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living
God!"
Jesus blessed Peter, and said that he did not learn this from men on the
earth. Jesus said that His Father who is in heaven revealed this to Peter.
Jesus said, "You are Peter (which means 'stone'), and upon this rock I will
build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give
you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall
be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in
heaven." Then, Jesus told his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
As a man, this must have pleased Peter. It's been said that Peter was the
'rock', but the two words differ. Nevertheless, out of all the disciples, Jesus
gave Peter the keys to the kingdom.
Jesus foretold his coming death and resurrection to the disciples. Oddly
enough, out of all the disciples, Peter is the one that Jesus rebuked! Peter
was bold enough to take Jesus aside and tell Him that these things would
never happen to Jesus. Jesus responded to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan!
You are a hindrance to me. You are not setting your mind on the things of
God, but on the things of man."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Would we go into a Pagan district to
preach the Gospel? Would we have recognized Christ? Out of all the
disciples, would it have been us that Jesus gave the keys to the kingdom? If
we were given the keys, would we quickly rise and think we were bold
138
enough to argue with Jesus? Do we think that great men of God cannot take
actions for Satan? Are our minds on the things of God, or the things of man?
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Peer Pressure: I Believe Because Others Do

Peer pressure in the church is one thing I've never touched on, but it was
brought up in another post. I felt this is something that really needs to be
addressed.
Taking examples from many conversations over the past few months. I am
combining conversations with several people in several different states. Let
me generalize:
Quote:
Q) Brother Branham Lied. Several times. Doesn't that bother you?
A) No. I believe there was a reason why he said what he did.
Q) Have you ever stopped to consider the scriptures that tell us what
happens to liars?
A)
Notice there is an empty answer at the end.
Quote:
Q) Why would I continue to believe in things that simply are not true?
Because everyone else I know does?
A) People have known for years that some of these things are not true. What
harm is there in believing in it?
This one is the reason I wrote my book and included my testimony. It could
have taken my life. It has taken the lives of others. It has driven some from
Christianity altogether.
Quote:
Q) I can't find a single prophecy that can be confirmed. All were "prophesied"
20-30 years later, and most didn't even happen like he prophesied from
hindsight. Explain.
A) Well, I can tell you one: He prophesied I (this person) would be the pastor
of the church
Q) Doesn't the Bible say that if one prophesy fails, not to listen to that
prophet?
A)
Notice again, an empty answer at the end. This one ended up with me being
"shunned" from that particular church, and not in a way that is according to
the Bible.
Quote:
Q) I'm finding several teachings that simply don't line up with the scriptures
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A) Yes, but what about the healings?

Q) Didn't brother Branham himself quote that "gifts and callings are without
repentance?
A) Yes, but what about Donnie Morton? He was healed!
Q) Have you ever looked into that?
A) I dont' need to! Everyone in the message knows about Donnie Morton's
healing. It was even in Reader's Digest
Q) Did you know that the Reader's Digest article itself told that Donnie
Morton died of the exact disease brother Branham claimed to cure him of?
A) ummmmmmm ... no
Would we have even thought that Donnie Morton was healed had we not
heard our preachers and WMB incorrectly tell us that he was healed?
Quote:
Q) If the teachings did not line up with the Bible, how can we be sure this
"message" was from God?
A) What about the pillar of fire that hung over his head? George J. Lacy of the
FBI verified that it was the first and only supernatural photo
Q) Did you know that Mr. Lacy was never in the FBI? That he was paid to give
a report on the photo? And that his report simply stated that a light [any
light] was shining on the camera?
A) Well, it hangs in the hall of science in Washington DC. Isn't that proof
enough?
Q) Did you know there was never a hall of science? And that it is in an
archive drawer with the same type of reports on Joseph Smith?
A) really?
Q) Did you know that the Bible says that "even Satan disguises himself as a
bright light?"
A) It does???
Had we not been told that the photo was "supernatural" from birth, would we
even think that it was of God? Wouldn't we think it was a double-exposure or
a light from the ceiling?
Quote:
Q) When he preached the "Seven Seals", there is only about 15 minutes of
substance in each sermon, all of which comes directly from the Bible and
books by Clarence Larkin. The rest is all about a hunting trip. Wouldn't such a
divine revelation have some "meat behind it?"
A) Seven angels flew above his head, vindicating that message. It was higher
than any cloud can form, investigated by the US Government, and is a
mystery to this day
Q) Did you know that he wasn't in Arizona when that cloud formed?
A) No, but God has the power of space and time. He was there, I believe it.
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Q) Did you know that the cloud was formed over three hundred miles north
of where he was hunting? And that the US government's report explained
exactly how a THOR missile detonation caused that cloud? And that it has
statistical information that shows it drifting at an altitude where clouds form
from northern California eastward across Arizona?
A)
If we were not told lies about this cloud from birth, would we have even
believed that it was supernatural?
Quote:
Q) How do we know this message was from God?
A) A light shone from the heavens when brother Branham was baptizing, and
God spoke from the heavens saying "As John the Baptist was sent {...}"
Newspapers all the way to Canada reported this! How can you deny it?
Q) Have you ever stopped to think about that? Such a tremendous sign from
the heavens, wouldn't there be monuments placed here, and thousands of
believers instead of a little handful in Jeffersonville?
A) No, but God hid this from their eyes
Q) Have you ever looked at the newspapers brother Branham claimed to
have this article?
A) No
Q) Did you know that not one of the papers carrying the associated press
content carried the article as brother Branham claimed?
A) Really?
Think about this one for a moment. If someone told us that their church was
vindicated by a light and a voice from heaven, wouldn't we think they were
crazy and investigate it? Wouldn't we start to wonder why nobody else had
heard of this? Wouldn't we search this one out for ourselves?
Quote:
Q) Why do you believe the MSG? Because everyone else does?
A) No. I believe because I known in my heart that it is right?
Q) Have you ever searched it out for yourself?
A) ummmmm. No.
So here are my questions for all:
1) If we had never been told about this message, what in the Bible would
have pointed us to it?
2) If these healing campaigns were on TV with today's "televangelists", and
we saw prayer cards that contained the name, address, and sickness being
retold to the afflicted, what would lead us to believe they were not being
read by the ushers?
142
3) If we were never told since birth that WMB was Elijah the prophet, and we
saw several visions that were told long after the event happened, and told
incorrectly, would we believe WMB was a prophet?
4) If a man came to us today and told several conflicting stories about his
early years and asked us to follow him, would we follow?
5) If then we believed it because we were taught to believe it since birth,
why did our fathers believe the message with all of these problems? Was it
because of the healings? The lights? What is more important than the Truth?
143
Would We Recognize Jesus?

Matthew 17 describes how Jesus and three others went up to Mount
Transfiguration, where Jesus was changed before their very eyes.
It is interesting that only three of His disciples went up the mountain with
Jesus, because such a great thing happened when they reached the top and
Jesus was changed. These must have been very faithful men in the eyes of
Jesus.
After the change, His face shown as bright as the sun, and His clothes
became as white as bright light. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah were standing
beside Jesus, talking with Him.
Peter, who had the keys to the kingdom said, "Lord, it is good that we are
here!" Peter offered to make three tents of worship, one for Jesus, one for
Moses, and one for Elijah. Peter was going to worship the prophets as well as
Jesus, and God the Father cut him off in mid-sentence.
While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud of light came over them. God
the Father started speaking to them at the same time Jesus was standing
before Moses and Elijah, and said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am
well pleased; listen to Him."
It should be noted that some "Jesus Only" preachers have added words to
the Bible here, "in whom I am well pleased to dwell in," changing the context
of this passage by adding to the scripture. The heavenly Father was pleased
with his Son, and told Peter to listen to Jesus.
When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces. They were terrified
when God from heaven spoke. Jesus came and touched them, telling them
to arise and have no fear. When they lifted their eyes, Moses, Elijah, and the
cloud with the Heavenly Father was gone. They saw Jesus only.
As they were travelling down the mountain, Jesus told them to tell no man
what they had seen until after the Son of Man is raised from the dead. The
disciples were confused by this. They asked Jesus, "Why do the scribes say
that Elijah must first come?"
Jesus responds to them that Elijah already came. The word used in the
original text is "erchomai", which means "first in succession." He also said
that Elijah does come. The word in the original text is "ede," which means
"now." Jesus said that Elijah is the one that will restore all things, but that
Elijah has already come and they did not recognize him. To John, they did
144
whatever they pleased. In the same manner, the Son of Man will also suffer
at their hands.
After this saying, the disciples knew that Jesus was speaking to them of John
the Baptist.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Would we be worthy to be one of the
three that Jesus showed these things to? If we saw Moses or Elijah come,
would we worship them, or would our minds stay focused on Jesus? Would
we add words to our Bible as some of the end-time fire-and-brimstone
preachers have done, to make our doctrines hold water? Would we miss the
fact that Elijah already came in John the Baptist as these three disciples did?
Would we even recognize Jesus when He comes back to earth to take us
home with Him?
145
Healing by Faith in Jesus Christ

Matthew 17 describes how the father of an epileptic son came to Jesus for
mercy on his child.
The father told Jesus how the son was in such bad shape that he would fall
into the fire and water very often. The father had previously brought the boy
to the disciples for healing, but they were unable to heal the child.
Jesus did not rebuke the father for his lack of faith. He said that he was living
in a "faithless and twisted generation," and rebuked the demon in the child.
The demon immediately came out of the child, and the boy was healed
instantly.
The disciples came to Jesus privately to find why they could not cast the
demon out of the child. Jesus said that their faith was very little. He said
that if they only had the faith of a single grain of mustard seed, they could
move a mountain. He did not say that it was the faith of the father that
prevented the healing.
With just the faith of one grain of a mustard seed, nothing will be impossible.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: If a minister prays for healing for us
and it does not come to pass, do we blame ourselves? Why do some of the
televangelists of this day say "go and have faith, or it will return to you,"
when Jesus healed instantly? Did they really have enough faith in Jesus to
heal? When we go to a minister for healing, do we mistakenly think that he
has an open channel to God that we do not have? Is our faith in the man, or
is our faith in Jesus Christ?
146
Alfred Pohl Interview Feb. 21, 1990

In an interview with the 'O Timothy' magazine editor, Alfred Pohl described
the "miraculous" healing campaigns that WMB claimed to have healed
"thousands."
Pohl was WMB's assistant during the campaigns at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
in Canada.
Though I truly believe God healed many in WMB's meetings, this interview
puts the healing campaigns into real perspective. Over time, they seem to
have grown into something entirely different, like a fable of Robin Hood. We
need to remember that WMB was just a man, and that God decides who
would and would not be healed.
Quote:
O Timothy: Now, did many claim to be healed, or did it seem that many were
healed in the meeting?
Pohl: In the meetings? Ah, yes, there were those that claimed to be healed,
and there were those people that thought they saw healings, or thought they
saw miracles. But, when you were on the inside, you saw that some of those
things that were supposed to be miracles, were not miracles at all. From the
outside, you would think that something had really happened; but having
been right close to Branham, and working right with him, I discovered that a
lot of those supposed healings or miracles were really notmiracles after all.
O Timothy: Okay. As you took him through the dorm, he prayed for different
individuals. What did he say
during those encounters with the individuals?
Pohl: Well, one of the things he did was to take the hand of the person, and
quite often I heard him say
that the angel that gave him this gift told him that to identify certain
diseases--and he would speak of cancer very much--there are vibrations that
he felt on his hand that indicate that this person has cancer. So he would
take the patient's hand and hold it. He would say, "Yes, the vibrations tell me
that you have cancer."
Then he'd say something like this, "We're going to pray for you, that the Lord
will heal you." And he proceeded to do this. Then he went on, and when he
was through praying, he would take that hand again or else he would hold
the hand throughout the prayer, and he would say, "The vibrations are gone.
The cancer is dead. You are healed."
147
And the person would rejoice, of course; so would I. I thoroughly believed in

Branham, I thought he was God's man and so forth, and we wanted to see
people healed. So [supposedly] the cancer was dead, and we were happy
about this.
But then he had a little added statement there, and that was something like
this, "Now, just keep on trusting the Lord. You're healed. Don't loose your
faith in the Lord. Just keep your faith and trust the Lord, and you're healed."
He said, "You're going to be sick for a while. You're going to be quite sick for
a few days." Quite often he referred to three days. "You're going to be very
sick for three days."
The people often asked, "Well, what do you mean, Brother Branham? If I'm
healed, why should I be sick?"
He said, "The cancer, the cancerous growth which is now dead inside your
body has to be carried out by the blood stream. And it's waste material; it
has to be carried out; it's poison material, and so you'll be sick for quite
awhile until that is carried away."
But what happened then was this: that in the meantime the people wouldn't
worry about it. They'd say, "Well, that's what Branham said would happen.
I'm healed. "
But this went on, till some of these people got sicker and sicker and died.
So he had an out. By this time he was gone [from that place].
O Timothy: Right. So there were many that he proclaimed healed?
Pohl: Yes, yes. Practically every one as I recall, standing beside these various
bedsides--practically everyone was pronounced healed. But the tragedy is
that so many of those died after Branham was gone. So there was something
wrong.
He also said, "Don't let your faith fail." In other words he emphasized that
point. "Don't let your faith fail." And his out was this, I'm sure, that when they
died, well, "Their faith failed."
It wasn't his faith, it was their faith. In other words, it was the patient's faith,
which I don't see that in Scripture. When the Lord healed people, they were
healed. And there wasn't such a thing as "You'll be
sick for five days, or three days," and so, "don't lose your faith." I don't see
that in Scripture.
O Timothy: There was a newspaper that tried to investigate the healings. Can
you tell me something
about that? What were they able to confirm as far as healings?
148
Pohl: Yes, in Winnipeg. Branham came to Canada at that time and he

preached at a number of Apostolic churches in Canada. The first church was
the church of our moderator in Winnipeg, who brought him into Canada. And
Mr. Branham had his campaign there. Then he came later on to Saskatoon.
When the campaign was in progress in Winnipeg, the newspaper (one of the
large city newspapers) was giving considerable coverage to the meetings,
and they indicated that there were a lot of people healed. They were
favorable to this church, and advertised it and gave news reports that quite a
few people were healed. But later on that same editor sent out some
reporters to check on some of these people that they had written up in the
paper weeks before. [The reporters were] to check up and see whether these
people who were supposedly healed at that time, were still healed, were still
alive, or whatever.
And when these reporters went back, they discovered that these people had
died, or were in the same state or in a worse state than they were before. So,
the editor then put it in the paper that these cases had turned out to be
phonies, and that these people weren't healed after all. And there was
something wrong with these so-called miracles and healings.
But when the pastor of the church saw these reports in the paper, he went to
the editor rather disturbed and not very happy about the situation, and he
confronted the editor: "Why do you do this to our church? You're hurting the
reputation of our church, and you shouldn't do that to us."
And the editor said words something to this effect, "Well, pastor, if the
healings are genuine, you don't have to worry, do you?"
And I thought to myself later on when I heard this, well, that editor certainly
had a lot of common sense, because if they're genuine, why worry? If they're
not, well then they should be exposed--which is what the paper did.
And the editor said, "Pastor, we gave you good coverage when Mr. Branham
was here." The pastor had to admit they did. "Now," he said, "we owe it to
our people to give them the rest of the story." And he said, "That's what we
found." He said to the pastor, "I'll tell you what I'll do, if you can bring me
one genuine case of a genuine healing, I'll give you the front page." And I
was told right in that pastor's home that they couldn't find one.
O Timothy: Not one?
Pohl: Not one.
O Timothy: I understand there was a radio pastor whose wife supposedly was
healed, and also a man with four students in the college. Could you tell me
about those two?
149
Pohl: Oh, yes. Yes. The first one I would relate to is a man from a little place
near Regina, Saskatchewan. He and his wife were staunch Christians in our
denomination. Very fine family. They had four children,
and they were all attending our Bible school at that time, in which I was on
staff. We knew these children very well--such very fine children, and young
people, and a very fine family.
One day during the healing campaign, the phone rang in our dorm and I
answered it in our office there, and here was this man phoning from the
airport. He'd flown his wife in from near Regina, and he said, "We're here. We
want Branham to pray for my wife. She's dying of cancer. What shall we do?"
Well, I said, "Bring her down to the Bible school dorm." And he knew very
well where that was. I said, "I'll meet you at the south door, and we'll put her
in a room, and I'll see that Branham prays for her."
Which he did, and after the meeting that night we proceeded to take
Branham from room to room, and of course we had her in mind very much.
And we brought him into her room, and the husband was there, too.
Branham prayed for her and pronounced her healed.
Well, there was great rejoicing on the part of all of us. We really were
rejoicing that the Lord had healed this woman. [We were rejoicing] for the
sake of the whole family. He had given them this story, of course, that "she's
still going to be sick, though she's healed; she's going to feel pretty bad." So,
they flew back as soon as they could. They wouldn't stay around. We didn't
have the facilities to take care of sick people there. There was just a
dormitory, and so they went back as soon as they could.
About 10 to 14 days later, in that time frame, I was sitting in the office in the
Bible school. Branham was gone; the meetings were over. The door opened
to the main building, and I could hear footsteps, then a knock on the office
door. In came this gentleman. Of course I recognized him immediately, but I
saw that his face was very downcast; he was really under pressure and a
heavy burden. So I invited him to sit down, and I said, "Brother," I said,
"what's on your heart?" And he said, "Brother Pohl, you were standing beside
my wife when she was sick in one of the rooms in the dorm. Mr. Branham
prayed for her, and he pronounced her healed."
I said, "Yes, I was right there." He said, "Tell me, how is it that my wife who
was healed ten days ago (somewhere in that time frame), is now in the
grave?" He said, "Tell me, how that can be?"
Well, it really hit him hard, and it hit me hard too, because that's the first I
heard that she had died. We hadn't heard that she had died. So here he was
all broken up and he wanted an explanation. What could I tell him? I think
that's one of the hardest questions I've ever had to answer in my life. Why is
she dead, if she was healed? And I was witness. He couldn't figure this out, a
very fine Christian, and I felt for him.
150
To this day I don't know what I said, but I know we wept together and we
prayed together. I could have said this: "Brother, your faith failed, or your
wife's faith failed."
What help would I have been to him? I mean, that's a terrible thing to do. I
wouldn't dare say that to him, to anyone. He was broken. He had enough to
burden him down at this stage without saying, "Your faith failed you." That
was the wrong thing to say, so I didn't say it.
I could have said that, because that's the feeling behind a lot of these cases.
The healer will say, well "Your faith failed, and it's not my fault."
But, I don't see that that is the case in Scripture either--where people's faith
failed, and they lost their healing after God healed, or the Lord healed them,
or the Apostles healed them. So, it's ridiculous.
Anyway, he left then, and of course we prayed for him, and so on. But it
really was a difficult blow to this man and his family.
Then the other party was--I recall so well--was a pastor from Port Arthur,
Ontario, which is now called Thunderbay, Ontario. (They combined two cities,
Port Arthur and Port William.]
This man was a Pentecostal pastor, had a radio broadcast and, I understand,
quite a sizable church. He flew his wife in and the nurse to Saskatoon which
was quite a trip--quite costly. And again I had the phone call from the airport
and placed them in a room there eventually in the dorm. And when the
meeting was over, and the prayer line was over in the church, I brought
Branham into the dorm and he prayed for this lady as well. He prayed also
for the nurse. The nurse was deaf. He prayed for her healing, and claimed
that she was healed. He also claimed that the pastor's wife was healed of
cancer.
Well, there was great rejoicing. Let me tell you, we rejoiced together,
because I thoroughly believed in Branham all this time, I thought he was
just ... just it. He was God's man. We rejoiced together, and then Branham
left. And the husband (the pastor) said to me, "Now, Brother Pohl," he said,
"I've spent thousands of dollars to try to get help for my wife, on doctors,
and this and that and the other, medicines." He said, "I really can't afford it,
but here"-- and he wrote out a sizable check. He said, "I can't afford it, but
Branham is worth it." He said, "My wife is healed."
He took Branham at his word. See, it wasn't anything else; he just believed
Branham. And here was this sizable check. He said, "Give it to Branham."
Which I did, the next day.
151
Later on, about three, four weeks later, I left for Ontario. I was missionary
secretary of our denomination, and I visited some of our churches in Ontario.
And in the process of visiting our churches, I came to Port Arthur, Port
William. We had a church in Port William, and one of the first things I did
when I got to Port William was to ask the pastors, "What about pastor so and
so in Port Arthur?" I named him. I said, "How's his wife doing?" I said, "She
was healed in the meetings in Saskatoon."
And I saw a strange look that came over their faces as I asked that question.
And I thought in my heart, "Oh, no, not another one." Just like the family I
was telling you about in Saskatoon, from Regina. And I said in my heart, "No,
not another one."
And they said, "Haven't you heard, haven't you heard? She's dead. She
passed a way."
Well that was another blow to me, because I began to realize that something
was wrong with this kind of healing. This was counterfeit; something was
drastically wrong. Of all people, here was a pastor who loved the Lord and
served the Lord, and, you know, why did this happen? Did his faith fail? Did
his wife's faith fail? He had a whole church behind him. But no, she passed
away.
I was told that the worst thing was that this man (the pastor) had a very
good radio broadcast in the area. He went on the air as soon as he got home,
and he announced that they had been to Saskatoon to the Branham
meetings and had wonderful meetings there, and there were many healings,
and amongst them his wife was gloriously healed in those meetings.
I'm sure that many people rejoiced, were happy to hear that. But, it wasn't
very long after that, a few days later, he had to get on the same radio station
and mention the fact that his wife had passed away.
And I was told this gave his radio program a severe blow and setback,
because the world at large--I mean they think too, they're not stupid--here
one day she was gloriously healed, and a few days later she's dead. You
know, this doesn't add up.
We had more of those cases--these are just two exceptional ones--but there
were others that passed away. I stood beside bed after bed, person after
person who was pronounced healed and yet, where were they? They passed
away. So there was something very wrong with this type of healing.
152
Divine Revelation or Clarence Larkin?

When you read WMB's book, 'An Exposition of the Seven Church Ages', you
would surely think that he wrote this book without any particular study.
Because many have raised WMB up to a level almost equal to God, they
even think the entire book is divine revelation.
It is incredible when you find out how much of his content for this book was
copied from Clarence Larkin's "The Book of Revelation" written in 1919.
Compare the two books in this particular section, topic by topic:
HIS HAIR
Watch the words by Larkin, and then the ideas copied by Branham. The wig
like the English judges. They hair made white by age. The hair that speaks
wisdom.
Larkin, 'His Head and His Hair' wrote:
His "Head" and "Hair" were "WHITE LIKE WOOL," as "WHITE AS SNOW." Here
there is a correspondence to the "Snow White Wig" worn by English judges.
This description of Christ reminds us of Daniel's vision of the "ANCIENT OF
DAYS," "whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the
PURE WOOL." Dan. 7:9. Daniel refers three times to the "Ancient of Days." In
Chap. 7:13, he distinguishes between the "Son of Man" and the "Ancient of
Days," but in verses 9 and 22 he associates the "Ancient of Days" with a
"Throne of Judgment," and as God the Father has committed all judgment to
the Son (John 5:22), and the Father and the Son are one, the title "Ancient of
Days" is used interchangeably. And as the title "Ancient of Days" is applied to
the "Son of Man" (Christ) at the time He assumes the Judgeship (Dan. 7:910), which is not until after the Rapture of the Church, we have here
additional corroborative proof that John's Vision belongs to the "Day of the
Lord." The "White Hair" of the Son of Man refers to His ANTIQUITY, to His
patriarchal dignity, not that His hair was made white by age, for the Eternal
never grows old, but it bespeaks wisdom and experience, and the
venerableness of His character.
Branham, 'His Hair as White as Snow' wrote:
John first notices and mentions the whiteness of His hair. It was white, and as
bright as snow. This was not because of His age. Oh, no. The brilliantly white
hair does not signify age but experience, maturity, and wisdom. The Eternal
One does not age. What is time to God? Time means little to God, but
wisdom means much. It is as when Solomon called to God for wisdom to
judge the people of Israel. Now He is coming, the Judge of all the earth. He
will be crowned with wisdom. That is what the white and glistening hair
signifies. See this in Daniel 7:9-14, "I beheld till the thrones were cast down,
and the Ancient of Days did sit, Whose garment was white as snow, and the
153
hair of His head like the pure wool: His throne was like the fiery flame, and
His wheels as burning fire...
?50
...Even the world understands this symbology, for in ancient times the judge
would appear and convene court, dressed in a white wig and a long robe that
signified his complete authority (head to foot robe) to mete out justice.
HIS EYES
Watch what Larkin writes, and then how the ideas are copied by WMB. How
those eyes were dimmed by tears. How those eyes wept at the grave of
Lazarus.
Larkin, 'His Eyes' wrote:
'"His Eyes were a FLAME OF FIRE." Those eyes that had often been dimmed
with human tears, and that wept at the grave of Lazarus, are here pictured
as burning with an "OMNISCIENT FLAME." How often when on the earth those
eyes read the inner-most thoughts of men, and even soldiers quailed before
His soul penetrating gaze, so when He sits as the Judge of men all things will
be NAKED and OPEN before Him.
Branham, 'His Eyes as Fire' wrote:
Think of it. Those eyes that were once dimmed with tears of sorrow and pity.
Those eyes that wept with compassion at the grave of Lazarus. Those eyes
that saw not the evil of the murderers who hanged Him on a cross but in
sorrow cried, "Father forgive them." Now those eyes are a flame of fire, the
eyes of the Judge Who will recompence those who rejected Him...
...Those fiery flaming eyes of the Judge are even now recording the lives of
all flesh. Running to and fro throughout the earth, there is nothing He does
not know. He knows the desires of the heart and what each one intends to
do. There is nothing hidden that shall not be revealed, for all things are
naked before Him with Whom we have to do. Think of it, He knows even now
what you are thinking...
HIS FEET
Both talk about 'crushing the enemy', but skipping this one because it can
easily be implied.
HIS VOICE
Read what Larkin writes, and then how WMB copies the ideas. How often
would you have heard WMB use the word 'cataract' with his Kentucky
English?
Larkin, 'His Feet' wrote:
"His Voice as the SOUND OF MANY WATERS." There is nothing more
melodious or musical than the babbling brook, or more thunderous than the
rush of the cataract over the falls, and there is nothing more fearful to the
154
criminal than the words of the Judge as he passes sentence; but how
terrifying will be the sentence when with a strong voice the Son of Man shall
say in the Judgment Day, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire,
prepared for the Devil and his angels." Matt. 25:41.
Branham, 'Voice of Many Waters' wrote:
.Have you ever thought how terrifying it is to a man drifting helplessly toward
a cataract? Think now of that roar as he approaches his sure and certain
doom. And just exactly like that is coming the day of judgment when the roar
of the multitude of voices condemns you for not having paid heed ere it was
too late. Take heed this very hour. For at this moment your thoughts are
being recorded in heaven. There your thoughts speak louder than your
words. Like the Pharisee who claimed so much with his mouth, but not
listening to the Lord, his heart became corrupt and evil until it was too late,
even now this could be your last call to hear the Word and receive it unto
eternal life. It will be too late when you approach the roar of the many voices
of judgment and doom...
HIS HANDS
The Bible says 'angels', but Larkin correctly describes them as 'messengers'.
Of course, WMB does also.
Larkin, 'His Hands' wrote:
"In His Right Hand SEVEN STARS."
We are told in verse 20, that the "Seven Stars" stand for the "ANGELS" of the
"Seven Churches." These "Angels" are not angelic beings but the Messengers
or Ministers of the churches. What a beautiful and solemn lesson is taught
here. It is that the ministers of Christ derive their power and office from Him,
and that He holds them in His hand. If they are false to Him, no one can
deliver them from His power, and if they are true and loyal, no one can touch
or molest, or do them harm.
Branham, 'In His Right Hand Were Seven Stars' wrote:
"And He had in His right hand seven stars." Now of course we already know
from verse twenty what the seven stars actually are. "And the mystery of the
seven stars are the angels (messengers) of the seven churches." Now we
couldn't make a mistake here on any account, as He interprets it for us.
These seven stars are the messengers to the seven successive church ages.
They are not called by name. They are just set forth as seven, one to each
age...
HIS MOUTH
Out of everything he copied, this is the one that makes it the most obvious.
WMB originally believed the white horse rider was "the deceiver", but later
(before he wrote this book), changed his mind to the Truth.
155
Branham wrote:
Now, that sounds very good, but it isn't the Truth. No, sir. That... It wasn't.
"White" does mean "righteous." We--we realize that, that "white" means
"righteous." The teachers taught it, that it was the Holy Spirit conquering in
the first age. But my revelation of it by the Holy Spirit is not that way. {...}
But He is on a white horse; so if this guy is riding a white horse, he's only an
impersonator of Christ. See? (63-0318 THE.FIRST.SEAL_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN
MONDAY_)
Notice how he copies Larkin again:
Larkin, 'His Mouth' wrote:
"Out of His Mouth went a SHARP TWO-EDGED SWORD." While the "Sword of
the Spirit" is the "Word of God" (Eph. 6:17), and the "Word of God" is quick,
and powerful, and sharper than any TWO-EDGED SWORD, piercing even to
the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow (the
body), (Heb. 4:12), that is not the sword meant here.
The "Sword of the Spirit" is the Holy Spirit's SWORD, and He alone wields it.
The sword meant here is the Sword of the Son of Man (Christ), and it is the
"SWORD OF JUSTICE," for the Son of Man, out of whose mouth this sword
comes, is the "White Horse Rider" of Rev. 19:11-15, "out of whose mouth
goeth a SHARP SWORD, that with it He should smite the nations." And that
sword, like the "Sword of the Spirit" will be TWO-EDGED also, for the
protection of His people, and the destruction of His enemies. This is still
further proof that John's vision of Christ was as He shall appear in the "DAY
OF THE LORD."
Branham, 'The Two Edged Sword' wrote:
"And out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword." In Hebrews 4:12, "For
the Word of God is quick, and powerful and sharper than any two- edged
sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the
joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the
heart." Out of His mouth went the sharp two-edged sword which is the WORD
OF GOD. Revelation 19:11-16, "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a
white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in
righteousness He doth judge and make war...
HIS FACE
Notice the quotes that Larkin uses, and then watch which quotes from the
scriptures that WMB uses:
Larkin, 'His Countenance' wrote:
"His Countenance was as the SUN SHINETH IN HIS STRENGTH." This recalls to
our memory His appearance on the Mount of Transfiguration when "His Face
did shine AS THE SUN," Matt. 17:2. And we read of the New Jerusalem that
the inhabitants thereof have no need of the SUN, for the LAMB is the Light
156
thereof. Rev. 21:23. And when we recall that the Prophet Malachi tells us that
when Jesus comes back He will be the SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (Malachi
4:2), we see that John's vision of the Son of Man was as He shall appear at
the Second Stage of His Return, the "Revelation." Thus we have in John's
"Seven-Fold" description of the person of the "Glorified Son of Man"
circumstantial or indirect evidence that John saw his vision of the Son of Man,
not on a Sabbath Day (or the "Lord's Day" as we now call it), but was
projected by the Holy Spirit forward into the "Day of the Lord" and saw Him
as He will appear then as the Judge, and the coming "SUN OF
RIGHTEOUSNESS." (Clarence Larkin).
Branham, 'His Face Like the Sun' wrote:
"And His countenance was as the sun shineth in its strength." Matthew 17:113, "And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and
bringeth them up into an high mountain apart. And was transfigured before
them: and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the
light...
...In Revelation 21:23, "And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the
moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the
light thereof." This is the New Jerusalem. The Lamb will be in that city, and
because of His presence, there will be no light needed. The sun won't rise
and shine there, for He is the Sun and Light thereof, Himself. The nations that
come into it will walk in His light. Aren't you happy that day is upon us? John
saw that day coming..."
...He's the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star. He's the fairest of
ten thousand to my soul. Yes, that great day is ready to break and the Sun of
Righteousness will arise with healing in His wings. (William M Branham).
This in of itself is not convincing.
The end-all-argument proof that Larkin was copied is this:
Compare the dates for the church ages listed by Larkin:
Larkin, Church Ages wrote:
1. EPHESIAN CHURCH AGE (A.D. 70 to A.D. 170)
2. SMYRNEAN CHURCH AGE (A.D. 170 to A.D. 312)
3. PERGAMEAN CHURCH AGE (AD 312 to A.D. 606)
4. THYATERIAN CHURCH AGE (A.D 606 to A.D. 1520)
5. SARDISEAN CHURCH AGE (A.D. 1520 to A.D. 1750)
6. PHILADELPHIAN CHURCH AGE (A.D. 1750 to A.D. 1900)
7. LAODICEAN CHURCH AGE (A.D. 1900 - Rapture)
Branham, Church Ages wrote:
157
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
EPHESIAN CHURCH AGE (A.D. 53 to A.D. 170)

SMYRNEAN CHURCH AGE (A.D. 170 to A.D. 312)
PERGAMEAN CHURCH AGE (AD 312 to A.D. 606)
THYATERIAN CHURCH AGE (A.D 606 to A.D. 1520)
SARDISEAN CHURCH AGE (A.D. 1520 to A.D. 1750)
PHILADELPHIAN CHURCH AGE (A.D. 1750 to A.D. 1906)
LAODICEAN CHURCH AGE (A.D. 1906 - Rapture)
Larkin produced a series of prophetic diagrams and drawings, from the

seventy weeks of Daniel, to the church ages, to more. Many, many drawings
-- all of which are interesting when you consider these "divine revelations"
that WMB claimed to have. Here is an example, for the Church Ages above:
158
Humility Like a Child

Matthew 18 describes how Jesus tested the disciples by asking them who
was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
He did not tell them it was Peter, who he gave the keys to the kingdom. He
did not say it was James or John, who Jesus allowed to see the prophets of old
upon Mount Transfiguration. He called a child to his side, and used the child
as an example.
Jesus said "Unless you change yourselves and become like children, you will
never even enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this
child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
Jesus said that whoever receives such a humble person in His name receives
Him. Anyone that causes such a humble person who believes in Jesus Christ
to sin would be punished severely. Jesus said that "it would be better for him
to have a great millstone round his neck and be drown in the depths of the
sea."
Jesus condemned the world for all of the temptations to sin. He said that it
was necessary that temptations come. But he condemned the one that
helps create the temptation.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we humble as little children? Do
our pastors boast themselves because they have known great men? Are our
pastors humble? Does the message we believe drive great men to humility,
or does it drive those who cannot live by the expectations of the message
from Christianity altogether? Are our pastors driving the humble to sin and
temptation? Are we the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, or are we the
ones gazing on the ripples in the water with a millstone holding us down to
the bottom?
159
That Very Day Israel Became a Nation

WMB Claimed that the angel of the Lord appeared to him the exact day when
Israel was declared a nation on May 6/7 1947.
His first "official" healing campaign is in newspapers across the nation, June
30, 1947 -- which he claims the commission from the angel was from 1946
and not from 1947.
Not only do his own words contradict themselves, history itself contradicts
both conflicting stories. Take a look at these quotes:
Quote:
"And a strange thing of that, that you might not know, the very day the
Angel of the Lord called me out, May the 6th, 1947, and issued the gift to
pray for the sick, was the very same day that Israel become a nation for the
first time for twenty-five hundred years. Oh, I believe there's something in it.
I just can't keep from believing that we're near the end of time. That's right."
(GREAT.COMING.REVIVAL_ CHICAGO.IL SUNDAY_ 54-0718A)
Quote:
"The very day that Israel was declared a nation again for the first time for
twenty-five hundred years, that same night the Angel of the Lord sent me out
to pray for the sick, the very same time, May the 6th, 1946, the Lord Jesus
did that." (MANIFESTATION.OF.THY.RESURRECTION_ LA.CA MONDAY_ 540809E)
Quote:
"And last week, you know what taken place in Israel, the last sign. Israel
became a nation in 1947 on the same night the Angel of the Lord visit me.
When It came at me at twelve o'clock, it was noon when they signed the-that peace pact with the world and the League of Nations and so forth,
overseas." (WHO.IS.THIS_ CLARKSVILLE.IN SUNDAY_ 59-1004M)
Quote:
"The very hour, by the Pan American chart, that Israel was declared a nation
for the first time for two thousand years since they'd been scattered, not a
people, it was that very same hour, exactly to the hour, that the Angel of the
Lord met me up yonder and sent me to the--with the Gospel-- the very same
thing: May the 7th, 1946." (GABRIEL'S.INSTRUCT.TO.DANIEL_ JEFF.IN DA 1-44
SUNDAY_ 61-0730M)
160
Israel declared its independence on 14th May 1948, which is now known by
their national holiday, Yom Ha'atzmaut. Human error is irrelevant in this case,
since WMB held the same story so many times, so many years apart.
161
Thus Saith the Lord!

"Thus Saith the Lord" is the prophet's message to the people from the divine
Holy Spirit. The only one with true authority to speak these words it the
prophet that the Lord has spoken to, otherwise it becomes using the Lord's
name in vain.
Rev. Branham was aware of this fact, and used it very carefully throughout
the early days of his ministry - mostly only in the prayer lines and when
combined with actual scripture that was truly from the Lord.
According to Rev. Branham, it must be a vindicated prophet:
Quote:
But the only person that has a right to say, THUS SAITH THE LORD, is a
vindicated prophet.
BRANHAM, 50-0405 EXPECTATION_ NEW.YORK.NY WEDNESDAY_
If anyone has based their theory on something other than "Thus Saith the
Lord", then obviously the Lord has not given it to them. This would be his
theme throughout the latter part of his message, letting the people know
that he was the only one of the current "Church Age" that had the power to
use the words, "Thus Saith the Lord".
Quote:
If a prophet, or a dreamer, or whatever it is, or a teacher, hasn't based his
theory exactly on THUS SAITH THE LORD, I don't believe it.
BRANHAM, 54-0514 THE.SEAL.OF.GOD_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN
Somehow along the way, it got as easy as corn bread and beans: anyone can
say it:
Quote:
Look. Oh, brother, this is like corn bread and beans; It sticks to your ribs. It'll
hold you some way, you can go and do a good day's work for the Lord
tomorrow, go out and meet the devil, say, "I know where I'm standing, not
because a chill run down my back, because THUS SAITH THE LORD. Move off,
Satan, I'm taking over now."
BRANHAM, 53-0326 ISRAEL.AND.THE.CHURCH.2_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN
Rev. Branham predicted that the three "isms" would end in communism and
that communism would burn the Vatican City.
162
Quote:
Going to Sunday school one morning, I was caught away in a vision. And I
said, "Now..." Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, I said, "Now, there's
going to be three great isms. Which is now in existence. One of them is in
Rome, which is--is Fascism, and one of them is in Germany which is Nazi-Nazism. And the other one is in Russia, which is communism." I said, "Those
three great isms is the unclean spirits that went out of the mouth of the false
prophet, and the dragons, and so forth that will unite themselves together,
speaking things that they should not, and they'll all beat at one another, until
they'll finally wind up in one ism. And I predict that that will be communism.
And communism will burn the Vatican City.
BRANHAM, 55-0501E THE.FAITH.THAT.WAS.ONCE.DELIVERED.TO.THE.SAINTS
But the Lord showed me a vision of the great powerful woman, in '33, 1933,
it's on paper. Of how that "Roosevelt would cause... he would help cause the
world to go to war." How that "Mussolini would make his first invasion to
Ethiopia and he would take it, but he would come to a disgraceful end." And
how that "Then the three ism: Nazism, Fascism, and Communism, would all
wind up in Communism."
BRANHAM, 60-1211E THE.LAODICEAN.CHURCH.AGE_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN
At the time when communism was feared most by the American people, Rev.
Branham clearly used this fear in his prophesies under "Thus Saith the Lord".
Quote:
You remember that, that Brother Branham said that, THUS SAITH THE LORD.
Our nation is debolished. It will never rise. She's gone, like all the rest of the
nations. It's the greatest nation in the world standing today, but the very
seed of the devil has been planted into the hearts of the people; how it come
into Hollywood, how it got out into the people, and begin to this... And you
can't tell them nothing.
Get a President up there who will try to close whiskey, and not have
prohibition, see what would happen. He'd be shot in two hours after he got in
there. Sure, he can't stand it; the whole world's against him. Yes, sir. You
couldn't do it.
She's gone. She's invaded, and the spirit of communism has took over.
BRANHAM,
54-0509
THE.INVASION.OF.THE.UNITED.STATES_
JEFFERSONVILLE.IN
His visions often told how that Communism was a tool by the hand of the
Almighty God to destroy the Catholic Church:
163
Quote:
I'll prove to you that communism is working straight in the hands of Almighty
God to destroy the Roman... And remember, I say this as God's prophet: The
Russian empire will drop an atomic bomb of some sort on the Vatican City
and destroy it in one hour. THUS SAITH THE LORD. And the Bible said that
God took them cruel-hearted men and put them in His hands, and they were
instruments in His hands to fulfill His will, and to bring back to her exactly
what she had coming to her. That's exactly. That's the Word.
BRANHAM, 54-0513 THE.MARK.OF.THE.BEAST_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN
Oddly enough, one day later, he realized that Communism was no longer
feared:
Quote:
But these religious teachers are trying to put it on communism, when they
don't realize it's working right in their own midst.
Confusing? It Confused Rev. Branham, also.
Quote:
Heading up in the federation of churches, which will finally join with
Romanism to fight Catholicism--or with Catholicism to fight Communism.
Pope John is calling for all the churches to come back, and they will. And
they'll unite themselves together, just exactly what THUS SAITH THE LORD.
BRANHAM, 60-0221 HEARING.RECOGNIZING.ACTING.ON.THE.WORD.OF.GOD
Suddenly, the American people no longer feared communism. Probably
because they saw that Communism was fading quickly. It was Catholicism
that was feared. Quickly, the "vision" changed:
Quote:
Keep your eyes on Russia. She'll all wind up in Communism. And then it'll all
wind up finally in Catholicism. Remember, it'll all wind up in Catholicism in
the end time. That's exactly right. That's at the battle of Armageddon, right
over in here when Christ comes Himself.
BRANHAM, 61-0806 THE.SEVENTIETH.WEEK.OF.DANIEL_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN
There was communism, fascism, Nazism. They were spirits. Communism is a
spirit. It gets on you. See? It's a spirit. And that--it'll be something like that,
only I'd... It--it... That really isn't it. But it'll be three spirits just like that,
164
which they was kind of a forerunner of. But, of course, you know where... It's
in Catholicism. You see? But I'd--I--I want to get a few things on that straight
before I say it (You see?), to be sure that I know what...
BRANHAM, 61-0808 THY.HOUSE_ TIFTON.GA TUESDAY_
Moreover, the "Thus Saith the Lord" changed from communism to Rome, or
Catholicism:
Quote:
It isn't Russia. It's Rome. THUS SAITH THE LORD. Yeah. Show me a Scripture
where communism, or anything else besides Rome, will rule.
BRANHAM,
62-0311
THE.GREATEST.BATTLE.EVER.FOUGHT_
JEFFERSONVILLE.IN
And Message believers around the world could rejoice, communism was no
longer to fear. There was a new fear in the world, and it was Catholicism. It
was "Thus Saith the Lord"
Quote:
Any prophecy don't stay with that Word... That's exactly. That's the reason I
say today; no matter how good it looks, how many preachers are saying this,
that, or the other, "Communism is going to take the world and throw it
down." Don't you never try to fight communism. Fight Romanism. For, that's
THUS SAITH THE LORD. The Lord said Romanism is going to rule, not
communism. It's just a puppet.
BRANHAM,
62-0422
THE.RESTORATION.OF.THE.BRIDE.TREE_
JEFFERSONVILLE.IN
Although, it looks like Catholicism would be destroyed
Quote:
And I said, "There is three isms; Communism, Fascism, and Nazism. They'll
all wind up out of Russia, in Communism." And it will destroy Catholicism.
See if it don't!
BRANHAM,
64-0321E
THE.VOICE.OF.THE.SIGN_
DENHAM.SPRINGS.LA
SATURDAY_
Clearly, if communism destroyed Rome with Catholicism by an atomic bomb
in one hour, there is no way possible that both forces could join together at
Armageddon against Israel.
Quote:
165
There's that red dragon, the devil. Where's his seat at? In... Not in Russia; in
Rome. And said, "The devil give him his seat and his authority, red dragon,"
not Russia.
I hear great ministers saying, "The Russian is the antichrist." Why, the
Russian has nothing to do with the antichrist. That's communism. The faultry
of Protestantism and Catholicism has produced communism. The reason the
Russians drove them out of there, because they had all the money, and had
all the prayers said to them saints, so they built the biggest buildings, and
had all the wealth of the people, and bundled it up like that. And they seen
they lived no different, and was no different from any of the rest of the world,
and they spued it out and formed communism.
Now, if you'll give me one more night, if God does, I'll prove to you that
communism is working straight in the hands of Almighty God to destroy the
Roman... And remember, I say this as God's prophet: The Russian empire will
drop an atomic bomb of some sort on the Vatican City and destroy it in one
hour. THUS SAITH THE LORD.
BRANHAM, 54-0513 THE.MARK.OF.THE.BEAST
Luckily, 1 Corinthians 14:8 teaches us this, and we can fear neither

Communism or Catholicism, for this trumpet has certainly given an uncertain
sound:
Quote:
For if the trumpet gives an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself for the
battle?
166
Vision 1: Franklin D. Roosevelt

The first of the seven "Visions of 1933" is about Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Quote:
The president which now is, President Franklin D. Roosevelt... (Now
remember, this is twenty-eight years ago.) will cause the whole world to go
to war
BRANHAM, 60-1113 CONDEMNATION.BY.REPRESENTATION_
It's important that we review everything Rev. Branham said about this vision,
and compare it to actual, historical fact about World War II and Roosevelt. It
is also important to note that though Rev. Branham claimed that this vision
came to him in 1933, the first time he mentioned it in his recordings was
1958.
Quote:
Now, look what happened now. In... President Franklin D. Roosevelt took
America to England's tea party. That's right. Germany never picked on us; we
picked on them, throwed the whole world into a war, to cause a world war.
BRANHAM,
60-1113
CONDEMNATION.BY.REPRESENTATION_
JEFFERSONVILLE.IN
From the Beginning, Rev. Branham would describe the vision as a clear
insight that Roosevelt would cause the world to war with each other as
another world war.
Quote:
Said, "We now have a president (Dwi... Mr. Roosevelt), and this Mr. Roosevelt
will cause the world to go into a world war through his--in his time of his
administration, his--his--as president,"
BRANHAM, 60-1125 CONFERENCE_ SHREVEPORT.LA FRIDAY
Eleven years before the Maginot Line was built, I said, "The Germans...
America will just... President Roosevelt will be the rascal of all of them." And
that's right. He was.
BRANHAM, 60-1204M THE.REVELATION.OF.JESUS.CHRIST_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN
_
1933, one morning going to the Baptist tabernacle, I went into a trance, saw
a vision. I saw President Roosevelt was going to help lead the world to a
world war, told it that morning. They was going to lock me up for it.
BRANHAM, 61-0312 JEHOVAH.JIREH_ RICHMOND.VA SUNDAY_
167
As time progressed, and a better understanding of the war was given to the
public, Rev. Branham would change his views on the instigator. In later
accounts, Rev. Branham would proclaim that he had prophesied that Hitler
was the one in his vision that caused the whole world to go to war. The vision
was said to have even predicted the country of origin for Hitler, where he
would become a dictator, and the mystery around his death.
Quote:
The next vision foretold that an Austrian by the name of Adolph Hitler would
rise up as dictator over Germany, and that he would draw the world into war.
It showed the Siegfried line and how our troops would have a terrible time to
overcome it. Then it showed that Hitler would come to a mysterious end.
BRANHAM, LAODICEAN.CHURCH.AGE
History tells us that WWII began in March 1939. The United States finally
joined into the war after over 2 years of fighting in 1941, after several other
major world powers had entered into the war. Below is a list of the countries,
and the date they entered into WWII.
Australia 3/3/39
Germany 9/1/39
France 9/3/39
Great Britain 9/3/39
New Zealand 9/3/39
S. Africa 9/6/39
Canada 9/10/39
USSR 9/17/39
Italy 6/10/40
Japan 9/22/40
Bulgaria 4/24/41
Romania 6/22/41
Hungary 6/27/41
India 12/7/41
Panama 12/7/41
Yugoslavia 12/7/41
Costa Rica 12/8/41
Dom Rep 12/8/41
El Salvador 12/8/41
Haiti 12/8/41
Honduras 12/8/41
Nicaragua 12/8/41
Manchukuo 12/8/41
168
Netherlands 12/8/41
Five world powers were already at war as either Axis or Allied forces. Though
it was necessary for the United States to get involved to stop Germany as
their forces grew, Roosevelt was hesitant to join the fighting. Instead,
Roosevelt insisted on preventing Japan from becoming a part of the war or a
supplier of military supplies. It was Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor that
ultimately led to the United States joining the war, and only as retaliation
from a first strike.
Let's compare the original vision with what it became:
Original:
Quote:
Roosevelt would cause the whole world to go to war
What the vision became:
Quote:
Hitler would cause the whole world to go to war
Clearly, Roosevelt did not lead the world into war, and we did not "pick on
them [Germany] first" as Rev. Branham claimed.
169
Vision 2: Mussolini
Mussolini, Rev. Branham claimed, was in his original prophecy as both being
one of the possible leaders of Communism until the end of the world as "the
king of the north", and having his last invasion in Ethiopia. He truly was a
ruthless dictator, though not nearly as insane as Hitler. Before the public
knew of the Holocaust, Mussolini would have seemed to be just as large a
threat as Hitler.
He first said that he did not know which of the world powers would take
control, but said that it was to be one of the three: Mussolini, Hitler, or Stalin.
Quote:
and how that Fascism of Mussolini, and Hitler, and Stalin. I said, "One of them
will take the place of it. I don't know which one it'll be, but I believe it'll be
the king of the north.
BRANHAM, 54-0103M QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.1_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN
After Mussolini died, Rev. Branham changed this opinion to claim that he had
previously prophesied that he knew one of them would never take control.
He also said that this would be his last, and he would end in disgrace.
Quote:
Said, "This new dictator, Mussolini, will take his first step toward Ethiopia,
and Ethiopia will fall at his feet." It did. It said, "That'll be his last. He will end
in disgrace."
BRANHAM, 60-1125 CONFERENCE_ SHREVEPORT.LA FRIDAY_
Once he found out that Ethiopia was not his last invasion, he took out the
"That'll be his last" portion in his account of the vision.
Quote:
But the Lord showed me a vision of the great powerful woman, in '33, 1933,
it's on paper. Of how that "Roosevelt would cause... he would help cause the
world to go to war." How that "Mussolini would make his first invasion to
Ethiopia and he would take it, but he would come to a disgraceful end."
Later in his ministry, as his hatred for women who did not adhere to his
teachings grew, he added that he also had prophesied that Mussolini's
mistress would also perish after Ethiopia was conquered.
170
Quote:
Notice. I said, "Mussolini is standing up as a dictator; he will make his first
invasion to Ethiopia. But he will take Ethiopia, but he will come to a
disgraceful end, him and that woman both."
Five of those things has perfectly been fulfilled exactly. How Mussolini would
rise and go to Ethiopia, and fall at his steps; and he would be turned to the
people, in shame, with a woman.
BRANHAM, 63-1117 ONCE.MORE_ NEW.YORK.NY V-18 N-13 SUNDAY_
How Mussolini would go to Ethiopia, and Ethiopia would fall at his step, and
then how that he'd come to a disgrace, and be spit on by his own people;
and disgraced, hung upside down, with that prostitute that he lived with, on
the street.
BRANHAM, 64-0112 SHALOM_ SIERRA.VISTA.AZ V-13 N-5 SUNDAY_
Once it had became news of the mystery surrounding Hitler's death, Hitler
was added to the vision.
Quote:
How Mussolini, how he'd come to his end. How Hitler would come to a
mysterious end.
BRANHAM,
64-0726M
RECOGNIZING.YOUR.DAY.AND.ITS.MESSAGE_
JEFFERSONVILLE.
Now, let's compare the original vision to the vision that it became:
Original:
Quote:
If Mussolini takes Ethiopia, then either Mussolini, Hitler, or Stalin would come
to power.
Later:
Quote:
Mussolini would die with his mistress after Ethiopia was invaded, and Hitler
would die mysteriously
There are many more instances where this portion of the vision are
mentioned, but there are several important things to note here:
171
The first instance of this vision being announced on recording was long
after the event actually happened, 1954
The first instance did not include the details about it being his last
invasion
Mussolini, and Hitler, and Stalin were in one vision as being the head of
the communist party - and Branham did not know which one would be it.
which is very strange if Mussolini would be dead.
The later ones include the woman who died with Mussolini - during the
times when Rev. Branham was preaching so hard against the women of the
day
After Rev. Branham found out it was not Mussolini's last invasion, that
part was taken out of the prophesy
Also important to note, though it may have no bearing in the subject,
at the time the vision would have been prophesied, Ethiopia was named
Abyssinia, and it was called the Italo/Abyssinian War.
But the most important thing to note is that this was not Mussolini's last
invasion. After invading Ethiopia, Mussolini invaded Spain, Albania, Africa,
Greece, Yugoslavia and more.
When Mussolini rose into power, many feared and knew that he would
become as power hungry as Hitler or Stalin. Mussolini was ousted by the
socialist party and began to bring instant power to Fascism. Though the first
variation of the vision came after the event, the first fears of the nation was
that Fascism, Communism, or Socialism would take over the world.
In an effort to create an Italian Empire, or as his supporters called it, "The
New Roman Empire", he invaded Abyssinia (or what would later be known as
Ethiopia). This invasion was titled the Italo-Abyssinian War. In May, 1936,
Ethiopia became part of "Italian East Africa".
In July 1936, Mussolini got involved in the Spanish Civil War, which resulted
in his relationship with Hitler. In 1939, he made the "Pact of Steel" with Hitler,
which made the "Rome-Berlin Axis" official.
When World War II began, Mussolini decided to enter the war on the Axis
side, declaring war on Britain and France. His invasion of France ultimately
resulted in the surrender of France to the Axis. From there, he was involved
in Sudan, Kenya, and conquered British Somaliland.
His last major battle was war with the Soviet Union. Italian forces were
spread so thin over parts of the world, and were so broken down that
Mussolini lost his political power and influence over his people. Not long
after, he was dismissed, arrested, and publicly humiliated.
172
When compared to Rev. Branham's vision, "Mussolini, will take his first step
toward Ethiopia, and Ethiopia will fall at his feet." and "That'll be his last. He
will end in disgrace", the actual history reveals some major conflicts.
This vision is clearly a moving target.
173
Vision 3: The Siegfried Line or Maginot Line

Rev. Branham always struggled with this one. For some reason, he could
never remember whether he prophesied the Siegfried or Maginot line. As
with all of the visions, the name is not important. What is important is the
actual historical fact as it is compared to the prophecy. We do know that he
was talking about the concrete line that was built in Germany.
Quote:
I was quoting last night a prophecy that was given me back in 1933 of seven
things that'd take place: Germany, the Sieg--Siegfried Line, and the president
election, and all these other things.
I seen that Maginot (Maginot Line, it was instead of the Siegfried)--the

Maginot Line
BRANHAM, 60-1126 WHY_ SHREVEPORT.LA SATURDAY_
Around 1961, Branham started claiming that the defensive line he was
describing was built 11 years after his initial vision of 1933.
Quote:
"Our war will be with Germany, and they will build a great big concrete place
and fortify themselves in there, and the Americans will take a horrible
beating." Almighty God knows that Who I stand before now; I seen those
independent Nazis kicking the Americans like that and things at that wall.
And there's many boys standing here now that was at that Siegfried Line that
knows what it was. And remember, that was eleven years before the
Siegfried Line was built. Is God true? Does He still foretell things to happen?
Watch. That's--that was the fourth.
BRANHAM, 61-0806 THE.SEVENTIETH.WEEK.OF.DANIEL_ JEFFERSONVILLE.
The Siegfried line was a line of defensive forts and tanks built by Germany as
a section of the Hindenburg line. Adolph Hitler planned the line in 1936, and
had it built between 1938 and 1940. The Maginot line was built in France in
several phases starting in 1930 and was largely completed by 1939.
In 1944, the Siegfried line had taken so much damage that Hitler
commissioned forced labor of 14-16 year old boys to build anti-tank ditches
to refortify the badly battered line of concrete defenses. The defensive line
had already been built, but it was essentially being refortified by Hitler's
labor commission.
174
Quote:
1933, the Holy Spirit came one morning and told me seven things that would
take place before this nation was destroyed.
...
How Germany would fortify and build a Maginot Line, or the Siegfried Line, I
believe it was, eleven years before it was ever thought of.
BRANHAM, 63-1117 ONCE.MORE_ NEW.YORK.NY V-18 N-13 SUNDAY_
Rev. Branham still did not realize that the defensive line had already been
built. He would continue to describe how this visions had shown him a full
account of how the line was going to be built before the first concrete
foundation had ever been poured.
Quote:
And I seen that, eleven years before the line was ever--ever a foundation was
ever poured for it, or anything, the Siegfried Line.
BRANHAM, 64-0112 SHALOM_ SIERRA.VISTA.AZ V-13 N-5 SUNDAY_
He later decided to take out the portion of the vision that included the
timeline of eleven years, once he realized that the timeline of the vision was
incorrect.
Quote:
how the--the Siegfried Line would be built, and how that the Americans
would take a beating there (and they never would admit it till just about two
years ago, and they got the German pictures of the siege there; and they
really took a beating. They liked... They lost their whole army almost right
there.); and all those things that were done.
BRANHAM, 64-0823M QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.1_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN
This vision is another slightly moving target, but still we can compare the
original vision with what the vision became to see whether or not the vision
matched in each retelling. The first instance Rev. Branham spoke of this
vision was in 1958, and over time, the story would grow and change.
Original Vision:
Quote:
I saw a concrete line 11 years before any concrete was poured
Later description of the vision:
175
Quote:
I saw a concrete line that would give our troops a terrible time, and Hitler
would come to a mysterious end.
176
Vision 4: Egg-Shaped Cars Driving Themselves

As a Christian, we must ask ourselves: what spiritual significance does this
vision serve? Whether this vision is correct or not, is our salvation or even
our well-being in any way affected by cars that have the shape of an egg?
Though he considered science to be "of the devil", Rev. Branham was
constantly amazed by science. He would speak of great feats of science he
saw at the Worlds Fair, wonders of medical science, astronomy, astrology,
and psychology.
In 1956, around the time of the Heinkel Cabin Cruiser, Rev. Branham claimed
to have a vision of cars that would become shaped like an egg. At the time,
they were considered the latest designs that would take the world by storm,
but fortunately for anyone with long legs, did not.
Image
Quote:
And, you, how many can remember what a '33 car looked like back there?
Oh, it kind of run out like this, and way up the back, and chopped down for
the spare tire to hang on. I saw a vision, that before the coming of the Lord,
that cars would look like an egg. How many remembers that prediction? Is
there anybody left in here? Brother Steward's gone, and I guess. It was 1933
when we were having services over here. I guess just about all of them's
gone now, since then.
BRANHAM, 56-0513 TEACHING.ON.MOSES_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN
In 1958, after an article released by a few magazines showed cars that did
not require attention while driving. These cars, according to the magazines,
would be self controlled, self propelled, and the way of the future. Rev.
Branham would incorporate this into his accounts of the vision, saying that
the egg shaped cars would even control your speed; you wouldn't be able to
hit another car because they controlled the steering and the speed according
to the speed limit.
Quote:
And in 1933 when the Lord, {} And also said that cars would keep getting
more like an egg, until the last days they'd be just in the shape of an egg.
Now, I said, "It'll come to pass that those cars will not be run by a steering
wheel; it'll be something another run." It's them cars they're bringing out
right now, remote control, for safety. Correct. You won't be able to enter into
a city then, a twenty-mile zone, you can just go twenty mile. You can't hit
177
another car, because it's remote control. See, it's going like that right now.
{} that's THUS SAITH THE LORD."
BRANHAM, 58-0927 WHY.ARE.WE.NOT.A.DENOMINATION
The articles began to speak of electronic-powered vehicles that were selfdirected. About that time, the visions changed to electronic powered cars
that the driver could not steer.
Quote:
You remember, I predicted that in 1933. And it will be that way too. For I saw
a vision before the end time, that great and powerful thing stood up in the
United States, and she become as stubbles. So then, it's going to happen. I
said, "Automobiles will--come like the shape of an egg." You know what a '33
car looked like. And I said, "There'll even be traveling on the road, they won't
even have to guide it." They've already got that out; I seen it here not long
ago. It'll be controlled by electronics like
BRANHAM, 60-0805 LAMB.AND.DOVE_ YAKIMA.WA
The vision started to include families that were playing games once they
were commonplace on the road.
Quote:
They'll control it with some kind of a steering outfit that they don't have to
touch it theirself." I seen an American family, going down a great big broad
way playing cards with a glass-top car, looked like an egg
BRANHAM, 61-0312 JEHOVAH.JIREH
Now, the fifth thing. "Science will progress in such a way until they will make
a car that will not have to be guided by a steering wheel, and the cars will
continue to be shaped like an egg until the consummation," the end time. I
seen American family going down the road in a broad way, riding in a car
with their backs turned towards where the wheel should be; looked like they
were playing checkers or cards.
BRANHAM, 61-0806 THE.SEVENTIETH.WEEK.OF.DANIEL_
In a book, Branham would write that the vision was exactly like the
photograph in Popular Science. The egg shape would be removed from this
version of the vision altogether and replaced with a bubble top.
Quote:
178
The fourth vision showed the great advances in science that would come
after the second world war. It was headed up in the vision of a plastic bubbletopped car that was running down beautiful highways under remote control
so that people appeared seated in this car without a steering wheel and they
were playing some sort of a game to amuse themselves.
LAODICEAN.CHURCH.AGE
The truth of the matter is, these cars already existed by science, and he
definitely saw them, they were in the popular science magazines of that day.
But we must remember that science progresses quickly over time, and that
the vision is another moving target.
Let's compare the original vision to the vision it became:
Original:
Quote:
I predict that cars will become shaped like an egg
What it became:
Quote:
I predict that cars will be electric, self-propelled, self-guided, shaped like an
egg with a glass roof that you can watch families playing checkers or cards
as it is guided down the road.
We know that families today would be playing Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo
- not checkers. More than likely, they would be watching movies and eating
popcorn on long trips.
We do have these cars today, and have cars with many of these features that
popular science predicted long before Rev. Branham predicted them. They
are very rarely seen on the roads, however, and because of the
aerodynamics of the egg, probably will not be as common as Rev. Branham
described. That is the reason that they did not do very well in the first place.
179
Vision 5: Woman or the Catholic Church Will Rule

Rev. Branham was by no means silent on the fact that he did not appreciate
women who did not agree with his view of the lifestyles of women. His
perfect apocalypse must involve a woman in order to vindicate his message
of the women of the last days.
In 1956, Rev. Branham added women to the retelling of the 1933 vision,
letting the people know that a woman will be President of the United States,
and this would be a disgrace.
Quote:
I didn't mean that to do any harm, women; I don't mean you Christian
women. But just to see women coming into politics and everything, it's a
disgrace; it's a breaking of the American morale. And remember, this is...
America will... A--a woman... I--I better leave it alone. But just remember this.
I predict this: that a woman will be president before we're annihilated. That's
right. I said that in 1933 by a vision.
BRANHAM, 56-0428 GOD'S.COVENANT.WITH.ABRAHAM_
A year later, this vision changed to say that America's number one god
would be "women". Though movie stars were worth hundreds of thousands
(and sometimes millions) in that day, Branham was convinced that any of
the women in the film industry could be bought for $25-$50 a night as
prostitutes.
Quote:
And I predicted that America, their number one god would be women. That's
what it is. Everything is fashioned after Hollywood. I have things on records
from the FBI file that would shock you to pieces just to tell you right where,
and the scandal on these movie stars, there isn't a one of them, hardly, but
what's prostitutes. And the FBI exposed it just recently; I have it from their
own file. And so all of them living out, even these movie stars, where they've
proved they went in and picked them up, living with men, twenty-five and
fifty dollars a night, of men, all up and down, in Hollywood and everywhere,
had private homes and men back in there where they would send them out
to these people.
BRANHAM, 56-0513 TEACHING.ON.MOSES_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN
In Branham's vision of the woman, the woman would rule America right
before the annihilation, in which the entire nation is "wiped out". He included
the date 1977 in most of the retelling of the woman's vision, because he
truly believed it would happen before 1977.
180
Quote:
And then, there'll be a great woman rise up, 'cause America is a woman's
nation. And it'll... A great woman will rise up and be president, or something
like that in the nation, and then there will come a total annihilation, the
entire nation will be wiped out. And that, I predict--now this is not the Lord
saying this--the other about the woman and this, is the Lord. But I predicted
in 1933 that the world would be total annihilation before '77.
BRANHAM, 58-0720M BY.FAITH.MOSES_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN SUNDAY_
In 1958, the vision changed a bit to include the fact that the US political
structure could be affected, and the woman could be a dictator.
Quote:
And I said, "Remember, in that day, before the end time comes, before the
end time comes, that a woman... Now, you all keep this wrote down. There'll
be a great powerful woman raise up, either be President, or dictator, or some
great powerful woman in this United States. And she'll sink under the
influence of women. Now, you remember; that's THUS SAITH THE LORD."
BRANHAM, 58-0927 WHY.ARE.WE.NOT.A.DENOMINATION_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN
In 1960, it changed a bit more to open up the options. She could be the
President, Vice President, or the Catholic Church
Quote:
And so, this... I... I won't have time in this meeting to tell you. In 1933, this is
a woman's nation. It's the number thirteen. It appears in the thirteenth
chapter of Revelation: thirteen stars, thirteen stripes, thirteen... Everything's
a thirteen. Everything is a woman. And remember, THUS SAITH THE LORD
there will be a woman rule before the end time. She'll either be President,
Vice President, or it'll be the Catholic church as a woman.
BRANHAM, 60-0716 FROM.THAT.TIME_ KLAMATH.FALLS.OR SATURDAY_
A few months later, it changed from a woman or the Catholic Church, to a
man "that would be wrongly elected by a woman".
Quote:
I said, "Then I seen a... They're going to permit women and are permitting
women to vote. And by voting, they'll elect the wrong man some of these
days." And you did at the last election. It was the woman's votes that elected
Kennedy. We know that, see, between the crooked machines and things fixed
up, that FBI exposed.
181
In 1961, Rev. Branham was convinced that the election of Kennedy was the
fulfillment of his vision.
Quote:
And I said, "In voting they'll elect the wrong man." I'm neither Democrat nor
Republican. I'm a Christian. Both sides is rotten. But they made their fatal
mistake the other day. Women done the works.
Now, that brings us then to the election of President Kennedy, and this car
coming on the--on the scene, bringing five things out of the seven that has
happened exactly.
61-0806 THE.SEVENTIETH.WEEK.OF.DANIEL_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN
As with the others, this vision is a moving target. We all know that women
may some day be president; during Branham's day when women were
starting to take public office, they knew it then. Let's compare the original
vision to the vision that it became:
Original:
Quote:
Woman will be president before we're annihilated.
Later:
Quote:
Woman will become president or vice president or dictator or elect the wrong
man or it was the Catholic Church and it was President Kennedy.
This vision clearly is a moving target, and America was not annihilated when
Kennedy became president.
182
Vision 6: California will Sink Beneath the Ocean

The last year of his ministry, Rev. Branham would condemn Los Angeles for
allegedly rejecting Christ, and condemn the city into destruction. His vision
would compare to Capernaum; which Branham thought was beneath the sea
during the time of his ministry.
Quote:
That is solemn warning. We don't know what time, and you don't know what
time, that this city one day is going to be laying out here in the bottom of
this ocean. "Oh, Capernaum," said Jesus, "thou who exalted into heaven, will
be brought down into hell. For, if the mighty works had been done in Sodom
and Gomorrah, it'd have been standing to this day." And Sodom, Gomorrah
lays in the bottom of the Dead Sea. And Capernaum is in the bottom of the
sea. Thou city, who claims to be the city of the Angels, who has exalted
yourself into heaven, and sent all the dirty, filthy things of fashions and
things, till even the foreign countries come here to pick up our filth and send
it away, to your fine churches and steeples, and so forth, the way you do.
Remember, one day you'll be laying in the bottom of the sea, your great
honeycomb under you right now. The wrath of God is belching right beneath
you. How much longer He will hold this sandbar hanging out over that?
When, that ocean out yonder, a mile deep, will slide in there, plumb back to
the Salton Sea. It'll be worse than the last day of Pompeii. Repent, Los
Angeles.
BRANHAM, 65-0429E THE.CHOOSING.OF.A.BRIDE_ LOS.ANGELES.
Capernaum was a fishing village at the time of the Hasmoneans (140-116
BC). To this day, it is located in the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee.
Archaeological excavations have revealed two ancient synagogues built one
on top of the other. Capernaum was spared by the Romans during the Jewish
Revolt (AD 66-70), and was referred to as a fertile spring in the writings of
Josephus. Many homes were built in the 4th century, and one of the homes
was greatly transformed in the 5th century. Evidence shows a constant
transforming city since before the days of Christ until about the 5th Century.
It has never been under the sea.
Image
It is common knowledge that California sits on a fault line that produces
major earthquakes of this day, just as the Bible predicted. It was common
knowledge before Branham made the prediction that Los Angeles particularly
was very brittle under the foundation, and Branham discussed this in his
sermons.
183
Quote:
And this scientist was speaking, being on an interview. We was watching on
television. And he said, "Beneath that is just a churning lava." And he said
this, he said, "That is a chunk will break loose," and said, "and it will." And
this inter-... The man, scientist interviewing this chief scientist, said to him,
said, "Well, that could then all sink?" He said, "Could? It's got to!" Said, "Well,
course, will probably be many, many years from now." He said, "It can be in
five minutes from now, or it can be in five years from now." He just lotted five
years. But just as I sure was standing there under that Inspiration, put
judgment on that West Coast, and then followed it right up here with the
sinking of Los Angeles, she is gone! That's right. It will happen. When? I don't
know.
BRANHAM, 65-0711 ASHAMED_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN
Previous visions by others have predicted earthquakes sinking Los Angeles
since 1937. While in a hospital, a 17-year-old Joe Brandt had an out-of-body
experience that was so clear to him that it was written down and formed into
a book in 1965.
Quote:
I've been thinking about it all morning. I'm going home tomorrow. It was just
a dream. It was nothing more. Nobody in the future on Hollywood Boulevard
is going to be wearing earrings and those beards. Nothing like that is ever
going to happen. That girl was so real to me that girl with those kids. It won't
ever happen but if it did, how could I tell her (maybe she isn't even born yet)
to move away from California when she has her twins and she can't be on
the Boulevard that day. She was so gosh-darned real.
The other thing those ham operators hanging on like that over and over
saying the same thing:
"This is California. We are going into the sea. This is California. We are going
into the sea. Get to the mountains. Get to the hilltops. California, Nevada,
Colorado, Arizona, Utah. This is California. We are going into the sea."
The Coming Earthquake - Joe Brandt
Branham could see nothing past 1977, and made that very clear throughout
his ministry. According to a book by Pearry Green, Branham saw Los Angeles
under the ocean before Billy Paul was an old man.
Quote:
"Billy, I may not be here but you won't be an old man until sharks will swim
right where we are standing"
BRANHAM, See The Acts of the Prophet, by Pearry Green, page 119
184
Billy Paul Branham was born on September 13, 1935, putting him at age 76
in 2011. Branham claimed to be an old man at age 56, and 76 years old is
considered to be old age by practically everyone in every nation.
Knowing that Los Angeles lies beyond the fault, knowing that the foundation
under Los Angeles is very brittle, and probably knowing that Joe Brandt also
had a very clear retelling of California going under the sea, it would be very
easy for Rev. Branham to "predict" that it would happen. Many scientists of
the day had also predicted it, and still worry about it to this day.
185
Forgiving Others Without Hesitation

Matthew 18 tells how Peter asked Jesus how many times we should forgive a
brother that sinned against him. Peter thought seven times would certainly
be enough before he should condemn his brother and walk way.
Jesus responded that seven times was not enough, but instead we should
forgive one another always. He said, "I do not say to you seven times, but
seventy-seven times," which would be similar to our mothers telling us "if
I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times."
Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven is like a master who wished to settle
his accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one servant was
brought to him that owed ten thousand talents.
Since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife
and children, and everything he owned. Selling everything would be enough
for the payment to be made.
The servant fell on his knees begging for mercy. "Have patience with me,
and I will pay you," he cried. Out of pity for the servant, the master released
him and forgave the dept.
When the servant left the master, he found one of the fellow servants who
owed him (the servant) a hundred denarii, or silver coins. The servant who
had just been forgiven of the debt began to choke the other servant who
owed so great a debt, and commanded him to pay what he owed.
His fellow servant fell down and begged for patience. The servant who had
just been forgiven by his master refused his fellow servant, and put him in
prison until he could pay the debt.
When the other servants saw what had just taken place, they were greatly
upset. They reported the events to their master, and the master summoned
the servant that he had just forgiven.
He said, "You wicked servant! I forgave you all the debt you owed me
because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had the same
mercy on your fellow servant as I had mercy on you?"
In anger, the master sent him to the jailers to be held until he could pay all
the debt that was once forgiven of him.
Jesus said, "So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do
not forgive your brother from within your heart."
186
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we only forgive one another a

few times, and then hold our brothers and sisters in contempt within our
hearts? After Jesus forgave us of our sins, do we condemn other sinners
within our hearts? Have we even become so vile that we will speak badly
against another sinner? Have we become the sinner that all the other
sinners are shocked and upset by? Will our heavenly Father forgive our
debts when we face the judgment, or will he find that we did not forgive
others?
187
On Marriage and Divorce

Matthew 19 describes how the Pharisees came to Jesus, testing him about
those who had been divorced.
"Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?" They asked.
Jesus answered, "Have you not read that he who created them from the
beginning made them male and female?" From the beginning, God did not
make the male to be with other males, they were created male and female.
Jesus said, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother, and fold fast
to his wife. The two shall become one flesh. They are no longer two, but
they are one flesh. What God has joined together, let not man separate."
The Pharisees asked Jesus, "Why then did Moses command one to give a
certificate of divorce and send her away?"
Jesus answered, "Because of the hardness of your heart, Moses allowed you
to divorce your wives. From the beginning, it was not this way."
Jesus looked at them and said, "Whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual
immorality, and marries another, commits adultery."
The disciples were slightly shocked at these words. It was not the culture at
the time to be so strict, and this was no easy rule to follow for them. "If this
is the case, it is better not to marry!" they said.
Jesus knew their worry, but calmed them down, saying, "Not everyone can
receive this saying. This saying is only for whom it is given."
Jesus explained that there were three types of men:
There were men who became eunuchs from birth, their male parts removed
at an early age. Studies have shown that these men suffer hormonal issues,
and are more likely to be attracted to other men. More than likely, this was
the reason Jesus was insistent upon the fact that the male and the female
would be joined together, not the male and male.
There were also eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men. These men
were made eunuchs later in life, either by removal of the male parts, or by
simply forcing themselves not to be married. It was against human nature,
and there were many given into adultery by leaving their wives to become
eunuchs, or by not being able to contain their desires.
188
Then, there were the eunuchs who became eunuchs for the sake of the
kingdom of heaven. These men were holy and pure, having no desire to
consider their own bodies. Their only focus was the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus said, "Let the one who is able to receive this receive it."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we condemn those who have
been divorced? Is one sin greater in God's eyes than another? If they
remarry and consecrate their lives back to the Lord, do we continue to
condemn them for their past sins? How are we to know that God was not the
one who separated them instead of men? Men do not have the power to
separate what God has joined, but God has the power of all things. Must all
men become Eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven? How are we to
know this saying is even for them?
189
The First and the Last

Matthew 19 tells the story of a young man who came to Jesus, asking how to
gain eternal life.
The man asked the question, still holding onto the old ways that eternal life
could only be attained by the good things you do. He said, "Teacher, what
good deed must I do to have eternal life?"
Jesus asked him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only One
who is good." Testing him, Jesus gave the man a list of the commandments
that the Pharisees taught were the things that must be done to live forever.
The man replied, "I have kept all of these things, what have I missed?" The
man had lived a holy life for his entire life, living by the legalistic ways of the
Pharisees. He did not have faith that he had eternal life.
Jesus instructed him, "If you are to be perfect, go and sell your possessions,
giving them to the poor. You will have possessions in heaven. Then, come
and follow me."
The man went away with great sorrow. He had many great possessions in
life.
As he left, Jesus told the disciples, "It is very difficult for a rich person to
enter the kingdom of heaven. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye
of a needle."
The disciples were astonished. Every person had possessions, though some
more than others. "Who then can be saved?" they asked. Jesus looked at
them and told them that with men this would be impossible, but with God all
things are possible.
Peter said to Jesus, "We have left everything and followed you.
possessions will we have in heaven?"
What
Jesus described thirteen thrones in heaven. Jesus would sit in his glorious
throne in heaven, and the disciples would sit on twelve thrones to judge the
twelve tribes of Israel.
Anyone who have followed Jesus and left houses, brothers, sisters, fathers,
mothers, children, or lands for His name's sake would receive a hundredfold
and inherit eternal life.
Jesus said that "Many who are first will be last, and the last will be first."
190
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we think that by living good, we

automatically get eternal life? Do we think that if we have lived our entire
lives pure, we are saved? Do we place more value on the things in life than
the Gospel of Jesus Christ? If we had to give up everything we had known to
leave it and follow Him, would we do it? Would we leave our mothers and
fathers for Jesus if we had to? If our favorite brother or sister kept us from
believing the Gospel, would we leave them to follow Jesus? Do we think all
that are the "great men of faith" in this world, considered to be the "first" will
be first in heaven? Are we first, or are we last?
191
The Vineyard
Matthew 20 tells the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. After agreeing
to work for a denarius per day, the servants were sent out by the master into
the vineyard early in the morning.
In the third hour of the day, the master went into the marketplace, finding
some that were idle. He said to them, "If you go into the vineyard to work, I
will give you whatever you feel is right for your labor." They went to begin
working in the vineyard.
In the sixth hour and the ninth hour, the master did the same. When it came
to the eleventh hour, he went out and found others standing around idle.
"Why are you standing here idle all day," the master asked.
"Because no one has hired us for work," they replied. The master hired them
and they began to work in the vineyard.
At evening time, the owner of the vineyard said to the foreman, "Call the
laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, and up to the
first."
When those that came in the eleventh hour came, each received their
denarius. Those that were hired first thought they would receive more than
agreed upon, but they also received a denarius. Grumbling, they said,
"These only worked one hour, but you have made them equal to us that have
borne the burden of the day and the heat of the sun!"
He replied to them, "Friend, I did you no wrong. You agreed to labor for a
denarius, and I gave it to you. Take it and go, because I choose to give this
last worker the same I gave you."
"Do you think that I am not allowed to do as I choose with what belongs to
me? Or do you hold a grudge against me for my generosity?" the owner of
the vineyard asked.
At the end of the parable, Jesus said again, "The last will be first, and the first
will be last."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we happy that God chose us to
labor for Him? If we are some of the first that accepted Jesus in our hearts,
do we still remain as happy and excited about Jesus as the new ones that are
accepting Him? Do we hold the others in less esteem because they have not
served Him as long as we have? Do we think that we have more to gain
192
because of the length of time that we served Him? In doing so, do we hold a
grudge against Jesus? Are we the first, or are we the last?
193
Jesus Has Risen

Mark 16:9-20
When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary
Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told
those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. When
they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not
believe it.
Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were
walking in the country. These returned and reported it to the rest; but they
did not believe them either.
Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for
their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen
him after he had risen.
He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not
believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who
believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new
tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink
deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick
people, and they will get well."
After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he
sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached
everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the
signs that accompanied it.
This IS the Gospel. This is the good news that Jesus Christ came down to
earth, and lived a perfect life. He was crucified for our sins, and died on the
cross for every one of us who will accept Him in our hearts. He hung there
until his last breath was failing, and said, "Father, forgive." Then, He rose
again to sit at the right hand of the Father, our redeemer on His throne.
Peace be with you, Amen.
194
Forget Russia, Watch Blasphemy

Receiving a text message from a current follower, showing me the rise in
Communism, I had to remind him that WMB waffled around a bit.
After a closer look, it borders the line of blasphemy. WMB himself knew that,
using those powerful words "Thus Saith the Lord"
Quote:
If a prophet, or a dreamer, or whatever it is, or a teacher, hasn't based his
theory exactly on THUS SAITH THE LORD, I don't believe it.
When communism was on the rise, WMB struck fear in the hearts that
communism would destroy Rome.
Quote:
I'll prove to you that communism is working straight in the hands of Almighty
God to destroy the Roman... And remember, I say this as God's prophet: The
Russian empire will drop an atomic bomb of some sort on the Vatican City
and destroy it in one hour. THUS SAITH THE LORD. And the Bible said that
God took them cruel-hearted men and put them in His hands, and they were
instruments in His hands to fulfill His will, and to bring back to her exactly
what she had coming to her. That's exactly. That's the Word.
Waffling, he used those powerful words to show where "Thus Saith the Lord"
was wrong the first time, it was Rome to watch out for. Rome was not
destroyed.
BRANHAM, 54-0513 THE.MARK.OF.THE.BEAST_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN
It isn't Russia. It's Rome. THUS SAITH THE LORD. Yeah. Show me a Scripture
where communism, or anything else besides Rome, will rule.
BRANHAM, 62-0311 THE.GREATEST.BATTLE.EVER.FOUGHT
Quote:
Any prophecy don't stay with that Word... That's exactly. That's the reason I
say today; no matter how good it looks, how many preachers are saying this,
that, or the other, "Communism is going to take the world and throw it
down." Don't you never try to fight communism. Fight Romanism. For, that's
THUS SAITH THE LORD. The Lord said Romanism is going to rule, not
communism. It's just a puppet.
BRANHAM,
62-0422
THE.RESTORATION.OF.THE.BRIDE.TREE_
JEFFERSONVILLE.IN
195
My question simply is this: Was the Lord wrong in his words through his
"prophet," or did WMB have "accidental blasphemy" using "Thus Saith the
Lord" to contradict itself?
196
Overpowering Jesus
WMB had a strange view of Jesus. I recommend everyone do a quick study of
Gnosticism, and you'll be surprised to find how much of this pagan belief
system
was
integrated
into
the
words
of
WMB.
(http://www.gnosis.org/gnintro.htm)
Gnostics believe that the good one and the evil one were one day equal,
created by God. It is mixed all through the dead sea scrolls, that were being
translated to English during WMB's ministry. The good one and the evil one
were not eternal. WMB taught this throughout his ministry.
Quote:
See, there cannot be an Eternal son, because a son had to have a beginning.
And so Jesus had a beginning. God had no beginning. See?
("Q and A on Hebrews, Part II," 10/2/57, COD, page 273)
Quote:
How can He be an eternal son, when eternity never began or never ends?
And a son is something that is begotten of.
("Is This The Time," 12/30/62, V-2, N-11, page 36-7)
When you consider that WMB taught that the church age messengers
(having set himself up as one of them) had eternal life, and Jesus did not
have eternal life, it borders the line of blasphemy.
Quote:
I tell you, brother, the devil can whoop you around the stumps on how you
felt when you got it. Somebody said, "I feel good, the reason I know I got It."
Now, that's not the reason I know I got It. The reason I know I've met God's
condition and the devil can't tramp on the Word of God. It's THUS SAITH THE
LORD. That's it. Upon the basis of the promise of God, I've met God
conditions and know I have Eternal Life. That's the way every believer does
it, 'cause he's met God's conditions and the requirements that was laid down
to him. Oh, my.
54-1203 THE.LAW.HAVING.A.SHADOW_
So my question again would be this: Was WMB setting himself for power, like
David Koresh, James Jones, and others, or did he simply have "accidental
blasphemy?"
Second question to ask yourselves: After reading this, why do you think God
called WMB off the scene?
197
Overpowering Jesus - Part 2

Recently, I've heard the term "original faith" thrown around like there is some
hidden mystery that Jesus refused to tell in the Bible.
Studying it a bit, I found that it is WMB setting himself up to be at the level of
Jesus Christ again, which borders blasphemy.
Quote:
The original faith is to be restored by the seventh angel
The original Bible faith is to be restored by the seventh angel. Now, oh, how I
love this! All of the mysteries of the Seals that the reformers never
understood fully. ("The First Seal," 3/18/63, Seals, page 147)
The Bible teaches us that our faith comes from hearing the word of God, not
by hearing the prophets.
Quote:
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Rom.
10:17)
Considering that these 'reformers' were church angels according to WMB's
"divine revelation", my question is this:
Is WMB saying that the other church angels did not have the Word of God?
And if so, whose word did they have?
198
That Short Time You Might Be Punished in Hell

This one has amused me recently. I can remember having heated arguments
with other students of the Bible as to whether or not there was a hell that
was eternal or there was a hell that could only last five minutes.
WMB had a "divine revelation" that hell was not eternal. Using the KJV
translation only, he was able to twist the words into his own scheme, and
start teaching that hell could only last five minutes.
Quote:
But sin has an end, suffering has an end. Therefore, there cannot be an
Eternal hell. There's a hell, fire and brimstone, we know that, but there's no
Eternal hell. There's only one type of Eternal Life and that belongs to God. If
you're to suffer forever, you got Eternal Life. Hell has an end, it may be
billions of years, but it'll finally come to an end.
The Bible doesn't say, anywhere, that they suffered Eternally, said, "Forever
and forever." Jonah thought he was in the belly of the whale "forever," too.
Forever has a distance or a time limit. But Eternal is perpetual, it has no
beginning or end. It's like a ring, a circle. And as our time moves on, we're
only in revolving around the great motives of God.
(57-0908M HEBREWS.CHAPTER.FIVE.AND.SIX)
Quote:
Now, "hell," we'll go back to that awhile. I tell you that--that there cannot
be... I do believe in a burning hell. Yes, sir, the Bible said so, the lake of fire.
Now, but that cannot be an everla-... it cannot be an Eternal. It could be...
The Bible never says it's Eternal, It says "everlasting" hell. Don't say the
word Eternal, it says an "everlasting" hell. Now, it's prepared for the Devil
and his angels; an everlasting hell, not an Eternal one. Now, after... That soul
may be tormented there for its doings for ten million years, for all I know. I
don't know what everlasting might be in God's sight. It might be for five
minutes, it might be for a million years, it might be for ten million years, but
there will come a time when that soul will cease to be. 60-1206
THE.SMYRNAEAN.CHURCH.AGE
This actually is a pagan Gnostic belief. In the same belief structure that says
that the good one and the evil one were one day equal, it continues to build
a foundation for a punishment that did not last forever.
When comparing it to the bible, however, we find that this "revelation" by
WMB does not hold water.
199
The same word used here (for everlasting):

Quote:
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, depart from me, ye
cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: (Matthew
25:41)
Is the same word used here (for eternal)
Quote:
But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren,
and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in
the world to come eternal life. (Mark 10:30)
That word is aionios, which translated means without beginning and without
end. Everlasting. Eternal. It means exactly the same as the KJV translated it,
but was confusing to the lesser intelligent (like myself).
Looking back, I get a pretty good laugh from this. God sending a prophet to
tell the world that their punishment might not last long would be like me, as
a father, telling my child that if he didn't be good, I might slap his wrist -- but
it won't be very hard.
200
To Serve or to Be Served
Matthew 20 tells how a mother was so proud of her sons that she came to
Jesus to ask for him to give them power and authority.
As she approached, Jesus asked her, "What do you want?"
"Tell me that these two sons of mine are to sit beside you, one at your right
hand and one at your left hand, in your kingdom," she replied.
Jesus responded that she did not know what she was asking. Jesus knew that
he would sit at the right hand of the Father, and she was essentially asking
Jesus to give up his Father's throne. "Are you able to drink the cup that I am
to drink?" asked Jesus to the boys. They said that they were.
Jesus told them that they would drink his cup, but that the seats at the right
hand and the left hand were not his to grant. Those seats were prepared by
His Father.
When the ten with Jesus heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers.
They felt it was unfair treatment that they were not given such a blessing
when they had devoted their lives to Jesus.
But Jesus told them to come and listen to His words. "You know that the
rulers of the Gentiles are lords over these two, and the great ones exercise
authority over them. It shall not be so among you." Jesus said that the ones
that were great among the ten must be the servant, and whoever would be
first among them must be their slave.
Jesus said that the Son of Man did not come to be served, but came to serve.
Jesus came to give his life as a ransom for many.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we want our children to have
great things in this earth, or do we long for them to have great things in
heaven? Do we love our children enough to wish that they would suffer as
Jesus suffered? Some now teach that God is "1" like a person's finger, and if
placed in this woman's position, would they be asking Jesus to give up his
own throne? Do we think great, respected men of God in this day will sit as
rulers over those they now rule, when Jesus says here the first shall be last
and the last shall be first? Are we here to serve, or are we here to be
served?
201
What Cult Leaders Have in Common

Ever stopped to think about what every cult leader has in common, for the
past 500 years?
All of them believe that they have 'divine revelation' of when the church ages
of Revelation take place, and who the 'church age messengers' are. Then,
with one last divine revelation, they magically become the messenger for the
last one (Laodicea), and start teaching that the would could end at any
minute.
Those of us who thought we understood the book of Revelation, and found
out later that the 'divine revelation' was copied from books by Clarence
Larkin, are a bit skeptical. Just because we trusted one man for his
revelation, why should we trust another? If the first man was wrong, what
about the man he copied?
This leads to an interesting question:
Has anybody stopped to think that the book of Revelation describes the
church ages for us? It's right there for us to figure out on our own! The Bible
is of no private interpretation!
Then, when you realize that God gave you a mind for learning, have you ever
stopped to think that the last four church ages did not end until the
tribulation?
Thiatira
Quote:
But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh,
and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations
(Revelation 2:25-26)
Sardis
Quote:
Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and
repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and
thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
(Revelation 3:3)
Philadelphia
Quote:
202
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from
the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that
dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast,
that no man take thy crown.
(Revelations 3:10-11)
The more I read the book of Revelation, the more I understand why John
wrote:
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
He did not write:
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Prophet saith unto the churches.
203
1977: The End of the World or the Year of Jubilee?

We all know WMB said the world would end in 1977. He effectively put a date
on the end of the world, though he followed up with an 'I predict but I do not
prophesy'.
Let's ignore the end of the world for a minute, and study the reason he chose
1977. People often forget that there was an actual prophecy regarding 1977
since the other one turned out wrong...
Read this quote closely:
Quote:
Based on these seven visions, along with the rapid changes which have
swept the world in the last fifty years, I PREDICT (I do not prophesy) that
these visions will have all come to pass by 1977. And though many may feel
that this is an irresponsible statement in view of the fact that Jesus said that
'no man knoweth the day nor the hour.' I still maintain this prediction after
thirty years because, Jesus did NOT say no man could know the year, month
or week in which His coming was to be completed. So I repeat, I sincerely
believe and maintain as a private student of the Word, along with Divine
inspiration that 1977 ought to terminate the world systems and usher in the
millennium.
LAODICEAN.CHURCH.AGE - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK CPT.9
Here are my thoughts on WMB's statement in this quote:
1) Prophets 'predict', and it is called 'prophesy' -- but that has been argued in
another forum for ages, so let's skip it.
2) He clearly says that Jesus DID SAY no man knows the hour, but that Jesus
DID NOT SAY no man knows the year, moth, or week. Why did he say this?
3) He says that he has maintained this 'prediction' for 30 years, and used
'Divine inspiration' Why did he say this?
Now, read this quote:
Quote:
Now, counting the time, we find that we have exactly (Listen.) seventeen
years left, and we will have the same span of time given to us as God dealing
with us in the power of the Holy Spirit since A.D. 33 until 1977, the same
span of time of 1954 years. God deals with us the same as He did with the
Jews. See? How about that?
204
Now, mark down in your book a little Scripture here I want to give you.
Leviticus 25, begin with the 8th verse. God calls a jubilee every forty-ninth
year; the fiftieth year was the jubilee. We know that. We understand that.
From the first jubilee of Leviticus 25:8, in 1977 will be the seventieth jubilee,
making exactly 3,430 years. Jubilee means the going up, the release.
61-0806 THE.SEVENTIETH.WEEK.OF.DANIEL_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN DA 89-141
SUNDAY_
Notice here that he had 'divine revelation' that 1977 was the year of the
Jubilee, and this was a separate event. This he 'prophesied', and then started
teaching hereafter.
Quote:
Now, listen to what he says about this year of the jubilee
And not knowing it, God knows my heart, I never knowed it until yesterday,
that 1977 is the jubilee, and exactly the same amount of time run out that
He give with Israel and everything at the end. So we're at... And here we are
at the end of the age, at the coming in of the seventieth week. We don't
know what time that the church will be gone. Oh, my. What can we do,
friends? Where are we at?
61-0806 THE.SEVENTIETH.WEEK.OF.DANIEL
Event 1) Jubilee, the lifting up, prophesied
Event 2) End of the world, 'predicted' with Divine inspiration <grin>
Many of the 'prophecies,' such as the sinking of Los Angeles were supposed
to happen before the 'going up' or the 'jubilee'.
Considering all of this, my question would be: Did WMB put a timestamp on
his prophecies, or was he wrong about the year of the jubilee?
205
A Dove of Deception
I can remember watching this video over a hundred times. There are many
who keep pictures of it in their homes. Some hold it to the same value of the
halo picture (you can read about in another post).
Speaking to a video analyst about the supernatural videos posted here and
there, I reviewed this one with him. There were multiple problems with it, but
he said that I didn't need an expensive analyst for this video -- I had the tools
to prove it false myself.
Watch the hand moving upward in the video. Watch the "dove" moving
across the screen and then upward. Then watch the frame rate of the hand
versus the frame rate of the dove. The dove was not in the original video!
The frame rates are different!
This video has either been doctored, or was not a clean recording. ...and the
changes that it is not a clean recording are highly unlikely...
206
The Less Fortunate

Matthew 20 describes the journey out of Jericho, and the great crowd that
followed Jesus as he departed.
As they left, there were two blind men sitting by the road, possibly begging.
As Jesus passed by, they cried out, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!"
All of those who had just listened to the parables that Jesus had just given
about the kingdom of heaven started to rebuke the two blind men, telling
them to keep silent. Jesus had just told the people that the "first would be
last and the last would be first," but the people seemingly despised the
beggars, not wanting them to speak out to Jesus. The beggars cried out
louder for mercy.
Jesus heard their cries and called the beggars to Him. "What do you want
me to do for you," Jesus asked.
"Let our eyes be opened," they replied.
In pity for them, Jesus touched their eyes, and immediately they received
their sight. After receiving their sight, they followed Jesus with the rest of the
crowd.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: When we see beggars on the
streets, do we despise them? Do we think within ourselves that they will
simply drink their sorrows away if we give to them? Do we not realize they
are less fortunate than ourselves, or we might be begging there with them?
Do we think that the less fortunate are not worthy for us to use as an
example of Divine Love? Would Jesus consider us first or last in the kingdom
of heaven if we simply pass them by while turning our heads?
207
Jesus the Prophet

Matthew 21 tells us how Jesus stopped the village of Bethpage near the
Mount of Olives, and sent two disciples to retrieve a donkey and a colt.
He told them that if anyone asked anything about taking them, they would
respond that "The Lord needs them," and they would be freely given. Jesus
told them how he would be fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah, when he said
that the King would come humble, mounted on a donkey.
The disciples brought the donkey and the colt, and took their cloaks off to lay
on the animals. Jesus sat on the animals and started towards Jerusalem.
As he went, many of the followers lay their own cloaks upon the road before
Jesus. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
They were reverent to the Christ, and did not want the feet of the animals to
even touch the ground. Both the crowds that went before him and the
crowds that followed started shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"
When they entered into Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred. Many asked
who this was that entered the city on a donkey with a large crowd praising
Him. Those that followed Jesus said, "This is the prophet Jesus, from
Nazareth of Galilee!"
We know that Jesus is the Savior, but are sometimes forgetful that He was
also a prophet. Jesus would foretell events, sometimes to the crowds and
sometimes alone to the disciples, but always with more than one witness to
His prophecies. Jesus would heal the eyes of the blind, and the blind would
immediately receive their sight. He would show discernment, telling people
their names as they approached.
The people did not announce Him as "King" or "Savior." They did not
announce him as "Christ" or "Son of Man". They announced him as "The
prophet Jesus."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we follow prophets that do not
tell their prophecies to many witnesses? Do those that profess the power of
"faith healing" have the power of God that heals instantly, or do they have
some other power that sends the people to fend for themselves? Do they
discern names from God above, or do they claim to have angels on the
platform with them while making the afflicted write their names on prayer
cards? Do we raise these "faith healers" to an object of worship, almost to
the point that they should enter the congregations mounted on a donkey?
Or do we focus on Jesus Christ?
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209
The Importance of Keeping One's Healing

Reading a publication by Gordon Lindsay regarding William Branham's
meetings, there are two things I find very odd:
1. Testimonies Submitted
Now that I think about it, seems like I remember WMB talking about
testimonies from all over being sent in. This publication mentions two postal
boxes for the healed to submit their testimonies.
If 'thousands were healed' as WMB claimed, where are these testimonies?
Wouldn't you think they'd be on display for all to see at the headquarters in
Jeffersonville? Or at least in a booklet somewhere that they could sell to
make a buck or two? Where'd they all go?
Quote:
Concerning Testimonies of Healing
It is very important for the individual who is healed to send in his testimony.
Jesus remarked, concerning the ten lepers who were healed, that only one
returned to give God the glory. (Luke 17:11-18.) Please write out your
testimony and send it to the following address:
Branham Campaigns,
P.O. Box 3967, Tucson, Ariz.
or
P.O. Box 325, Jeffersonville, Ind.
Gordon Lindsay - Divine Healing in the Branham Campaign
2. The Importance of Keeping One's Healing
I find this very, very odd. Nowhere in the Bible does it teach this, but WMB
and Lindsay claimed that the people had to 'keep their faith' or they'd 'lose
their healing'. A scripture is twisted in this article to support this claim, but
we never see Jesus telling the blind man that was healed, "Go forth and don't
lose your faith that you can see ... or you'll be blind again." If you re-read
that scripture in context, you'll find that it has nothing to do with healing,
and teaches you to protect yourself from the devil before he bothers you.
Quote:
The Important Matter of Keeping One's Healing
This last consideration brings us to the thought of whether it is possible to
lose one's healing. This matter is really of tremendous importance, for we
have already seen that Jesus plainly taught that it is possible for one to lose
his healing. Almost every Christian will testify that after they were saved,
glorious as their experience might have been, sooner or later the enemy was
back to tempt and to even make them believe that they had not been saved.
Likewise, as we have seen in the case of demon possession, the demon is
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back sooner or later to recover, if possible, what he has lost. To be

forewarned is to be forearmed, if the individual will obey the Scriptures by
resisting the enemy, the devil will leave, but if he gives in to him, Satan will
rob him of his deliverance. James 4:7 declares, "Resist the devil and he will
flee from you." If when the enemy brings symptoms to us, tempting us to
believe that the old affliction is to return upon us, we resist him and rebuke
the thing, we shall find that our deliverance is complete.
We must let Christ and His Kingdom reign in our lives. The man in whom the
demon was cast out, continued in his old way. He did not serve God or live
for Him. Consequently, his disobedience was an invitation for the enemy to
return. There are those who only attend church during a revival meeting.
They are unfaithful in their service to God, and continue to indulge in a
worldly life, partaking in questionable things on the devil's territory. Soon
they may be back in the toils of the enemy again. Again, let us remember
the words of Our Lord when He said, "Behold thou art made whole; sin no
more, lest a worse thing come unto thee."
There are, however, numbers of good Christians, conscientious people who
evidently receive a gracious touch from the Lord, but for some reason or
other do not seem to get a complete healing. To those who have had certain
types of disease, special instructions need to be given. In the case of a
cancer patient, the cancer is usually killed after prayer. Nevertheless, in
some cases the cancer has yet to be eliminated from the body. Sometimes
severe pain attends this elimination. If the person fails to understand this, he
may fail to recognize his healing altogether. However, the person who stands
firm in faith may expect complete deliverance.
In one of the Branham meetings, a lady had a serious cancer that was
prayed for. Early the following morning she was visited with severe pains,
and became fearful. At 5 a.m. in the morning she sought to obtain help by
telephone, but was unable to secure proper connections. Shortly after,
however, she passed the cancer from her body and the next day was up
testifying to her healing.
What is true concerning the action of a dead cancer is similarly true with
other growth afflictions. People who have had growths in their ears which
caused deafness, often after hearing for a little time, suffer temporary
deafness again while the growth disintegrates. The same things are true of
cataract blindness. The cataracts which have been killed, during the period
of drying up, may produce temporary blindness again. To all these we say,
trust God and stand upon His promise for complete deliverance. Let not that
man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord." (James 1:6-7.) But let
us remember the words of Jesus in Mark 10:24: "What things soever ye
desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them."
-
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My question to this would be: Is it possible that these 'thousands that were
healed' did not keep their faith, or were all of these submitted testimonies
simply lost over time by the ones now running the show? Maybe they were
"lent out and never returned," like the paper with the prophecies of 1933
supposedly is.
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Robbing the Poor to Feed the Rich

Matthew 21 describes how Jesus entered the temple in Jerusalem, and drove
out all those who sold or bought.
He overturned the tables of the cashiers, more than likely scattering the
money all across the floor. He overturned the seats of those who sold
pigeons.
The pigeon was a bird that was used for burnt offering, one of only two birds
allowed according to Leviticus 1:14. People in the temple were making profit
from the people as they humbly offered their bird to God.
Jesus told them, "It is written, my house shall be called a house of prayer, but
you have made it a den of robbers."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: What motives to our leaders have
when they sell us cardboard suitcases filled with memories of a prophet that
is dead and gone? Where is the Bible in the suitcase, the one thing they
should be pointing to? Why do they tell us to "stay with the tapes," and then
sell them to us at a price so high that the poor cannot afford to buy? Do our
pastors preach tithing of ten percent, even to the poor? Have you ever
stopped to count heads and calculate the amount that would be given?
Where does all this money go? Wouldn't you think there would be no poor in
the congregation?
We need to ask ourselves, "Is this being done for the glory of God, or is this
being done for some other purpose?"
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The Authority of Jesus

Matthew 21 tells the story of how Jesus hungered on his return to the city.
Passing by a fig tree along the way, he went to it and found nothing on the
branches except leaves.
Jesus looked at it and said, "May no fruit ever come from you again!" The fig
tree withered right before their very eyes.
When the disciples saw it, they were amazed. "How did the fig tree wither at
once?" they asked. Jesus responded that if they have faith, and do not
doubt, they could do not only the same thing to the fig tree, but much
greater things. They could tell a mountain to lit up and be thrown into the
sea, and it would happen. Jesus told them anything that they asked in
prayer would be received if they had faith.
As He entered the temple, the chief priests and elders came forward through
the crowd to ask Him who gave the authority to do these things. They asked
by what authority He did these things.
Jesus answered them, "I will also ask you one question. If you can tell me
the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things: The
baptism of John, where did it come from? From heaven, or from man?"
They discussed it amongst themselves, careful how to answer. If they
answered 'from heaven', Jesus would then ask them why they did not believe
in Him. If they answered 'from man', then the crowd would be angered. All
in the crowd believed that John was a prophet.
They answered, "We do not know."
Jesus replied, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we think that answer to prayer
comes only through men we respect, or do we realize that we have the same
access to God? Do we think that a pastor or evangelist has a faster channel
to God for divine healing? Do we think that they have more authority to ask
God for the things we need in prayer? Shouldn't we be close enough to God
to ask Him ourselves? As Jesus asked, does the authority come from heaven,
or from man?
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Lower Than the Prostitutes

Matthew 21 tells how Jesus spoke against the high priests and elders with a
parable.
He said that a man had two sons. He went to the first and said, "Son, go and
work in the vineyard today."
The son replied, "I will not." But afterwards, he changed his mind and went.
He went to the other son and asked the same of the other son. The other
son answered, "I will go," but did not go.
Jesus asked the high priests and elders, "Which of the two did the will of his
father?" They replied that the first son did his father's will.
Jesus said to them that the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the
kingdom of God before they would. He said that John came to them in the
way of righteousness, and they did not believe him. The tax collectors and
the prostitutes believed him. And even when they saw it, they did not
change their minds and believe him.
As Christians we should ask ourselves: If our heavenly Father tells us to go,
do we go? Do we pray on Sunday that we will obey His will, and then ignore
it throughout the week? Do we separate ourselves from the sinners, or do
we try to help them? Do our pastors condemn the people of the city who do
not believe God, or do they pray and preach to them as John the Baptist did?
Do they mourn for the lost, or do they condemn them like the high priests?
Is this the way of righteousness? Will the 'tax collectors and prostitutes' of
our day who are saved by the labor of other pastors make it into the kingdom
of heaven first?
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We Are Workers in The Vineyard

Speaking to the high priests and elders in Matthew 21, Jesus gave another
parable of a vineyard.
Jesus said there was a master of a house who built a vineyard and all its
surroundings, leased it to tenants, and then went into another country.
When the season for its fruit came, he sent his servants to the tenants to get
his fruit.
The tenants beat one servant, killed one, and stoned another.
owner sent more servants, but with the same result.
Again, the
Finally, he sent his son, saying "They will respect my son."

But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, "This is the heir.
Let's kill him and have his inheritance." They took him out of the vineyard
and killed him.
Jesus asked the high priests and elders, "When the owner of the vineyard
comes, what will he do to those tenants?"
They responded, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death and lend
the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons."
Jesus said to them, "Have you never read the scriptures that say, "The stone
that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's
doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?"
He said the kingdom of God would be taken away from them and given to a
people producing its fruits.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we doing the work Jesus intended
for us to do? Are we reaching out to others and trying to produce fruit, or are
we struggling to keep alive the few fruit we have left? When Jesus sends
others to help us produce fruit, do we accept them, or do we condemn them
and turn them away? Do our pastors preach to the lost, or only to the
saved? If Jesus came today, would he be amazed at the fruit we have
produced, or would he replace us with a people who will produce more fruit?
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Caught with Their Wedding Garments Down

Matthew 22 tells how Jesus gave the parable of the wedding feast.
Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven could be compared to a king who
gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call all those who
were invited to the feast. Those invited would not come.
Again, the king sent other servants and told them to "Tell those who are
invited, 'See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have
been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.'"
Still, those invited paid no attention and went away, one to his farm, another
to his business. The rest seized his servants and treated them shamefully,
even killing them.
The king was angry, and he sent his troops to destroy those murderers, and
burned their city. Then, he said to his servants, "The wedding feast is ready,
but those invited were not worthy." He instructed them to go to the main
roads and invite as many as would come.
The servants went out into the roads, and gathered all they could find, both
bad and good. The wedding hall was filled with guests.
When the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there was a man who
had no wedding garment. He said to him, "Friend, how did you get in here
without a wedding garment?" The man was speechless.
Then, the king commanded the other attendants to bind the man without a
garment, hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place,
there would be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Jesus said, "For many are called, but few are chosen."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we reject Jesus when he places
His call in our hearts? Even though He sends others our way to push us in
the right direction, do we reject them or even condemn them? Are we so
busy with our business that we don't have time to do His will? Do we look
down on the sinners when God is doing great and mighty works in their lives,
thinking that we are better than them because we are further along in our
journey with Christ? Or do we just show up in church with no calling at all,
like the man without the wedding garment? Are we chosen?
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Holding onto the Root of All Evil

Matthew 22 describes how the Pharisees attempted to entangle Jesus in his
words.
The Pharisees sent their disciples along with the Herodians to Jesus and said,
"Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and
you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by
appearances."
"Tell us, then, what do you think: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caeser, or not?"
Jesus, aware of all things, was aware of their malice. He said, "Why do you
test me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax." They brought him a
denarius.
"Whose face and inscription is on this coin?" Jesus asked.
"Caesar's," they replied.
Jesus replied, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the
things that are God's."
When the disciples of the Pharisees and the Herodians heard this, they
marveled. They left Jesus and went away.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we give everything we owe to
our authorities, or do we try to invent ways to beat the system? Do we move
our assets into other states or even countries to avoid taxes, or do we pay
them as Jesus commanded? Do we hide large amounts of money through
non-profit organizations established for the sole purpose of making profit?
Are we giving all that we should to God? Do our pastors use their money
wisely, giving back to God by giving to the poor, or do they keep it for
themselves? When we see the pastors not helping the poor, do we start
giving, or do we simply turn our heads and look the other way? Are we
giving to God the things that are Gods?
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Sitting on OVER A HUNDRED MILLION BUCKS!!!!!

There are many stories floating around about the amount of money stored up
when WMB died. Some of it (still being confirmed) was supposedly used to
found VOGR, some of it came in only through the local church. There are
rumors of what the church has stored up in the bank (also still being
confirmed).
When our new pastor (at the Baptist church) asks for us to give tithes and
offerings for special causes, he is very open and forthcoming about where
this money goes. If there is a special need for disaster relief, we know which
disaster. If it is going to missionaries, they tell us the amount, and where it is
going. If it is simply church tithing, it is all laid out plainly and clearly. We
know the donation goal, how much is needed, and how many churches this is
spread across.
I found this to be a drastic change from when I attended a MSG church.
Where did all the money go? I very seldom (almost never) heard about
anyone receiving assistance. When I did hear of it, it was only someone who
not only attended the church, but who attended regularly. I've seen many in
need in the MSG churches who have never received ANYTHING. I can confirm
that when I was jobless and went to the pastor, I did not receive a dime.
So, take this example:
Say the average person in the church makes 50,000 / year. (Many make
more than this, obviously, and many less.)
Say the average attendance Sunday morning is 350 people. (I've seen close
to 500 at times.)
Say the pastor is paid 100,000 (according to the "books")
Say the utilities, upkeep & maintenance is 100,000 / year
If everyone in the church gave ten percent, this would be a profit of
$1,550,000 / year.
It has been 46 years since WMB's death, so some of these pastors have
preached for 47 years. If they received this amount for 47 years, they would
have a profit of $72,850,000
Obviously, the economy has changed over time, and the attendance has
fluctuated. We can't assume there will have been a profit of over a million
bucks for 47 years.
So to be fair, let's take just 15% of this 47-year profit. We come up with
$10,927,500 in a single message church alone! This does not include any
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donations to VOGR, no special offerings, no monies for special meetings! TEN

MILLION BUCKS!!!! AT ONLY 15% MARGIN!!!!
There are records held by every church that show the "books," but there
seems to be a VAST difference in the amount of money given, spent, and
used for the operations of the church. We don't hear of any "large relief
operations" like the Southern Baptist churches (the largest relief organization
in the world.) We find missionaries in other countries without even shoes on
their feet. We find poor families in every church, barely able to make ends
meet.
Then, how many overweight pastors do we find? How many are driving
expensive cars? How many have expensive houses? Eat out constantly?
Expensive vacations?
I have listened to MSG pastors and song leaders that were so fat they could
barely breathe to make noise, while the Bible condemns gluttony.
I beg anyone to tell me:
What does a church do with ten million bucks??????
220
The Two Commandments That Are the Foundation

Matthew 22 tells how some Sadducees came to Jesus. The Sadducees did
not believe in the resurrection, and tried to argue their point with a question:
"Teacher," they said, "Moses said 'If a man dies having no children, his
brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.'"
The described a situation where there were seven brothers. The first married
and died with no offspring, so he left his wife to the second brother. The
same happened with the third and forth, and on unto the seventh. After
them all, the woman died.
"In the resurrection, which of the seven brothers will be married to this wife?"
they asked. "They all had her."
Jesus answered that they were wrong, because they neither knew the
scriptures nor the power of God. In the resurrection, they are neither
married or given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven.
He said that they had also not read what was said by God: "I am the God of
Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Jesus said that he is
not God of the dead, but God of the living. When the crowd heard it, they
were astonished at this statement.
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they
gathered together. They brought a man who was taught in the ways of
debate, a lawyer, and had the lawyer ask a question to test Jesus: "Teacher,
which is the great commandment in the Law?
Jesus replied that the first and great commandment was that "You shall love
the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your
mind."
He also said that the second is very much like the first: "You shall love your
neighbor as yourself."
Jesus said that these two commandments were the foundation to all of the
Law and all of the Prophets.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we place so much emphasis on
some of the minor laws that we lose sight of the greatest two
commandments? Do we even understand the reason the Law was given, so
that we would have divine love? In picking and choosing the laws that fit our
motives, do we condemn others? How many has failed to marry his brothers
221
widow, yet condemns another for some other law? Shouldn't we focus on
the first commandment, to love the Lord God with everything within us?
Have we forgotten the second greatest commandment? If Jesus were here
today, would he tell us that we "neither knew the scriptures nor the power of
God?"
Plagiarism of Clarence Larkin

Many have heard that William Branham plagiarized Clarence Larkin, but few
are willing or able to do the research to compare the two.
Some who have heard this cast it aside, saying that Branham got his
"research" from several places (including historians), but fail to realize that
the pastors of today and Branham himself claimed this as divine revelation:
Quote:
You know I've always tried to be this, and our Lord has always revealed it to
me; there's one extreme, and another extreme, but right in the middle of the
road lays the Truth. (60-1204E THE.PATMOS.VISION)
I find it odd that the headquarters have these excellent "blank spot on tape"
whenever they find something plagiarized.
Quote:
Now we're going to read the sevenfold glory of His Person. Oh, my! This
makes me shout before I get to it. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
To make things easier for those who struggle with research, I have taken a
sample from Branham's message "The Patmos Vision", and compared it to
Larkin's "Sevenfold Glory".
You will find that not only were the main points and topics the exact same,
even the supporting scriptures matched to the letter.
You
can
find
the
new
publication
http://seekyethetruth.com/Home/Default.aspx?
organizationid=57&PageId=891&static=true&pub=plagiarism%20of
%20clarence%20larkin.pdf
here:
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The Seven Woes of Today

Matthew 23 describes seven woes Jesus gave to the Scribes and the
Pharisees.
Jesus said the scribes and the Pharisees sit in the seat of Moses to observe,
and the see everything the people did, yet they did not do the same works.
Jesus said they did not practice what they preached. They enjoyed the best
seats and being called "rabbi" by others, but lacked humility.
Jesus said they "shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces." They neither
entered the kingdom of heaven nor allowed those who wanted to enter the
kingdom to go in.
Jesus said that they taught that money given to the temple gave a better
testimony to the oath of the people, and in doing so had made the gold
sacred in their eyes. Their oaths should be made to the kingdom of heaven
by the throne of God, and by Him who sits upon it.
Jesus said that they placed so much emphasis on tithe that they neglected
the most important aspects of the laws: Justice, mercy, and faithfulness. He
said they were "straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel."
Jesus said they cleaned their outside appearances, but did not cleanse their
own insides. As dinnerware, they should cleanse the inside of the cup or
plate, and then the outside.
Jesus said they were like whitewashed tombs. They outwardly appeared
beautiful, but inside were full of dead people's bones and all filth. They
outwardly appeared righteous to others, but were full of hypocrisy and
lawlessness.
Jesus said they built tombs of the prophets and decorate these monuments
of the righteous. Jesus called them a generation of serpents. They did not
listen to the people Jesus called and sent to them. In doing so, they were
responsible of the blood from Abel to Zechariah, murdered between the
sanctuary and the altar.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: How is this different from today?
How many of our pastors enjoy their titles, and enjoy telling us of how they
knew the great men of old who are dead and long gone? How many "shut
the kingdom of heaven in people's faces," driving some from Christ
altogether? How many teach that our promises to God mean nothing if we
do not tithe the church? or require the same percent of tithe from the poor,
trying to "strain out of a gnat!" How many look righteous on the outside, but
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we later find they are filled with love of money, entertainment, sex, or even
alcohol? How many have skeletons in their closets, people who they have
hurt and offended in the effort to appear righteous? How many ignore the
preachers that god has called today, thinking they are not in need of
continual edification? How many are responsible for building monuments to
the great men of old, or making sure their grave site remains decorated, like
a Mason's pyramid gravesite honoring Charles Taze Russell?
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Helping Each Other on the Journey

Obviously I do not believe everyone in every Church is at this point in time
worthy for the kingdom of heaven. I myself am not worthy. I do believe there
are some who are called by Christ, and He will help those who are called. It is
only by Grace that we are saved, and by faith in Jesus Christ. All who believe
on Him can be saved.
It is a journey for every man and woman on the face of this earth, and they
can choose the paths in which they take. Every person on this earth is born
into sin, and can take the path of righteousness or the path to hell.
I believe there are Christians in the message, and yes I believe there are
Christians other churches. Some are deceived, they are studying many
things that are false, but they also read from the (many of) the same
scriptures that we do. In those scriptures are Truth.
Some will accept the Truth. Some will continue their journey to Christ, and it
will certainly lead them into a church that believes in Christ and puts Christ
as their absolute. Some ministers in some churches will come to know the
Truth, and entire churches may be led to know Jesus Christ.
Having been indoctrinated for 36+ years of my life, thinking that I know the
Truth and finding out that there is not even a single valid prophesy in the
religion that I held dear, I know where I myself have been. I know that God
has called me out of it to serve Him.
There are websites that taught me this with love and understanding. Those
were the ones that helped to lead me to the Truth. Those that started to
condemn me and blast all MSG believers as a whole hardened my heart and
delayed my journey.
I do not consider myself a teacher, a leader, a Bible scholar, or even a man
that is worthy to have a website and forum that has the worldwide reach that
it currently has. I struggle daily, praying that God would give me something
good to write that could touch someone and help them to see the Truth.
I am no expert on the Godhead, nor do I claim to be. I know that WMB was
wrong in several explanations, and I know that he changed his own opinion
several times throughout his ministry. In just four months, I also have
changed my opinion.
The church, as a whole, has changed their opinion several times throughout
the years. It went from modalism to dualism to a Trinity with three separate
225
persons to a Trinity of three personalities of the One Same God. Many

churches around the world are stuck in one of those milestones of learning.
God is greater than our minds can fathom, He cannot be limited to time or
space. If the great men of old could be so 'wrong' and worship the same God,
I feel that there are many in the other churches can do the same. God will
show them the Truth in His time -- not when someone decides to post it in a
tiny forum post that 99% of them will never even read.
My stand is to help others. I am on a journey, and I am just at the very
beginning of that journey. I can only trust that God would lead me on it, and
help someone else along the way.
Join me in your journey. Pray for me, and I will pray for you.
226
Warning of False Prophets

Matthew 24 tells how Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, and the
disciples came to ask when the temple would be destroyed.
Jesus replied that they should be careful that no one leads them astray. He
said that many would come in his name, or authority, and say that they are
'Christ', or anointed. In doing so, they would lead many astray.
He said they would hear of wars and rumors of wars. They should not be
alarmed, for these things must take place. Still, this would not be the end.
Nation would rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There
would be famines and earthquakes in various places near and far. These
were not the end; they are only the beginning of the birth pains.
He said the would deliver them who came in the name of Jesus into
tribulation, putting some to death and hated because they stood for His
name. Many would fall away, and betray one another and hate one another.
Jesus said that many false prophets would arise and lead many astray.
Because lawlessness would be increased, the love of many would grow cold.
He said that those who endure until the end would be saved.
He said that this gospel, that Jesus Christ came and lived a perfect life, died
for all men, and rose again would be proclaimed throughout the whole world.
It would be a testimony to all nations.
After His Gospel went to all nations, the end would come.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we see the signs of the end in
our time? How many come and say they have the authority of God, or that
they are anointed? How many have been led astray by them? How many
nations are at war? How many famines and earthquakes do we see all
around us? How many are waiting on death row in other countries for
becoming a Christian?
How many false prophets have risen up, convincing thousands of
'prophesies' that are either false, or were never prophesied? How many
churches have become lawless, and the love of the members grown cold?
How many spread some other message to all the nations, instead of His
Gospel? Don't we realize that once the original Gospel goes to all nations,
we can go home to see Jesus?
227
Lamps Running Out of Oil

In Matthew 25, Jesus gives the parable of the ten virgins, five foolish and five
wise.
When they went to meet the bridegroom, five of them took their lamps, but
took no oil with them. The wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.
The bridegroom was delayed, and they all became drowsy and slept. At
midnight, the bridegroom returned, and it was loudly announced: "Here is
the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!"
All the virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. The foolish, however, had no
oil. They said to the wise virgins, "Give us some of your oil, our lamps are
going out."
The wise replied that there would not be enough for them all to make it, and
told the foolish virgins to go to the dealers to buy oil for themselves.
While they were out buying oil, the bridegroom came. Those who were ready
went with him to the marriage feast, and the door to the feast was shut.
Afterward the other virgins came to find the door shut. "Lord, lord, open the
door for us!" they cried.
The bridegroom responded, "I do not know you."
Jesus said, "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are our lamps burning but getting
very close to empty? Are we finding new oil to fill our lamps, or are we still
burning on oil that we got from days gone by? If the bridegroom came to see
us, would we have enough oil to go out to meet him, or would our lamps go
out on the journey? Do we listen to people who predict the end of the world,
when Jesus said even the angels in heaven do not know? Have our lamps
gone out?
228
A Snapshot in Time
Several posts recently lead me to believe there are many who feel that when
God leads a person to the Truth, their understanding of that Truth is 'frozen in
time' from then onward. One poster brought up the Nicene creed (one of
WMB's classic 'frozen in time' analogies.
The truth is that the original Nicene Creed was produced at a time that
Christianity was an 'underground religion,' and not a result of the 'Great
Church' trying to mix Pagan ideas into the church. Cult leaders, such as the
Jehovah's Witnesses will not tell you about the continual reformation.
The early church knew that Christianity was the True religion, but did not
understand God. They produced the best explanation they could for the
knowledge they had at the time, but over time continued to change as new
knowledge came forth. The understanding of the Godhead itself has changed
significantly from the time the first 'Nicene Creed' was created, in the same
way that our own spiritual growth has changed since we were children.
A problem that I can quickly see is that most MSG believers contain their
entire study of the Bible and Bible history according to what WMB claims -which in many cases are not accurate. One of many examples is the
baptism; there were many baptizing as Jesus told them (The Father and the
Son, and the Holy Ghost) long before the Nicene council. The "Didache"
(Book of Teachings of the Twelve Apostles) includes an instruction to baptize
as Jesus instructed in the Great Commission
When we cut our learning off from the year 1965 forward, we lose fortyseven years of spiritual growth and understanding as a whole. This lack of
basic knowledge makes it impossible to debate the more advanced topics,
such as Serpent's Seed or the Godhead. Without that knowledge, there is no
other basis for the fundamentals -- the fundamentals that WMB gave are not
historically accurate.
This results in a large problem. The advanced topics just lead everyone in
circles trying to explain "architecture" before most people have learned
"shapes". People get so caught up in these two topics that they miss the
much bigger picture. Why debate using WMB's background knowledge when
there is solid proof that WMB lied about a 'spiritual cloud?' Why debate
serpent's seed, when we find solid proof that WMB added words to his
scripture reading to twist the meaning? Why believe his 'spiritual revelations'
when we find solid proof that he copied some of these 'Thus Saith the Lord
revelations' from Clarence Larkin?
229
I think it is best to halt the posting on the two subjects that lead people in
circles. Until one learns that the history they've been taught is not accurate,
the greater things will simply slip over their head.
We must first release ourselves from our "snapshot in time" from 1965 and
bring our knowledge and understanding of history and the Bible to where it
needs to be.
230
Hiding Your Faith in a Hole

In Matthew 25, Jesus gave a parable of a man going on a journey. He called
his servants and entrusted them to his property.
To one servant, he gave five talents. To another, he gave two. To another,
he gave one. Each one was given according to their ability. Then, he went
away.
The one that received the five talents used them in trading, and made five
talents profit. The one who had the two talents also used them to make two
talents profit. The one who had been given one talent, however, went and
hid it in a hole he dug.
When the master returned, the servants came to settle with him. The one
given the five talents came forward and gave the five talents profit. The
master saw this and said, "Well done, my good and faithful servant. You
have been faithful over a little, and I will set you over much. Enter into the
joy of your master."
The one who was given two talents also was praised. The master praised
him and gave him entrance.
But the one who had received only one talent came forward, telling the
master that he was afraid. He told the master how he hid the talent in the
ground, and attempted to give it back to him. The master was upset with
this. "You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not
sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have
invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have
received what was my own with interest!" he said. He commanded the
others to take the talent that he was given, and give it to the one with ten
talents.
Jesus said that more will be given to everyone that has, and they will have an
abundance. But from the one who has not, their portion will be taken away.
They will be cast into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we done well with the little bit
of faith that we have been given? Are we the one that doubled our faith by
investing it in others around us, or have we buried our faith within ourselves
where nobody can see? When Jesus returns, will he welcome us with praise,
or will he be upset with us for not telling others about Him?
231
Turning Jesus Away

In Matthew 25, Jesus gives his instructions of how to prepare for the Final
Judgment.
He says that when the Son of Man comes into His glory, and all of the angels
are with him, he will sit on His throne of Glory. All the nations will be
gathered together before Him, and he will separate them as a shepherd
separates the sheep from the goats, one on His left, and one on His right.
He did not say they would be judged according to how strictly they followed
the rules. They would be judged by how they showed their Divine Love to
others.
Jesus said, "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you
gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you
clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to
me."
He said the righteous will be puzzled and answer him, "Lord, when did we
see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did
we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And
when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?"
Jesus said He will tell them that as they did these things to any one of the
least of these, you did it to me.
He then said of the left side, that since they did not do these things, they did
not do them to Jesus. He would send them away into eternal punishment
while he sent the righteous into eternal life.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we help others in need? Do we
help only those who attend our church, or do we help everyone? If a natural
disaster strikes, do we only help those who we feel worthy to help? How
many pastors have visited a hospital to pray for everyone inside? How many
have even visited a prison? How many homeless live in this country
compared to the number of Christians? Are we turning them away? In doing
so, are we turning Jesus away?
20120423_Where_the_Corpse_is_the_Vultures_Will_Gather
232
Where the Corpse is, the Vultures Will Gather

A poster in the "Seek Ye The Truth" Facebook page wanted to debate the
quote from the Bible that WMB had mis-used to his gain, so I am moving that
out to keep Bible study separate from debate.
WMB would say that "where the carcass is, the eagles will gather," saying
that eagles eat fresh meat. The actual translation is, "Wherever the corpse
is, there the vultures will gather."
WMB said that the eagle will only eat fresh meat, which isn't true. They also
eat the same dead corpse that vultures will eat.
There are some Bible translations that use 'eagle', because that was the way
that Josephus described the emblems on the roman soldiers. The more
accurate translation, however, is vultures -- the griffon vulture specifically,
which was much larger than the eagle.
When you read the entire scripture in context, you find that it is speaking of
false prophets rising right before the tribulation, and at the end of the
tribulation, the vultures eat the corpses. Either way you look at it, eagles or
vultures, these were the 'bad guys', not the 'good guys'.
You can find a list of the
http://bible.cc/matthew/24-28.htm
footnotes
and
translations
here:
233
Forgetting the Temple of the Lord

In Haggai 1, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Haggai, and he spoke
them to Zerubbabel the governor of Judah and Joshua the high priest.
The Lord spoke out against those who were consumed in their own gain,
putting off the restoration of the temple while they went about their ways to
profit themselves. They dwelled in fine paneled houses while the temple of
the Lord lay in ruin.
The Lord told them to consider their ways. They had sown much and
harvested very little. They eat, but never had enough. They drink but never
had their fill. They clothe themselves, but no one was warm. They earned
their wages, but put them in a bag of holes. They were living in pleasure,
forgetting about the Lord. The Lord instructed them to gather wood to
restore the temple, so that He could take pleasure in it and be glorified.
The Lord said that they looked for much, but it came to little. They brought
much home, and the Lord blew it away. The Lord said that he did so because
they all busied themselves with their own house and forgot that the house of
the Lord lay in ruin.
The Lord told them that because of this, the heavens withheld the dew, and
the earth withheld its produce. He called a drought on the lands, on the
grain, on the new wine, the oil, and everything the ground brings forth. The
Lord withheld everything from man and beast, and on all their labors.
1 Corinthians 6:19 tells us that in the New Covenant, "your body is a temple
of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are
not your own, for you have been bought with a price"
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: are we paying attention to the Lord's
temple, which is now the body of Christ? Do we think only of our own gain
while other Christians around the world are starving? Do we spend money
"like we have holes in our moneybag" while other Christians around us
struggle to even put food on their table? As the world economy tightens, do
we consider that it may be the Lord telling us to pay attention to Him?
234
Walking in the Truth

Writing to Gaius in 3 John 1, John said that he loved Gaius in Truth.
John greeted Gaius, and wrote to him that he had "no greater joy than to
hear that my children are walking in the Truth."
He said Gaius was faithful in all that he did. Even the strangers testified his
Love before the church. John said that Gaius did well to send them on their
journey in a manner that was worthy of God. They went forward in Jesus'
Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. John said that we should
support people like these, so that we may be fellow workers for the Truth.
John had written something to the church, but Diotrephes did not
acknowledge his authority. John said that Diotrephes liked to put himself
first, and when he came, he would tell others of what Diotrephes was doing.
Diotrephes was speaking wicked nonsense against John. Diotrephes also
refused to welcome the brothers, and stops those who want to welcome the
brothers, putting them out of the church.
John said not to imitate his evil actions. We should imitate good instead.
Whoever does good is from God. Whoever does evil has not seen God. John
gave the example of Demetrius who received a good testimony from
everyone, and a testimony from the truth itself. John said that as he added
to his testimony, people found that the testimony was true.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we walking in the Truth? Have
we fully examined what we believe to reprove its Truth? Are we testifying
the Love of Jesus Christ before others, or the love of someone else? Do we
go forward in Jesus' Name telling others the message of the Gospel, or do we
spread some other message? Do our pastors refuse to welcome other
Christians, and put the members of their own congregation out of the church
for doing so? Are we imitating evil or Truth? Do others who hear our
message prove it to be true? Do we even have a testimony of Truth?
235
For Love or Death

In 1 John 3, John says that the original message from the beginning is that we
should love one another.
John said that Cain murdered Abel because Abel's deeds were righteous. He
said that we have passed out of death into life because of Love, and whoever
does not Love abides in death. He said that everyone who hates his brother
is a murderer, and no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
As Jesus laid down His life out of Love for us, we should lay down our lives for
our brothers. If anyone refuses to give to the poor while they have plenty,
how can God's Love abide in him? John said that we should not just say that
we have love, but we should prove it with our actions.
John said that we will know that we are of the Truth whenever our heart does
not condemn us. When our hearts condemn us, God will know because God
knows everything. If our hearts do not condemn us, then we can have
confidence before God. Whatever we ask of Him, we will receive, because
we keep His commandments and do what pleases Him.
John said, "And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his
Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he commanded us. Whoever
keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in Him. And we will know
that He abides in us by the Spirit whom he has given us."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we forgotten the original
message from the beginning? Do we think that it is so deep a mystery that it
takes a divine interpreter to find it? Do we abide in Love or death? Are we
living by Christ's example, who laid down his life for us out of Love? Do we
know the Truth, or do our hearts condemn us?
Have we kept His
commandment of Love? Does His Spirit abide in us?
236
The Scroll Written to Israel

The scroll of Malachi starts out telling about God's Love for Israel and how
the Priests offerings were polluted.
The title line, or first line in the scroll, gives the title of "The burden of the
Word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi. The "burden of the word" can also be
interpreted as "oracle", and the scroll speaking to Israel tells of the prophesy
of Malachi from God to the children of Israel.
Through Malachi, the Lord said that he loved Israel. Though it may not have
seemed that way, but God said that their eyes would some day see Edom's
kingdom destroyed. They would be called "the wicked country" and "the
people with whom the Lord is angry forever."
Malachi writes in the scroll that the priests did not fear or honor God. They
despised His Name, because they had polluted the food upon His altar. They
offered blind animals, those that are lame or sick, and did not honor God.
God said to present the same offering to their governor, and asked the
priests if they would accept or show favor.
God asked through Malachi, with such a gift from your hand, will He show
any favor to them? He said that he wished there was one among them that
would shut the doors so that they would not kindle fire on His altar in vain.
God said that he had no pleasure in them, and would not accept their
offering.
He said that his name would be great among the nations, but they now
polluted it. The offering they gave had been taken by violence, or was lame
or sick. God cursed the cheaters.
Malachi wrote, "For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my Name
will be feared among the nations."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Is our offering to God polluted?
Have our leaders taken the scroll of Malachi written to Israel and perverted it
to their own purpose? Are our tithes being used for the glory of God, or are
they collecting in a bank account somewhere for the glory of the elders? Has
our offering been given with sincerity for it's purpose, or has it been
requested by the elders through the sale of sick, lame trinkets in a cardboard
box of idolatry? When God stops down "the wicked country," will we be in it?
Do we even realize that God is a great King and His Name will be feared
among the nations?
237
Truth and Love Through the Father and the Son

In a letter to the Christians, John writes in 2 John 1 that we should walk in the
Truth.
He said that he was not writing a new commandment to them; there was no
secret mystery with new revelations that must be kept. He said that he was
writing the same commandment that everyone had heard from the
beginning: That we love one another.
He said that to walk according to God's commandments together was
showing Love. It was the same commandment that they had heard from the
beginning.
John said that many deceivers have gone out in the world. They do not
teach the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. He said that those who do not
teach this is the deceiver and the antichrist.
He warned to watch yourselves, so that you do not lose this great and
wonderful teaching. He said to keep it so that you would win a full reward.
John said that everyone who goes on ahead and does not continue teaching
the Gospel does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the
Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this
teaching, John said not to even receive him in your house or greet him.
He said that whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we walked in the Truth? Have
we kept the original commandment of Love, or do we teach that there is
some greater mystery that must be found? Do the people of our churches
Love one another? Do our preachers preach the Love of God, or do they
teach some other thing? Are they deceivers or workers of the Truth? Have
we lost the teaching of Jesus Christ and now teach something else? Do we
teach BOTH the Father and the Son, or do we only teach part of the Truth?
Are we taking part in the Truth, or are we taking part in wicked works?
238
See God and Live

Speaking to Israel in Amos 5, The Word of the Lord came through Amos
telling Israel to seek the Lord and Live.
God said "Seek me and live," telling Israel not to seek other cities for their
gain. Those other cities would come to nothing, but God is everything.
He spoke through Amos to Seek Him and live, otherwise he would break out
like fire in the house of Joseph, so great a fire that none would quench it.
God said they had turned justice to wormwood (or bitter fruit in some
translations), casting the righteousness down into the ground.
God reminded them that He made the great stars in the heavens and turns
deep darkness into the morning. He darkened the day into night. He calls
the waters of the sea and pours them on the surface of the earth. The Lord
is his name.
God said that he makes destruction flash quickly against the strong so that
destruction comes to their fortress. The unrighteous hate the ones that
speak the Truth and reprimand those that do not.
God warned them that because they trample on the poor and tax the grain
from them, they have built houses that they would not dwell in. Because of
this, they would not drink the wine from their vineyards. God said that he
knew their many transgressions, and how great their sins were. They afflict
the righteous, take bribes, and turn the needy aside from their gates. God
said it was good for them to keep silent in such an awful time, because it was
an evil time.
God instructed them to seek good and not evil so that they could live. If they
sought after good, the Lord, the God of hosts, would be with them. He said
to hate evil and love good. Establish justice within their gates, and it may be
that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we seeking God? Are we looking
at other things in this world, or are we seeking Him? If Amos were speaking
to us today, would he say that God would break out like a fire in the house of
Joseph? Are we helping the poor and needy in our communities, or just the
ones that attend our small group? Are our pastors tithing the poor unto
worse poverty or helping them with their needs? Are we seeking God so that
we might Live?
239
Come, Lord Jesus!

In Revelation 22, the angel took John the Revelator on a tour of the new
Jerusalem, and the words of Jesus came to John.
The angel showed John the river of the water of life. John described it as
bright as crystal, flowing from both the throne of God and the throne of the
lamb. It flowed through the middle of the street of the city, and the tree of
life was on either side of the river.
The tree of life had twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month of the
year. The leaves of the tree were healing of the nations.
There was nothing remaining that was cursed. Instead, both the throne of
God and of the Lamb are present, and the servants will worship God. The
servants will have His name on their foreheads, and they will see the face of
God.
There will be no night, and there will be no need for the light of the sun, for
the Lord God will be the light and they will reign for ever and ever.
Jesus spoke, and said that these were the words of Truth. The Lord sent this
angel to show his servants what will soon take place, and the ones who keep
these words will be blessed.
John fell down to worship the angel, but the angel cried out, "You must not do
that!" The angel said he should instead worship God.
Jesus then instructed John not to seal the book. He said to let the evildoer
remain evil, the filthy remain filthy, but the righteous remain right and the
holy remain holy. He would return and repay each for what they have done,
for he is the "Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and
the end."
Jesus instructed the Holy Spirit and the Bride to bid others to come. And
then, let the ones that hear their words bid others to come. Also, the one
who thirsts after God will come, and others desiring the water of life without
price to come.
Jesus warned those who hear the prophecy of the book: If anyone adds to
them, God will send him the plagues described in the book. If anyone takes
away from the book, his part will be taken from the tree of life and in the holy
city.
240
Jesus said that if we are to testify of the things in the book of Revelation,
then we should tell others that Jesus is coming soon. John said, "Amen.
Come, Lord Jesus!"
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we want to be in the New
Jerusalem? Do we want to see the both the throne of God and the throne of
the Lamb? Will we be worthy to gaze upon the throne of God by believing in
the Lamb? Will we be like John, who fell short and worshipped the angel
instead of God? Will we worship some other idol, something else that we
have put before God in this life? Have we answered when the Holy Spirit
called to our hearts as Jesus instructed It to do? Are we bidding others to
come to Jesus, or are we bidding them to some other message? Do we listen
to preachers who add doctrines to the Bible, diverting our attention from the
original doctrine that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ?
Are we even telling others that Jesus is coming soon?
I, John write: The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. I'm resting on that.
Amen!
241
Fibromyalgia and the Message

Recently discussing the psychological effects on ones psych after enduring
years of self-condemnation for the "you sin because you do not believe"
doctrine, I have found something really strange.
There are a growing number of people in the MSG with fibromyalgia. I know
that fibromyalgia is not limited to people in the MSG, but there seems to be
an incredible number of people dealing with it in the MSG compared to other
churches who do not practice the legalistic doctrines.
Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain
accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Researchers
believe that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way
your brain processes pain signals.
There are many ways that are determined to be onset factors, but the one
that would apply is emotional trauma.
Since we have a few now that have come forward after having left the
legalism, I'm wondering if anybody had this problem and how they are doing
now?
242
Antisocial Personality Disorder and Physical Abuse

Religions that teach the "fire-and-brimstone" end-of-the-world doom and
gloom of "Satan's Eden" create a large psychological problem for the
followers. While threads of truth lie in the teachings, the overall summary of
threads that become doctrine directly conflicts the teachings of Jesus and the
apostles. Divine love for others in this "evil world" was the primary focus of
the New Testament.
What they do not realize is that when they teach the world is "closing in
around them," they are molding their children into sponges absorbing
antisocial personality disorder. If the world around them is evil, of course
there is no reason to associate with it.
These symptoms start progressing during childhood and increase
exponentially into adulthood. Fire setting, no respect or regard to other's
property, cruelty to animals, and difficulty with authority are all signs that
this disorder is setting in.
As adults, people with this disorder will often find themselves in legal
problems because they cannot conform to social norms. They have a lack of
concern for the rights of others, and a lack of concern for others in general.
They will often act out impulsively, especially over the telephone where they
can "hide behind the phone," not considering the feelings of others or the
consequences of their actions. These impulses will tread harshly upon the
feelings of the person at the other end of the line, which leads to feelings of
aggression or irritability.
Since this aggression must have a release, it can often lead to physical
assaults. They have difficulty feeling empathy for others, and do not have
the ability to consider the thoughts, feelings, and motivations of other
people. This leads to a total disregard for others, with lack of remorse for
their damaging behavior.
Those with antisocial personality disorder rarely seek out treatment on their
own. Typically, they receive treatment only after some type of altercation
with the legal system. Sadly, healing usually happens only after long-term
treatment.
243
Depression: Offer Help, Not Hurt

Depression is one of the most common diseases of today. More than 20
million Americans suffer with it, about 10 percent of the population.
It is not God's plan for his children to be depressed, yet many pastors today
cause depression in their congregations. Rather than teaching Divine Love as
Jesus commanded, they teach legalism and oppression as though they are
stuck in the old covenant. They pick-and-choose portions of the old Mosaic
law to fit their own purpose, completely missing the fact that Jesus fulfilled
that law.
Newer churches have gone back to the way of the days of Paul, meeting in
small groups in houses to fellowship and discuss God. While these churches
offer healing through fellowship there are still many that offer no method for
healing. Even worse, many preach that the medication itself is "of the devil."
Depression is caused by the body's failure to produce serotonin. Lack of
serotonin leads to lack of sleep, which causes the body to produce even less
serotonin. This cycle leads to brain damage and a myriad of other diseases
and disorders both mental and physical.
Like an insulin-dependent diabetic, individuals suffering depression are
serotonin-dependent. Without serotonin, their bodies will do anything
possible to either replace the serotonin or use some other chemical as a
replacement.
If you are a person suffering depression or you have a child who shows signs
of the symptoms, do not think that God has abandoned them or that they
have became a backslider. They may not have the ability to conquer these
problems themselves.
Symptoms include:
Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions
Fatigue and decreased energy
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness
Feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism
Insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping
Irritability, restlessness
Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex
Overeating or appetite loss
Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do
not ease even with treatment
Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings
244
Thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts

Depression carries a high risk of suicide. Anybody who expresses suicidal
thoughts or intentions should be taken very, very seriously. Do not hesitate
to call your local suicide hotline immediately. Call 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-7842433) or 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) -- or the deaf hotline at 1-800799-4TTY (1-800-799-4889).
Warning signs of suicide with depression include:
A sudden switch from being very sad to being very calm or appearing to be
happy
Always talking or thinking about death
Clinical depression (deep sadness, loss of interest, trouble sleeping and
eating) that gets worse
Having a "death wish," tempting fate by taking risks that could lead to death,
like driving through red lights
Losing interest in things one used to care about
Making comments about being hopeless, helpless, or worthless
Putting affairs in order, tying up loose ends, changing a will
Saying things like "It would be better if I wasn't here" or "I want out"
Talking about suicide (killing one's self)
Visiting or calling people one cares about
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Fibromyalgia and Legalism

Oppression often causes depression because it is like war. When you want to
do good things and those thoughts are continually fighting against you, it
exhausts you mentally as well as physically. When you are told that 'you sin
because you do not believe' and every man, woman, and child is a sinner by
nature as Jesus said, the battleground is your mind.
Mental exhaustion and depression are linked to Fibromyalgia. Three out of
ten people have major depression when Fibromyalgia is first diagnosed, and
the number of people struggling with the early signs of depression are
unknown because the medication used for treatment is often the same.
The stress from fibromyalgia's pain and fatigue can cause anxiety and social
isolation. The chronic deep muscle and tender point pain can result in less
activity, which causes you to become more withdrawn. That can also lead to
depression. It is also possible that anxiety and depression are part of
fibromyalgia, just like the pain.
There are a growing number of people in the MSG with fibromyalgia. I know
that fibromyalgia is not limited to people in the MSG, but there seems to be
an incredible number of people dealing with it in the MSG compared to other
churches who do not practice the legalistic doctrines.
Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain
accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Researchers
believe that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way
your brain processes pain signals.
There are many ways that are determined to be onset factors, but the one
that would apply is emotional trauma.
246
Give God the Blessing Forever and Ever

Right before David died in 1 Chronicles 29, he blessed the Lord for the entire
glory of his life before the people.
He said that the Lord was blessed forever and ever, and that the greatness
and the power, glory and victory, and the majesty in the heavens and in the
earth was His. This was His kingdom, and the Lord is exalted as head above
all things. Both riches and honor came from the Lord, and the Lord rules
over everything. In His hand is power and might, and that hand is blessed as
it made people like David great to give strength to all. David thanked the
Lord for it, and praised the Name of the Lord.
David asked, "Who am I?" He felt humbled that the
together and offer in abundance so willingly. All things
and God's children had given so freely back to the Lord.
were strangers before God, and sojourners as all their
days on the earth were nothing more than a shadow.
people would come

come from the Lord,
David said that they
fathers were. Their
David declared that all of the offering was provided for building a house for
the Lord, for His Holy Name comes from His hand, and all is His own. David
said that he knew God tests the heart and finds pleasure in uprightness. The
people offered these things with the uprightness of their heart, giving freely
and joyously unto the Lord.
David prayed that the Lord would continue to keep the purpose and thoughts
in the hearts of His people directed to the Lord forever. He prayed that
Solomon, his son, would use the offering to build the palace that the David
had provisioned.
Then David turned to the assembly and said, "Bless the Lord your God." The
entire assembly blessed the Lord, the God of their fathers, and bowed their
heads to pay homage to the Lord and King.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we forgotten that all things
come from God, and all things are His? When we have the money for a new
home or a new car, do we bless the Lord who provided it for us? Do we
realize that even the small things we are blessed with come from the Lord?
Under the new covenant, where man's heart is the temple, do we offer to
others who are in need? Do we bless God by helping another who can't
provide sufficient food for their families or a car that is reliable for work? Are
we blessing the Lord, or are we blessing ourselves?
247
Keeping One's Healing by Faith

This is one of the most hypocritical teachings that men have brought forth in
the name of the Bible. Do not lose your faith, or you will lose your healing.
Keep believing, or that devil will come back on you.
Faith healers do plenty of good when they boost people's faith enough for
healing, but they trample over much more people who have medical
conditions that God has allowed them to have. Not every person in the world
is going to be healed by God. In fact, a limited few may be healed in order to
boost the faith of the others, but the numbers of the sick and afflicted
outweigh the numbers of those healed by a large margin.
I have family members who condemn their own hearts because they cannot
understand why God does not heal them. Their faith must be lacking, or they
must be sinners.
WMB and G. Lindsay were by far the largest instigators of this belief in the
world today. Take this excerpt from one of WMB's pamphlets sold to people
who came through the prayer lines:
Quote:
The Important Matter of Keeping One's Healing
This last consideration brings us to the thought of whether it is possible to
lose one's healing. This matter is really of tremendous importance, for we
have already seen that Jesus plainly taught that it is possible for one to lose
his healing. Almost every Christian will testify that after they were saved,
glorious as their experience might have been, sooner or later the enemy was
back to tempt and to even make them believe that they had not been saved.
Likewise, as we have seen in the case of demon possession, the demon is
back sooner or later to recover, if possible, what he has lost. To be
forewarned is to be forearmed, if the individual will obey the Scriptures by
resisting the enemy, the devil will leave, but if he gives in to him, Satan will
rob him of his deliverance. James 4:7 declares, "Resist the devil and he will
flee from you." If when the enemy brings symptoms to us, tempting us to
believe that the old affliction is to return upon us, we resist him and rebuke
the thing, we shall find that our deliverance is complete.
We must let Christ and His Kingdom reign in our lives. The man in whom the
demon was cast out, continued in his old way. He did not serve God or live
for Him. Consequently, his disobedience was an invitation for the enemy to
return. There are those who only attend church during a revival meeting.
They are unfaithful in their service to God, and continue to indulge in a
worldly life, partaking in questionable things on the devil's territory. Soon
they may be back in the toils of the enemy again. Again, let us remember
248
the words of Our Lord when He said, "Behold thou art made whole; sin no
more, lest a worse thing come unto thee."
There are, however, numbers of good Christians, conscientious people who
evidently receive a gracious touch from the Lord, but for some reason or
other do not seem to get a complete healing. To those who have had certain
types of disease, special instructions need to be given. In the case of a
cancer patient, the cancer is usually killed after prayer. Nevertheless, in
some cases the cancer has yet to be eliminated from the body. Sometimes
severe pain attends this elimination. If the person fails to understand this, he
may fail to recognize his healing altogether. However, the person who stands
firm in faith may expect complete deliverance.
In one of the Branham meetings, a lady had a serious cancer that was
prayed for. Early the following morning she was visited with severe pains,
and became fearful. At 5 a.m. in the morning she sought to obtain help by
telephone, but was unable to secure proper connections. Shortly after,
however, she passed the cancer from her body and the next day was up
testifying to her healing.
What is true concerning the action of a dead cancer is similarly true with
other growth afflictions. People who have had growths in their ears which
caused deafness, often after hearing for a little time, suffer temporary
deafness again while the growth disintegrates. The same things are true of
cataract blindness. The cataracts which have been killed, during the period
of drying up, may produce temporary blindness again. To all these we say,
trust God and stand upon His promise for complete deliverance. Let not that
man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord." (James 1:6-7.) But let
us remember the words of Jesus in Mark 10:24: "What things soever ye
desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them."
If you have a medical condition, and God has not healed you, then you are
the perfect candidate for modern medicine. Jesus did not tell the people to
go on their way while warning them the disease might come back on them -they were made completely whole. If they had the faith to be healed in the
first place, Jesus would have chosen others with less faith to heal.
Everything on this earth is made for the glory of God. Medicine has been
given to us for the glory of God. If we reject the things God has given us, are
we rejecting the glory of God?
249
Not Allowing Questions Causing NPD

One of the more common personality disorders that is prevalent in a cult-like
atmosphere is Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
In any environment where a person is taught that there is no right for them
to question or speak up to leadership, repressed thoughts compress
themselves like a spring being tightened for the impending recoil. These
people and their therapists often work through what they consider as "being
denied a voice." The parent with NPD is not interested in anything the
children have to say for themselves, especially if they do not agree with the
child.
A NPD parent will see the child as a two-dimensional construct with only one
purpose: to reflect well on the parent. The children are not seen as
independent beings with their own ambitions, longings, or dreams. NPD
parents will typically teach the children of a "right way and a wrong way" to
do things, not allowing for other possibilities.
Sadly, as they enter adulthood, these children typically turn into NPD parents
themselves. This behavior as a parent becomes the primary cause of NPD as
a child. It is said that this disorder is over 50% hereditary, because the
parent actually causes the disorder in the child.
Even worse, as an adult, the person suffering NPD will treat other religious
people that do not believe exactly as they do in the same manners they treat
their children. They do not see others as individuals that God is dealing with,
they see them as one of two types of people: Those who are "with us" and
those who are "against us." They want to deny these "non-believers" their
voice.
NPD adults will seldom (if ever) seek treatment. Part of the disorder gives the
sufferer the feeling that they are "always right," and since they deny it, they
must be correct. If your spouse has this disorder, you must consider your
children and seek help for them.
Some of the signs of NPD are:
Reacts to criticism with anger, shame or humiliation
Takes advantage of others to reach his or her own goals
Exaggerates own importance
Exaggerates achievements and talents
Entertains unrealistic fantasies about success, power, beauty, intelligence or
romance
Has unreasonable expectation of favorable treatment
250
Requires constant attention and positive reinforcement from others

Is easily jealous
Disregards the feelings of others, lacks empathy
Has obsessive self-interest
Pursues mainly selfish goals
251
OCD and the Church

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is growing more and more common in
the churches that try to continue in the "old ways" and are against change.
Once of the primary causes of this disorder having behavior-related habits
formed over time.
It is said that OCD is genetic because it typically is passed down from
generation to generation, but no specific genes have been identified that
carry OCD. It is more likely that the religious background of the parents is
passed down to the children, along with other habits that are carried on in
the younger generations.
The more cult-like churches that preach the same doctrines for generations
or listen to the same recorded media for generations are more likely to have
OCD in their younger generations. This repetitive way of life is habit-forming,
and habits lead to OCD.
People who suffer OCD also suffer a fear of change. They find comfort in their
habits, so they continue in their habits to avoid the uncomfortable feeling of
change. Those who listen to the same media over and over will tell you they
find comfort in listening, while they do not realize they are actually feeding
their OCD as it grows like a snowball down a big hill.
OCD is linked to and also causes depression, which is discussed in another
topic. It is treatable, however. If you recognize these signs in your children, it
is your responsibility as a parent to find help for them before the problem
turns into something much worse for the child.
People suffering with OCD will usually fall into one or more of five categories:
Washers - afraid of contamination. They usually have cleaning or handwashing compulsions.
Checkers - repeatedly check things (oven turned off, door locked, etc.) that
they associate with harm or danger.
Doubters and sinners - are afraid that if everything isn't perfect or done just
right something terrible will happen or they will be punished.
Counters and arrangers - are obsessed with order and symmetry. They may
have superstitions about certain numbers, colors, or arrangements.
Hoarders - fear that something bad will happen if they throw anything away.
They compulsively hoard things that they don't need or use.
Symptoms for Obsessive Thoughts:
Fear of being contaminated by germs or dirt or contaminating others.
Fear of causing harm to yourself or others.
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Intrusive sexually explicit or violent thoughts and images.

Excessive focus on religious or moral ideas.
Fear of losing or not having things you might need.
Order and symmetry: the idea that everything must line up "just right."
Conspiracy theorists
Superstitions; excessive attention to something considered lucky or unlucky.
Symptoms for Compulsive Behaviors
Excessive double-checking of things, such as locks, appliances, and switches.
Repeatedly checking in on loved ones to make sure they're safe.
Counting, tapping, repeating certain words, or doing other senseless things
to reduce anxiety.
Spending a lot of time washing or cleaning.
Ordering or arranging things "just so."
Praying excessively or engaging in rituals triggered by religious fear.
Accumulating "junk" such as old newspapers or empty food containers.
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PTSD and Religion

A new category in psychological trauma has emerged due to the many cult
and cult-like religions that have plagued the nations recently. New Age
religions have created what is now dubbed "Religious Abuse," which is
essentially Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) caused by the trauma
within one's own mind through constant traumatic religious experiences.
When a follower has endured many years of oppressive mental and
emotional abuse, scare tactics, religious punishment, and cut off (mentally)
from the outside world, they develop long-lasting mental scars that are
difficult to heal. Over the years, these people feel helpless to the religious
intimidation, similar to a prisoner of war contained in a concentration camp.
As a result, these people are spiritually fragmented and broken, with a
complete loss of self-worth. Even worse, they re-live these experiences for
many years to come with intrusive and upsetting memories, flashbacks,
nightmares, severe and intense distress over memories, or intense physical
reactions such as rapid heartbeat, rapid breathing, nausea, muscle tension,
or sweating.
People suffering with this desperately need love and attention. Not only is
the person living in a constant war with him/herself, they are in danger of
harming themselves or others.
Symptoms and behaviors to watch for:
Avoiding activities, places, thoughts, or feelings that remind them of the
trauma
Inability to remember important aspects of the trauma
Loss of interest in activities and life in general
Feeling detached from others and emotionally numb
Sense of a limited future (they don't expect to live a normal life span, get
married, have a career)
Increased anxiety and emotional arousal
Difficulty falling or staying asleep
Irritability or outbursts of anger
Difficulty concentrating
Hypervigilance (on constant "red alert")
Feeling jumpy and easily startled
254
Sexual Addiction and Religion

Though many elders in the churches will refuse to admit it, Sexual addiction
is one of the church's greatest challenges. By nature, men and women have
natural desires that are given to us by God so that we can be 'miniature
creators.'
Oddly, the ones that suffer with this struggle the most will preach that sex
was not God's original creation and that intimate relations are Satan's way to
drive daggers into the hearts of Christian men.
Sexuality is an important part of our makeup and key to our existence, and if
that is broken, chances are the rest of us including our spirits will be too. To
make matters worse, culture is gradually changing allowing discussion and
appearance of sexuality while the churches avoid change. This leads to fear
of society and isolation, which is not Biblical or even natural. This isolation
leads to depression, depression leads to the body's need for serotonin, and
the lack of serotonin leads to sexual addiction.
Scripture tells us that we have all sinned and the wages of this sin is death.
For sexual addicts, death is one concept they understand very well. This
addiction can lead to the death of their marriage, job, financial security,
hope, peace, self-worth, and in the worst cases their own lives or the lives of
others. No matter how successful the addict is in life, they see themselves as
worthless within their own hearts.
We can easily compare sex addicts of this day to the lepers in the days of
Jesus. The churches avoid these plagued individuals, teaching that their ways
have led them to their own demise -- not offering any help to them. These
are the people that Jesus came to save, not to turn aside.
Everyone should realize that they are not worthless in God's eyes, and that
those who condemn this problem without offering a solution are the ones
who are creating the problem.
The truth of the matter is that the problem is going to get much, much larger
before it becomes smaller, and will probably never go away. 80% of teens
between 15 to 17 in the United States have witnessed multiple hard-core
pornographic images or videos, and over 40 million adults in the United
States regularly visit smutty websites.
If you show signs of depression, this problem may be a medical issue more
than a spiritual downfall. Your body may be failing to produce sufficient
serotonin.
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Approximately 90% of the human body's total serotonin is located in cells in

the gut, where it is used to regulate intestinal movements. These include the
regulation of mood, appetite, and sleep. Serotonin also has some cognitive
functions, including memory and learning. As depression sets in, these
functions will decrease, and your body will kick into over-drive trying to
compensate.
The truth of the matter is that this is no different than diabetes. Where
diabetics face dependency on medicine to add insulin to the body, people
suffering depression require medicine to add serotonin to the body.
Pastors should know the signs of depression, and offer assistance to those
who are faced with a medical problem:
Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions
Fatigue and decreased energy
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness
Feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism
Insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping
Irritability, restlessness
Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex
Overeating or appetite loss
Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do
not ease even with treatment
Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings
Thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts
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Choose This Day: God or Idols

In Joshua 24, Joshua told the people to "Choose this day whom you will
serve."
He told them to fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and faithfulness. He
said to put away the gods that your fathers served in the days past, and
serve the Lord.
Joshua said that if it was evil in their eyes to serve the Lord, then make the
decision right then: to serve the Lord or serve the gods their fathers served
before them. He said, "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
The people answered Joshua that they would not consider forsaking the Lord
to serve other gods. It was the Lord God who brought both them and their
fathers out from Egypt, out of slavery. It was the Lord God who showed great
signs and wonders in their sight, giving them safety and assurance all along
the way.
But Joshua feared they would serve God and also start serving idols. Even
though they said they would not serve their idols, they still carried the idols
with them. He told the people that the Lord is a holy and jealous God. He
would not forgive their transgressions and their sins if they forsake the Lord
and serve foreign gods. He would turn His wrath towards them and consume
them after having done them good in their journey.
The people replied that they would not serve idols, but would serve the Lord.
Joshua then testified that they were all witnesses against themselves that
they had chosen the Lord. He commanded them to then put away the
foreign gods that were among them and turn their hearts towards the Lord,
the God of Israel.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we like the children of Israel,
serving God while carrying idols? Have we turned our hearts away from God
and turned them towards the things of this world? Have we raised up men,
turning them into idols of worship? Have we raised up organizations, turning
them into idolatry? Or worse, have we passed that point and now God
consumes us? Are we consumed with money, power, or entertainment? As
for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Which one have you chosen?
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Justly, Kindly, Humbly

The prophet Micah told the people of Israel to hear the word of the Lord in
Micah 6.
Micah instructed them to plead for themselves loudly to the mountains so
that even the hills could hear their voice. The Lord had an indictment
against his people, and would deal with them for their sins.
The Lord spoke and asked, "O my people, what have I done to you? How
have I wearied you? Answer Me!"
The Lord had brought them from the land of Egypt and freed them from their
slavery. God reminded them of the evil that Balaak, king of Moab devised
against them, and how the Lord dealt with Balaam.
God asked them, "What will I bring when I come before the Lord?" God
asked how could they come before them with their offerings thinking that by
giving these things to God they could continue in their evil ways. The Lord
asked if they thought he would even be pleased with thousands of rams and
ten thousand rivers of oil. Would He even be pleased if they offered their
own firstborn for their transgressions?
God said that He had told them what is good. He told them what the Lord
required of them: To walk justly before God. To show love and kindness. To
walk humbly with God.
This is the reason Christ came, to fulfill the law and turn the hearts back to
Divine Love. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this
not from yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Eph 2:8)
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we think that we are His children
just because we are going to church every Sunday morning? Do we think
that because we make big promises to God or give large amounts of tithe
offering that God will allow us to walk without Love? Have we left the basic
principle of the Bible, Love? Are we doing the three things God asked: walk
justly, show love and kindness, and walk humbly?
258
Man Up! Dress for Action like a Man!

After Elihu had condemned and accused Job, God came in a whirlwind to give
comfort to Job.
Elihu said that Job was speaking to God with "empty talk" and was
multiplying many words without any knowledge. The Lord did not agree, and
in Job 40, the Lord said to Job, "Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
He who argues with God, let him answer it!"
Job felt defeated. He replied that he was of small account. He did not know
what to answer, and said that he put his hand across his mouth. Job said
that he had spoken once, even twice, but would not proceed any further.
Out of the whirlwind God told Job to "man up." God said "Dress for action
like a man!" God told Job that He asked the questions, and Job had better
answer. God asked Job, "Will you even put me in the wrong? Will you also
condemn me? Do you have an arm as mighty as God's or a voice as
thunderous as God's?"
God told Job to dress himself with majesty and dignity, clothed in glory and
splendor. "Get rid of your anger, and look to all the proud knowing that you
outrank them!" God exclaimed.
God said that Job should look to the proud and bring them all down off their
pride. He should tread down the wicked where they stand. "Then I will also
acknowledge you," God said.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: When we take our stand for God's
Word, do we fear our accusers? Do we treat the prideful as though they are
"higher rank" than us when God gives us His Word to "tread down the wicked
where they stand?" Do we "dress for action" or do we hide in a corner? Do
we tell the Lord that we have spoken and we will speak no more to the
prideful? Do we not realize that God gives us his Word as a Sword of Truth
that will pierce through the hearts of the prideful, whether they be brother,
deacon, song leader, minister, evangelist, prophet, or even mighty leaders of
great organizations!
Man up! Dress for action like a man!
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Praising God with Happiness!

Psalm 100 tells us that we should be happy and joyful, rejoicing in the Lord.
We are supposed to serve the Lord with gladness, entering into His presence
with singing. We should know that the Lord is God!
It is He who made us, and we are His alone. We are the children of God, the
sheep of God's pasture.
We should enter into the Lord's gates giving God thanks. We should enter
into His courts with praise. We should bless the Name of the Lord.
The Lord is good, and his steadfast Love endures forever. His faithfulness will
endure to ALL generations!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we praise God with happiness, or
do we go about life with a frown? Do we feel like children of the redeemed,
or children of the oppression? Do we enter church with a song in our hearts,
or do we enter church condemning ourselves? Do we thank God for what He
has given us, or do we enter church praying that He will give us more? Do
we think that this age we are living in is past God's grace? Do we not know
that His faithfulness will endure to ALL generations?
260
Why Did WMB Forget Esther?

Quote:
But that little pride. "Oh, you mean, for us women, we're going to have to let
our hair grow?" Well, that's what He said. "We're going to have to quit
wearing manicure, or make-up stuff?" That's what He said. "Well, what do
you think my sewing circle would? They'll call me old-fashion." Well, just keep
your pride. Go ahead. He'll stand at the door, that's all the farther He can
get.
170 But when you're ready to open that door, let Him come in, He'll clean it
out for you. Shorts will go out here in the garbage can, and make-up will go
back to the garbage can, and the barber will starve to death if he just cut
women's hair, to a real believer.
171 Now say, "That don't!" Oh, yes, it does, too. That's what the Bible said.
That's right. See, there is a little word there, that you don't want Him
meddling.
"Well, my pastor!"
172 I don't care what pastor said. That's what the Bible said, "It's a shame for
a woman to do so."
65-0206 DOORS.IN.DOOR
The truth of the matter is; the Bible speaks NOTHING against makeup except
mentioning that Jezebel was painted. WMB Evidently forgot about Esther in
the Bible, who prepared herself with cosmetics for the king.
The word used along with spices in Esther 2:12 is "bosem," which translates
to "balsam" -- the base for many cosmetics today.
Regardless of the type of makeup Esther used, the purpose was to make
herself more attractive--not more 'modest.'
Beauty Secrets from Ages Past: A Brief History of Makeup
Women's makeup has actually progressed from the Ancient era Christians
down through the ages:
Quote:
Throughout the ages, women have experimented with beauty treatments to
enhance natural features, slow the aging process, and care for the outer
body. Beginning in the Ancient era, the Biblical account of Queen Esther's life
mentions the elaborate spa-type treatments that young women underwent
for an entire 12-month period to prepare themselves for a reception with the
King. The first six months involved treatments with oil and myrrh, and the
second with perfumes and cosmetics! In Ancient Egypt, aristocrats applied
minerals to their faces to provide color and definition of features. Ancient
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Egyptian women wore foundation to lighten their skin, and used kohl eyeliner
to widen the appearances of their eyes. Men in Egypt also applied a
powdered pigment made from mixing fat and oil and other substances, to
protect their eyes from the sun. Pigments were often made out of malachite,
copper ore, or lead ore, with the favorite colors being green powdered
malachite and black crushed lead ore or kohl. Meanwhile, Persians believed
that henna dyes, used to stain their hair and faces, enabled them to summon
the majesty of the earth. The Greeks were also known to paint their faces
with white lead and chalk, while the Romans used oil-based perfumes in their
baths. The Roman Lucian is noted to have talked about women and
cosmetics in his time, referring to their polishing their teeth and eyebrows.
The Roman philosopher, Plautus, also wrote, "A woman without paint is like
food without salt."
The European Middle Ages followed the Greco-Roman trend of pale faces.
Those who were wealthy enough not to have to labor outdoors wanted to
show off their affluence by being pale. Fashionable sixth-century women
would achieve the look by bleeding themselves. During the Medieval ages,
one popular beauty treatment of the day was the taking of long, hot baths.
By the mid-1200s, many European towns had public bathhouses. But as
forests were depleted, firewood became expensive and the rising costs of
heating the water forced most of the bathhouses to close. Some families
tried burning coal to heat water, but the fumes proved to be unhealthy. By
the mid-1300s, only the wealthiest ladies could afford firewood for hot water
in the winter. For those who could not afford to take hot baths, perfume
became an easy, quick fix. Perfumes made from the oils of flowers combined
with spices were very popular during the Middle Ages as trade between
countries improved. In particular, alcohol-based perfumes developed in the
Middle East were brought to Europe by the Crusaders in the thirteenth
century. During this era, cosmetics also became a popular commodity. Every
part of a woman's face would be painted with some type of cosmetic, and
many women also sun-bleached their hair. Medieval fashion also prompted
young women to pluck their hairline, giving them a higher forehead. Spanish
prostitutes wore pink makeup to contrast with high-class women's pale faces,
while regal 13th-century Italian women wore pink lipstick to show they could
afford synthetic makeup.
Eras of Elegance
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El Shaddai or a Semetic Goddess?

I would simply say that this strange Serpent's Seed doctrine from WMB does
not have any bearing whatsoever on man's salvation of his soul -- I can easily
believe in Jesus Christ as my savior and be saved by His grace through faith.
Unfortunately, however, it DOES have bearing on the souls that fall into the
trap of doctrines OVER faith in Jesus Christ. Here's why:
I recommend you study the history of this strange doctrine, and you will find
that you are deceived by WMB into worshipping a Semitic Goddess. Hear me
out.
The Gnostics brought Pagan ideas into the churches by trying to interweave
their Pagan teachings into these new followers of Christ. Those teachings
spun off into what became the Kabballah (which is now creating New Age
religions that people like Madonna, queen of pop worship).
Before you deny this, take another example from the same Semitic Goddess:
El Shaddai, the Breasted God.
WMB's explanation of El Shaddai is interesting when you consider where it
came from:
Quote:
In Genesis 17, He is Abraham's nursing Breast, El Shaddai. But when his life
was gone from him, still he... God said.
"A man of a hundred years old, how will this thing be? I am old, my wife is
old, how can these things be?"
He said, "I am El Shaddai." Now, El is "the," and--and Shaddai is "breast," and
Shaddai is plural, which means "I am the breasted God."
Like a baby that's fretting and it's sick, and its strength is gone from it, lean
upon the mother's bosom and nurse its strength back. Sure. Not only... When
it's nursing, it isn't fretting no more. At the mother's breast, it's satisfied
while it is getting its strength.
65-0123 BROKEN.CISTERNS
El Shaddai is generally translated as "God Almighty". In Exodus, it is simply
used as "The God of Abraham."
Shaddai was a city on the Euphrates river, and it is said that the city's literal
translated name was used to describe God -- the God of Shaddai, or the God
of Abraham.
263
The 'breasted' part comes from the Kabballah, and was an attribute of a
Semitic goddess. The word Shaddai is connected with 'shadayim' with is the
plural meaning (breasts) that WMB is referring to. Shaddai is singular.
Quote:
One of Kabbalah's most distinctive images of the feminine divine is that of a
motherly, breastfeeding God. Suckling at My Mother's Breasts traces this
idea from its origins in ancient rabbinic literature through its flourishing in
the medieval classic Sefer ha-Zohar (The Book of Splendor). Taking the
position that Kabbalistic images provide specific, detailed models for
understanding the relationship between God and human beings, Ellen Davina
Haskell connects divine nursing theology to Jewish ideals regarding
motherhood, breastfeeding, and family life from medieval France and Spain,
where Kabbalah originated. Haskell's approach allows for a new evaluation of
Kabbalah's feminine divine, one centered on culture and context, rather than
gender philosophy or psychoanalysis. As this work demonstrates, the image
of the nursing divine is intended to cultivate a direct emotional response to
God rooted in nurture, love, and reliance, rather than knowledge, sexuality,
or authority.
Suckling at My Mother's Breasts: The Image of a Nursing God in Jewish
Mysticism
Ellen Davina Haskell
The question is: Did WMB worship a Semitic Goddess? Or did he simply try to
combine religions to create 'mystery?' as the Gnostics did with Christianity?
Either way, since the 'Serpent's Seed' doctrine has ABSOLUTELY NO bearing
on one's salvation in any way, shape or form, I will run from it like the
plague!
As for me and my house, we will serve THE LORD!!!
264
Seek the Lord

In 1 Chronicles 28, David tells his son, Solomon, to know the God of his
father and serve him with a whole heart and willing mind.
He said the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and
thought. David told Solomon, "If you seek Him, He will be found by you. But
if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever." He told Solomon to be
careful, God had chosen him to build the temple for sanctuary.
David told Solomon to be strong, and then gave him the plans for the
temple. He told him how to build everything from the outlying structures to
the lampstands.
Again, he reiterated "Be strong and courageous and do it." He told Solomon
not to be afraid or dismayed, for the Lord God was with him. David said that
God would not leave or forsake Solomon until all the work was finished.
David then told Solomon to behold all of the separate services by the
different people in the house of God. Through Solomon, every willing man
who had a skill of any kind would be of service. The officers of all the people
would be completely obedient to his every command.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we serve God with our whole
heart, or do we let the doctrines of men take God's place? Do we have a
willing mind that will open when God sends someone our way to point us in
the right direction? Are we seeking God, or are we forsaking Him? Have we
set out to do the service that God has intended for us with courage and
strength?
265
Spiritual Gifts: MSG Churches are falling behind!

I been asked by several people now, questions concerning the gifts in the
non-message churches. MSG believers seem to think that the MSG
denomination is the only one that God gives his spiritual gifts to in these last
days. Untrue.
The actual truth is that the other churches have progressed FAR BEYOND the
MSG churches. Let's examine.
Everyone is familiar with this passage, but I will have you read it again:
Quote:
1. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a
noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and
understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to
remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I
have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, I gain
nothing.
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or
rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;[b] 6 it
does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all
things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues,
they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part
and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass
away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I
reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For
now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then
I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these
is love.
1 Corinthians 13
King James:
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is
charity.
"The greatest of these is Charity [Divine Love]".
266
Do you see the fruits of this spiritual gift in the MSG churches? I see some of
the denominations with the greatest charity and disaster relief efforts,
ranking almost as high as the Red Cross!
I watched 'the MSG organization' disaster relief to ONLY those who were in
the MSG while several others lost their homes. Charity? The Greatest Gift to
the MSG churches? I think not!
Here are the four largest organizations in the world that offer their charity
during disasters:
1. The Red Cross
2. The Salvation Army
3. The Southern Baptist Convention
4. The Roman Catholic Church
Where does the MSG denomination fall into this list? It DOESN'T EVEN RANK!
Since the greatest of these spiritual gifts is charity, then it is proven by the
Bible that the MSG churches have NOT progressed in God's spiritual gifts.
...even the Catholic Church has progressed farther than the Message
denomination!
All this while the 'organization' is sitting on a hundred million bucks!!!
267
William Sowders & Branham

A brother in Christ sent me information regarding the connection between
William Sowders and WMB:
Quote:
This article concerning William Sowders "Apostle of Restoration" as styled by
his followers illuminates the various experiences in the life of William
Branham, "Prophet of Restoration" as style by his followers.
Voice on the Ohio River
Thought to spend his life hunting and fishing
Worked as a patrolman
Experienced the Pentecostal Movement early in life
Message was to be, "MY Gospel."
Spiritual experiences questioned
Unlocks (reveals) hidden Truths
Opposes denominations
Has a secret that he carries to the grave
4th grade education
Spoke in foreign languages understood by others
Brother George Audrey reveals the "secrets of the heart."
Woman speaks what she should not have said, repents and is healed
Cloud in his ministry
Both white and black attend meetings
Godhead is addressed
Emphasizes Baptism
Has tent meetings
Prophesies future events
Works on "beast" system and Roman Catholic Church
Predicts the ecumenical movement
Predicts race riots
Has "third pull" doctrine
Teaches about the Perfect Man
Short quick work taught
Humilty
Bride taught
William Branham sat among the "GA's" Gospel Assembly in the early '30's,
knew William Sowders personally, drew early inspiration from him,
mentioned the "School of the Prophets" and attended the meetings for a
season. Many, many of the later teachings and experiences of William
Branham parallels that of William Sowders. As there is nothing new under the
268
sun so the experiences of one earlier preacher is modeled by that of a later

preacher of the same basic persuasion.
The Lord did not return in the time of William Sowders nor that of William
Branham nor did their ministry forerun the immediate PAROUSIA of Yeshua as
they had hoped and taught. The PAROUSIA of Yeshua is yet to become a
literal reality save for various sects and cults who proclaim He has already
returned in their doctrinal errors. But Wisdom is justified of her children and
the coming to pass of the Word is indeed the only correct interpretation.
Back to the Word!
http://www.gospelassemblyfree.com/facts/sowders.htm
269
Mercy Towards Our Enemies

When Saul was pressing towards David with three thousand of his best men
in 1 Samuel 24, David and his men were hiding in a cave.
Saul just happened to enter into the cave to relieve himself, not knowing that
David and his men were watching. David's men told David that the Lord had
delivered his enemy right into his hands, and that David could now take any
action he pleased.
David quietly sneaked towards Saul and cut off a corner of his robe. "The
Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord's anointed one.
David persuaded his men to also respect Saul and would not permit them to
attack. Saul arose and fled from the cave.
David also arose and called out to Saul. He pleaded to Saul to understand
that he could have killed him, but instead spared his life. He said that "Out
of the wicked comes wickedness, but my hand shall not be against you."
After David pleaded with Saul, Saul began weeping. "You are more righteous
than I, for you have repaid my evil with good. He said that the Lord would
reward David for the good that he had done to Saul.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: When people of this world have us
driven to a corner, do we lash out like a caged tiger, or do we show our
righteousness to them? When we have the advantage, do we use it against
them or show Divine Love towards them? Do we show ourselves as wicked
as they, or do we show them that we serve a Living God? Do we convert our
enemies to Christianity, or do we drive them further away?
270
Slandering John Wesley

WMB often goes into his misinterpreted history of his 'church age
messengers,' telling how they only made it so far and then 'denominated'
before they could reach the fullness of Christian life:
Quote:
Wesley failed the same way as Sarah did, doubting the supernatural Birth
being the baptism of the Holy Ghost, as Sarah did at the oak tree. When
Wesley was introduced to the supernatural, when the Pentecostal age come
on and Wesley was introduced to speaking in tongues and all This, they
laughed and made fun of It. All you church of Christ, and you, so-called, and
you Baptists, and Presbyterians, every one of you, turned your nose up, on It,
and went away from It. Right. What'd you do, Wesley? You sold your child to
an organization, and it died and perished. That's exactly right.
65-0218 THE.SEED.IS.NOT.HEIR.WITH.THE.SHUCK
John Wesley would roll over in his grave to know the slander that WMB has
done towards him for all these years, and the millions of people around the
world that now believe it because of WMB's deception
In his comment on Matthew 3:11 Wesley remarks
Quote:
He shall fill you with the Holy Ghost, inflaming your hearts with that fire of
love, which many waters cannot quench. And this was done, even with a
visible appearance as of fire, on the day of Pentecost"
271
Judging All the Sheep Because of the Bad Ones

In Ezekiel 34, the Word of the Lord came down, one that we often forget.
The Lord compared us to sheep, and said that He would search for His sheep
and seek them out. Like a shepherd with a scattered herd of sheep
wandering in thick clouds and darkness, God will seek us out and rescue us.
He spoke about Israel, how he would gather the peoples from the countries
and bring them into their own land. He will feed them there with good
pasture on the mountain heights.
God said, "I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make
them lie down. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed. I will
bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak. The fat and the strong
will I destroy; I will feed them with justice."
God said that he would gather his flock together, and judge all, between
sheep and sheep, between rams and male goats. Some that had been given
good pasture with clear water had muddied the rest of the water. Some had
trodden down the rest of the pasture.
Because of this, God would judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
Those that thrust at the weak with their horns until they were scattered
abroad, God would rescue so that they were no longer a prey. He would set
one shepherd over them, His servant David. David would feed them and be
their shepherd. "And I," God said, "the Lord will be their God, and my
servant David shall be the prince among them. I am the Lord; I have
spoken."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: As the sheep are still scattered, do
we try to help them back into the fold, or do we push them further away with
our 'horns?' While we wander in thick clouds and darkness, do we look for
our Shepherd, or do we follow the leading of one of the 'fat sheep?' Do we
raise up another sheep and fatten him, or do we search only for the
Shepherd? Do we follow those that muddied the waters with their own
doctrines or those that have trodden down the rest of the pasture? Do we
not realize that it is because of those 'fat sheep' God must judge both the fat
and the lean, to see which hold onto the doctrines that are from man? Who
is your shepherd, God or man?
272
The Name of Jesus

Quote:
Now, and, He, what is His Name, first? We'll have to (Name) find what God's
Name is before we can find what it is He is putting in the place.
Now, we find out that He had many titles. He is called the... He was called
"Father," which is a title. And He was called "Son," which is a title. He was
called "Holy Ghost," which is a title. He was called "Rose of Sharon," which is
a title. "Lily of the Valley," a title, "Morning Star." "Jehovah-jireh, Jehovahrapha," seven different, compound, redemptive names, and all of them were
titles. None of them were names.
But He has a Name. {...} And now we find out that Jesus said, also, "I came
in My Father's Name, and you received Me not." Then, the Name of the
Father must be Jesus. That's right.
65-0220 GOD'S.CHOSEN.PLACE.OF.WORSHIP
This is not Biblical. He missed one VERY important fact, however. In the Old
Testament, the NAME of God was HOLY. To speak His name aloud was
forbidden during the days of the Old Testament.
The proper name of God, YHVH, is found almost 8000 times in the Tanakh
(Old Testament). Because the Name of God is sacred and holy, translators
replaced it with LORD, or similar words that could be said aloud without fear.
They did not want the Lord's name taken in vain.
WMB tried to say that the name of Jesus Christ was the name of the God in
the Old Testament, which is false. The name of God was JHVH. The name
Jesus means, literally, "JHVH Rescues."
273
William Blake & William Branham

Quote:
Just like it was on The Serpent's Seed, but it's absolutely proven to be right. I
got papers right here, out of the paper, where women right now... and even
in--in the great... Some of the great dioceses has got the pictures of the
original, a snake crawling on a woman's leg, and just in how it goes around
her; she has all kinds of sensations and things, something a man could never
touch her with, with this huge snake wrapping around her, and so forth.
That's exactly the truth. And it's going worse and worse, and will get worse.
Serpent, which he was not, he could not have had the sex affair with her
when he was a serpent, but remember...
65-0221M MARRIAGE.AND.DIVORCE
Consider the life, teachings, and painting and poetry by the English poet
William Blake.
First, compare his life to WMB:
William (Blake and Branham) only attended school long enough to learn
reading and writing
William (Blake and Branham) claimed to see visions throughout their lives
William (Blake and Branham) claimed to have a visitation from God through
the window at a very early age
William (Blake and Branham) claimed to have seen angels in a tree before
teenage years
William (Blake and Branham) favored their mother and did not approve of
their father
William (Blake and Branham) lost a brother early in their careers
William (Blake and Branham) looked toward nature for their religion
William (Blake and Branham) believed it was an angel who gave them their
abilities
William (Blake and Branham) were only accepted by a 'chosen few'
William (Blake and Branham) taught Gnostic doctrines
William (Blake and Branham) believed in an eternal hell
William (Blake and Branham) thought their prophecies were unveiling the
secrets of old
William (Blake and Branham) taught that America was naked and did not
know it
William (Blake and Branham) thought they were a "voice of one crying out in
the wilderness"
William (Blake and Branham) prophesied that females would be America's
downfall
William (Blake and Branham) believed that knowledge of God depends upon
revelation
274
William (Blake and Branham) Aligned himself with the Biblical prophets, and
above all, Jesus Christ
The only difference is that William Blake seemingly prophesied of WMB.
Quote:
Soon as she saw the terrible boy then burst the virgin cry.
I know thee, I have found thee, & I will not let thee go;
Thou art the image of God who dwells in darkness of Africa;
And thou art fall'n to give me life in regions of dark death.
On my American plains I feel the struggling afflictions
Endur'd by roots that writhe their arms into the nether deep:
I see a serpent in Canada, who courts me to his love;
In Mexico an Eagle, and a Lion in Peru;
I see a Whale in the South-sea, drinking my soul away.
O what limb rending pains I feel. thy fire & my frost
Mingle in howling pains, in furrows by thy lightnings rent;
This is eternal death; and this the torment long foretold.
America: A Prophecy -- William Blake
275
Moses Warns of Idolatry

Before the children of Israel entered into the promised land, Moses warned
them to watch themselves carefully so they did not fall back into idolatry.
In Deuteronomy 4, Moses said that they had seen no form at all when the
Lord spoke to them at Horeb from the fire. They should make no form of
worship by carving an image in any likeness, male or female, any animal,
birds, creeping things, fish, or otherwise.
Then he warned the children of Israel not to raise their eyes towards heaven
to worship astrology or astronomy, lest they be drawn away and bow down
to serve them. These were things that the Lord God had given to all the
people under the whole heaven. The Lord had taken them out of Egypt to be
a people of His own inheritance.
Moses then told the children that he would not be crossing Jordan into the
promised land. The Lord was angry with Moses, but the children would cross
over to claim their possession.
Moses again warned them not to fall back into idolatry. He said not to forget
the covenant that the Lord their God had made to them. Not to make any
carved image of worship. The Lord God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
Moses said that when their descendants have grown old in the land, they still
would be bound by this law. If they worshipped anything except the Lord
God and provoked Him to anger, they would be destroyed, perish from the
Land that they were going across to posess.
Moses said that the Lord would scatter them among the peoples of the
nations, and they would be left few in number within the nations where the
Lord would drive them. There, they would serve other gods that were the
work of human hands, that could neither see nor hear, nor eat nor smell. But
from there, Moses said that they would seek the Lord their God and find Him,
if they searched after Him with their whole heart and soul.
At first it sounds like only a warning, but then Moses indicates that it was
instead a prophecy that he had been given of the last days. He says that
when they are in tribulation, and all these things come upon them in the last
days, they would return to the Lord God and obey His voice.
Moses said that the Lord God was also a merciful God. He would not leave
them nor destroy them, and would not forget the covenant that he had made
with their fathers.
276
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: What are our idols of today? Moses
knew of them, and knew that we would fall into worship with them, yet we
are not a people to carve random idols from wood or stone. What are they?
Some claim that the original Bible was the Zodiac, while Moses states not to
listent to them. Do we listen? Moses warned not to worship any man or
woman, yet there are churches around the world that pay tribute to a man.
Do we fall into that trap? An idol can be anything that we put before God; do
we spend more time with television or other entertainment? Sports or
recreation? Do we do these things instead of worshipping God, or do we
include God in them with us? Have we fallen back into idolatry without even
knowing it?
277
The Rainbow of the Covenant

When the waters of the flood had subsided in Genesis 8, Noah prepared a
burnt offering to the Lord.
He took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird, and made
an offering that was pleasing to God. When the Lord smelled the pleasing
aroma, He vowed to never again curse the ground because of man. The
intention of evil is within a man's heart even from his youth. God vowed
never again to strike down every living creature. While the earth remains,
God vowed not to cease the seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer
and winter, or day and night.
Then God blessed Noah and his sons. He told them to be fruitful and
multiply, and fill the earth. Every beast of the earth and bird of the skies
would fear mankind, as well as the creeping things and fish of the sea.
Every moving thing that lives is to be food for mankind, just as the green
plants were given. God required that they not eat any animal with its blood
still in it, for the blood was its life.
God said that for the lifeblood of mankind, there would be required a
reckoning. Any man that sheds the blood of another man would die from the
shedding of his own blood. For God made man in his own image.
God reminded them to be fruitful and multiply. He said to increase greatly on
the earth and multiply in it.
Then God said to both Noah and his sons, "Behold, I establish my covenant
with you and your offspring after you, and with every living creature that is
with you: the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you -- as
many as came out of the ark. The covenant is for every beast of the earth."
God said that never again would all flesh be cut off from existence by the
waters of the flood, and never again would a flood destroy the earth. God
set his bow in the cloud as a sign of the covenant between Him and the
earth. When the clouds come over the earth and the bow is seen in the
clouds, He would remember his covenant that is between Him and all living
flesh.
God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant that I have established
between Me and all flesh that is on the earth."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we forgotten this part of the
story, the part where God gave mankind a fresh and new beginning? Do we
278
fear the impending destruction of the evil of the earth, or do we rejoice

because we will again have a fresh and new beginning? Why do we not cry
out unto God for the sinners of this world, knowing that all mankind have evil
in their hearts from their youths -- even ourselves? When we see a rainbow,
do we simply see a pretty color in the sky, or do we recognize that this is the
sign of God's covenant to mankind?
279
Paul's Warning
In Colossians 2, Paul gives a solemn warning to the church
He said that now that we have received the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we were
to "walk in Him." We were to be rooted fast and solid like a tree, and
established in the faith, just as we were taught. We were to be abounding in
thanksgiving to Jesus Christ.
He warns to make sure that no man takes you captive by his own philosophy
and empty deceit. No man should create a new human tradition for the
church that was based on the elemental spirits of the world instead and not
according to Jesus Christ.
Paul said that in Christ, the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily. We have
been filled with Him, and He is now our head. Christ is all of our rule and
authority, not man. Through Christ, we were circumcised, but not by hands.
We have been Circumcised with the circumcision of Christ, having been
buried with him. We were buried in baptism and raised through faith by the
power of God who raised Christ from the dead. Paul said that Christ
disarmed these deceitful rulers and authorities by putting them in open
shame. He triumphed over them.
Paul said that Christ cancelled and completely blotted out, wiping away the
bond we were under by the Law, along with its legal decree. He eliminated
all which was in force and hostile to us. This was Law, with its regulations,
decrees, and demands were set aside by Christ by nailing it to the cross.
Paul continues to warn about Gnosticism. He says to let no man call you
unworthy with questions of food or drink. Do not listen when a man tells us
there is a specific event coming with a new moon or Sabbath or one of the
festivals.
He continues speaking out against Gnosticism by warning us not to let any
man disqualify your faith.
Do not listen when men are insisting on
asceticism, or the denial of worldly things to bring forth spiritual things.
Paul warns us about Gnostic men who worship angels, and are "going on" in
detail about their visions. Paul said these men are "puffed up" without
reason by their own sensuous minds. He said that these men are not holding
fast to their Head (Christ). He said that these men are not holding fast to the
whole body of Christ, which should be nourished and knit together through
all joints and ligaments. The body of Christ grows from a growth that is from
God.
280
Paul asked that if you died with Christ to the elemental spirits of the world,
why do we submit to these regulations of men? Do not handle, do not taste,
do not touch? These things have the appearance of wisdom by promoting
self-made religion. But these things were dangerous, promoting asceticism
and would sever the body of Christ.
Paul said these things are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we rooted solid with Christ, or
the doctrine of a man? Are we established in the faith, walking around in
thanksgiving to Christ who died for us? Have we let a man tell us of the way
that we should live our lives in the flesh, creating a new tradition? Do we let
these deceitful rulers have power over us when through Christ we triumph
over them? Have we fallen into Gnostic teachings that disqualify our faith by
men who tell us not to drink wine -- when the Bible itself gives proverbs that
allow it? Do we listen to men that insist we deny ourselves worldly things so
that they can bring forth spirits?
Do we listen to men who say they have angels and are "going on" about their
own visions? Do we not know that these men are "puffed up" without reason
by their own sensuous minds? Do we hold on fast to our Head (Christ), or do
we hold fast to these men? Do we listen when they sever the body of Christ
by telling us to "Come out from them!"
281
Paul's Sermon Telling Us to "Grow Up"

Speaking to the Church in 1 Corinthians 13, Paul tells us to move our focus
from prophecy, tongues, and other spiritual gifts to move on to greater
things.
He said that though he could speak with unknown tongues, if he did not have
Divine Love, then he would just be a loud, noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
If a person speaks in tongues and does not have Divine Love, then he is
simply "going on" to no purpose.
He said that if he were to have prophetic powers, and understand all
mysteries and knowledge, and even have faith to move mountains, he would
still be nothing without Love. A prophet who prophesies without Divine Love
is nothing, just a soothsayer.
He said that if he were to donate everything he owned, and even give his
own life, he would gain nothing without Divine Love. These things would be
done simply to better himself and not others.
Paul goes on to describe Divine Love to us. Divine Love is patient and kind.
It does not allow you to have envy of others, and does not allow you to boast
yourself in front of others. It does not make you happy when you see
wrongdoing, but only rejoices in the Truth. Love will give you patience to
bear all kinds of things, patience to believe, hope, and endurance before
man and God. Divine Love never ends.
As for prophecies, Paul said they would pass away. If we focus on prophecy,
we remain in the past.
As for tongues, Paul said they will cease. If we focus on tongues, we listen to
a voice for things of the past.
As for knowledge, it will pass away. If we seek after mystery and knowledge,
those mysteries and knowledge will be made known and new mysteries and
knowledge will be found to turn our hearts and minds away from God.
Paul said the things we know; we only know in part. We do not know
everything. The things we prophesy; we prophesy in part. No prophesy will
reveal everything to us. But when perfection comes, everything in part will
pass away. We will no longer have only partial information, all things will be
made known.
Paul calls these spiritual gifts childish. He says, "When I was a child, I spoke
like a child, I thought like a child, and I reasoned like a child. When I became
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a man, I gave up childish ways." Paul had moved on beyond these things
gifts that when men will do, other men will raise them up as an object of
worship.
He said that now, we only see as though we were looking through an old,
poorly visible mirror: dimly. When perfection comes, we will see Jesus Christ
face to face.
He said now, we only know part of the things that are to come. When
perfection comes, we will know everything fully, just as Paul was made fully
known before them.
So now, we have faith, hope and Divine Love. These three things should be
our focus. But the greatest of these three is Divine Love.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we focus on prophecy, or lift up
those who prophesy? Do we focus on tongues or other spiritual gifts, things
that magnify a man instead of God? Do we focus on mysteries and
knowledge instead of Divine Love? Do we have envy for the things of others,
things of this world? Do we boast ourselves, or listen to a man who boasts
himself? When we give to others, do we give with Divine Love, or do we only
give the things we would have cast aside anyway to call ourselves good?
Are we still focusing on these things, and as Paul says, speaking like a child?
Or are we seeking perfection in Christ by Divine Love?
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Comfort from the Lord

In Jeremiah 31, the Lord sent down comfort to the children of Israel through
the prophet.
God told the people to keep their voices from weeping and their eyes from
tears. He said there was a reward for their work. They would return to their
homeland. God said there was hope in their future, and their children would
come back into their own country.
God said that he had heard the mournful cry of Ephraim grieving, "You have
disciplined me, and I received discipline like a young, untrained calf. Bring
me back so that I may be restored, for You are the Lord my God!"
God listened as Ephraim described how he had turned away, and refused
correction after he was given instruction. He was ashamed and confused
because he had to continually bear the disgrace of his youth.
God asked the people, "Is Ephraim my dear son? Do I not love him? For as
often as I speak against him, I still remember him." God said that his heart
still yearns for him, and will have mercy on him. He declared it to be so.
God instructed them to set up road markers so that they can have
guideposts to return. They would return to their homeland.
God asked the people, "You faithless daughter, how long will you waver? The
Lord has created a new thing on earth: this backslidden woman would
embrace her Man.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we mourn for the work that God
has given us? Do we not know there will be a reward for us if we are faithful
to Him? Do we receive God's discipline, and do we change our sinful ways?
When God gives us a cross that we must bear throughout our lives, do we
use that to glorify Him, or are we ashamed and confused like Ephraim? Are
we a backslidden people with no guideposts to return, or have we kept our
focus on God?
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The Violence of an Angry Jesus

As the Passover was drawing near and Jesus entered the temple, John 2
describes how Jesus was angered as he entered the temple.
Nothing made God angrier than religious hypocrisy throughout the ages,
from the Old Testament to the New. When he saw the money changers
taking advantage of the humble, dedicated worshippers, making profit from
their faith, Jesus literally exploded. It was the only time that Jesus uses
physical violence, and it is recorded in all four gospels.
John describes how he found them selling oxen, sheep, and pigeons while
making profit. He made a whip from cords of the temple draperies, and
started lashing the money changers, driving them out of the temple with
their sheep and oxen.
As the Jews made their long journeys to the temple to offer their sacrifice
and burn offering, there were many who took advantage of their faith by
giving them the option to purchase the animals for their sacrifice. They were
making a good profit for their trade by marking up the prices, knowing that
the humble worshippers would be willing to pay more coins for a religious
cause.
Jesus looked at all of the money stacked on their tables, and threw them over
as the men were fleeing the temple. "Take these things away!" Jesus
exclaimed in anger. "Do not make my Father's house a house of trade!"
His disciples then remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your house will
consume me."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: What are the motives of our religious
leaders when they sell their sermons for profit, already having ample funds
from your tithes? Why do some sell those sermons while others freely give
them away to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Why do religious leaders
and organizations put on big shows during Easter, with plenty of
merchandise to sell? Are they doing this for the glory of God, or have they
found a holiday that attracts most Christians to make their trek to worship?
Why do some organizations sell cardboard boxes filled with trinkets that have
nothing to do with Jesus Christ, marked up to an obvious profit? What would
happen if Jesus were to come today? Now that the massive amounts of
money are in banks instead of changing tables, would he call the power of
God to overturn the world's banking system?
Take a look at our world's financial state today and ask yourselves these
questions.
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Consecrating Ourselves to God

2 Chronicles 29 tells how Hezekiah started his reign as king in a way that was
pleasing to the Lord.
In the first month, he brought the priests and the Levites to assemble them
in the temple. He said, "Listen to me, Levites! Consecrate yourselves, and
consecrate the house of the Lord, the God of your fathers, and carry out the
filth from the Holy Place."
Hezekiah explained, "Our fathers have been unfaithful and have done what
was evil in the sight of the Lord our God. They have forsaken Him and have
turned away their faces from the habitation of the Lord. They have turned
their backs to him."
He went on to say that they put out the lamps of the temple and had not
given offerings to the Lord God of Israel. Therefore, he said that the wrath of
the Lord came on Judah and Jerusalem, making them an object of horror,
astonishment, and "hissing" as they had seen with their own eyes. Hezekiah
reminded them that their fathers had fallen because of this, and they were
forced into captivity.
Hezekiah said that it was placed on his heart to make a covenant with the
Lord, the God of Israel, in order that his fierce anger be turned away from
them. He said, "My sons, do not be negligent, for the Lord has chosen you to
stand in His presence to be his ministers and make offerings to Him.
They aroze and gathered their brothers to consecrate themselves, and did as
the king commanded by the words of the Lord. Every unclean thing was
carried out of the temple. The contents of the temple were made ready and
consecrated, and were now before the altar of the Lord.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we consecrated our hearts and
minds to God? If our fathers lifted men, doctrines, or things of this world to a
place of worship and idolatry, do we continue on in our sin? Do we cleanse
our bodies, which are now our temple, or do we turn our backs on God? Do
we not see that through idolatry we are also captive like a prisoner in a
holding cell? Have we made a new covenant with the Lord and consecrated
ourselves to His service?
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The Bully on the Platform

Somebody asked me to compare the "Man Sent from God" version of the
bully that came to the platform with WMB's later accounts to see if they
match.
Though they are close, there are some differences:
Man Sent from God - It's all about the faith of the people. All joining in prayer.
53-1120 DEMONOLOGY - It's all about WMB.
Man Sent from God - Wasn't insane
53-1120 DEMONOLOGY - Out of an insane institution
Man Sent from God - "Fall AT my feet"
53-1120 DEMONOLOGY - "Fall ON my feet"
Man Sent from God - "Fall AT my feet"
53-1120 DEMONOLOGY - "Fall ON my feet"
Man Sent from God - Walked calmly from the platform
53-1120 DEMONOLOGY - Police pried the man from his feet
Quote:
A Man Sent from God:
As the audience listened with rapt attention to the slight little figure on the
platform,
perhaps only one anticipated the startling drama that was about to unfold.
Certainly the director had no such intuition, and the interruption which was
about to occur could not have been more unwelcome. For suddenly our
attention was directed to a man far back in the building who was making
rapid strides, apparently in the direction of the platform. At first we supposed
that some emergency had arisen; perhaps someone had fainted or had taken
seriously ill in the auditorium. But as he drew near, we observed with no little
misgiving that his countenance bore a demoniac grin, as to suggest that the
man was demented, or violently insane, and apparently had broken away
from those who had him in their care. We were to learn later what indeed
would have been more disturbing had we known it at the time, that the man
was not insane, in that he did not know what he was doing, but was a
notorious and vicious character who had previously run afoul of the law for
disturbing and breaking up religious services. Jail sentences had not taught
him a lesson, and now seeing his opportunity to cause a large commotion
and again break up a service, he had come forward for that purpose.
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Up the steps he strode without pausing. Now he was on the platform

assuming a menacing attitude that by this time was attracting the attention
of the entire congregation. Two sturdy policemen standing in the wings,
becoming aware of the distraction, were about to come forward and lay
hands on this disturber, but we could see that this would result in a scuffle
and the excitement created could well ruin the service. Moreover, the
evangelist had apparently put himself on the spot for he had just declared
that all things were possible to him that believed, and that God would always
back up His servants who put their trust in Him. Indeed, the meeting had
reached such a high state of expectation, that reliance on the officers of the
law, though perhaps entirely justifiable in the present instance, did not seem
to be the Divine order. We knew nothing else to do but to hastily wave the
officers back, and call attention to the evangelist as to what was taking
place. But he himself was already conscious that something was wrong.
Speaking quietly to the audience and requesting that the people unite with
him in silent prayer, he turned to meet the strange challenge of this evil
antagonist.
As he did so, the man with the evil gleam on his countenance, which
reminded one of the hideous grins the heathen engrave on the faces of their
idols, began to impudently accuse and curse the speaker. "You are of the
devil, and deceiving the people," he shouted, "an impostor, a snake in the
grass, a fake, and I am going to show these people that you are!" It was a
bold challenge and every one in that audience could see that it was not an
idle threat. As the intruder continued to revile the evangelist, hissing and
spitting, he made motion to carry his threats into execution. To the audience
it appeared to be an evil moment for the little figure on the platform, and
most of them must have felt exceedingly sorry for him. The officers
attempted again to come to his aid but were waved away, and now in
rejecting their assistance the speaker had deliberately accepted the
challenge of this wicked antagonist whose size and fierceness had convinced
the audience that he was well able to carry out his boasts. No doubt, critics
who had slipped into the auditorium out of curiosity expected a swift and
pitiful conclusion to the unexpected drama that was now coming to a climax.
Certainly they could see that there was no room for trickery. The man on the
platform would have to have the goods or else take the consequences.
In the moment of suspense that followed, one could not help being reminded
of the story of the challenge of long ago, when the bold Goliath cursed little
David in the name of his gods, and boasted that he would tear him limb from
limb. The startled congregation, as the hosts of Israel must have been in
their day, looked on the scene with wonder and amazement, hardly knowing
what to expect next, but fearing the worst. The gathering of ministers on the
platform reviewed the situation with no little dismay, knowing that unless
God did a very unusual thing and backed up the speaker in a supernatural
manner, the evil intruder, who had successfully broken up religious services
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in the past, would now do so again. Some were much disturbed that the
policemen had not been permitted to take charge of the situation and
believed that this error of judgment would allow this demon possessed man
not only to ruin the meeting and thus bring reproach on the cause of Christ,
but also might actually result in physical injury to the speaker.
The seconds passed, however, without the awaited climax happening.
Presently it appeared that something was hindering the challenger from
carrying out his evil designs. For some reason he was not proceeding with
the execution of his boasts of physical violence, but was rather contenting
himself in hissing and spitting and uttering the most fearful imprecations.
Softly but determinedly the voice of the evangelist now could be heard
rebuking the evil power that dominated the man. His words, spoken so
quietly that they could be heard only a short distance, were saying, "Satan,
because you have challenged the servant of God before this great
congregation, you must bow before me. In the name of Jesus Christ, you shall
fall at my feet." The words were repeated several times. The challenger
ceased to speak, and it was evident that it was now he who was laboring
under a strain. Strong as he and the wicked forces were that controlled him,
strengthened by every evil spirit in the building, apparently they were
gradually succumbing to another Power that was greater than they, a Power
that responded at the whisper of the Name of Jesus! Soon it was evident that
the man realized he was being overcome, but nothing he could do apparently
could reverse the situation. A tense battle of spiritual forces now summoned
every bit of strength that he had in him. Beads of perspiration broke out on
his face as he put forth a last desperate effort to prevail. But it was all to no
avail. Suddenly he who a few minutes before had so brazenly defied the man
of God with his fearful threats and accusations, gave an awful groan and
slumped to the floor sobbing in a hysterical manner. For quite a while he lay
there writhing in the dust, as the evangelist calmly proceeded with the
service as if nothing had happened.
Needless to say, the great congregation was awed by the scene that had
transpired before them, in which God so signally vindicated His servant, and
loud praises to God filled the spacious auditorium. The policemen too,
startled by what they had witnessed, openly acknowledged that God was in
their midst. Need we record that in the healing service which followed, a
wave of glory was manifest that will never be forgotten by those who were
present. Many miracles of healing took place that night as a multitude of
people were ministered to in the prayer line.
Quote:
53-1120 DEMONOLOGY_ EVANSVILLE.IN FRIDAY_
E-12 And I remember at Portland, Oregon, when that maniac run out on the
platform, three times my size. I weighed a hundred and twenty-eight pounds.
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He weighed about two-sixty, seven-foot-tall, great huge fellow. He come

across the platform swinging his arms like that, cursing me, and spitting in
my face. And said, "You imposing yourself to be a man of God." Said, "I'll
break every bone in that little, frail body of yours." Well, he was plenty able
to do it, by humanly speaking.
And I had just led two little police to Christ. They run out to grab him. I said,
"This is not a flesh and blood affair." And no more than I had said that, till
Something on the inside of me lifted up. And I knew he was whipped right
then, because God had--had said so.
And he come across the platform and he stopped, out, about five feet from
me. And He just... [Brother Branham makes a spitting sound--Ed.] ...spit, and
it just flew all over my face. He said, "You snake in the grass. You hypocrite."
Said, "Stand up here..." Sixty-five hundred people seated, beside just up and
down the street. He said, "I'll just break every bone in your body." And he
shook his big fist and, oh, his great huge arm. His eyes begin to roll around,
his teeth set together, and He--and He would...
And these police found out that he had broke a--a jawbone and a shoulder of
a minister the day before and they had a search warrant to get him, or, a
warrant to get him, rather, right away. He was out of an insane institution. He
just didn't like preachers. He just hit them; everything. So, he thought, then,
he could do it, and when he run up there...
And how the Holy Spirit leading, well, I know at that moment, now, without a
vision first, Something said to me, "Don't be afraid."
I, when he come to me, I thought of what that Angel said, "I'll be with you." I
thought, "If You're here, which You said You'd be, then what's he? How will
this uncircumcised Philistine defy the living God?"
So, he come on up towards me, and he said, "I'll break every bone in your
body." And he drew back his fist.
I said, "Because you've challenged the Spirit of God, tonight you'll fall over
my feet." I didn't know I said that, see, that was the Spirit talking, It done
took over, then. So, there was both challenges. And he run to me, he said,
"I'll show you whose feet I'll fall over." And he drew back his great big fist,
like that, and the audience set spellbound.
And just as he drew back his fist, I said, "Satan, come out of him."
And he threw his hands back like that, his eyes bulged way out like that, and
rolled around. He threw his head back and ro-... spun around the floor, and
fell on my feet, so that the police had to come roll him off my feet 'fore I
could move. Right across the platform, he was perfectly just laying there.
The police said, "Is that man dead?"
I said, "No, sir."
Said, "Is he healed?"
I said, "No, sir, he worships that spirit. See? He'd bring it right back to him
because he thinks he's right." I said, "He isn't healed." They rolled him over. I
said, "Get him off my feet." He was cramping me, he's laying, that big man,
up on my feet; I couldn't move my feet out and both of them together. And
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so I--I couldn't move my feet out, and they rolled him over, and I took my
feet away, and went on to get...
E-15 And at that time, when all them demons had seen their chief man
defeated: they just begin to raise up out of wheelchairs, cots, stretchers, and
everything else, and walk. That was the end of the meeting. They just,
everybody was healed and walked out. That was it, everything. See? Just...
Now, you see? When Satan was defeated there, the whole audience believed
with one accord and went out. Now, if Satan is defeated in one case, why
can't they do the same thing? See?
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The Truth Will Stand Against Scrutiny

I was taught by my local Jeffersonville MSG pastor for YEARS that the "truth
will stand against all scrutiny."
When the first discrepancy was found between what WMB claimed and what
actually happened, I questioned. Asking that same gentle-spirited MSG
pastor why the two did not match, gentle spirit turned into anger because of
simply questioning.
Rather than give reasoning for the truth, his response was "people have
known about these things for years! What does it hurt for you to believe it
and keep quiet?"
Now, when news articles appear, I watch the forums and responses. Rather
than supply answers to questions, they call names, discredit me, and the
"leader of the organization" even slanders me to the news company.
Exactly WHAT will stand against scrutiny? This forum is PACKED with
questions that have no answers. Why will no one offer some article from
before 1947 since WMB claimed to have "hundreds of newspaper articles up
into Canada." Why no little notebook paper with scribbled visions from 1933?
Why is everyone so afraid of exposure if the "Truth will stand against all
scrutiny?"
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Praise God for Help and Strength

Psalms 121 Praises the Lord for His help and strength.
Let's read it, placing ourselves in the words of the songwriter:
I lift up my eyes to the mountains searching for help. Where does my help
come from?
My help comes from the Lord God. He is the Maker of everything. He made
both the heavens and the earth, and He is able to care for me.
He will not even let us slip. He watches over our every step, and everything I
do is according to His perfect will. He watches over me at all times, never
sleeping.
He protects us from everything. He is like a shade at our right hands,
protecting us from even the sun. The sun will not harm us by day nor the
moon by night. God is always shielding me from all danger.
The Lord God will keep me from all harm. He is the one who watches over
my entire life, from birth to death. He will watch my coming to protect me.
He will protect me all through my life. He will protect me as I'm leaving this
life.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we comforted by these words?
Do we think we are all alone, no one to help us when the world comes
against us?
Do we not realize that He makes everything, watches
everything, and all things work together for good to them that love the Lord?
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Questions for a Counterfeit Message

This was posted to the Facebook wall of Seek Ye The Truth, and is a very
good and very accurate set of questions that is scripturally accurate:
Someone from this page not affiliated with posted a news link on our church
Facebook page and I don't know why??? We are Christian not followers of
Branham. Being curious by nature I read the news article. As a fellow
Christian and with all due respect I do have concerns for the souls that are
pursuing Branham. First, I wonder why Branham followers rely so heavily on
the recorded messages from their "Prophet" (Voice of God Recordings).
Prophets are Old Testament. Jesus appointed disciples who He later
appointed as apostles following his resurrection. No place in the New
Testament does the Bible say we should follow prophets. On the contrary, the
Bible tells us to beware of False Prophets who take the truth and distort it to
mislead true believers. True, the Lord gave all believers gifts of the Holy
Spirit and one of those gifts is to prophesize but we are not to glorify people
with this gift. See The Book of Acts and 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, and
Ephesians 4. And 1 Peter 4).
No matter how much we love our ministers, preachers, and pastors, God
clearly commands us to Love and Worship ONLY Him and Him alone.
Exodus 20: 3-5 3"You must not have any other god but me.4 "You must not
make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens
or on the earth or in the sea. (that includes man) 5 You must not bow down
to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who
will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.
God's Warning to Believers: 2 Timothy 4:1-5 1 "I charge you therefore before
God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His
appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out
of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but
according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will
heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from
the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things,
endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
And, the news article says that in 1960 Branham predicted the end of the
World. Really?
From Matthew 24: 23-27 23 "Then if anyone tells you, 'Look, here is the
Messiah,' or 'There he is,' don't believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false
prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if
possible, even God's chosen ones. 25 See, I have warned you about this
ahead of time. 26 "So if someone tells you, 'Look, the Messiah is out in the
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desert,' don't bother to go and look. Or, 'Look, he is hiding here,' don't
believe it! 27 For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west,
so it will be when the Son of Man comes. 28 Just as the gathering of vultures
shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.
And Matthew 24:36 36 "However, no one knows the day or hour when these
things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son Himself Only
the Father knows.
God's Word is straightforward and simple to grasp. It's we mere mortals who
make a mess of things. WE MUST ABIDE ONLY IN THE TRUTH OF GOD'S
WORD OR RISK HEARING THE WORST JUDGEMENT "I NEVER KNEW YOU!" God
help us all! Praying for this ministry and for those who have wandered off the
narrow way.
Rev - God's word clearly says that NO ONE knows the day or the hour God's
Word (the bible says to preach Christ crucified)
Question: "How can we recognize a false teacher and false prophet?"
Answer: Jesus warned us that "false Christ's and false prophets" will come
and will attempt to deceive even God's elect (Matthew 24:23-27; see also 2
Peter 3:3 and Jude 17-18). The best way to guard yourself against falsehood
and false teachers is to know the truth. To spot a counterfeit, study the real
thing. Any believer who "correctly handles the word of truth" (2 Timothy
2:15) and who makes a careful study of the Bible can identify false doctrine.
For example, a believer who has read the activities of the Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit in Matthew 3:16-17 will immediately question any doctrine that
denies the Trinity. Therefore, step one is to study the Bible and judge all
teaching by what the Scripture says.
Jesus said "a tree is recognized by its fruit" (Matthew 12:33). When looking
for "fruit," here are three specific tests to apply to any teacher to determine
the accuracy of his or her teaching:
1) What does this teacher say about Jesus? In Matthew 16:15-16; Jesus asks,
"Who do you say I am?" Peter answers, "You are the Christ, the Son of the
living God," and for this answer Peter is called "blessed." In 2 John 9, we
read, "Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of
Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the
Father and the Son." In other words, Jesus Christ and His work of redemption
is of utmost importance; beware of anyone who denies that Jesus is equal
with God, who downplays Jesus' sacrificial death, or who rejects Jesus'
humanity. First John 2:22 says, "Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that
Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist he denies the Father and the
Son."
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2) Does this teacher preach the gospel? The gospel is defined as the good
news concerning Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, according to the
Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). As nice as they sound, the statements
"God loves you," "God wants us to feed the hungry," and "God wants you to
be wealthy" are not the complete message of the gospel. As Paul warns in
Galatians 1:7; "Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and
are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ." No one, not even a great preacher,
has the right to change the message that God gave us. "If anybody is
preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally
condemned!" (Galatians 1:9).
3) Does this teacher exhibit character qualities that glorify the Lord?
Speaking of false teachers, Jude 11 says, "They have taken the way of Cain;
they have rushed for profit into Balaam's error; they have been destroyed in
Korans rebellion." In other words, a false teacher can be known by his pride
(Cain's rejection of God's plan), greed (Balaam's prophesying for money),
and rebellion (Korah's promotion of himself over Moses). Jesus said to beware
of such people and that we would know them by their fruits (Matthew 7:1520).
For further study, review those books of the Bible that were written
specifically to combat false teaching within the church: Galatians, 2 Peter, 1
John, 2 John, and Jude. It is often difficult to spot a false teacher/false
prophet. Satan masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), and
his ministers masquerade as servants of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11:15).
Only by being thoroughly familiar with the truth will we be able to recognize
a counterfeit.
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Serving God's Purpose

In Psalm 88, David cries out to the Lord God.
He was ex-communicated, shunned from all that he knew and loved.
begged God for mercy, asking the Lord to hear his cry.
He
He was very troubled in his soul, and felt as though his life were drawing
near to hell.
His life was as though he were dead, forgotten and
remembered no more.
He said that his companions had shunned him, and that he was now a horror
to them. Every day he called out unto the Lord, spreading his hands out for
mercy. He asked the Lord that if he died, would the departed rise up to
praise God? Was God's steadfast love declared in the grave?
David cried unto the Lord, but felt like God had hid His face. He felt suffering
and helpless, and felt like the wrath of God had swept over him. He said,
"You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me, and my
companions have become darkness."
David's struggles were some of his own, but mostly with the evil in his family.
His many wives and children were constantly in fierce competition with each
other within the family. One of David's sons, Amnon, assaulted his step sister
Tamar, for which the girl's brother Absalom killed him. Absalom later
attempted to take over the kingdom from his father David which triggered a
civil war.
Despite his human faults, David was always a dedicated and repentant man
of God who served God's purpose. Jesus Christ would later be known as the
"Son of David."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: When things are not going smoothly,
do we groan and complain? When God places it upon our hearts to serve
Him, and we know that we will be ex-communicated by those not serving the
Lord, do we do it? Do we pray for God's guidance while we suffer trials, or do
we walk away from Him and leave everything behind? Are we serving God
and His purpose in our lives?
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The Prosper of the Wicked

After Zophar spoke out against Job, condemning him because he did not
prosper, Job responded with the Truth in Job 21.
Job asked Zophar to bear with him, and he could continue mocking after he
said his part.
He asked, "Is my complaint against man? and why should I not be
impatient? Look at me and be appalled at my misery!"
Job said the wicked live, reach an old age, and grow mighty in power. Their
offspring are established the same, before the very eyes of the wicked.
Their houses are safe from fear; no rod of God is upon them. They are very
prosperous, and filled with singing. In peace, they go all the way down into
hell, all the time rejecting God.
Job said they were like a straw in the wind, a chaff that the storm carries
away. While Zophar said that 'God stores up their iniquity for their children,'
Job said, "then let him pay it out so everyone can see it!" While they sit
mighty, another dies in the bitterness of his soul, having never tasted
prosperity.
Job asked why Zophar would accept the testimony of the travelers, but would
not accept his. He said, "How then will you comfort me with empty
nothings? There is nothing left of your answers but falsehood."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves:
When everyone is speaking
falsehood against us, do we stand like Job, or do we fall like Zophar? When
we point out things of God, are we attacked by things of man? When we are
told that we are wicked and will fall, do we realize that it is the men of God
that are tested and tried? While others rejoice in their prosper, do we rejoice
in our accusations? Do we realize that they are empty falsehoods and prove
our devotion to God?
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Rejoice! His Eye Is Upon Us!

Psalm 33 is a song of gladness. We should be happy, rejoicing in the Lord.
David tells the righteous to rejoice. Praise is pleasing for the upright.
Praise the Lord with your instruments, and sing new songs to him. Play
skillfully and loudly, for the Word of the Lord is right, and all his works are
done in Truth!
The Lord loves righteousness and judgment; the whole earth is full of the
goodness of the Lord. By His word, the heavens were made with all the stars
and planets, sun and moon. Just the breath of His mouth made the universe!
He Gathered the waters of the sea, creating the depths of the sea in
storehouses. Not a single drop of rain falls but what God planned it to.
David said, "Let all the earth fear the Lord, and let all the inhabitants of the
world stand before Him in awe."
He spoke, and it was done.
He
commanded, and it stood at attention to do His will.
The Lord brings the counsel of the heathen to nothing. He makes the
devices of the people of none effect. But the counsel of the Lord will stand
forever. Just the thoughts of His heart will stand for all generations.
David said, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, and the people
whom he has chosen for his own inheritance." The Lord looks from heaven
and sees all of the sons of men. From his throne, he looks on all of the
inhabitants of the earth.
He fashioned all their hearts alike, every man was born in sin. He considers
all of their works, not just the ones that were failures.
There is no king saved by the multitude of people that support him. A
mighty man is not saved by great strength. A horse is a vain thing to rely on
for safety, nobody can run from the Lord.
The eye of the Lord is upon every one that fears Him. His eye is upon them
that rely on His mercy to save their soul and provide for them.
Our soul waits on the Lord, for he is the one that helps us and protects us.
Our heart will rejoice in Him, because we have trusted His Holy Name. Let
your mercy be upon us, Lord. We serve you and have put our faith in You. It
300
is not the things that we do that save us, it is by grace that we are saved,
through faith in Jesus Christ alone.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we happy in our walk with Christ,
able to rejoice in front of others? Do we play our music loudly and with
passion as we rejoice? Do we rejoice that the whole earth is full of the
goodness of the Lord, or do we condemn the world that God has given us to
live in? Do we condemn others when God fashioned all of our hearts alike, or
do we help our brothers and sisters in their walk with Christ? Do we think we
are protected by the large number of people in our organization, or do we
put our trust in God alone? Do we put our faith in Him? Do we rejoice in it?
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Response to Misleading Letter

Responses to the letter by "The Leader" of "The Organization" are springing
up everywhere. This just happened to be one of the most well written:
Quote:
I was alerted to Joseph Branham's written response to the WHAS11 news
story on his father, William Branham, by a drive-by commenter who thought
her comment would be lost in moderation. On the contrary, I'm quite willing
to engage with the contents of the letter. In summary, it charges that the
news story was biased, that quotes were taken out of context, and that the
whole thing unfairly represented Message believers as a weird cult. You can
read the full letter here. I'm going to respond to it, piece by piece, below.
It's not often that we respond to a negative publication. One of the main
reasons is that we rarely receive negative comments or negative press. We
do our best to project a Christian attitude in every aspect of our work, and
we try to avoid controversy because it rarely ends in a positive outcome.
First of all, I disagree that this was a negative publication. Indeed, the
language is scrupulous: Traveling from city to city, Branham professed to use
the power of God to heal. And quickly the message went worldwide. The
article does not claim that Branham himself was the source of healing power,
which indicates that the author was paying attention to the way Branham
and the Message want to represent divine healing.
Second, one can't claim moral superiority for "not responding to negative
press" when one doesn't regularly get negative press. I'd say jumping on the
defensive in response to such a "rare" occurrence indicates that Voice of God
Recordings is more than willing to engage in controversy at a very slight
provocation. Again, the article is quite fair to the Message.
A local news organization recently published a slanderous article about
Brother Branham and those of us who follow his ministry.
Again, the article patently refrained from passing judgment. It was an
informative article, not a persuasive one. No slander here. Move along.
Truly, there is a love among the Bride of Christ that the world cannot
understand.
Actually, I think "the world" can very easily understand why members of a
subculture would leap to defend and support their leaders when they
perceive an attack. Not that I think such perceptions are valid. Message
believers will no doubt object to the label "subculture," but Joseph's
statement here only underscores their group identity and social isolation the rest of humanity can't even understand their cohesiveness, apparently.
302
Now begins the actual letter Joseph Branham addresses to WHAS11 News:
First of all, blacking out the mysterious guest's face is a blatant attempt to
give the illusion that this man's life would somehow be in danger if he was
identified. In reality, he is an outspoken critic of both my father and all of us
who claim to believe his teachings. He makes absolutely no efforts to hide
his identity, and you even posted the link to his website that has his name,
picture, email address, and his own life story. He plainly says on his website
that he is the grandson of Brother Willard Collins, who you interviewed for
the story. Do you think the fact that this man is attacking his grandfather
might make a difference to your viewers?
Regardless of whether or not an eyewitness is publicly active outside of an
investigative interview, the journalist is required to honor his request for
anonymity. Mr. Walser wrote: A former Branham Tabernacle member spoke to
WHAS11. He does not want to be identified. We will call him 'Mike'. It's very
clear that "Mike" himself wished to remain anonymous and WHAS11 only
acquiesced to his request. Your quarrel is not with the news station, but with
"Mike" himself.
You also used a quote from Brother Branham and cut his words short of
finishing his sentence, making it sound like he falsely predicted the end of
the world. Why would you do this, other than to discredit our ministry? Here
is his entire sentence:
Now, counting the time, we find that we have exactly -Listen- seventeen
years left, and we will have the same span of time given to us as God dealing
with us in the power of the Holy Spirit since A.D. 33 until 1977, the same
span of time of 1954 years.
That's called editing due to time constraints. I don't see how lengthening the
quote does anything to change its meaning. Branham was quite explicit in
his statement, and the context only makes it more obvious.
(Reporter) In 1960, Branham predicted the end of the world.
(William Branham) Now, counting the time, we find that we have exactly
-Listen- seventeen years left.
This is NOT objective journalism. In fact, I would say this is a blatant lie to the
public. Doing my best to give WHAS the benefit of the doubt, I can only hope
that the anonymous guest gave you this truncated quote, gambling that you
would not do the proper research.
303
Actually, it is objective journalism to shorten quotations when shortening

them does nothing to alter their original meaning. If journalists didn't do this,
all news articles would be twice as long.
Your reporter said, "Branham predicted he would be alive to see the return of
Jesus Christ," and "Many of his followers don't expect him to stay inside the
grave. People come from all over the world every Easter anticipating that
Branham will rise up to foretell the Second Coming of Christ." This is even
more misleading than the previous example. The Bible predicts that the dead
in Christ shall rise and meet the Lord in the air (I Thes 4:13-18). All Christians
believe they will be alive at the Coming of the Lord, no matter if they die first
or not.
This is a pretty deceitful spin, and it runs Joseph into a few pitfalls. Firstly, the
William Branham Homepage provides the story of William Branham's
commission: In June 1933 William Branham was baptizing converts in the
Ohio River; the Pillar of Fire descended over him, and A VOICE spoke and
said: As John the Baptist was sent forth to forerun the first coming of Christ,
you are sent forth with a message to forerun the second coming of Christ.
This has led many Message believers (despite Joseph's attempt at imposing a
more palatable orthodoxy) to expect that William Branham will have a
special resurrection that precedes the general resurrection. In his book The
Healer-Prophet: William Marrion Branham, a Study of the Prophetic in
American Pentecostalism, C. Douglas Weaver has written about the delay
between Branham's death and his burial. Billy Paul himself suggested that
Branham's death had ushered in a probationary period that would terminate
in the Second Coming around Easter (pp. 153-5). Other believers,
unsanctioned by Billy Paul, Willard Collins or Pearry Green, continued to
believe that Branham had to fulfill some of his visions before the general
resurrection and millennium could occur (pp. 154-5).
Weaver also recognizes the "radical minority" (p. 142) that believes Branham
was Christ reincarnate. While Joseph Branham may disapprove of and shun
believers in "Christ Branham," they are nevertheless equally able to claim
the title of "Message believers." Because William Branham despised
denominations, calling them all the mark of the beast, there can never be a
recognized Message denomination that has the power to root out heretics
from its midst. Joseph Branham doesn't seem to realize that he speaks only
for the Message believers that recognize his authority, which is most
definitely not all of them.
Joseph Branham goes on to provide this quotation from William Branham,
which does not exactly disprove the claim to personal resurrection:
If I die before Jesus comes and they have-they give me a funeral, they're
going to play that (the song 'Only Believe') when they putting me down in
the grave. So you here in New York, if you hear about it, you know when it's
304
going to be, stop and sing "Only Believe" once and remember me, will you?
And remember, I believe this: that someday I'll come out of there. That's
right. That's my faith. I believe the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God with all
my heart.
This is the second quote Joseph has chosen that does nothing to refute what
was said in the news article. His best evidence against the existence of such
believers is "I have never met anyone who believes that." Well, I have. Two
people left our church over the belief, in fact (the majority were of Joseph
Branham's persuasion). Just because Joseph doesn't personally know people
who believe what he regards as heresy doesn't mean they don't exist.
A professional journalist would have at least found someone who actually
believes this, rather than cutting and splicing David Forsberg's testimony. We
invite your administration to review the entire clip of his interview at the
gravesite. It will be much different than what you reported.
If this is true, why not tell us specifically what Forsberg said that was
omitted? Or better yet, have him write an article about how his testimony
was misused? A professional journalist is, in fact, allowed to make editorial
decisions. Given that it was a six-minute story and Forsberg's testimony was
undoubtedly much longer than six minutes, it isn't hard to imagine why all
that cutting occurred. What's really going on here is that Joseph Branham
wants to control what is said about his father and the Message, and he's
irritated that someone might tell a story different from his own.
Your reporter asked why so many local people don't know about William
Branham. Your mysterious guest said, "It's almost behind closed doors If
there is a more open ministry than ours, I would like to see it. Take a walk
around Jeffersonville and see how many people have heard of William
Branham and his ministry.
There are plenty of more open ministries. For example, Bill Gothard's
ministry. Joel Osteen's. Benny Hinn's. Pat Robertson's. These are names
people have actually heard of, unlike William Branham's. Jeffersonville is not
the world. Of course people there know who he is! It's one of the densest
Message populations in America, has a tabernacle named after him and his
incredibly imposing grave is in its cemetery. Travel outside of Jeffersonville
to, say, Bloomington, and you'll find a much smaller concentration of people
who know what you're talking about.
As for "closed doors," it's true. Message believers are careful to maintain an
image of being ordinary evangelical Christians. Most of their churches aren't
named after Branham. Most of the time, believers are urged to witness for
Christ before they mention Branham's name. "God sent a prophet" is a line
used only once the prospective convert's trust is gained. And even then,
305
believers are careful to say that a "prophet" just means a "messenger" and
that Branham never pointed to himself, only Christ. From Joseph Branham's
perspective, this is because believers don't follow Branham himself, but
Jesus Christ. From an outsider's perspective, it looks very much like
salesmanship. If you come right out and say that you believe Elijah returned
in 1933 to speak the pure Word of God and prepare the elect to meet Jesus,
you'll scare them away. (Deciding when to tell a potential convert that you
believe Branham was a prophet is a tricky subject for Message witnesses,
and "scaring them away" is always a matter of caution.) The trick is to gently
introduce them to the sermons about love and about the Trinity, and save
the hard doctrines for last.
He talked about selling toys and other things for a profit. We do sell a few
things, but almost always, the items are sold at or below what we pay for
them, and almost all of the material shipped overseas is given away. In fact,
over 95% of the material produced by VGR is given away completely free-ofcharge.
"We do sell a few things" is a pretty vague statement. If Joseph Branham is
concerned about allegations that VGR has misused its money, he would do
well to publish its sales records and donations so we can see how it sells
below cost. Also, "free will donations" are a really dicey area. Is it "free will"
when a believer sends in her entire paycheck or skips a mortgage payment
because she's been taught that God rewards those who give?
We were not contacted before your story ran. Objective journalism? Why
would you publish a story about William Branham and Voice of God
Recordings without contacting Voice of God Recordings, where both of his
sons work?
A lot of people write stories on Catholicism without interviewing the pope.
The Message doesn't even have an official central organization, though Voice
of God Recordings would like to see themselves as the gateway to all things
William Branham.
I take personal offense at a comment made by your reporters: "They play the
same old tapes, eleven hundred and forty sermons; they listen to them over
and over and over again. That they did back in the fifties and sixties." If my
father preached the Word of God, then it should not be called "the same old
tapes," just as no one should say "they (Christians) read the same old 66
books of the Bible over and over and over again." The 1,200 sermons we
have are precious to us, because we believe they were spoken by a prophet
of God.
And if the reporter in question doesn't believe that William Branham
preached the Word of God, is he still required to treat those sermons as
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precious and sacred? I don't think so. There are plenty of non-Christians who
might refer to the Bible in those terms, and that's their right, no matter how
"offended" Christians become. Look at the way Christians treat the Qur'an! If
you want to claim religious sensitivity, you have to extend it to others, too.
William Branham himself called the Pope the antichrist and the Catholic
Church the "mother of harlots" and "Satan's queen." I bet he offended a lot
of Catholics. Not everybody believes he was right. All religious people have a
right to believe and practice as they choose; they do not have a right to
demand that nobody ever use language that offends them.
Even if WHAS disagrees with us, we still deserve the same respect as any
other Christian.
Message believers do not practice what they preach. They do not respect
other Christians. Can you "respect" someone you call a child of a harlot who
has the mark of the beast?
I don't understand why you would disregard the truth and give credibility to a
man who hides in the shadows and spouts off slanderous accusations with
absolutely no basis in fact. This story by WHAS showed bigotry against a
certain group of people who have every right to worship as they please, as
long as they follow the laws of these great United States.
Lack of admiration is not bigotry. Indeed, the news story itself was a pretty
transparent frame. What "Mike" said was not favorable because he has had
unpleasant experiences in the Message. Should WHAS11 have censored him?
The article contains exactly the same number of quotations from Willard
Collins and "Mike." That sounds exactly like fair and balanced reporting to
me.
Bigotry, however, is present in the article: coming from Branham's own
mouth.
"Every sin that ever was on the earth was caused by a woman," Branham
preached in one sermon.
Branham compares women who wear makeup to Jezebel. "If you see a
woman wearing that, you can say 'How do you do, Miss Dog Meat?' That's
exactly what God called her. He fed her to the dogs," Branham said.
Why is Voice of God Recordings allowed to publish that kind of bigotry and
hate speech against women, while a news station can't casually speak of the
tape library? Oh yeah, I forgot, because Branham was "right." Or "because it
was God's word." Again, not everyone believes that.
307
This whole letter has more to do with the author's vendetta against "Mike"
than anything substantive to do with WHAS11's reporting skills. What Joseph
Branham calls for is censorship in support of the Message, and I, for one, am
grateful that he isn't getting it.
--Sierra
308
The Overpriced Cardboard Suitcase of Idolatry

Funny how the merchandise sold by "The Organization" were described as
"very little above cost" when you consider the cardboard box. Maybe five
dollars worth of content, sold for a ridiculous amount.
What's funnier than that? The fact that they took the product offline and
forgot to remove it from the product list!
http://branham.org/20090429_NewProducts
EDIT:
Since it will probably be removed when they figure out they missed the
"picture page", I'm listing the contents and price here:
Quote:
We all know Brother Branham as God's prophet. He was chosen by God to
reveal the deepest secrets hidden within the pages of the Bible. But Brother
Branham was also a man with feelings, hobbies, and his own style. We pray
that these small tokens will give you a glimpse into the personal life of this
very special man of God. The suitcase is an exact replica of Brother
Branham's suitcase that he used to travel around the world. Among other
treasures, there is a piece of the floor from Brother Branham's den room.
This is the same floor that the Angel of the Lord stood upon when he
revealed the Seven Seals.
Den room wood floor
Brother Branham's passport
Bumblebee popper fishing fly
Royal Coachman fishing fly
Barlow pocket knife
"BILL" belt buckle
.270 bullet (no powder)
Prayer card
Prayer cloth and letter
Brother Branham's business card
Explanation booklet with rare pictures of Brother Branham
Price: $35.00 + Shipping
http://branham.org
309
Let All Men Know the Lord Is God and None Else
When Solomon dedicated the temple of the Lord in 1 Kings 8, he stood
before the alter and spread his hands toward heaven.
He said, "Lord God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above or on
earth beneath, who keeps covenant and mercy with your servants that walk
before you with all their heart."
God kept David safe and promised the building of the temple, and on this
day the temple was completed. Solomon asked God to keep his promise to
David, that not one man fail Him that sits on the throne of Israel, so that the
children of Israel walk justly before God.
Solomon was very humble. How could God be with him on earth when even
the heavens could not contain God? How much less this temple that he
built?
He thanked God for answering prayer that He would look towards the temple
day and night. That His Name would be there.
He asked God to listen to the temple, and when He hears, forgive the people.
If any trespass against his neighbor, let them make a covenant in their
hearts to God in the temple. Solomon asked God to hear in heaven and then
take action, judging the servants, condemning the wicked, justifying and
blessing the righteous. If any sin against God, let them confess His name
and pray in the temple.
Solomon asked that if God caused famine or any other plague because of
their sin, let men pray toward the temple and confess God's name, and turn
away from their sin. When God hears it in heaven, let God forgive the sin of
His servants. Let God teach them the righteous pathways and bless the
people.
Solomon asked that if strangers come, who are not children of Israel, let
them be blessed when they pray towards the temple. Let God answer their
prayer so that all men know God and fear God.
In battle, he asked that if any pray towards the temple, let God hear and
answer their prayer to help them. Solomon said that there is no man that
does not sin. He asked God not to be angry with them and deliver them into
the hands of the enemy. Yet if they happen to find themselves in a strange
land, let them return to God with all their heart and soul, praying toward the
temple, and let God grant mercy to help them.
310
With a loud voice, he proclaimed, "Blessed be the Lord!" Not one word of
God failed, from the time they were delivered from Egypt to the building of
the temple. Solomon said that God will not leave us or forsake us.
He said let all the people of the earth know that the Lord is God, and that
there is none else. Let the hearts of men be perfect with the Lord God,
keeping God's commandments.
As it applies today, Jesus said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great
commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor
as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
(Matt 22:37-40)
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we lift up and praise God? Are
our hearts and minds solely on God in our worship, or are we lifting up the
leaders who preach it? Do we forgive one another, praying for those who
abuse us in our churches, or do we only pray for ourselves? Do we love God
with all our heart, soul, and mind, or do we allow our minds to wander on
earthly things? Do we pray for our neighbor's wants or needs, loving them
as we love ourselves?
311
The God Who Sends Comfort to The Righteous

After prophesying about the coming Messiah, The Word of the Lord came
down in Isaiah 51 to give comfort.
God said, listen all that live righteous, all that seek the Lord: Look at where
you came from. Look to father Abraham and Sarah, how that God called
them alone, blessed him, and increased his wealth.
The Lord said he would comfort Zion. All the places laid in waste will be
comforted, and and her desolate wilderness will be made like the garden of
Eden. Joy and gladness will be found within, thanksgiving and singing.
God said that a law would be given, and His judgment would rest as a light
for the people. When His righteousness comes, His salvation will go forth.
His arms will judge the people, and those same arms giving judgment will be
the arms of trust for the people.
He said to look at the heavens, and look to the earth beneath your feet.
Those things will vanish and pass away, and those that dwell therein will die
in the same manner.
But His salvation will last forever, and His
righteousness will not fail.
God said listen all that know righteousness, the people that keep the law in
their hearts: Do not fear to be accused by men, and do not be afraid of their
condemnation. The moths will eat them like an old robe. The worm will eat
them like wool. But God's righteousness will be forever, and His salvation
will be for all generations.
He said to awake, and put on strength. He called them the "arm of the Lord,"
and asked them to awake as they did in the ancient generations of old. That
same arm cut Rahab and wounded the dragon. That same arm dried the sea
for the children of Israel to pass over.
Therefore, the redeemed shall return with singing unto Zion. Everlasting joy
will be flowing from them. They will have great joy and all sorrow will pass.
God said, "I, even I, am he that comforteth you." He asked who were they to
be afraid of any man who is destined to die? How were they to be afraid of a
man who would one day be made as the grass of the ground? Who were
they to be afraid of a man who forgot the Lord, his own Maker? Where is
their fury?
God said, "I am the Lord thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared:
The Lord of hosts is his name." He said that He was the one that put words
312
in their mouth, and covered them with the shadow of his hand to plant the
heavens and lay the foundations.
They were His people.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we find comfort in the Word of
God? When others come against us, do we stand in God's Word? Do we not
realize that God will send comfort to us? Do we take comfort in knowing that
heaven and earth will pass away, but God's salvation will last forever? When
God plants his words in our mouths, do we speak them or do we hide them
from others? Are we His people?
313
The Municipal Bridge Prophecy

I was asked about this "vision" from another person, and realized that it was
not listed in a thread of its own.
Many have researched this one, and found it to be a historical fact for
another bridge that was constructed before WMB was born.
Here's the first WMB quote about the topic:
48-0302 EXPERIENCES_ PHOENIX.AZ TUESDAY_
Quote:
E-44 Now, that's the way the gift is supposed to be working. See? Now, I
want you to notice this. It wasn't my sincere prayer that brought this gift.
Gifts are not brought by sincere prayers. Gifts are foreordained of God.
They're ordained and sent.
Here at the Municipal Bridge. Sister, no doubt you know where the Municipal
Bridge is, don't you, cross from Jeffersonville to Louisville?
Twenty-two years, when I was a little boy, just a little bitty lad about five
years old, or six years old, when the Angel of the Lord appeared in the
bush... You've heard me tell that haven't you, when I was packing water?
Well, about two weeks after that, I was playing marbles with my little brother.
And I thought I'd got sick, some real funny feeling came on me. And I went
and set down by the side of a tree. And I looked down at the river, and there
went a bridge, a big, great big bridge going across the river. And I counted
sixteen men that fell off of that bridge and drowned. And I went and told
mother. And I told her I seen it. And they thought I was crazy or something.
They thought I was just at a little nervous hysterical child.
And twenty-two years from that time, on the same ground went the
Municipal Bridge across, and sixteen men lost their lives on it. See? Wasn't
nothing that... It's--it's God sent it. Your prayers brought it. See?
This refers to the Second Street Bridge, which is told about here (the article
tells that the name was originally the Municipal Bridge):
Quote:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clark_Memorial_Bridge
Another Jeffersonville bridge, the Big Four Railroad bridge, did have fatalities
associated with its construction, which you can read here:
Quote:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Four_Bridge
314
The article states, "The Big Four Bridge would be the only Louisville bridge
with serious accidents during its building; thirty-seven individuals died during
its construction." These fatalities were divided, with 12 taking place during
the laying of the foundation, near the October 1888 beginning of
construction. Several months later, another 4 workmen were drowned. This
would give a total of sixteen drowning victims- but this bridge was completed
before WMB was born. Did he perhaps read of these sixteen men being
drowned? There is no way to say. Then again, more workmen drowned before
this bridge was completed, for a total of thirty-seven individuals.
I was wondering if the sixteen men drowned happened at another time, not
during the construction, but the Voice of Healing magazine article written by
WMB confirms they were supposed to have been workmen constructing the
bridge.
315
Fabricated Statistics: To What Purpose?

Quote:
And an analyst just from Chicago, a--a woman wrote this article, the police
force; that they chased down, in United States, metropolitan United States,
that "Ninety-eight percent of every crime that was ever did in any form, in
the United States, there was either a woman in it or behind it."
Now I'm saying all this, to get to one thing here at the end, so that you can
see what's the matter.
65-0221M MARRIAGE.AND.DIVORCE
Let's review:
1960:
* Simple assault: 265 men vs. 29 women
* Aggravated assault 101 men vs. 16 women
* Major robbery: 65 men vs. 4 women
* Petty theft: 391 men vs. 74 women
* Auto theft: 121 men vs. 5 women
* drunkenness: 3573 men vs. 212 women
* DUI: 344 men vs. 21 women
* Sex offenses: 81 men vs. 17 women
* Male and female arrest rates/100,000, male and female arrest profiles, and
female percentage of arrests.
(1960-1990, uniform crime reports), Steffensmeier & Allen Research
The list can go on, but you get the idea. The men outnumber the women in
great numbers, even in sexual misconduct.
We can easily see that these fabricated statistics were used to belittle the
women.
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Luke 17:30
William Marrion Branham quoted Luke 17:30 thirty times in 1965, applying
the "Son of Man" title to his own ministry. He did this in multiple ways, from
comparing his own "message" to the spiritual return of Jesus Christ to the
"Elijah" the "End Time Messenger" which he claimed to be.
Let's review Luke 17.
Temptations to Sin
Quote:
And he said to his disciples, "Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to
the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone
were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should
cause one of these little ones to sin. Pay attention to yourselves! If your
brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins
against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, 'I
repent,' you must forgive him."
William Branham avoided reading this scripture, with the exception of only
the sentence describing a "millstone hung around his neck." This scripture is
clearly teaching undying forgiveness and divine Love. It is a direct conflict
with any cult that will shun a member for standing in the Truth, or "turn them
over to the devil."
Increase Our Faith
Quote:
The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" And the Lord said, "If you
had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree,
'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.
This passage is describing the apostles begging the Lord for greater faith.
Jesus responds that you have plenty, and that if you even had the faith of a
mustard seed, you could move trees with your words. This is a direct conflict
with the "message" of William Branham wherein he described the church and
how it must be "restored to the original faith."
Unworthy Servants
Quote:
"Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him
when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and recline at table'? Will
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he not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and
serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink'? Does
he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also,
when you have done all that you were commanded, say, 'We are unworthy
servants; we have only done what was our duty.'"
This passage is speaking of faithfulness and duty to the Lord. We must be
worthy servants, not sitting idle. The master has called us to serve him, and
as servants, we must realize that we have a greater work to do. He does not
speak of a "chief servant" that will lead us back to some unknown "original
faith." He does not teach us to sit idle thinking that we have everything we
need because we know "a prophet" as many have done today. We must help
others learn the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Not some other gospel.
Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers
Quote:
On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee.
And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a
distance and lifted up their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us."
When he saw them he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests."
And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that
he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his
face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus
answered, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to
return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" And he said to him,
"Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well."
This passage is showing that God offers his grace to every man, but not
everyone will follow Him. All ten were cleansed, but only one came back to
worship Christ. That predestinated seed worshipped the One that cleansed
him.
The Coming of the Kingdom
Quote:
Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he
answered them, "The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be
observed, nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There!' for behold, the
kingdom of God is in the midst of you."
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This passage is talking about the coming kingdom of the Lord that was
spoken in Malachi 4. It was coming in ways that cannot be observed; yet it
was in the midst of them.
Quote:
And he said to the disciples, "The days are coming when you will desire to
see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will
say to you, 'Look, there!' or 'Look, here!' Do not go out or follow them. For as
the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will
the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer many things and be
rejected by this generation.
This passage is speaking of the generation of people during the days of
Jesus. He would suffer many things and be rejected. Yet at the same time, it
also is applied to the second coming of Christ. Men will come to Christians
like ravenous wolves, trying to separate the Body of Christ. Jesus warns that
when they turn you aside saying "look here, this 'message' is the second
coming of Christ', do not believe them.
Quote:
Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man.
They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage,
until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed
them all. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot they were eating and
drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot
went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed
them all so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
This passage describes the lack of devotion to the work that Christ
commissioned us to do. While we are supposed to be spreading the Gospel of
Jesus Christ, we are more concerned with the things in our lives. We are more
concerned with feeding our bodies or making money. We will be so consumed
with these things that Christ will start raining fire and sulfur down upon us
before we even realize that he has returned.
Quote:
On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house,
not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the
field not turn back. Remember Lot's wife.
Remember Lot's wife. She was turned to a pillar of salt. This passage is
telling us that when the end of the world is coming; do not keep focused on
the things we have gained for ourselves. Turning back for them will be like
Lot's wife - turning back to death.
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Quote:
Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will
keep it. I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken
and the other left. There will be two women grinding together. One will be
taken and the other left." And they said to him, "Where, Lord?" He said to
them, "Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather."
This passage is focusing on the aftermath. If we seek to preserve our mortal
lives, we will lose our eternal life. But if we chose to lose our mortal lives for
Christ's sake, we will save our eternal souls.
After the children of God are taken away, there will be nothing left but rotting
corpses. Those left will ask the Lord, "Where did everyone go?" He will look
over the rotting flesh of the dead flesh and respond to them that the vultures
will feed on the corpses.
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Prophets Are Likened to Eagles?

WMB often says that the prophets are likened to 'eagles':
Quote:
We find now that God was so merciful to Moses out there in that dead sea,
out in the Red Sea out there, rather. Then when He said here, in Exodus 19:4,
He said, "I carried you away on eagles' wings, brought you to Myself. Carried
them on eagles' wings, and brought you to Myself!" There were other men in
the middle of that sea out there, also, trying to impersonate. But what? "He
carried them on eagles' wings."
Now God always likens His prophets to eagles. And what was it? Moses was
His messenger. And they were following Moses, and that was the eagles'
wings that they were carried on, because he was packing God's message.
65-0119 THE.GOD.WHO.IS.RICH.IN.MERCY
This is a common theme throughout Rev. Branham's ministry, and yet is not
Biblical. It can only be used for a prophet who is attempting to make himself
very close to the level of God.
The eagle is used for a little over 30 references in the Bible:
1) God: Exodus 19:4, Deuteronomy 28:49, Proverbs 23:5, Jeremiah 49:16,
Deuteronomy 32:11, Ezekiel 17:7
3) The actual bird: Leviticus 11:13, Deuteronomy 14:12, Job 39:27, Proverbs
30:19, Ezekiel 1:10, Ezekiel 10:14
5) Speed of Warriors: 2 Samuel 1:23, Jeremiah 4:13, Jeremiah 48:40,
Jeremiah 49:22, Lamentations 4:19, Habakkuk 1:8
7) Passing of Time: Job 9:26
8) King of Babylon: Ezekiel 17:3,
9) Nebuchadnezzar's hair: Daniel 4:33
10) One of the Four Kings: Daniel 7:4
11) One of the Four Creatures: Revelation 4:7
12) The Woman: Revelation 12:14
13) Eagle announcing the three angels: Revelation 8:13
14) Edom: Obadiah 1:4
15) Baldness: Micah 1:16
16) YOU AND ME: Psalm 103:5, Isaiah 40:31
The Truth of the matter is that God likens HIMSELF to an eagle. According to
the Bible, YOU AND I have just as much 'likening' to an eagle as WMB does.
321
The Heritage of Being God's Servant

Isaiah 54 speaks of God's covenant of peace with his children.
He says to sing and rejoice, be glad in your trouble. The children of
desolation will be greater in number than the children of the bride.
They will be scattered across the nations, filling the desolate cities. "In this
do not fear", He said, they will not be disgraced. Their Maker is their
husband, and the Lord of Hosts is His name. The Holy One of Israel is the
Redeemer, the God of the whole earth.
The Lord has called to his bride, like a deserted and grieving wife. For a brief
moment the Lord deserted them, but with great compassion will they be
gathered. With overflowing anger He hid his face, but with everlasting Love
He will have compassion on them.
As a covenant, like the covenant made to Noah, God swore not to be angry
with them or rebuke them. The mountains may depart and the hills
removed, but His steadfast love will not depart.
He will gather them together, and the children will be taught by the Lord.
There will be peace for the children.
"If anyone stirs up strife," He said, "it is not from Me." Those that stir strife
will fall. God created the smith that produces the weapons, and also created
the ravager to destroy. No weapon against them will proceed, and they will
refute every tongue that rises against you in the judgment.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication of the
Lord.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we hold fast to this promise? Do
we sing, rejoice, and be glad in trouble? Do we stand in the Word of God
without fear, or do we cower in defeat? Do we accept God's covenant that
he will protect us? Do we realize that our Creator created the enemy forces
as well as ourselves? Do we claim the heritage of being His servant?
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The Lor.... William Branham hath SPOKEN

WMB prophesied Armageddon will come. I can read the same Bible and
"predict" Armageddon will come.
If you want to compare it to the Bible, consider HOW the prophecy is given.
True prophets of the Lord are God's mouthpiece, nothing more. Soothsayers,
like Balaam, are their own mouthpieces, pointing to themselves.
Compare these three "prophets":
1) "Notice. I said, Mussolini {...}" --WMB
2) "Balaam the son of Beor hath said {...}" --Balaam
3) "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken"
--Isaiah
You'll notice that #1 and #2 point to themselves, while #3 points to the Lord.
Since it was "William Branham hath said" instead of "The Lord hath spoken",
we end up with moving targets -- WMB trying to correct the accounts of his
visions when they were incorrect.
If you look though the "visions of 1933", you'll find that each one was an
ongoing correction of the original prophecy.
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What Is the Second Coming of Christ?

WMB says [falsely] that the second coming of Christ will be the 'Message'.
Quote:
Now, Who is the Son of man? "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and
dwelt among us." And if all the teaching that we have, and confirmation of
the Word of God; by Word of God, by signs, by wonders, we see today, that in
the Book of--of Luke here, that as we just quoted from, or the--the Luke the
17th chapter and the 30th verse; and Malachi 4, and the different Scriptures
that we are acquainted with, that that Word again is waved over the people,
that the dead traditions of man is dead, and the Son of God is alive again
with the baptism of the Holy Spirit right among us, and is giving us Life.
As Christ was the first One to raise, from all the prophets, and so forth;
although typed in many places, He was the Firstfruits of those that slept. In
the Bride, coming of Christ, coming out of the church, there'll have to be a
Sheaf waved again in the last days. Oh, my!
Waving of the sheaf! What was the sheaf? The first one that come to mature,
the first one that proved it was a wheat, that proved it was a sheaf.
Hallelujah! I'm sure you see what I'm talking about. It was waved over the
people. And the first time there will come forth, for the Bride age, for a
resurrection out of dark denominationalism, will be a Message, that the full
maturity of the Word has turned back again in Its full Power, and being
waved over the people, by the same signs and wonders that He did back
there.
65-0418M IT.IS.THE.RISING.OF.THE.SUN
Christ does not return as a 'message', Christ returns as Christ.
And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and
great glory. (Luke 21)
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My Soul Thirsts for God

In the wilderness of Judah, with enemies looking to kill him, David writes
Psalm 63.
He says, "God, you are my God." I am seeking after you. My soul thirsts for
you, God. My flesh faints for thirst of you, as it does in a dry, weary land with
no water.
I have seen you in the sanctuary, I have watched your power and glory.
Because your steadfast Love is better than life, I will praise you. I will bless
you as long as I live, God, I will lift up my hands to praise your name.
My soul will be satisfied, as it is when I have just tasted rich food. My mouth
will praise you with joyful lips.
I will remember You when I lie down in my bed, and I will meditate on You,
God, in the watches of the night. You have been my help, and in the shadow
of your wings I will sing for joy.
My soul clings to you. Your right hand holds me fast. Those who seek to
destroy my life will go down into the depths of the earth, and shall be given
over to the power of the sword. The jackals will feast on their remains.
But the king shall rejoice in God. All who swear by him shall rejoice greatly.
For the mouths of liars will be stopped.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Does our soul thirst for God? When
our enemies surround us, do we take sanctuary in His right hand? Are we
satisfied with the Word of God? Do we feast on it like rich food? When the
mouths of liars speak against us, do we rejoice in God and know that they
will be stopped? Do we cling to Him?
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Response to WHAS comments

This response sent in to the WHAS comments from a friend who is
anonymous for now:
...
I read through some of these comments over the weekend and as someone
who came out of this and is now on my own journey of healing from the
damage it created in my own life-I took some days to ponder, digest this and
let God remove the anger that was triggered by the judgmental, harsh and
very non-Christian attacks against this man. I think from reading many of the
post the thing that is lacking is that many must not be taking things to God
in prayer before they post the hate that is just spewing so uncontrollably
from their lips.
I was raised in the the teachings of William Branham myself and I know that
it left me in a state of being a complete mess with more questions than
answers, more doubt than faith, more hate than love, more of an unforgiving
heart than an ability to forgive, more of a judgmental attitude than one who
saw that by grace we can be saved. It left me being feeling more negativity
than living in joy. As I read the posts and how many would say things, like
this man is possessed of the devil or this man is just atomic fodder. Sadly,
these are the many very, very, very common quotes used in this teaching
when someone is not following the Branham structure.
I have been reading my Bible more the past few months and what amazes
me is SEEING JESUS FOR THE FIRST TIME, not a man built up my man as
some kind of idol. I challenge all of you to put Jesus on one side of the
equation and his ministry in his life on earth and then put your prophet on
the other. Not only should you look at the difference in how Jesus spoke to
the sinners and how HE LOVED THEM but I challenge you to look at what
came out of his teaching....the believers and what they stood for. Their
message was not one of hate. They devoted their lives to discipleship and
leading others to Christ by love and Grace, not hate and fear of wrath and
judgment.
Can you really say after listening to the sermons of Branham and what
comes out of it that these people are like the disciples and the many who
gave their life for Christ. Can you say you would give your life for Christ or----after reading how defensive so many are for this prophet that instead you
would drink the Jones Kool-Aid for your prophet? Save me from coming back
with threats that I am blaspheming on God-remember I was raised in the
Message and I KNOW all the mind games that come from this. I don't fear the
words of the many in the Message anymore. The only one I care to please is
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Jesus. Your prophet would say things like "look at your Shepherd and you will
know what kind he is by the sheep." That should be enough said. Check your
hearts, do you have more love or hate, more grace or a critical spirit, do you
live a life others desire or ones they look at and want nothing to do with.
When I left and was on the outside looking in, I would see the followers of the
Message. The ones that came in after I left that didn't know who I was. It
gave me a way of getting a clear view of their behaviors without them
having a need to put on their facades. I saw women in the grocery store and
I NEVER saw any of them that looked happy. They carried themselves like
they were in bondage to their legalism. And at one point I was them and
when my life fell apart because of all those learned beliefs I realized it had
been years of living that way that shattered my life. Anyone can follow a
code of legalism for life, but what does that do to your soul when one carries
themselves that they are arrogant and above others because they think they
have something the "world" doesn't have, when in fact the world doesn't
want this, not because it's not for them because they are evil are misguided
but because they see the unhappiness in the way these people carry
themselves.
And for the person who spoke of how Godly your lives are, with no divorces
or committing adultery, no drinking, drugs and all the other sin in the
world....it's in your churches more than you even know, it's just ALWAYS
swept under the rug so not to bring a reproach on your wonderful message.
Look at the church recently with the pastor who's daughter sexually abused
a child for YEARS and the pastor and his son in law assistant pastor knew and
did nothing. They buried it, let it go on and didn't even protect the child
enough or let the parents know what was taking place.
I saw so many, many cases of this in the Message throughout my years
growing up in it so save those stories for the unaware people out there. But
this is why there are those that are standing up against it-to save others from
the lies, deception and hurt that lays in wait in these churches. And you ask,
why are so many afraid to come out and say who they are-because we know
the repercussions. We know that people will slander us to save face for their
cult. It's been done to me as well.
We aren't ashamed so much to stand up against what this is about, we just
know the personal attacks and ways of discrediting the person know no
bounds in how far the Branham followers will go to protect their cult. I really
pray you will read this and actually pray about what has been said and not
just come back with your personal attacks. It took me a few days to allow
God to help me write the words so I was not just impulsively writing from a
place of anger as so many have done on this site. God Bless!
327
The Life of a True Christian

Romans 12 tells the way in which a true Christian should live.
Let your love be genuine. Do not simply tell people that you love them, you
should genuinely love them.
Detest evil, hold fast to what is good. When you see people taking pleasure
in evil around you, you should hate that evil with a passion, holding strongly
to the good things.
Love one another with brotherly affection. All friends should be close friends,
like brothers and sisters to you.
Outdo one another in showing honor. As a Christian, your respect should be
the highest among your peers.
Do not be lazy in your passion to serve the Lord.
towards serving Him.
Show strong passion
Rejoice in hope, patient in tribulation, and constant in prayer. Show others

that you have a strong faith, rejoicing in the hope that comes only from the
Lord.
Contribute to the needs of the saints, and show them hospitality. In a world
filled with love of one's own self, Christians should be the opposite. Take
pleasure helping others, especially when they are in need of it.
Bless those who persecute you. Do not curse them. They may be God's
children, and your witness to them may be the very thing that leads them to
Christ.
Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. When a
brother or sister is excited, be excited with them to share their joy. When
they are down, mourn with them so their burdens are shared.
Live in harmony with one another. Do not set others up for contempt, show
the Love of Christ through your life.
Do not be arrogant or proud, associate with the lowly. Christ came to the
lowly, and the proud rejected Him.
Never be wise in your own sight. Show others your wisdom through your
actions, and they will learn of your wisdom with admiration.
328
Do not repay evil with evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the
sight of all. If you repay evil with evil, then you have shown yourself as low
as the offender, which is not honorable with all.
If possible, and if it is in your control, live peaceable with all. Where there is
a solution with peace, take that solution. If it cannot be solved with peace,
only then should you take an action that would offend.
Never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God.
"Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord."
It is written,
If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to

drink. In your love towards your enemy, you are heaping lumps of burning
coals upon his head.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we abide by these teachings?
329
Stewards of God's Grace

1 Peter 4 tells us that we should be good stewards of God's grace, and be
willing to suffer for it.
Christ suffered for us, and we should arm ourselves in the same way of
thinking. Any person suffering for Christ has ceased from sin, for they are no
longer living for the passions of the mortal bodies but are living for the will of
God.
The time for joining in the evils of the Gentile world is past, and because you
may have joined in their sin, they will be surprised when you do not continue
in it. But they will all give an account to God during the judgment.
For this reason, the Gospel was preached to both those who were willing to
serve and those who would continue in sin. Though they are judged in the
flesh the way people will judge, they can live in the spirit the way that God
does.
The end of all things is at hand. Be self-controlled and sober-minded for the
sake of your prayers. We should continue loving one another, because Love
covers a multitude of sins.
We should be hospitable to others. Each person has received a gift, and they
should use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace.
Those who are given the gift of prophesy should speak only the oracles of
God. Those that serve should serve by the strength that God supplies.
Everything should be done to give God the glory through Jesus Christ.
Do not be surprised when the tests come. It will seem as though something
strange is happening to you. You should rejoice, because you are sharing the
suffering of Christ. In doing so, you will be rejoicing even more when His
glory is revealed.
If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed. The spirit of God
and His glory is resting upon you.
Let none of you suffer shame for the evils of the world. Yet if anyone suffers
as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, let him Glorify God.
The time of judgment is ready to begin at the household of God. If judgment
begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the
Gospel? If the righteous can barely be saved, what will happen to the
ungodly and the sinner?
330
Those who suffer according to God's will should entrust their souls to a
faithful Creator while doing good.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we ready to suffer for Christ?
Have we put away our sinful ways and idolatry of the past? Do we live in the
spirit of God, or have we chosen the ways of the flesh? Do we cover a
multitude of sin by showing others Divine Love? Do we use our gifts for the
glory of God through Jesus Christ? Do we take our trials or the sinful ways of
our past and use them for the glory of God? Have we entrusted our soul to
our Creator while doing good?
331
Sharing the Load With Others

Galatians 6 teaches us how we should bear each other's burdens, so that we
are not bearing them alone.
If any one is caught in any transgression, those who are spiritual should help
that person until they are restored into a spirit of gentleness. We have to be
careful, however, so that we are not tempted while we are helping them.
We must bear each other's burdens, and in doing so, we fulfill the law of
Christ. If any person thinks that he is something special, when he is nothing,
he deceives himself. Every person should test his own work, and then he can
boast within himself and not boast to his neighbor. Each will have their own
load to bear, not just the one boasting.
Some people are taught the Word of God, and know it very well. Those
people should share the good things in the Word with the one who has the
burden of teaching. The teacher, or nobody else should be deceived.
Whatever that teacher sows he will also reap. The teacher who teaches the
things of the flesh will reap corruption, but the one who teaches the things
from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
In all of this, we should not tire of doing good. When the time comes, we will
reap the good things unless we give up. Since we have an opportunity, we
should do good to everyone. We should especially do good to those who
have faith in Jesus Christ.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we share the burdens of those
who are in transgression to help restore them to gentleness? Do we even
share the burdens of those doing good? Do we think that because we have a
gift of teaching, we also have a gift of knowledge in the Word? Do we listen
to those who study the Word before we teach? Do we spread legalism and
other things of the flesh, when we will reap the same legalism? When we
have the opportunity, do we choose to do good for others?
332
Repaying Evil with Divine Love

After Jacob died, Genesis 50 describes the great mourning of his passing by
the house of Jacob and the Egyptians combined.
The inhabitants of the land, called the Canaanites, saw the large number of
Egyptians, and named the place of their mourning Abel-mizraim because
they were mourning outside of their own land. Jacob had asked to be buried
beyond the Jordan river, and was buried in a tomb purchased by Abraham.
When mourning was over and the large procession had returned to Egypt,
Joseph's brothers started to fear for their lives. Now that their father was
dead, their fear was that Joseph would show his wrath against them for their
evil deeds.
They sent a message to Joseph to beg his forgiveness. They said they were
the servants of the God of his father, and begged that their transgressions of
evil were forgiven.
When they came to Joseph in person, they said that they were now his
servants, but Joseph told them not to fear. He asked them, "Am I in the place
of God?"
Joseph told them that they had meant evil against him, but God meant this
evil to be for good. Through their evil, God used them to save the lives of
many people, and they were still alive because of the events that led Joseph
to Egypt.
Instead of anger, Joseph told his brothers that he would provide for them and
their little ones. He comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
Joseph remained in Egypt along with his father's house until the day of his
death.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we forgive each other like Joseph
did his brothers? When we are given evil, do we repay with kindness? Do we
realize that God works mighty things through the evil of others, and in all
things we should honor the Lord? When others do evil things against us, do
we give the glory to God by showing Divine Love?
333
Turn from Dead Works

In the second year of Darius, the Lord spoke through the prophet Haggai in
Haggai 2.
Through Haggai, God asked the priests about the Law: "If someone carries
holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew
or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?"
The priests answered that it did not.
Then God asked, "If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body
touches any of these, does it become unclean?"
The priests answered that it did become unclean.
Through Haggai, God spoke to them, telling them that it was the same for
them. The children of Israel, the entire nation, and all of the works done with
their hands was unclean. What they offered to God was unclean.
The Law had failed, and the people had turned away from God. Their old
ways of serving the Lord had become more tradition than service.
God asked them to consider their works from the building of their temple,
how that His blessings were not with them. But, God said, from that day
forward He would bless them.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we serve God with our hearts and
minds, or just by the way we live our lives? Do we continue in the tradition
of our fathers, thinking that the rules we live by will save our souls from hell?
Has our ways became unclean before Him?
Yet, through all of this, God is blessing us!
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Return to the Lord

The Lord spoke through the prophet Joel in Joel 2, telling the people to return
to the Lord.
The Lord said that the children of Israel should return to Him with all their
heart, with fasting and weeping, with mourning and rending of garments. He
said that He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in
steadfast Love.
God told the people to gather themselves together for worship, from the
priests down to the little nursing infants. They should make their heritage a
godly one, not a reproach to him among the nations.
The Lord had pity for his people and was sending them mercy. He would
drive away their enemies and send His blessings on them. They should no
longer fear, but rejoice and be glad for the things God would do for them.
They would have assurance that He was in their midst, and that he was the
Lord their God and no one else.
He promised that he would pour out his Spirit on all flesh. Their sons and
their daughters would prophesy, and their old men would dream dreams.
Their young men would see visions. Even their servants would have the
blessing of His spirit.
When the great day came, He would show signs in the heavens and the
earth. The people would know that it was the hour of his blessing, and from
that day forth everyone who calls on the name of the Lord would be saved.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we beg for His mercy and return
to Him with all our hearts? Do we realize that He is slow to anger and
abounds in steadfast Love for us? Do we accept His promise that He would
pour out His spirit among us? Do we call on His name for our salvation?
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Be Ready for Good Work

Writing to Titus in Titus 1, Paul says to be ready for every good work.
We should not speak evil of anyone, and avoid quarreling.
gentle and have courtesy to all people.
We should be
Paul reminds us that we ourselves were once foolish. We were disobedient

and led astray. We were slaves to various passions and pleasures. We were
filled with malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.
When the Divine Love from God our Savior came into our lives, He saved us
from all of that. God's mercy, which he gave to us by the Holy Spirit, poured
out upon us richly through Jesus Christ has given us Divine Love.
We are now justified by His grace, and are heirs with the hope of eternal life.
We should insist on these things so that others devote themselves also to
good works for one another. It is excellent and profitable for people to do
these things.
Paul warned us to avoid foolish controversies. Avoid quarreling about the law
and old ways, because it is unprofitable and worthless. Any person who does
these things and stirs up a division among the people is warped and sinful.
In doing this, he is self condemned.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we ready for every good work?
Do we avoid arguments, never speaking evil, or are we gentle and loving
towards all?
Do we not remember where we came from before our
salvation? Have we devoted ourselves to Divine Love after receiving the
Holy Spirit? Do we condemn others for their interpretation of the old laws
and old ways, or have we moved on to better things?
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An Example of Christ
Romans 15 tells us that we are supposed to be examples of Christ
Our obligations are for others, and not to please ourselves. Those that fail in
their walk with Christ are the ones that we should help to bear the load.
We should please our neighbor, to lift him up. Christ did not please Himself,
but he came to lift up others. The sins of the world were his heavy load.
The Law that was written in former days was written to show endurance, so
that through the encouragement of the Scriptures we can have hope. The
God of endurance and encouragement allows us to live in such peace and
harmony with one another, living in one accord with Jesus Christ.
Together, through Jesus Christ, we can glorify the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ. We should then welcome one another with open arms as Christ
has welcomed us. We should do this for the Glory of God.
Christ came to the circumcised Jews to show God's truthfulness, confirming
the promises given to the great men of old. In doing this, He gave the
Gentiles privilege to glorify God for his mercy.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we put others before ourselves?
Do we help to lift up those that fall into sin, or do we avoid them to let them
fend for themselves? Are we the ones who push them down by imposing
rules from the old Mosaic Law on them, or do we live in one accord through
Grace and Love? Do we glorify God for his Law as was intended for the Jews,
or do we glorify God for His mercy?
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Shepherd to the Lost Sheep

God speaking through Ezekiel in Ezekiel 34 said that He Himself would
search for his sheep.
As a shepherd seeks out his flock when they have been scattered, God will
also seek out his people. He will rescue them from all places, even though
they are scattered into different countries, and bring them into their own
land.
He will feed them with good pasture, and their grazing land will be the high
places. They will be fed on rich pasture, and as the Great Shepherd, God will
feed them and make them to lie down.
He will seek the lost and the strayed, bind up the wounds of the injured, and
strengthen the weak. But the fat sheep and the strong sheep will be
destroyed; God will feed them with justice.
God will also judge the flock, sheep by sheep. He will separate the rams and
male goats. For it is not just because they eat of the same pasture, some
eating will tread down others of the same pasture. They will drink the clear
water, but muddy the rest of the water with their feet. God asked, "Must my
sheep eat what you have trodden down with your feet, and drink what you
have muddied with your feet?"
God will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because the
strong thrust at the weak with their horns until they are scattered, God will
rescue His flock and they will not be a prey.
He will set one shepherd over them, David, and David will feed them. David
will be their shepherd, and God will be their Lord God.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we listen for the call when the
Lord searches for us? Do we feed on the good pasture He has given us, the
Word, or do we feed on something else? Are we humble like the weak sheep,
or have we became fat and strong? Are we drinking the muddied water from
the male goats, or are we drinking from the clean, pure water of Life?
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Bright as the Noonday Sun

In Psalm 37, David says not to worry because of those who do evil, or
envious of those who do wrong. They will soon fade away.
We should trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land God has given us
and be faithful.
We should delight in the Lord, and he will give us the desires of our hearts. If
we commit our ways to the Lord, He will not only listen to us, He will act.
God will make our righteousness shine as bright as the sun, and our justice
like the noonday sun.
David says to be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him, not worrying
about the one who prospers by carrying out evil plans. Don't be angry at him
or worry about it, it will only lead to more evil. For the evildoers will be cut
off from the Lord, but they that wait upon the Lord will inherit the land.
The meek will inherit the land and the wicked will be removed. The wicked
plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, but the Lord laughs
at the wicked. The Lord knows that his day is coming. They may lift their
weapons against the righteous, but God will use their own weapons against
them.
The little things that the righteous have are better than the abundance of the
wicked. The Lord will break the wicked and uplift the righteous. Their
heritage shall remain forever. In the bad times, they are shameless and in
the times of famine they have plenty. The wicked will fade away.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we long to live the lifestyles of
the wicked? When we see the many things they have in this life, do we
yearn for their possessions, or do we dwell in the land happy with what God
has given us? Does our righteousness shine as the sun, our just and
blameless ways like the noonday sun? Do we wait patiently on the Lord or
do we try to take the matter in our own hands? Are we lifted up when the
Lord lifts up the righteous, or will we fade away with the wicked?
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Battling The Enemy with God On Your Side

2 Kings 6 describes how Syria was battling with Israel, and the king of Syria
planned to make his camp before the children of Israel.
Elisha sent word to the king of Israel, warning him not to pass through that
area to avoid the Syrians. The king sent a spy to the area, and was saved
from a vicious battle. This happened more than once.
The king of Syria was furious that the children of Israel had changed their
path, and gathered his servants together. "Show me which one of you is
warning the king of Israel!" he fumed.
"None," they replied, "but Elisha the prophet tells the king of Israel every
secret plan you make."
The king of Syria commanded his spies to find Elisha, and when they did, he
commanded his armies to surround the city and take Elisha by force. When
Elisha's servant rose early in the morning and saw the armies around the
city, he ran to Elisha to ask what they should do.
Though there were only two of them, Elisha told the servant not to fear. He
said that those that were with the two of them were greater in number than
those that were with those armies of Syrians.
Elisha then prayed that the servant's eyes be opened so that he could see.
God opened his eyes, and he saw that the mountain was full of horses and
chariots of fire all around Elisha.
Through prayer, Elisha had command of the army of the Lord's chariots of
fire. He prayed unto the Lord for God to strike the people with blindness.
God did as Elisha prayed, and Elisha told the blind armies that they were not
headed in the right way. He asked the Syrians to follow him, and he would
bring them to the man they were looking for. And he led them to Samaria
before the children of Israel.
As soon as they entered, Elisha prayed for the Lord to open their eyes, and
God did as Elisha prayed. The Syrian armies found they were in the midst of
Samaria. As soon as the king of Israel saw the Syrians, the king asked Elisha
if he should kill them.
Elisha answered that they should not strike them down. He asked the king,
"Would you strike down a surrendered people that you captured by the
sword?"
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Instead, Elisha told the king to prepare a meal for them. The children of
Israel prepared a great feast. When all were filled with food and drink, Elisha
sent them away and they went to the king of Syria.
And the Syrians did not come again on raids into the land of Israel.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: When the odds are against us, do we
think we are outnumbered? Do we think we are alone in our battle, or do we
realize that the armies of God are on our side? When we are up against our
adversaries, do we strike them down or do we treat them with kindness and
respect? Do we use God for our shield, or do we try to take matters into our
own hands?
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The Song of Moses

Exodus 12 describes the Exodus, how the children of Israel came out of
Egypt.
The Egyptians had become terrified of death after the plagues, and wanted
the children of Israel out of the land as quickly as possible, to the extent that
they did not even let the bread rise to make haste in their departure. God
gave so much favor to the side of Israel that they were able to plunder the
Egyptians of gold, silver, and fine clothing by simply asking for it.
As they began their journey, Moses and the children of Israel sang the Song
of Moses (Exodus 15).
They praised the Lord for His glorious triumph, both the horse and rider had
been thrown into the sea. The Lord was their strength, their song, their
salvation, their God, their father's God, and should be exalted.
The Lord was a man of war, Pharaoh's chariots and host including the chosen
officers perished in the Red Sea. His right hand is glorious in power, and his
right hand shatters the enemy.
In the greatness of His Majesty His
adversaries are overthrown. His fury consumes them like stubble.
The enemy thought they would pursue and overtake to divide the spoil, and
their plan was to destroy them by their own hands. The Lord blew His wind
and the sea covered them.
"Who is like you, O Lord among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in
holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?" they sang. God had
led them in His steadfast love, and redeemed the people. He guided them
by His strength.
The other nations trembled. Pangs of fear seized the Philistines, the chiefs of
Edom were dismayed, and the leaders of Moab trembled in fear. All the
inhabitants of Canaan melted away with terror and dread because of the
mighty arm of the Lord. Because of His greatness, this fear would fall upon
them until the children of Israel passed by.
He would lead them to His own mountain, the place where He abode. It
would be the sanctuary that He established, and the Lord would reign forever
and ever.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we think that God is not on our
sides, and we must take matters into our own hands when even the mighty
Egypt could be plundered by simply asking? When the enemy comes against
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us, do we tremble in fear or do we rejoice at the mighty work God will do in

His own time? As we enter into difficult situations, do we realize that the
enemy is trembling in fear at the awesome power of God? Do we follow His
leading? Do we let the Lord reign forever and ever in our hearts?
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Blessings for Obedience

After Moses covered the Mosaic Law, and then described the curses to be
given on the mountain, Deuteronomy 33 describes the blessings the children
of Israel would receive for faithfully obeying the Law.
The people would be set high above all the nations of the earth. They would
be so blessed that the blessings would overtake them, if they obeyed the
voice of the Lord God.
Those in the city would be blessed, and those in the fields. Their sons and
daughters would be blessed, and all that they planted in the ground would
be blessed. Even the fruit of their cattle would be blessed, and their herds
would increase. Their baskets and kneading bowls would be blessed,
producing good food to eat. Everywhere they go, they would be blessed.
Their enemies that would rise would be defeated before them. An army
gathering together against them would scatter, fleeing in separate ways.
They would be blessed in their barns, and all that they set out to accomplish.
They would be blessed in the land that the Lord God would be giving them as
they crossed into the Holy Land.
They would be established as a holy people for God if they kept the
commandments and walked in the way of the Lord. All the people of earth
would see that they were called by the name of the Lord and be afraid of
them. The Lord would give them prosperity of everything, from their children
to the offspring of their livestock, to the fruit they planted in the ground
within the land that the Lord was giving them.
The Lord would open his treasury, the heavens, to give them rain in its
season to bless the work of their hands. They would have plenty, lending to
many nations but never needing to borrow. The Lord would make them the
head and not the tail, going only up in stature and never down, if they obey
the commandments of the Lord God.
Moses warned them to be careful to do the things written in the Law, not
turning aside from any of the commandments or to find other gods to serve
them.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we ever stop to consider all of
the many things Moses commanded the people, and the curses that they
endured under the Law? How often do we thank Jesus Christ for redeeming
us from the curse of the Law? Have we ever considered how hard it must
have been to keep these commandments, stoning children for disobeying or
cutting off the hands of people we know and love? Are we thankful to these
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people that kept the Mosaic Law down through the ages until the Law failed,
setting up the situation for Jesus Christ to come and redeem us? Do we
praise Jesus for dying on the cross so that we can receive His blessings
without the penalties of the Law?
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The Mighty Power of God

After Habakkuk prophesied against the Chaldeans, he cried out unto God in
Habakkuk 3.
He had heard how that God come against Teman, and the mighty armies that
fell by the sword. He had heard about God shining forth His Glory from
Mount Paran with the ten thousand of His holy ones and flaming fire at His
right hand. God's splendor covered the heavens. His Glory was shining forth
from his hands like rays from the sun. Before Him went pestilence, and after
Him came plagues.
As He stood there, God measured the earth and shook the nations.
Mountains were scattered and hills sank low. The people of Cushan suffered
affliction and the land of Midian trembled.
It looked like God took judgment against the rivers and the sea as God's
chariot came through. The earth was split with rivers and the mountains
twisted like snakes. Raging waters swept in and the deep cried out. The sun
and moon hung still in their place after shooting through the sky into place.
God marched through the earth in fury, thrashing the nations as he passed
by. He went from nation to nation for the salvation of His people, crushing
the heads of the wicked and trampling down their warriors.
Habakkuk trembled at the mighty power of God, lips quivering and legs
shaking. Yet after all of this awesome power and majesty, Habakkuk said
that he waited quietly for the day when people would again come to invade.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we in awe at the mighty power
of God? As a people living in His Love, do we sometimes forget that He is
also the mighty conqueror? Do we ever stop to think about what a beautiful
sight the creation would have been, how the stars and the planets shot into
place like arrows from a bow? Or do we think about how God is passing
through all the nations for the salvation of His people? Do we sit in fear of
the coming wars and rumors of wars, or do we sit patiently like Habakkuk
with the comfort of God on his side?
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Esau's Army
When Esau told Jacob's messengers that he was coming to meet Jacob, Jacob
trembled in fear. He placed two hundred goats and other animals in-between
his camp and Esau's as a gift to try to make peace.
In Genesis 33, Esau approached the camp with an army of four hundred men.
Jacob divided the children of those of his servants from those of his wives,
sending the servants and their children in front to give as another gift. As
they moved forward, Jacob ran in front of them, and bowed down to Esau.
He rose to his feet, ran in front of them, and bowed down to Esau again.
Three times he did this until he came near to his brother.
But instead of coming to kill Jacob as Esau had vowed, he embraced him and
kissed his neck. Together they wept.
Esau lifted his eyes and asked about the servants and their children. Jacob
answered that they were a gift to find favor in his sight. Esau did not want to
take them, but Jacob insisted.
Esau offered to journey with them together, and would lead the way, but
Jacob worried about the frail children and nursing flocks. A hard drive for
them would kill the animals. Jacob told Esau to go on ahead and he would
travel at the slow pace of the livestock. Esau offered to leave some of his
army with Jacob, but Jacob replied that there was no need.
Jacob journeyed safely to Shechem in the land of Canaan and erected an
altar.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: When the enemy is closing in, do we
tremble in fear when God is on our side? When the odds are stacked against
us, do we fight like a cornered animal or do we offer peace? Are we able to
live peacefully with those who do not follow our ways, even when they live
peacefully with us?
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Blessed are the Forgiven

Psalm 32 says that the forgiven are blessed. Their sins are covered. The
forgiven are not counted in those of iniquity by the Lord, and are blessed. In
their spirit is no deceit.
David said that he was silent as his bones wasted away, groaning all day
long. Day and night were difficult, and his strength was gone from him. Still,
in his agony, david did not cover his iniquity, he acknowledged his sin before
God. He confessed his transgressions to the Lord, and was forgiven of his
sin.
Therefore, David said, let everyone who is godly offer prayer to the Lord
when He is near. God was a hiding place for David, a comfort in a time of
trouble. God surrounded David with calls of deliverance.
David says he will teach us the way: Do not be like stubborn and without
understanding like a mule, which must be kept by a bit and bridle or it will
leave. For many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast Love surrounds
the one who trusts in the Lord God.
Be glad in the Lord! Rejoice, oh righteous! Shout for joy!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do our heads hang down low when
we sin? Do we stay in sin, our faults keeping us burdened? Or do we rejoice
because our sins are covered? Do we find our comfort and hiding place in
the Lord? Are we without understanding like a mule, or do we learn God's
Word for ourselves? Do we rejoice in the Lord?
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The Hard Life of a Christian

Growing up in a MSG environment, we were told our lives were harder than
the "churches of the world.". Until recently, I never questioned that
statement. It wasn't until my wife noticed that there were so many more sins
in the Bible than the few we were preached about that I studied the topic.
The truth of the matter is; it was much easier to live the "message life" ... At
least the one the pastors I've been associated with in the message taught.
When it comes right down to it, the life of TRUE Divine Love is much harder.
It was an easy ride to get into heaven by simply believing that a "prophet"
had a special insight that was better than the world, or enjoying wild hunting
stories.
These below are just a few of the sins in the New Testament. When the Bible
says that we "sin daily," it's much easier to understand why when you realize
WHAT these sins are. Having been taught that "sin is unbelief" misses the
point by a mile... There's MUCH more to it than that.
Take a look through this, and see how many you fall short on during the
course of your day. How many have you cried out unto God for forgiveness
for recently?
Matthew 5:22
1. Calling another a fool
Matthew 5:28
2 looking at women with lust
Matthew 19:18-19
3 stealing
4 false witness
5 Not loving your neighbor as yourself
Mark 7:21-22
6 evil thoughts
7 an evil eye
8 foolishness
Ephesians 5:3-7
9 impurity
10 filthiness
11 foolish talking
12 jesting
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13 drunk with wine

2 Corinthians 12:20
14 swellings
15 tumults
Galatians 5:19-21
16 Adultery
17 fornication
18 uncleanness
19 lasciviousness
20 Idolatry
21 witchcraft
22 hatred
23variance
24 emulations
25 wrath
26 strife
27 seditions
28 heresies
29 Envyings
30 murders
31 drunkenness
32 revellings
Romans 1:26-32
33 Homosexuality both male and female
34 unrighteousness
35 wickedness
36 covetousness
37 maliciousness
38 debate
39 deceit
40 malignity
41 whisperers
42 Backbiters
43 haters of God
44 despiteful
45 proud
46 boasters
47 inventors of evil things
48 disobedient to parents
49 Without understanding
50 covenant breakers
51 without natural affection
52 implacable
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53 unmerciful
1 Timothy 1:9-10
54 lawless and disobedient
55 ungodly
56 sinners
57 unholy and profane
58 murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers
59 whoremongers
60 men stealers
61 liars
62 perjury
63 contrary to sound doctrine
Revelation 21:8
64 fearful
65 unbelieving
66 the abominable
67 sorcerers
Also, consider this question: how many of these things were we involved in
BECAUSE of the MSG? I know that I can name a few...
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The Beauty Contest

When King Ahasuerus appointed men to find a beautiful young virgin in
Esther 2, Esther made herself ready.
She had a beautiful figure and natural beauty, so she was quickly in favor by
those in charge of the king's decree. She was provided with cosmetics, fine
oils and spices, and seven young women to help her.
As was custom, she was given twelve months to beautify herself with her
training and cosmetics. She was preparing for one of the greatest beauty
contests of all time, with the king as her reward. The king's appointed
provided her with the finest of everything, allowing her to make herself even
more beautiful than her already natural beauty.
When it came time for Esther to be presented before the king, Esther was
very humble. The custom would have allowed her to ask anything, but she
asked for nothing except what Hegai advised to bring with her. Her beauty
would speak for itself.
The king was immediately in love when he saw Esther. She had won grace
and favor in his eyes, favor above all the other women in the beauty contest.
He took the royal crown and placed it upon her head, deeming her the
winner and the queen.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do our Christian women present
themselves beautiful before their husbands? Do they capture the husband's
eyes as Esther captured the king's? Do we, as Christians, make ourselves
beautiful before Christ? Do we prepare ourselves for Him, with the internal
cleansing of the soul? When Christ comes again, will he find us beautiful in
His eyes? Will we be given the crown of Glory?
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Kindness for the Poor

After the instructions were given for the Sabbath in Leviticus 25, provisions in
the Law were made for the poor among the children of Israel.
If a brother was unable to maintain himself among the children of Israel, they
were instructed to invite him in and support him as if he were a stranger and
a sojourner. They were to let the poor brother live in their dwelling and not
take advantage of him.
No money was to be lent to the brother with interest, and no food given him
for profit. They were reminded, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you
out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God."
If the brother becomes so poor that he sold himself as a slave to their
household, they were not allowed to make him serve. The poor brother
could work with them as a hired worker in the same way they would treat a
sojourner. He would serve until the year of the jubilee and then with his
family be free to leave.
They were not to rule over him ruthlessly, but fear God.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we help the poor? When we do
help the poor, do we do it for profit? Do we make them feel forever indebted
to us, or do we help them freely? Do we treat them with the same respect as
we would a stranger in our house? Do we even treat the strangers with
respect?
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Highway to Heaven
Isaiah 35 describes how the ransomed will return.
provided for the saved.
A highway of holiness
The barren wilderness and the dry land will be glad; the desert will blossom
like a flower. The ransomed will see the glory of the Lord God, who will
strengthen the weak and take the fear away from those with feeble knees.
God will come with vengeance to save the ransomed. The blind eyes will be
opened, the deaf will hear again. The lame will leap to their feet and the
mute will sing praises to God. Waters and streams will break through the
wilderness once haunted by jackals, turning it into beautiful pools and
springs.
There will be a highway there, that will be called the Way of Holiness. The
unclean will not pass over the highway, it will be only for the ransomed.
Even if they are fools, wandering from side to side, they will not go astray.
Nothing will touch those travelling. No lions will attack, no ravenous will
seek their prey. Only the redeemed will be walking on the highway.
They will travel the highway and enter into Zion with singing and rejoicing.
Everlasting joy will fill them. All sorrows will be past.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we on the highway of holiness?
Do we worry and doubt when attackers come against us, when they cannot
enter the highway? Do we speak out against others on the highway, or do
we help them to their feet when they stumble and fall? Do we stop in the
middle of the road when a man rises up to point others to the road, looking
backwards at the man instead of onward to Zion?
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The Coming King

Zechariah prophesied of the coming King in Zechariah 9
He told the people to rejoice, shouting praises loudly. The King was coming,
and bringing righteousness and salvation with Him.
He would be mounted on a colt, the foal of a donkey, yet he would cut off the
chariots and war horses. The weapons of battle would be cut off through his
speaking of peace through the nations, and He would rule from sea to sea.
Because of the sacrifice, prisoners would be set free from the pits of hell. He
would restore hope in double-portion.
Judah would be like the bow shooting Ephraim as its arrow. The arrow would
stir up the future generations of Israel and Greece, and the Lord would save
His people.
When the Lord appeared, the arrow would go forth like lightening, and the
sounding of a trumpet. Those rising would tread down the wicked and the
Lord of hosts would protect them. They would drink and make loud noise as
if they were drunk with new wine, and they would be filled to overflowing.
On that day, the Lord God would save them. They were His flock, and jewels
in His crown. They would shine upon His land proclaiming His goodness and
beauty. Their famine would cease.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we looking forward to the
second coming of the King? Have we prepared ourselves with His Word? Will
He tell us that we have shined brightly upon the land proclaiming Him, or
have we been dimly proclaiming something else?
355
The Punishment of Uzziah

2 Chronicles 26 describes the rise and fall of king Uzziah.
Though he was only sixteen years old when he was made king, he reigned
with God by his side and was instructed by Zechariah. God helped him
defeat the Philistines, Arabians in Gurbaal, and the Meunites.
His fame quickly spread throughout the land. Uzziah built towers in the
wilderness, cutting out many cisterns to provide water. He loved the soil,
and helped many farmers with their soil and large herds.
As his power grew, his army grew with him. He had over three hundred
thousand able bodied men in his army, and they were prepared with a large
armory of both battle armor and weapons.
He was not defeated in battle, however. Uzziah was defeated by his own
pride. As he grew proud, he led himself down the path of destruction. He
was unfaithful to the Lord God.
Uzziah entered into the temple to burn incense, and Azariah attempted to
stop him. Only the priesthood was consecrated to burn incense, but Uzziah
refused to stop.
As he held the censer to burn the incense, he became angry with Azariah
and the priests. Immediately, his forehead broke out with leprosy. Standing
there beside the alter, Azariah and the priests looked at him to see this great
king that was now a leper.
For the rest of his life, Azariah remained a leper, and his son Jotham was
appointed to be in charge of governing the people of the land.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: When God helps us in a magnificent
and mighty way, do we give Him the glory, or do we raise our own pride?
When God works through others, do we raise them up, or raise up the God
who they should magnify? Do we boast ourselves, telling others of the
spiritual gifts or accomplishments God has worked through us? Do we try to
spread our own fame, or the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
356
Is It Impossible to Believe All the Message?

An interesting thought came to me this morning: Is it impossible to believe
ALL the message? Is that why there are so many different 'sects' in the
message from church to church and even within the same church?
Some believe that Jesus was not God until the spirit descended like a dove,
just as WMB taught. They believe that God left Jesus before he died on the
cross, which would leave only a man dying from our sins -- just as WMB
taught.
WMB also taught that he was Emmanuel laying as a baby in a manger, and
that God's only Son died on the cross for us, which is scriptural. These two
teachings conflict with each other, creating divisions in the church!
Those of the latter group know that if only a man died on the cross, then
there is no salvation for us, and those that believe the former hold to the
words of WMB over the words of the scripture. Neither can agree.
Some believe that WMB will "ride this trail again" with a large healing
ministry and the largest tent ... ever. They think that thousands will be
healed right before they are given their new bodies or others cast into utter
destruction.
Others know that WMB could not rise from the dead before the resurrection,
that would make him equal to Jesus Christ Himself. The realize that there
would be no need to heal the new body that we will be given, and that the
first group does not make scriptural sense.
This could go on and on and on. When WMB preached to the various groups,
he tailored to their belief system. He preached Trinitarian to the Trinitarians,
and oneness to those who believed Jesus sat at his own right hand. All is
recorded, and the recordings are considered by all in the Branham following
to be 'new scripture', and that you must understand the Bible 'through' the
'message'.
The scripture is true when it says, "How can two walk together unless they
agree." That is exactly why there are so many divisions among the MSG
churches. It also says that "If the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who
can prepare themselves."
If God built his army through William Branham, why did he build armies to
civil war? Why would God want some to believe God's Son died for us unto
salvation, while he instructed others to teach "some other Jesus?"
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And if the teaching breeds conflicting decisions on salvation, is it impossible

to believe ALL the message?
358
Wait for the Lord with Courage!

In Psalm 27, David sings that the Lord our light and salvation. Whom shall
we fear?
The Lord is our stronghold, and there is none to fear. When evildoers assail,
adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an entire army
encamp against us, our hearts shall not fear. Even if war rises against us, we
can be confident.
The one thing that David asked the Lord for is that he may dwell in the house
of the Lord all the days of his life. He wanted to gaze upon the beauty of the
Lord and to inquire wisdom in his temple.
David said that he knew the Lord would shelter him in the day of trouble and
conceal him under His cover. He would lift David up above all the enemies
around him, and David would offer sacrifices with shouts of joy. He asked the
Lord to hear his cry as he sang to God.
The Lord's face he sought, and David asked the Lord not to hide His face
from him. He was the God of his salvation, and he asked the Lord not to turn
away in anger.
His father and mother had forsaken him, but the Lord would take David in.
He asked the Lord to teach him His way, and lead him on a level path. He
asked not to be given to his adversaries, for false witnesses had risen against
him and they only sought violence.
David said, "Wait for the Lord! Be strong and let your heart take courage!
Wait for the Lord!"
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Is the Lord the light and our
salvation? Do we fear those who come against us? Do we not realize that
the Lord will cause them to stumble and fall? Do we seek after God for our
salvation, or do we seek after another?
When family is against us,
adversaries are speaking lies, and the battle rages around us, do we seek
after the Lord? Do we wait for the Lord with Courage?
359
Heavenly Father's Day

Matthew 6 tells us not to be anxious about our lives.
Do not worry about what you will eat or drink, nor about the clothing you will
wear. Our lives are more than just food, and our bodies more than clothing.
Take a look at the birds of the air. They do not plant seeds to harvest or reap
the harvest into barns, yet everything they need is provided for them. Your
heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more valuable than the birds?
Which of you, being anxious, can add a single hour to the span of your lives?
Why are we anxious about the things of this earth? Consider the lilies of the
field, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin, yet Solomon in all his glory
was not arrayed like one of these! If God clothes the grass of the field, which
is alive today and is eaten tomorrow, he will clothe us also.
Therefore, don't worry about where to get your next meal, or where you will
get your next drink. Don't worry about what you will wear. Gentiles seek
after all these things, and the heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and these things will be
given to you!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we thankful for our heavenly
Father on this Father's Day? Are we thankful that he provides for us, and we
do not have to be anxious about anything our bodies need? Do we seek first
the kingdom of God and His righteousness?
360
Branham The Translator

If Rev. Branham stuck with the King James Version itself, things may have
ended quite differently. When comparing the KJV to another version, he
claims that the King James is closer to the original Greek.
Quote:
And the real translation in the King James, from the original Greek, it says--it
says, "Verily, verily," means, "Absolutely, absolutely, I say unto you, that the
Son can do nothing in Himself, but what He sees the Father doing: that doeth
the Son likewise." 53-1120 DEMONOLOGY
He was not satisfied with staying with just what the King James said; he
wanted to read from the original Hebrew and Greek translations. Again, had
Rev. Branham stayed with this method, things would have ended quite
differently. EVERYONE should study the original texts and learn for himself.
Quote:
Now, reading from the "Emphatic Diaglott" of the Greek translation, where I
was at last evening, which is laying open before me now. That's the original
translation from the Greek to the English. It doesn't go through other
translators; it's--and other versions, it's right straight from the Greek to the
English.
59-1219 QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.ON.THE.HOLY.GHOST
Most followers today would be shocked to know that Rev. Branham used the
Vatican Translation in order to understand his King James Version.
Quote:
Now, listen. Let me see--read here before we start the questions on the
lexicon here. Now, from Vatican Translation, Volume 7, 190-1205: "It is {}"
59-1219 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON THE HOLY GHOST
The problem is, William Branham did not stick with the King James or study
the original translations. He would use outside sources to teach things like a
non-eternal hell.
Quote:
See the difference? The wicked has everlasting punishment, but
"everlasting" is "a space of time." Now, if it would've been the same, it
would've been written, "And these shall go away into everlasting
punishment, the other shall go away into Everlasting Life." See? Or, "They
361
shall go away into eternal punishment, and the other one into Eternal Life."
See, if there's an eternal punishment, to be punished forever and ever, then
he's an eternal--he's got Eternal Life; and the only one Eternal Life, and that
comes from God. Everything without a beginning has no end; everything with
a beginning has an end. See what I mean?
Now, the Scripture Itself that the--the dear person answered... Now, if you'll
take it in the Lexicon, "And these shall go forth into ainion, cutting off, and
into everla... into fire, the lake of fire."
Now, the word "a-i-n-i-o-n" means "a space of punishment," in the Greek
Lexicon, right here, "space of punishment," or, "time of punishment." See?
They shall go away into a time of punishment. The word is used, "a-i-n-i-o-n,
ainion," which means "times, a time, a limited time." Then take it back into
the--into the translation here, the English, "everlasting" is "a limited of time."
See? It comes from the Greek, "a limit of time." The word "ainion," or "a-i-n-io-n, ainion" means "a limited time of punishment."
57-0925 QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.ON.HEBREWS.1
This actually is a pagan Gnostic belief. In the same belief structure that says
that the good one and the evil one were one day equal, it continues to build
a foundation for a punishment that did not last forever.
The same word used here (for everlasting):
Quote:
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, depart from me, ye
cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: (Matthew
25:41)
Is the same word used here (for eternal):
Quote:
But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren,
and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in
the world to come eternal life. (Mark 10:30)
That word is aionios, which translated means without beginning and without
end. Everlasting. Eternal. It means exactly the same as the KJV translated it,
but was confusing to the lesser intelligent (like myself).
Evidently, the Diaglott was not in print, which made it easier for Rev.
Branham to make these claims. How could they look it up for themselves
when they could not read the translation on their own?
362
Quote:
I was reading and teaching in my church sometime ago upon Pentecost, in a
little revival I had. Now, I've got an old Emphatic Diaglott of the original
Greek translation, and it's the one--most outstanding things. I'd advise it to
any of the clergymen. It's--it's out of print, but I think you can get in England.
I'm not sure. But I have one; it's very old, and it brings it down just at the
original Greek word, then it comes over on the other side, and just puts it,
because in the Greek the verb is before the adverb.
60-0304 THIRSTING.FOR.LIFE
He evidently got some part of his translation from President Eisenhower
Quote:
One of the greatest man we got, when Eisenhower and great men of the
world, Hollywood, all kinds of movie stars and everything calling for him, but
hung right there in the meeting. He said, "I have been thirty-some-odd years
getting this translation, not from the Vatican Greek, but from the Aramaic;
right straight from that, from the Aramaic into the--the English." And he said,
"I've spent all that time," he said, "I have just now walked into the place
where I see God of the Bible moving." He said, "You know, Brother Branham,
we can see signs and wonders, but we watch what voice the sign has. We
Jews, we see a sign, but we watch the voice of the sign."
60-0417M GO.TELL
Rev. Branham also made claims to have used the Diaglott to prove his
version of baptism in Jesus name only, falsifying the one scripture that truly
contradicts that theory: When the men were asked to be baptized after they
received the Holy Ghost.
Quote:
And someone asked me a question, here not long ago, put it on the platform:
"Brother Branham, did you ever read the original? The Greek says that you
receive the Holy Ghost when you believe."
I wish you'd bring me that Diaglott. I wish you'd bring me that Greek Lexicon
that says that. It does not say that. It says, "Have you received the Holy
Ghost since you believed?" not, "when you believed," but since you... I've got
the Emphatic Diaglott of the original translation off of the Heb--of the--the-from a--Vatican City, of the original Greek. Then I've got the Aramaic and
many of the others that proves that he said, "Have you received the Holy
Ghost since you believed?"
60-0611B FELLOWSHIP
363
The actual translation from the Diaglott. Notice each word separated by
hyphen:
Quote:
He said - and - to - them - if - [the] Spirit - Holy - did you receive - having
believed - moreover - to - him - but - not even - whether [a] - Spirit.
It is not "since you," it is "having believed." They already believed.
In the church ages, he claims to have studied the meaning of 'Sardis' in the
'Sardis Church Age.' He claimed that the Greek meaning for Sardis was 'the
escaped one.'
Quote:
Now, the... Last night, the church age, the... being the Sardis Church Age,
was really in the Greek was called, "the escaped one," but I believe in the
English translation is "dead." Now, it was both a "dead" church and "an
escaped one" because it was the church that had died under the papal reign
in the 1500 there, or 1520, of the--of the great papal reign which we call the
Dark Ages; where Christianity was at the lowest ebb it ever has been or ever
will be, even in the Laodicean Church Age.
60-1210 THE.PHILADELPHIAN.CHURCH.AGE
The Greek word 'Sardeis' literally means "Sardis, an ancient city of Lydia in
the province of Asia." It was a luxurious city, the capital of Lydia in Asia
Minor. 'Sardis' was referred to as 'red ones,' because of the red Sardis stone.
It does not mean 'dead' or 'escaped.'
Here is the major issue with Rev. Branham claiming to be his own translator.
The idea was generated that the words spoken during baptism were the
'formula' (or incantation) for receiving the Holy Ghost. You could not receive
the Holy Ghost by baptizing the way that Jesus described in Matthew, it must
be the words spoken in Acts 2:38. Except for one thing: Branham's way is not
the exact words in Acts 2:38. He adds the word "Lord" in the "formula," and
then claims to have studied the Diaglott to get this interpretation of
scripture.
Quote:
Now, looky here, my sisters, and you brethren who are present: Matthew
said, "Father, Son, Holy Ghost." Now, if you 'all go get the Emphatic Diaglott
of the Greek interpretation (original Greek interpretation from the Vatican. It
happens to be that I have one; it's out of print now, I think), or any Greek
translation, the right translation to Acts 2:38... Peter said, "Repent every one
of you and be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ." The King James
364
Version just said, "in the name of Jesus Christ."; but in the Emphatic Diaglott
it says, "In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ."
Now, when you Oneness brethren just baptize in the name of Jesus, there's
just many Jesuses; but there's only... He was born Christ, the Son of God.
That's His name, that's what He is. "Christ" means "the anointed one."
Messiah, Christ. Now, "Jesus," eight days later He was given the name Jesus,
when He was circumcised. And He is our Lord. So He is our Lord Jesus Christ.
That's what He is.
61-0119A THE.WATER.BAPTISM
What most followers do not know is that this is NOT the translation from the
Diaglott! The word "Lord" is not in the words of translation! Notice each word
separated by hyphen.
Quote:
Peter - moreover - to - them - Repent - said - and - be baptized - each - of you
- in - the - name - of Jesus - Christ - for the - forgiveness - of sins - your - and you will receive - the - gift - of the - Holy - Spirit.
Another heresy is Branham's teaching that Jesus had to see visions in order
to perform miracles. He denied the deity of Christ, just as Moffatt denied the
deity of Christ.
Quote:
I cannot heal you. No, sir, nor nobody else can heal you. It's your own faith
that does it. But if you'll realize that it's the same Jesus. When He was here
on earth, He said, "I do nothing till the Father shows Me." Is that right,
amongst the ministers? Saint John 5:19. Jesus, we'll think, never performed
one miracle until God showed Him, not told Him, but showed Him by a vision,
or the Bible told something wrong; Jesus told a lie. So He couldn't do it; He's
God.
Jesus said in Saint John 5:19, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do
nothing in Himself, but what He sees the Father doing, that doeth the Son
likewise." See if that's not in your Bible, King James, or Moffatt, or any
translation you want to take. See if it isn't the same thing. Get the original
Greek Diaglott if you want to. You'll find the same thing. "I do nothing until
the--I see the Father..." In other words, He acted out in drama.
61-0412 A.GREATER.THAN.SOLOMON.IS.HERE
365
Elohim or Yahweh?
When the Bible was translated into English, there was one word that was
purposefully not translated. It was a word so revered that they did not want
human lips to speak it out loud for fear of taking the holy word in vain.
It was the name of God, Yahweh. The name of the almighty God, the singular
One True God of the Old Testament, He was the Lord and Master. Capital L-OR-D.
The other word for God used in the Old Testament was Elohim. Elohim is a
word that describes deity or divinity, and is both plural and singular of God. It
is also translated from simply 'el.'
In the Hebrew language, there are no vowels. Yahweh is actually spelled
YHWH. The word "Jehovah" was added much later, changing the "Y" to a "J"
to show how the word would have been pronounced. This was the work of
the translators, not a separate name in the Bible. JaHoVaH.
Rev. Branham, who claimed to be studying different translations and the
Diaglott, described just the reverse of this.
Quote:
Abraham called Him LORD, capital L-O-R-D, Elohim, the great Jehovah God.
59-0416 EL.SHADDAI
Genesis 17:1 contains both words in the verse:
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD [Yahweh]
appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God [El or Elohim];
walk before me, and be thou perfect.
Rev. Branham then added his own interpretation to the Bible, speaking of the
angel who met Abraham. Branham tried to claim that this was Jesus Christ,
denying the Trinity.
Quote:
See the nature of the Angel? Who was that Angel? It was God. Remember,
Abraham called Him, "Lord." And the translation there is Elohim, the great
mighty Jehovah. It was Jesus Christ reincarnated.
58-0309E WILL THE CHURCH GO BEFORE THE TRIBULATION
366
Quote:
A word keeps coming to me; I might explain. There's somebody in here now
that's wondering about the Angel, Who It was. And I called this Angel, "the
Lord." Abraham... Ever who's a doubting it, or thinking of it, is a scholar.
Abraham called the Name of that Angel that talked to him. "Lord," which is
Elohim, the great almighty Jehovah.
58-0109 THE.CALLED.OUT
Someone even tried to correct Rev. Branham in one of the meetings, a Jewish
man who more than likely knew the language fluently.
Quote:
"My Lords." I certainly differ with that Jewish brother that made that remark
the other night at Shreveport. Not "My Lords," but, "My Lord." L-o-r-d, one.
"My (capital) L-o-r-d, won't You come in." Now, any of you notice the
translator on there, that was Elohim
61-0211 ABRAHAM
He went on to teach this mistake for the next several years. There are too
many quotes to list in this particular thread.
367
Going Through Trials Without Complaining

Psalm 39 says to guard our ways so that we do not sin with our tongues.
David says that he will guard his mouth with a muzzle while the wicked are in
his presence. He was mute and silent, and held his peace to no avail. His
heart became hot within himself, to the point in which he could no longer
contain. Then, he spoke.
"Lord, " he said, "make me know my end, and the length of my days." He
wanted to know how much longer he had to endure his trials. He asked the
Lord what he waited for, and begged the Lord to deliver him from his
transgressions.
David cried out to the Lord that he was spent by the hostility of His hand. He
was rebuked for sin, and consumed like a moth consumes the cloth. "Surely
all mankind is but a mere breath!" he exclaimed.
He asked God to hear his prayer and not withhold His peace. He was a
sojourner with God, a guest like his fathers. David prayed, "Look away from
me so that I may smile again before I die."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we guard our ways so that we do
not sin by the words we speak? When the wicked are in our presence, do we
remain silent and hold peace, or do we lash our against them in anger? Do
we sin against God by asking Him to remove us from our trials? Do we serve
God with the cross we are given to bear?
368
Lamsa and the Gnostic Connection

Rev. Branham also studied the Lamsa translation and even claimed to know
the translator. The problem? Branham considered Lamsa to be a great man,
and believed him with all his heart.
Quote:
I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Lamsa, today, the translator of the Lamsa
translation of the Bible. And such a privilege... You know, I would rather you'd
give me a little rosebud, right now, than a whole wreath after I'm gone. I
think maybe he'd think the same thing. I certainly can prescribe to his
translation, for meeting him and finding such a lovely spirit of a real true
Christian believer. God bless his gallant soul. I don't know as I've ever met
any more spiritual man than Dr. Lamsa. May the Lord richly bless him.
60-0401E THE.QUEEN.OF.SHEBA
He claimed that Lamsa told him the pyramid sign was the sign of God, which
could have led to Branham believing that the pyramid was a 'bible' of old.
Quote:
Moses' sign, that he saw, was God in cosmic light. And then when He did
that...
And does anybody know the old Hebrew sign, even before there was a Bible
written? Was a triangle shape, or an oval shape of a cosmic light, exactly
right, the Logos. Now, Doctor Lamsa has that in his Bible, on the cover on the
outside.
64-0214 THE.VOICE.OF.THE.SIGN
When that great man, Doctor Lamsa, the translation of the Lamsa Bible,
when he said that morning when I told him that, I said--I said, "What's that
sign?"
He said, "That's God's ancient sign in the Hebrew: God, one God in three
attributes."
I said, "Such as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost?"
He stopped, and he set his cup of coffee down; he looked at me. Gene,
believe you was there, Leo. Said, "You believe that?"
I said, "With all my heart."
60-0515E ADOPTION.1
Did you ever see the Lamsa translation of the Bible, the old... The--the old
Hebrew sign of--of God is a triangle Light; more or less, something like that,
that the three attributes of God, in one Godhead. And this triangled Light, the
three in One, being one God, was a--a sign to the Hebrew, of God, Light.
63-1201M AN.ABSOLUTE
369
I said, "No, sir. I am not the Oneness. I believe in God being the Almighty
God, and the three attributes are only three offices that the one God lived
in."
He said, "Bless your heart." He said, "Someday you'll pour your blood upon
the earth for that," but said, "prophets always die for their cause."
And I said, "So let it be, if it pleases my Lord." The translation of the Lamsa
Bible...
60-0515E ADOPTION.1
Branham not only respected Lamsa, the feeling was mutual. They shared a
similar belief system, and it involved mysticism and Gnosticism.
Quote:
There's no such a thing as three persons in one God." And if that isn't Brother
Lamsa, Doctor Lamsa, the translator of the Lamsa Bible, which is a bosom
friend to Eisenhower and all the great diplomats of the world, and everything
else, throwed his arms around me, said, "Someday they'll shoot you for that."
But said, "Remember, all those people die for a cause."
60-0522M ADOPTION
The other night when I met Dr. Lamsa, of the Lamsa Bible, he said, "What's
the matter with these American people?"
Said, "I don't know." Seventy percent of the Bible is vision, yet they can't
believe.
60-0708 SIR.WE.WOULD.SEE.JESUS
Branham also used the Lamsa ideas to embellish his story about the cloud
formation.
Now, in the heavens above. Did you notice I'm looking on this, the--the Light
on the picture there out of the Life Magazine, that the brother that lives here
in this home has put on his wall, that triangle of Light.
Quote:
I just happened to run across my mind. If any of you have the Lamsa Bible
translation, if you'll notice over the cover of it, is a triune, Trinitarian light, a
three-cornered light like a halo. And when Dr. Lamsa, a friend, my personal
friend, was translating the Bible, that is the old Hebrew symbol of God in the
true Trinitarian way that He is; not three Gods, but three manifestations of
the same God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Light is one complete circle
of Light in a triangle shape, which means that God will dwell in three offices,
the Fatherhood, Sonship, and Holy Ghost dispensation, all the same God.
64-0112 SHALOM
370
In Branham's book, An Exposition of the Seven Church Ages, Lamsa is

praised in the very first chapter.
Quote:
Now not only is what I have just said true, but let us go a step further. Today
we have some students who claim that the original manuscripts were written
in the Aramaic which was the language of Jesus and the people of His day. It
is claimed by them that the people did not speak and write in the Greek as is
so commonly supposed. And the fact is our historians are divided on that. For
example, Dr. Scofield, a most brilliant student has from research proved to
his satisfaction that the New Testament was written in the vernacular of the
Greek speaking people of that day. He builds up a fine case for his beliefs,
based on the various documents at his disposal. But on the other hand we
have another renowned student, Dr. Lamsa, who is convinced that the New
Testament was written in the Aramaic and he has none other than the
brilliant historian, Toynbee, to back up his contention that the Aramaic, and
NOT THE GREEK was the language of the people, so it seems possible that
the New Testament was first written in the Aramaic.
However, before we get too concerned about this, let us read both the King
James version and the translation by Dr. Lamsa. To our gratification we find
the words in both amazingly the same so that there is no difference actually
in content or doctrine. We may even conclude that God has allowed these
newly discovered manuscripts and recent publications of already known
scripts to come before us to prove the authenticity of what we already had.
And we find that though translators may fight each other, scripts do not.
THE.REVELATION.OF.JESUS.CHRIST - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK
The George Lamsa translation is from the Aramaic language, and he believed
the original texts were Aramaic and later changed to Greek. There is no
evidence to support this.
Paul studied under Gamaliel who was the grandson of Hillel. Paul was well
versed in the Greek language and philosophy. He did not speak to roman
rulers in Aramaic.
In 250 B.C., the Hebrew Scriptures were translated to Greek. The New
Testament is written in Koine Greek (common Greek), and Greek is the
dominant language in the New Testament.
George Lamsa was a man who studied the psychic phenomenon, which
made for a good fit for Branham's studies. He also denied the Trinity, which is
why his translation is popular among various cult followings. He had a
Gnostic view of the Holy Spirit, believing that it was more of an influence or
power.
371
Like most cult leaders, Lamsa believed that he had the only divine
interpretation of the scriptures, and that this original truth was required.
Note some of the differences between the King James Version and Lamsa:
Mathew 24:7
King James Bible: Jesus says: "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"
Lamsa Bible: Jesus says: "My God, My God, for this I was spared [kept in
some versions]!"
Ephesians 6:12
King James Version Bible, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Lamsa: "For your conflict is not only with flesh and blood, but also with the
angels, and with powers, with the rulers of this world of darkness, and with
the evil spirits under the heaven".
Mathew 19:24
King James Version Bible "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a
needle..."
Lamsa: "It is easier for a rope to go through the eye of a needle"
Luke 14:25
NIV: "If any one comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, his
wife and children, his brothers and sisters, yes even his own life, he can not
be My disciple".
Lamsa: "He who comes to Me and does not put aside his father and his
mother and his brothers and his sisters and his wife and his children and
even his own life can not be a disciple to me".
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The King James Version

The King James Version of the Bible was translated between 1604 and 1611
A.D. It was the third official translation of the Bible into English, and was
commissioned by the Church of England as the "Official" or "Great Bible."
King James instructed the translators to guarantee that the new version
would confirm to the ecclesiology and reflect the episcopal structure of the
Church of England and its beliefs. The forty-seven scholars were all members
of the Church of England.
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The original translation included the fourteen books of the Apocrypha: 1st
and 2nd Esdras, Tobit, Judith, Rest of Esther, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch
and the Epistle of Jeremy, Song of the Three Children, Story of Susanna, The
Idol Bel and the Dragon, Prayer of Manasses, 1st and 2nd Maccabees.
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One of the familiar scriptures quoted by Rev. Branham is from the later
translation of the King James Bible, "where the carcass is, the eagles will be
gathered."
In the original translation, the King James scholars admitted that this verse
was not to be found in most of the copies of the Greek. We find in the later
translations that the scholars' understanding of the word for the bird was not
quite correct; it should have been 'vultures.'
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The original text of the Bible was written over a period of approximately
1500 years in three languages - Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. King James
Version is not one of the original languages of the Bible. Those who hold to
the King James Only faith are placing the Word of God into the hands of the
forty-seven translators instead of the great men of old who walked with God.
All translations of the Bible will suffer somewhat from differences in
languages, expressions that no longer make sense, and customs that we do
not understand. Most translations substitute inaccurate translations of words
so that the thought will be better understood by the culture of the people for
the time period of the translation.
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For example, Revelation 2 contains the Greek word nephros, which literally
means "kidneys." As you can imagine, the English translation sounds very
strange when Jesus says, "...I am He who searches the kidneys and hearts..."
The translators of the King James Bible translate it into the common English
of their time because they wanted to make a version that common people (of
their time) could understand. The King James English no longer qualifies as
being the common language of our time, and would probably be rejected by
those very translators if they were alive today.
One major problem with the King James Version is that it breeds conflicting
statements with the other translations. When the Word of God is placed into
the hands of men as authority, there will be mistakes.
One such mistake is a story we all know, the story of David and Goliath.
Those who say the King James Version is the only accurate translation will
use a verse from 2 Samuel to prove its inaccuracy.
Quote:
"And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the
son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite,
the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam."
2 Samuel 21:19 (KJV)
If you notice, in the NIV, there is a completely different story.
Quote:
"In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim
the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like
a weaver's rod."
2 Samuel 21:19 (NIV)
In the footnotes of the Bible, they explain this contradiction. The King James
scholars added the words "the brother of" in order to avoid the conflict. The
original text did not have those words, and were in actual conflict by the
person or persons who scribed the Bible that was handed down through the
generations.
God's Word has no conflict, but men and women make mistakes. We should
try to be as accurate as possible no matter what translation we use.
Another common conflict used to debate King James Only is Isaiah 14:12.
Quote:
"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art
thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!"
Isaiah 14:12 (KJV)
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Some of the newer translations use the word, "morning star" or "star of the
morning." "Daystar," or "Morning Star" would refer to Jesus.
The original King James Version included "daystarre" or "DayStar" in the
marginal notes, because the words translated actually contained that
meaning.
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The Hebrew word translated as "Lucifer" in Isaiah 14:12 in the King James
Version is heylel (hay-lale', Strong's #1966), and literally means "shining
one", "morning star", "light bearer", etc. Isaiah 14:12 is the only place in
scripture where this Hebrew word appears.
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The Moffatt Connection

It should be noted that Mr. Branham did not support this translation vocally,
but the fact that he was reading from it across the pulpit speaks a million
words in of itself. He claimed to be well versed in the scriptures, but
questions will be raised within yourselves as you continue reading as to the
reasons why he would use this translation and whether or not he was
actually a study of the different translations.
Next, consider his multiple references to the "Moffatt Translation" by James
Moffatt. Christians today do not hold this translation with much regard - it is
very inaccurate and "preaches another Jesus" as Paul warned in the New
Testament.
Quote:
All of the--all of his subjects was his... his... over his... he was domain... His
domain was over them and that was called his house. So they said, "In my
Father's..." Now, I believe Moffatt puts it, "in My Father's apartment house is
many apartments." I--I disagree with that.
55-0116A THE.BELIEVER'S.POSITION.IN.CHRIST
Again, Mr. Branham disagrees with this translation, however you will find that
he references this translation several times in various sermons. Sometimes,
he seemingly asks others to use it to search scriptures for themselves:
Quote:
Jesus said in Saint John 5:19, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do
nothing in Himself, but what He sees the Father doing, that doeth the Son
likewise." See if that's not in your Bible, King James, or Moffatt, or any
translation you want to take. See if it isn't the same thing. Get the original
Greek Diaglott if you want to. You'll find the same thing. "I do nothing until
the--I see the Father..." In other words, He acted out in drama.
61-0412 A.GREATER.THAN.SOLOMON.IS.HERE
The Bible Version, "A New Translation" by James Moffatt was published in
1922, and is a corrupt version of the Bible. Some even consider it satanic. Mr.
Moffatt was an unbeliever who even attacked the virgin birth and the deity of
Christ. The reason William Branham considered this version? Because Mr.
Moffatt shared his view on the Godhead.
Let's review some of the differences in the Moffatt's version that William
Branham studied:
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Genesis 1:1,2:
KJV: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth
was without form, and void..."
Moffatt: "When God began to form the universe, the world was void and
vacant..."
Though this is a subtle difference, the entire story of creation can be
perverted with the Moffatt translation.
Isaiah 7:14
KJV: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive..."
Moffatt: "There is a young woman with child..."
There is no need to describe the heresy with the Moffatt translation. The
virgin birth is one of the greatest moments in history for Christians. To deny
the virgin birth would be to deny Jesus Christ.
Exodus 3:14:
KJV: "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou
say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."
Moffatt: "God said to Moses, "I-will-be-what-I-will-be: tell the Israelites that Iwill-be has sent you to them."
As you can see in Exodus, Mr. Moffatt has even denied God in the Old
Testament. I AM is the God of yesterday, today, and forever. He that was, and
is, and will be.
KJV: "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham
was, I am."
Moffatt: "Truly, truly I tell you," said Jesus, "I have existed before Abraham
was born."
Again, he repeats this in the New Testament, denying God. This is heresy.
1st Timothy 3:16
KJV: "...God was manifest in the flesh..."
Moffatt: "...He who was manifest in the flesh..."
Again, the Moffatt translation gives a subtle difference, and one that could
give the reader the idea that Jesus was not God when he came to earth.
Oddly, Mr. Branham believed and taught this, which also is heresy.
377
Moffatt's Translation Attacks the Godhead:

1 John 5:7
KJV: " For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word,
and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."
Moffatt: Completely Removed!
378
Learning God's Way by Waiting Upon the Lord

Psalm 25 asks for guidance and knowledge to learn God's way.
Unto you, Yahweh, I lift my soul the scripture says. I trust in you, God, and
ask that you not let me be ashamed. Do not let my enemies triumph over
me.
Do not let any that wait on you be ashamed, God, let the ones who
transgress against You be ashamed.
Show me Your ways, God, and teach me Your paths. Lead me in your Truth.
Teach me, for you are the God of my salvation. On You I wait all day.
Remember, Lord, your tender mercy and loving kindness. They have been
with the world since the days of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth.
Do not remember my
transgressions. Remember me in Your mercy for Your goodness' sake.
You, Lord, are good and upright. You will teach the sinners in the Way. You
will guide the meek in judgment, and the meek will learn Your way.
All the paths of the Lord are mercy and Truth. The path is shown to those
that keep Your covenant and testimonies.
For Your Name's sake, Lord, forgive me of my iniquity. My iniquity is great.
Those that fear the Lord will be taught in the way in which the Lord will
choose. His soul will be at ease, and his children will inherit the earth. The
secret of the Lord is with those that fear Him, and He will show them His
covenant.
My eyes are always toward the Lord, and he will save me from the snares of
life. Turn yourself toward me, Lord, and have mercy upon me. I am desolate
and afflicted.
The troubles of my heart are enlarged, God, bring me out of my distresses.
Look at my pain and affliction and forgive all of my sins.
Consider my enemies, Lord. There are many of them, and they hate me with
cruel and bitter hatred.
Keep my soul and deliver me. Do not let me be ashamed, for I have put my
trust in You.
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Preserve me in integrity. Let me be preserved in uprightness. I wait on you

Lord.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we wait on the Lord to learn His
way, or do we take the quick and easy path by letting others tell us the way?
Do we search the scriptures for ourselves, or do we count on others to search
the scriptures for us? Are we walking on the path that He has chosen, or are
we walking in some other path?
380
Branham Taught from False Bible

I don't believe everyone has noticed the new forum, and it answers many
unanswered questions.
WMB studied a false bible. Most if not all teachings that deviated from the
scriptures came from a gnostic version of the BIble called the "Lamsa
translation," which would be rejected by almost every single one of even his
own followers if they read it.
It has been linked to both cults and the occult. ...this bible just happened to
be translated in 1933...
Link
to
forum
thread
http://seekyethetruth.freeforums.org/post2073.html#p2073
here:
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Forgiveness for the Wicked

Revelation 2 gives us hope that forgiveness is even offered to the wicked.
As a background, Jezebel was a wicked power behind the thrown of Ahab,
and allowed temples of Baal to operate in Israel. Not only did this bring
idolatry and false worship into the land, it brought forth false prophets.
It began an intense religious and political struggle, one of the most detailed
in biblical history. It is believed that Jezebel's marriage to Ahab was primarily
a political marriage to create an alliance between the Phoenicians who
worshipped Baal and the Israelites. This alliance would hive the Phoenicians
access to the Mediterranean Sea and international trade.
Nevertheless, Jezebel's integrating idolatry with worship of the One True God
was her downfall. This displeased God, and he sent his prophet Elijah to give
her warning. He challenged four-hundred and fifty prophets of Baal to a
competition, and exposed them as powerless against the one true God.
Jezebel failed to repent.
In the very last moments of her life, as Jehu was entering the gate for her,
Jezebel made one last act as queen. She applied paint to her face and
bowed her head towards a window to watch Jehu. It is said that she did this
to die with dignity as queen.
She did not die with dignity, however. She was trampled under the feet of
horses and eaten by the dogs. When the men of Jehu went to bury her,
nothing could be found but her skull, feet, and palms of her hand.
John writing in Revelation 2 to the church of Thyatira says that the Son of
God has eyes like a flame and feet like fine brass. God says that He knows
the works, charity, service, faith, patience and works, and knows the works
to be very great.
Nevertheless, since they permitted Jezebel, who falsely called herself a
prophetess, to teach idolatry, God counted this against them. God gave her
a space of time to repent of her fornication, yet she did not repent. She and
her children will be punished in the tribulation.
But for the rest of the people, as many who have not fallen into idolatry and
false prophecy, and have not known the depths of Satan, there will be no
other burden placed upon them. That little bit that they have, they should
hold fast onto it until God comes.
382
He that overcomes and keeps God's works unto the end, God will give him
power over the nations. He will rule them with power, just as the Son of God
received from His Father.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what God says to the churches.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: When God asks us to repent of our
sins, do we heed His call? Do we allow ourselves to fall into the idolatry of
today, the things that we put before our time with God? Do we allow false
prophets to rise, persuading us into a different form of idolatry? Have we
mistakenly known the depths of Satan? Are we holding fast to that little bit
that we have until God comes?
383
God Loves All Mankind

Numbers 12 tells how God loves all mankind, no matter what race. By the
blood of one man comes all mankind.
Miriam and Aaron did not like the fact that Moses married an Ethiopian
woman, an interracial bond between a black woman and a Hebrew. They
crossed the line when they spoke against God, saying "Are we not prophets
of God also?"
They were speaking against Moses as though they had instruction from God
against interracial marriage. The Lord heard it and was not pleased.
To make matters worse, Moses was very meek. He would not have stood up
for himself in this matter. The scripture says that he was meeker than any
men on the face of the earth.
God called Moses, Aaron, and Miriam out to speak to them, and let them
know that He was God and that He did not like what they were doing. He
told them that if there was to be a prophet among them, He would make
them known in a vision and a dream. But with Moses, things were different.
He would speak to Moses directly, because Moses was the most faithful in all
of God's house.
Mariam, who was speaking against the black-skinned Ethiopian, started to
become white as snow with leprosy. It was as though God decided that if
Miriam would speak against the black skin of Moses' wife, he would make
Miriam really white!
Racism is not new to this generation. Solomon's wife also struggled because
she was dark-skinned. Song of Solomon tells how others stared at her
because she was black. Even her own brothers mistreated her, making her
keeper of the vineyards while her own vineyard was not even kept. She
asked, "why should I be like one who veils herself?"
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we treat other races of people
differently? Do we scorn the ones who marry outside of their race like Miriam
and Aaron? Do we stare at them and make them uncomfortable like
Solomon's wife? Do we mistreat them, giving them the more tasks so that
we have a little more time? If God were to call us out to speak to us directly
today, would he smite us with leprosy?
384
Give Glory unto The Lord

Psalm 29 says to give Glory unto the Lord.
He tells the mighty, the sons of God to give glory and strength unto the Lord.
Glorify his name with praise, and worship the Lord with holiness.
God's voice is powerful, like the mighty raging waters. His voice thunders
and is full of majesty.
Through the power of his voice, he can break the trees, even the trees of the
mighty nations. He can make the nations skip like a calf and bring forth
mighty flashes of fire.
His voice shakes the wilderness and makes the animals give birth. His voice
can also strip the forests bare and make the people in His temple all cry
"Glory!"
He sits on the mighty flood as his throne, and is enthroned as King forever.
May the Lord give strength to His people, and bless them with peace!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we give Glory unto the Lord! Do
we see His mighty works in the raging storm or the fierce waters of the
flood? When He speaks, do we feel the power of His voice? Do we worship
Him as King? Do we pray for peace to His people?
385
The Enemy's Powerful Weapon of Peace

In Daniel 8, Daniel sought after the meaning of his vision, and a man
appeared before him.
He heard a loud voice from the water commanding Gabriel to give Daniel the
interpretation. When Gabriel came near, Daniel was afraid and on the
ground with his face hidden. Gabriel told Daniel to understand the vision, for
at the end time the things he had seen would come to pass.
As Gabriel spoke a deep sleep fell upon Daniel. As Gabriel touched Daniel,
he rose and sat upright. Gabriel told him that the end would come at the
time appointed, and that he would tell Daniel how it would come to pass.
Gabriel told Daniel that the ram with two horns were the kings of Media and
Persia. Biblical Media was the northern part of what is Iran today who spoke
the "Median" language. Persia also is Iranian, the lower part. The "ram" is
now combined, both Media and Persia into what is now the Republic of Iran.
It is interesting that the ram was the royal ensign of the Persians, and their
kings wore a diadem of gold in the shape of a ram's head.
Gabriel went on to say that the rough goat was the King of Grecia, and the
horn between his eyes is the first king of Grecia. Though there were kings
and monarchs before him, Alexander the Great was the first king of the
Grecian monarchy. Alexander is said to have had a goat's horn on his
helmet, and to have used purple horns in his feasts and celebrations.
Gabriel said that horn was broken, four kingdoms stood up for that nation,
and four kingdoms will stand for it in the end time, but not under the power
of Greece. Alexander, the horn, became great and mighty during his day,
conquering the Persian empire and the Indies. His ambition was to conquer
the world, but died before that could happen. The horn was broken, and his
kingdom was divided into Egypt, Greece, Asia, and Syria, but were no longer
under a central power.
Those four kingdoms were going to fall according to Gabriel's interpretation.
When their transgression had become great, a fierce king understanding
riddles would rise. It is believed that this is Antiochus Epiphanes, who was
the son of Antiochus the king who had been hostage at Rome. Many of the
Jews during his reign were filled with their religion and turned into heathens,
even some of the priests.
Antiochus was considered to be a man of "hard face", with no shame or fear
within him for God or man. He was very cunning in "dark sentences" or
riddles, even to the point that he used his deceit and cunning nature to take
386
the kingdom from his nephew. He used this trickery to seduce many of the
Jews to give up their religion and embrace heathenism.
Gabriel described this king that would rise as one mighty with power, but not
by his own power. He would destroy and prosper wonderfully, and eventually
destroy the holy people.
He would not destroy with the strength of his hands, though. Gabriel said
that through his policy he would magnify himself. Instead of arms, he would
destroy many with peace. He would stand up against the Prince of princes,
but he would be broken.
When Daniel heard these things, he fainted. He was sick for several days.
After regaining strength, he went about his business astonished at what he
had just learned from Gabriel, but none of his day could understand.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we think that the enemy fight us
with only evil that is easily discovered? Or do we realize that he can also
come against us with peace and trickery? How many ministers of the past
have taken these scriptures out of context to trick the people into believing
this was political struggles of their day? After that day has come and gone,
do we still look backwards to it? Have we been deceived by peace of the
enemy?
387
The Story of the Exodus

God's children had become complacent. In a land that was not their home,
they became familiar with the ways of the people around them.
Great men were in this land, powerful men that seemed to provide protection
and provision. Generation after generation living enslaved to the ways of the
belief system of of a leader who supplied their needs.
The younger generation never questioned why the people stayed. Their
fathers never questioned why they stayed. That was the way their fathers
believed to be right and just, and there was no need to create conflict. Their
father's decisions and their father's father's decisions must have been
correct.
It was not always slavery. Life was good from the beginning. The leader was
a great man, one that could be entrusted with the welfare of all the people.
Some of his ways were different, and some of his beliefs did not match
theirs, but the results of the work of his hands were tremendous. How could
someone who did so many good works lead the people in the wrong
direction?
The number of God's children were growing. They multiplied quickly, to an
almost countless number. The people of the land, though they seemed good,
were growing afraid at the large number of God's children.
God's Truth was suppressed. The people were beaten down, led to believe
that they were inferior to the mighty leader of the people. His god was
greater than theirs, or so he tried to lead them to believe. The beaten down
children of God asked no questions. Their number was large enough to stage
a massive revolt, but did not question the authority of the leaders.
One day, God sent a man who changed everything. He was not afraid to call
"right" right and "wrong" wrong. He had been conditioned by God to speak
the Truth. He reminded the people that there was One True God, and though
the leaders of the people of the land gave them a "comfort zone," they were
turning towards idolatry. They could not keep the ways of their forefathers
and the ways of those who worshipped anything besides the One True God.
I will not tell you the name of that man that God sent. But I'm so glad that
God sent him and gave me the grace and understanding to find him. He
pointed me back to Christ back to the Bible. Not to worship him or even to
consider him anything greater than a mortal man. His writings pointed me
back to God.
388
Those reading this story may see a similarity between my experience and a
familiar story in the Bible. That may be. But this man filled with God's grace
would never compare himself to Moses. Moses spoke directly with God, while
like me, God spoke directly to this man's heart.
To the unnamed man, thank you. Thank you for humbling yourself enough to
put yourself out of the way and let God lead you.
I pray that I can keep myself out of the way in the work that I do, and let God
lead me in the same way.
To God be the Glory!
389
Worshipping God in Times of Trouble

Lamentations 5 tells of a troubling time for the people, but through it all, the
people held to and worshipped the One True God.
They asked the Lord to remember them, the trouble that came on them, and
the disgrace that had become of His people. Their inheritance had been
turned over to strangers, and their homes given up to people of another
land.
They were like orphans, fatherless. There was no one to provide. They had
to pay for the water they drank, and got their bread from the hand of Egypt
and Assyria.
They were bearing the punishment of the sins of their fathers. Though they
had long since passed away, they bore the iniquities.
God's people had become so low in stature that even the slaves ruled over
them. There was none that could even deliver them from the hands of the
slaves that ruled them.
They struggled to get their food, fighting for it by sword in the wilderness.
The famine had become so increasingly great that it scorched the land.
Women were being raped from Zion to Judah, and princes were strung up by
a hangman's noose. Young men were now working the mills, young boys
staggering under the loads of wood.
The old men no longer welcomed people into the city gates, and the young
men no longer filled the city with music. Their joy was forgotten and their
dancing had turned into mourning.
They were no longer a powerful people. The crown had fallen from their
head. They cried out, "Woe to us, for we have sinned!"
For this sin, their hearts became sick and their eyes dimmed. Mount Zion
was now desolate with prowling jackals.
Through all of this, they praised God. "You, O Lord," they said, "reign forever.
Your throne endures to all generations."
They pleaded with God, asking Him why He had forsaken them for so long.
They asked God to restore His people, and give them the peace from the
days of old. God has power of all things, and they asked the Lord to restore
them unless He had fully rejected His people and remained angry with them.
390
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we think that our sins only affect
us? Do we see the trouble this world is in and not know that it is because
God has been rejected? When our suffering becomes seemingly more than
we can bear, do we still praise God, or do we reject Him? Do we cry out unto
God for deliverance? Do we repent of not only our sins, but the sins of our
fathers?
391
Failure to Teach the Truth

The "Burden (or oracle) of the Lord" in Malachi 2 was directly condemning
the priests for failure to uphold two great and divine ordinances: Marriage
and the kind treatment of women, and not teaching the knowledge from
God.
God says through Malachi, "You priests! This command is directed at you!
God will curse you and everything that you bless if you do not listen to this
and give honor to My (God's) name!" Moreover, I (God) have already cursed
you, because you have not held this to your heart.
God warned that he would rebuke them and their offspring. He called their
offerings "dung" and said that they would be taken away with it.
His covenant with Levi was one of life and peace. Levi was the Priesthood,
and God said that he sent this message through Malachi so that His covenant
with Levi might stand.
Levi walked with God in peace and uprightness, and turned many away from
iniquity. The lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and the people should
seek instruction from the words of the priest under the covenant of the Old
Testament. Jesus Christ had not come to become the high priest, and God's
children could only learn from the priests who now had turned towards
wicked ways. God said, "You have caused many to stumble by your
instruction and corrupted the covenant of Levi."
God asked the priests through Malachi, "Do we not all have one Father? Has
not one God created us? Why, then, are you faithless to one another,
profaning the covenant of the fathers?"
The people had become unfaithful to their own wives and their own people.
The people of Judah had profaned the sanctuary of the Lord by marrying
daughters of a foreign god. God said that he would cut them and their
descendants off from the tents of Jacob. Any man who does this would be
cut off, even if they bring offerings to the Lord of hosts. Their offering was
unclean.
God said through Malachi that there was a second thing that was an
abomination to Him. By continuing to give offering to God while they were
joined with people of idolatry, they were covering the Lord's altar with tears,
weeping and groaning. He no longer accepted their offerings.
392
The Lord was witness between them and the wives of their youth. They had
been faithless though she was their companion and their wife by covenant.
God made them both one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union.
God asked them through Malachi: "What was the One True God seeking?
Godly offspring!" He commanded them to guard themselves in spirit, and let
none of them be faithless to their wives. God said that the man who divorces
his wife covers his own garment with violence. Therefore, they should guard
themselves and not be faithless to them.
God spoke out against universalism: "You have wearied the Lord by saying
that everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and that He
delights in them. You have also wearied the Lord by asking, 'where is the
God of justice.'" Like today, the people of that day did not believe that God
would come with judgment, and were challenging the Judge.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we keep all the commandments
of God towards our women? Do we treat them as our partners or our slaves?
Do our pastors teach love and respect for our women, training the young
men to uphold their unions of marriage? Or do they teach that the women
are lessor in God's eyes? Do they condemn the women for Eve's sin, trying
to make them less in stature, when the scriptures say that "by one man sin
came into the world? Have the pastors upheld the commandments given by
God, or is it an abomination to Him? Could it be that the pastors are actually
causing the failures in marriage by not preaching the Truth?
393
The Appearance of Jesus Christ

This thread was split from another topic in the forum. It pulled the focus from
an issue that is of much larger importance than any opinion of what Jesus
Christ would have looked like.
That being said, I do not find scripture to support what WMB believed when
he described him as looking like "Hoffman's Head of Christ." I find history and
scripture that says pretty much the opposite.
Feel free to comment, I'm interested in what others have to say.
...
From the Martin Luther King discussion:
Archibald wrote:
What you think Jesus look like is your opinion. The Hoffman's head picture is
the closest to what brother Branham saw a painting came to the experience
He had of Jesus when he saw Him. You might of course not agree, but then
again you can have your own opinion.
Your opinion or understanding of Scripture of course may differ with mine
and that's alright.
I am excluding my opinion from the discussion of what Jesus Christ would
have looked like, and basing it on scriptures and actual fact. WMB used his
opinion (which he was welcome to do) but it was based on opinion and not
actual fact.
In North America, Jesus is typically depicted as taller, flowing hair, fair skin,
and light colored eyes. It makes Jesus seem more like one of the people from
this culture so that we can easily identify with Him.
Jesus was born in a vessel that was created in the womb of Mary, and opinion
would say that He would have some of her features. Scripture backs that
opinion, when the Gospel of Matthew describes his arrest. The soldiers did
not know which one was Jesus. Had he been a white male with flowing hair,
he would not have looked like the other dark-skinned disciples who were
definitely not divinely created.
He also was a carpenter, so the dark skin that he was born with would have
been even darker than those in the temples. The sun would have darkened
his skin.
394
Also, as a carpenter, he would have had a rugged appearance, at least until

He was about 30 years old. Back then, the building trade involved very
strenuous physical labor with heavy stone and lumber, without any sort of
power tools or mechanical digging equipment that are in use today. Skinny
and small muscles would not have fit.
Last, Jesus Christ did not have long hair. In 1 Corinthians 11:14, Paul wrote,
"if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him." Paul would have never called
the Lord Jesus Christ "disgraceful."
Compare these two descriptions of Jesus Christ:
Quote:
"He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance
that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of
sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their
faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He took up our
infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God,
smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions [see
How Did Jesus Christ Die?], He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment
that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed."
(Isaiah 53:2-5)
vs.
Quote:
There's not an artist in the world could paint His picture, the characters of His
face.
--55-0117 HOW.THE.ANGEL.CAME.TO.ME.AND.HIS.COMMISSION
But Jesus a little frail Fellow.
--51-1003 BELIEVEST.THOU.THIS
His opinion of Jesus Christ was not a fault -- WMB was welcome to his
opinion.
Where he crossed the line was when he first claimed that he had seen an
angel in the "room", "cave", "cabin" or "den", described that angel as "dark
skinned", "light skinned", "clean-shaven, "bearded" .... and than said that he
had seen Jesus Christ instead of the angel.
His appearance would definitely have been that of a tanned, muscular,
physically-fit young man dressed in durable and practical clothing - which
made Him indistinguishable from the "blue-collar" Fishermen who were with
395
Him when He was arrested. The prophet Isaiah confirms His ordinary
appearance
396
The Eternal Covenant of Peace

In Isaiah 54, God spoke words of comfort through Isaiah. It was the eternal
covenant of peace.
God said for the barren to sing, and sing loudly. The children of the desolate
would one day be more than the children of the married. They should
enlarge their tents and increase the size of their habitations. God said, "Do
not hold back, lengthen the cords and strengthen the stakes!" God said
through Isaiah that they would be spread abroad and their offspring would
possess the nations and fill the desolate cities.
God gave them comfort, telling them not to fear. They would not be
ashamed. He told them not to be confounded, they would not be disgraced.
Forget the shame of the past, they would remember their reproach no more.
He said their Maker was their husband, and Yahweh is his name. He said that
the Holy one of Israel is their Redeemer, and He is the God of the whole
earth.
The Lord had called them like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit, like a
young wife when she is cast off. For a brief moment, they were deserted by
God, but He said he would gather them together with great compassion. He
had overflowing anger for only a moment and hid His face from them, but He
would have compassion on them with everlasting Love.
God said that this is like the days of Noah to him. As he swore that the
waters of Noah would never again cover the earth, He swore that he would
not be angry with them or rebuke them. The mountains may depart and the
hills vanish away, but His steadfast love would never depart from them. His
covenant of peace would not be removed.
God spoke through Isaiah, "O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted,
behold I will set your stones in antimony and lay your foundations with
sapphires." He said that their children would be taught by the Lord and there
would be great peace for their children. They would be established in
righteousness, far from oppression. They would not fear from any terror, for
it would not come near to them.
God said that if anyone brought them trouble, it is not from God. Whoever
does this will fail because of them. God created the blacksmith who blows
the coals of fire and produces weapons for its purpose. He also created the
ravager to destroy. No weapon fastened against them will succeed. Every
tongue that speaks against them in judgment would be refuted by them.
397
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me,
declares the Lord!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we his servants? Do we claim
this heritage? When any man rises up against us, do we remember who our
Father is? When men come against us with evil plans, do we not remember
that we have the same creator that created that evil man? When men bear
false witness against us in judgment, do we remember that God created their
tongues? Do we accept the eternal covenant of peace?
398
The God of Judgment

Psalm 50 reminds us that we serve not only a loving God of peace, but a God
of judgment that is deserving of our praise.
God spoke and set the earth before the sun from the rising to the sunset. He
shines his perfection of beauty out of Zion.
The Lord God will come and will not keep silent. A great fire will devour
everything before him and it will be tempestuous all about. God will call to
the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge his people. He
will gather His saints that made a covenant to Him by sacrifice. The heavens
shall declare His righteousness, for God is the Judge.
The writer says, "Listen to God, and He will speak. He will testify against
Israel, for he is thy God." He would not reprove them for their sacrifice or
burnt offerings continually before God. He would not take their livestock.
Every animal in the forest is His, as well as the cattle upon a thousand hills.
He knows all of the birds flying in the mountaintops, and the wild animals of
the fields are all His.
If God were hungry, he would not tell them, because the world is His and the
fullness of the world. Does God eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of
goats? Their offering to God was for thanksgiving and they were paying their
vows to the God Most High.
Call on Him in the day of trouble, and He would deliver them. They would
glorify God.
But unto the wicked God asked what they had to do to declare His statutes or
take His covenant. They hated instruction and had left God's Word behind.
When they saw a thief, they joined in his wickedness and had been partakers
with adulterers. Their mouth was given to evil and their tongue to deceit.
They spoke against their brothers, slandering the son of their own mother.
All of this evil was done, yet God kept His silence. They thought that God
was on their side, but He would reprove them and set them in order before
their eyes.
Consider this, you that forget God. Otherwise, God will tear you in pieces
and there will be none to deliver you.
Whoever offers praise to God glorifies Him.
Those that keep their
conversation right with God will be shown the salvation of God.
399
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we forget that our loving God is

also a God of judgment? Now that Christ has come and the confession of our
sins puts them under His blood, do we confess them? Do we consider ALL of
the sixty-seven sins listed in the New Testament, or do we simply pick and
choose the few that are easy for us to keep? Is God keeping His silence
about our uncovered sin? Do we offer praise to God? Do we keep our
conversation right with God?
400
Our Accuser's Case Is with God, Not Man

After Eliphaz had accused Job of not fearing God, Job answered in Job 16.
He asked them if their "windy words" had any end, and what provoked them
to ramble on about such things. Were he in their shoes, Job could also join
words together to speak against them and shake his head in shame at them.
Job said that surely God had worn him out and made all of his companions
turn against him. He said that God had shriveled him up in such a way that
even the leanness of his body spoke against him, testifying from his own
face. Job felt that God had given him over to his adversaries.
He told them that God had given him up to the ungodly and was now placed
into the hands of the wicked. He was at peace and God had torn that peace
apart.
But through it all, Job remembered God. He did not forget who was the
almighty, powerful, wonderful God. Job said that his witness is in heaven.
The One that testified for him was on High.
He said that though his friends scorned him, his eyes poured out tears to
God. His friends were arguing the case of a man with God.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: When we are tried and tested by
God, who's Word do we hold onto? The Word of God or the words of man?
When God turns us over to our accusers to be tested, do we give in or do we
take our stand for Christ? Do we remember the almighty powerful God, our
witness in heaven? Do we remember that Christ will stand before us in the
day of Judgment, as an interceder for our sins? Have we put our sins under
the blood so that our accusers now argue their cases with God instead of us?
20120630_God_Will_Never_Abandon_Us
401
God Will Never Abandon Us

In Psalm 16, David writes that God will never abandon our souls.
He says, "Preserve me, O God, for in You I take refuge!" David said that he
had nothing good besides God. As for the saints, David said that they are
excellent. He delighted in the saints that were in the land.
Those that served other gods would have increasing sorrow. David refused
to take their offerings of blood, pour it upon their altars, or even speak their
names. The One True God was his chosen God, and He had given David a
wonderful inheritance with Him.
David blessed the Lord who gave his instruction. He said that he always set
the Lord before himself because the Lord walked beside him at his right
hand. He would not be shaken.
Because of the Lord, he had a merry heart and his whole being rejoiced. He
felt safe and secure. God would never abandon his soul or let His holy one
see corruption.
God let David know the path to life. In God's presence there is the fullness of
joy. At His right hand are pleasures forevermore.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we walk with God? Do we take
refuge in Him?
Do we refuse all others, whether it's men, work,
entertainment, or more that are our idols of today? Can we truly say that we
have nothing good but God, and that we take our delight in Him?
402
The Destruction of the Prideful

Obadiah tells us about the humbling of Edom.
The Lord God spoke through Obadiah, saying that he had been sent as a
messenger among the nations to prepare them for battle. Their pride had
consumed them, and God would make them small compared to the other
nations.
The Edomites lived in the clefts of the mountains, and their dwellings were at
a very high altitude. They felt secure in their city, saying "Who can bring us
to the ground?"
God said that though they soar like the eagle, and though their nest was set
in high places, they would be brought down. God declared it.
They were not only prideful, but consumed by their wealth. God said that if
thieves came in the night, they would have been devastated. Though the
thieves would only have stole enough for themselves, their pride would have
fallen.
God gave them a parallel about those who would rob a vineyard. Though
they would steal from the vineyard, the thieves of their time would have left
enough for the owner. Edom had placed too much pride on their material
wealth.
God reminded them about their father Esau, who sold his birthright. The
Edomites were boastful to God for having great wealth and prosperity when
their father had no birthright. God said that their treasures had been sought
out.
The allies of the Edomites had turned against them, leaving them bound
within their cities. Their peaceful neighboring cities had deceived them and
had prevailed. Those that had commerce with the Edomites had set a trap
for them, and they were unaware.
The Lord declared that on that day He would destroy the wise men of Edom.
The mighty men would be dismayed because every man from Mount Esau
would be slaughtered.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Does our pride consume us? In this
day of the material world, do we let our possessions turn our hearts and
minds away from God? Is God displeased with our prideful ways? When He
returns in judgment, will he destroy us?
403
Watching for His Return

Ezekiel 39 prophesies about the last days and the coming Glory of the Lord.
The Lord told Ezekiel to prophesy against Gog, and tell them that the Lord
God was against Gog, the chief prince of Mashech and Tubal. The Lord would
turn Gog about, drive forward, bring from the uttermost parts of the North,
and lead Gog against the mountains of Israel.
There is speculation about who the "Gog" spoken about in the last days will
be, but the most common belief is Russia. Gog, Masech and Tubal combined
seem to represent a general area containing Turkey, Northern Iran, and parts
of Southern Russia.
Regardless, God spoke through Ezekiel to warn them that he would strike
with power. God would strike their bow from their left hand and make their
arrows drop out of their right hand. God is all powerful, and would disarm
them.
He continues on to say that they will fall on the mountains of Israel, as well
as all of the hordes of people who are with them. God will turn them over to
the vultures of every sort and the wild animals, letting them feed on their
carcasses.
Jesus Himself confirms this in Luke 17:37, correctly translated to say "Where
the corpse is, there the vultures will gather." The disciples had asked how
they would know when the end was near, and Jesus let them know that the
battle of Armageddon would be the most obvious sign of the times.
God declared that he would no longer let his Name be profaned. He would
send fire on Magog and those who live in security on the coastlands. He said
that "They shall know that I am the Lord."
Then, His Holy Name would be known in the midst of His people, Israel. God
declared that this is the day that is coming, and was the day of which He had
spoken.
Those who dwell in the cities of Israel will burn their weapons and
ammunition, and would make fires of them for seven years. They would not
need firewood from the field, for they would make fire from their weapons.
The Lord declared that Israel will seize the spoil of those who plundered
them.
On that great and terrible day, God would give Gog a place for burial in
Israel. The Valley of the Travelers, east of the sea, would block travelers.
404
Gog and all his multitude will be buried there. That valley would be called
Hamon-Gog.
Hamon was the main antagonist in the Book of Esther, the prince of ancient
Persia, which is modern day Iran. Together with Magog, which is generally
considered to be Central Asia, God declared that their bones would lay in the
valley for all to see.
God said that it would take seven months to bury them in order to cleanse
the land. All the people of the land would bury them, and they would be
renown on the day that His Glory is declared. They would appoint men to
travel the area to find the remaining bodies to bury. Anyone finding a human
bone would mark it for these men to bury as they cleanse the land.
God spoke to Ezekiel, telling him to tell the birds of the air and the beasts of
the field to assemble. This would be the greatest sacrificial feast of all time,
a great sacrificial feast on the mountains of Israel. They would eat the flesh
of the mighty and drink the blood of the princes. God said that the animals
will be filled at His table with great and mighty men of all kinds.
Then, God would set his Glory among the nations, and all would see His
judgment. The house of Israel will know that He is the Lord their God, and all
nations will know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity.
Because they fell into idolatry, God hid His Face from them.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we watching for the coming of
the Lord? When we see the nations gathering together around Israel
preparing for war, do we make our hearts right with Him? As the signs of the
times are being displayed all around us, do we focus on His Word? Are we
preparing for the greatest sacrificial feast of all time? Or have we fallen back
into idolatry?
405
James E. McDonald
There are other threads in this forum that focus on the evolution of the
"vision of the blast" that transformed into the "experience of the cloud",
some that address WMB's being in Houston, TX when the cloud appeared,
and many posts revolving around the many different inconsistencies and
fabrications of "The Mysterious Cloud."
What this forum and others lack is a study of the man who introduced
William Branham to this cloud, James Edward McDonald.
James Edward McDonald (May 7, 1920 - June 13, 1971) was senior physicist
at the Institute for Atmospheric Physics and professor in the Department of
Meteorology, University of Arizona, Tucson. Though many MSG followers
believe McDonald was spearheading an investigation of this "supernatural
cloud" for the purposes of the US Government's investigation to the
unexplained, they would be surprised to learn that this is far from the truth.
James McDonald did not earn his fame from his work with the US government
and did not work for the FBI as some have claimed. Mr. McDonald was a UFO
chaser.
Long before his investigation of the 1963 cloud, McDonald had became well
known for investigating unexplained phenomenon in the sky. Everything from
unexplained fireballs to lights making high-speed ninety-degree turns were
studied and documented by McDonald in preparation for his moment of fame
which will be mentioned later in this study.
On February 28, 1963, McDonald thought that he had his ultimate vindication
of his beliefs in visitors from another planet. A horseshoe shaped formation
in the skies looked to be the entry point for an alien spacecraft, and it was
beyond explanation.
After the publication of the article in Science magazine, letters to the editor
started pouring in from fellow UFO chasers as well as conspiracy theorists
with hypothesis regarding the US government's new aircraft. Many thought it
was an enhancement to the X-11, but McDonald did not accept this theory.
According to McDonald, his analysis of the formation did not match his data
collected about the X-11 aircraft. McDonald had something else in mind.
McDonald was planning on gathering enough evidence that extra-terrestrial
life did exist, and that we were not alone on this planet. Several unexplained
occurrences were studied and documented by McDonald with the help of
others, and McDonald planned to confront the US government with his
research.
406
McDonald tried every way possible to prove that this "supernatural cloud"
was completely unexplained, but unfortunately he could not discount all of
the evidence. There were simply too many possibilities from aircraft trails
and rocket detonations to nuclear blasts. He released more than one study
on the cloud formation as an ongoing study, but in the end abandoned the
research since a T.H.O.R. missile was the most likely possibility of its
origination.
What many MSG followers today fail to realize is that Mr. McDonald was NOT
trying to find the cause of the formation so much as he was trying to prove
that it was unexplainable. After exhausting every angle of his research,
McDonald went on to bigger and better things. He actually did not prove that
the cloud was unexplainable, Mr. McDonald claimed just the opposite by
abandoning his research.
In 1968, McDonald had gathered enough evidence that there was
unexplained phenomenon in the skies that he presented his case to
Congress. What initially started as an objection to the Government's plans to
develop a supersonic transport (SST) plane quickly became a debate on
UFOs. McDonald tried to present evidence that the SST planes would harm
the ozone layer, but Congressman Silvio Conte of Massachusetts turned the
argument directly against McDonald himself.
Congressman Conte had knowledge of McDonald's UFO studies, and
switched the discussion to McDonald's instable mental capacities. Conte
bluntly stated that anyone who "believes in little green men" was, in his
opinion, not a credible witness.
McDonald defended his UFO research. McDonald appeared before a
committee of the United States Congress to present a 53-page assessment
on his UFO research, which he thought would prove his stance and vindicate
him as the "UFO Expert." Unfortunately, he suffered severe public
humiliation. Members of the committee openly mocked McDonald and
discredited him as any form of credible witness.
McDonald's
research
can
be
found
online
at
http://www.ufoevidence.org/Newsite/Files/MacDonaldSubmissionUFOSymposi
um.pdf. What is interesting to note is that there is NO MENTION of the
"supernatural cloud" since McDonald had discredited the idea as
unexplainable. According to other researchers, his peers claim that his
particular cloud was generally believed to be a result of the T.H.O.R.
detonation, and there was no solid reason to believe otherwise.
After this event, Mr. McDonald suffered mental anxiety that led into mental
instability. He was becoming professionally isolated by his peers that did not
407
consider McDonald to be credible, and was not well liked by his

acquaintances. Some studies described him as sometimes forceful and
impatient, while others, less charitably, called him blunt and abrasive.
In April 1971 he attempted suicide by shooting himself in the head. He
survived the attempt, but was blinded and was crippled into a wheelchair.
McDonald was committed to the psychiatric ward of a Tucson, Arizona
hospital. He recovered a degree of peripheral vision, and made plans to
return to his teaching position, but on June 13, 1971 ultimately took his own
life.
His body was found close to a creek next to the bridge spanning the Canada
Del Oro Wash near Tucson. A .38 caliber revolver was found close to him, as
well as a suicide note.
In his lifetime, McDonald interviewed over 500 UFO witnesses, uncovered
many important government UFO documents, and gave key presentations of
UFO evidence. McDonald also gave a famous speech called "Science in
Default" to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
that was a summary of the current UFO evidence and a critique of the 1969
Condon Report UFO study.
408
Waiting for the God of Salvation

Micah 7 teaches us to wait for the God of Salvation.
Micah cried out because there was none godly that remained on the earth.
There was not one that was upright before God among all mankind.
Mankind was against each other, lying in wait for each other's blood. Evil
was in their hands, woven with bribery and deceit. No trust could be placed
in neighbors or friends, sons or daughters, or other family members.
But Micah took his stand. "As for me," he said, "I will look to the Lord. I will
wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me."
Micah told his enemies not to rejoice, God was his light in the darkness. He
would bear his sins until God pleads his case to execute judgment. When the
enemies cry out against him asking, "Where is your God," they themselves
will be trampled down like the mire in the streets.
In that day, Israel will be far extended. People from mountain to mountain
and sea to sea will come, but the earth will be desolate because of the fruit
of their deeds.
Micah instructed to shepherd the people, though they dwell alone in the
midst of a garden land. As in the days when God brought the children of
Israel out of Egypt, He will show them marvelous things. The nations will
watch and be ashamed of all their deeds and might.
Micah praised the Lord for his steadfast love and compassion. "Who is a God
like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant
of His inheritance?" Micah asked. God does not retain his anger forever, and
will again have compassion. He will tread over our iniquities and cast all our
sins into the depths of the sea. God will show faithfulness to Jacob and
steadfast love to Abraham, as He had sworn to the fathers in the days of old.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we wait patiently for salvation?
Do we partake in the evil that is around us, or do we shut ourselves alone
with God? Do we look for His return, when He will again show his mighty
power to all nations? Do we praise Him for giving us salvation?
409
His Steadfast Love

Psalm 130 tells of God's steadfast love.
I cry out to you, Lord God, and ask that you please hear my voice. Please
listen for my plea for mercy.
If you were to keep track of my iniquity, who in this world could stand? But
you, Lord, offer forgiveness so that we will fear the One True God.
I wait on you lord, and your Word gives me hope. Like the watchmen waiting
for the morning, I can count on you even more.
People, put your hope and trust in the Lord! With Him there is steadfast love,
and plenty of redemption! He will redeem his people from all iniquity!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we plead daily for the lord to
have mercy on our sinful ways? Do we thank Him that He so freely forgives?
Do we find hope in God's Word?
410
The Converted Mexican General

William Branham often mentioned the converted Mexican General that made
his meetings in Old Mexico possible.
The first time this general is mentioned is in 1956. There were supposedly
400 churches involved, and they were expecting a hundred thousand at that
meeting.
Branham claimed that this was the first time in history that Protestants were
welcomed in Mexico, but this general of the Mexican army was born again
with the Holy Ghost. The general supposedly claimed to have used his clout
with the "Governor" of Mexico to grant them clearance with military
protection.
Though the name of the "general" giving by WMB changes a few times, and
none of the names can be found in the list of Mexican generals. Worse, most
of the claims made in the ever-changing story do not seem to be factual.
Quote:
And then on the sixteenth we begin in Old Mexico, Mexico City, Old Mexico.
Mr. Arganbright just called me, and they secured the big bull arena there,
that has a seating capacity of sixty-thousand. And there's four hundred
churches cooperating, already signed up. We're expecting a hundred
thousand at the meeting. And it's the first time this--we have something to
praise God for, the first time in the history of Mexico, that the government
has ever welcomed a Protestant in and give us a place to come, the first time
in the history of Mexico a Protestant ever been welcome.
And General...?... is a General of the Mexican Army has just been borned
again and received the Holy Ghost. And by his courtesy to the Governor of
Mexico, gives us the government rights to go in with the militia protection.
And--and we're--I've got the big bull arena; that's the biggest thing there is in
all Mexico; it seats sixty-thousand round like this, besides the--the room
where they do the fighting at, you know, in there. And we got it for ten
straight nights now without any interruption, right straight through for ten
straight nights. Be praying for me. I just feel the--hear the sound of
abundance of rain down there. I just... The Mexican people are very simple,
humble believers, and once convinced... They're Catholic, and once
convinced that a truth is the truth, then that settles it for all.
56-0304 MAKING.A.WAY
In 1956, the picture painted about this mostly Catholic country is not an
accurate one. And William Branham was not the first Protestant welcome in
Mexico.
411
Presbyterians were the first Protestants to begin work in Mexico, starting in

1872. There was a time when Protestants were not welcome in Mexico, but
that time was almost a hundred years before 1956. In 1857 that changed.
Until 1857, all forms of religion except Roman Catholicism were forbidden in
Mexico. Liberal leader Benito Juarez passed legislation permitting freedom of
worship, and started encouraging development of evangelical (Protestant)
churches.
In 1872, the General Assembly voted to establish a formal mission in Mexico,
building upon the work of these earlier leaders. The Board appointed the
Reverend and Mrs. Henry C. Thomson, the Reverend and Mrs. Maxwell
Phillips, the Reverend Paul Henry Pitkin, the Reverend and Mrs. Merrill N.
Hutchinson and Miss Ellen P. Allen as its first missionaries.
Presbyterians were not the only presence in Mexico, Methodists had also
grown in number. A young group of men called the "Brothers Ten" studied at
the Methodist Seminary in Mexico City from 1946 through 1956, and went
throughout Mexico establishing Methodist churches.
The only thing really unique to Mexico in 1956 was the arrival of Samuel Aun
Weor to Mexico City. In 1956, Weor moved from Columbia to settle down in
Mexico City and spread his secret religion of Gnosticism, which was
considered heresy by the Roman Catholic Church. Though there is no solid
connection to Weor and Branham's meeting in Mexico City, there is a strange
and eerie connection between Weor, Branham, and Jim Jones.
In Branham's first mention of this Mexico City trip, he describes the meeting
plans of Mexico City along with his meetings at the Cadle Tabernacle in
Indianapolis, IN. The two campaigns supposedly had no connection
whatsoever, yet WMB links them in the same campaign plan.
Branham and Weor believed that the end was 1977. Weor even mentions this
fact in his book entitled The Three Mountains, in a chapter entitled "The
Resurrection" In 1977, Branham had already died, Weor died that year, and it
evidently spooked Jim Jones. He took his congregation to South America and
took the lives of his entire congregation. Jones was also known for
frequenting Mexico City, the location of Weor's following.
Notice, in the second retelling of the story with the general, a planned
meeting turns into a vision.
Quote:
I come back home. Well, I went out to pray. Many people were there, and
Brother Arganbright come up from down in there, and he said, "Brother
Branham, here's the General Valdena and many of the Mexican government,
and the first time in all the world's history, or the history of Mexico that ever
a Protestant was invited in by the--by the government." And said, "You must
come."
412
And so I said, "Let me pray first." I went back out to the woods and I prayed.
And the next morning before daylight, the Lord came to me, give a vision.
And said, "Go on back down to Mexico; I'll be with you."
56-0403 SHEPHERD.OF.THE.SHEEPFOLD
He does admit that he was not the only one involved in the meeting, there
were Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian sponsors that asked him to come:
Quote:
And General Valdena, which is my friend that got me in by the Mexican
government as a non-Catholic to come and have the meeting, and so he's
invited me back again in the churches. My sponsorship there was Baptist,
Methodist, Presbyterian, and so forth like that, who brought me into the city.
59-1125 FROM.THE.BEGINNING.IT.WASN'T.SO
"Ten straight nights" quickly becomes one single night, which makes it clear
that WMB was not the only speaker at this event. It had been planned,
organized, and approved beforehand.
Quote:
Down in Mexico City last year, when General Valdena--the Ge... Many of you
brethren (I guess) know General Valdena the--one of the outstanding
generals in the Mexican army. I had the privilege of being the first Protestant
ever invited to Mexico City to pray for the sick people or have a meeting, by
the Mexican army; and that was through General Valdena. I just met him the
other day at the convention, the Full Gospel Businessmen, shook hands with
him. "Try and come back again."
We was only there three night. I'd went to the bull ring, but we didn't get
that. So they had a great big place out there in the field--a big--another big
arena like. And the people... Now, talk about wanting Christ, they come there
at nine o'clock in the morning, no place to set down, and I didn't even arrive
till nine at night. They'd just lean against one another, like sheep standing in
a field.
60-0713 BLIND.BARTIMAEUS
It's interesting that WMB claims that his background is Catholic, when we've
already found that he was from a Baptist and Methodist background. He
starts building "General" Medina up as a great and mighty military man,
placing him as a focal point to the story of his barely getting into Mexico:
Quote:
Now, we find that in this virgin birth, many of the people... You precious
Catholic people... My background's Catholic too, you know. So we find out
that today you take Mary and make her a goddess, an intercessor.
Brother Valdena, here somewhere on the platform, I believe, was down in
Mexico. General Medina, Medina. He was here the other night. Put his arms
413
around me, and spoke through his interpreter, and said, "Brother Branham, I
admire your courage to stand on your convictions." Said, "Stay with it, son."
He's a man, military man; he knows what it means to give an order, and
stand out there on the front line, "You stay at your post." That's what God
wants His soldiers to do: stand at the post of duty regardless of what comes
or goes. Stay there. Stay right there. So he said...
62-0128A A.PARADOX
In 1962, the story really starts to change. It becomes a good vs. evil story,
with all odds against him. He ties "poor and illiterate" to these people
attending the meetings in the story.
Quote:
Listen. I was in Mexico about four years ago, and they told us we could have
the bull ring. General Valdena had brought me down, first American nonCatholic that had ever been brought down. When the bishop of the Catholic
church went up before the president, and said, "Your honor, sir, this man is
coming in here non-Catholic," and said, "he gets government support, from
General Valdena, military support." Said, "Our nation doesn't stand for that."
And so the president said back. He said, "The man's a reputable man."
Said, "Oh, he's--he's just a renegade."
Said, "I don't think tens of thousands of people would go out to hear a
renegade."
And he said--he said, "But you see, sir," the bishop said to the president,
"you see, sir, only the poor and illiterate is the only thing that goes to hear
him."
He said, "You've had them for five hundred years. Why are they poor and
illiterate?" That was a good question.
62-0608 PERSEVERANCE
He then increases the story, telling the congregation that he gained entrance
by military force. The Catholic bishop protested, but their "ignorance" was
again the reason WMB was allowed in.
Quote:
Reminds me of a little story we had down in Mexico, where the Christian
Business Men's "Voice" had an article of it here not long ago. We went down
there and the... General Valdena was the one who had me down there. And
so they got in a little trouble about the Mexican government bringing in a
Protestant, and so--by this military force. And so the bishop went over and
said, "Sir," said, "you know this man's not a Catholic?"
He said, "No," but said, "I guess he's a reputable person. Thousands come to
hear him preach, they say."
He said, "Oh, it's just the ignorant and unlearned that goes out to hear a
person like that."
414
Said, "You've had them down here for five hundred years. Why are they
ignorant and unlearned?"
Guess that was a good shut-up. So they let us have a place out there, and
thousands gathered in. And I was to be there about three nights. One night
on the platform, I looked, and here come a poor old Mexican brother, blind as
he could be, his feet bare and calloused all over, his old hat in his hand,
sewed with cords, his trouser legs tore off up there. I looked at him, dusty all
over. He was coming along there holding his hat in his hand. He was
mumbling off something to the man that was bringing him. When he got
close to me, he reached down in his pocket and got out a little crucifix and
begin to--to say a "Hail, Mary." I had him to put it up.
62-0623 PERSEVERANT
Again, the good vs. evil story later that year:
Quote:
Here not long ago I was down in Mexico (closing). We was having a great
meeting. General Valdena, many of you know him, that great Mexican
general, he went to the governor, got permission for me to come in. And the
bishop in Rome, or Roman bishop, Catholic bishop, went to him and said,
"Sir, this man coming in is not a Catholic." He said, "Our government
shouldn't permit such as that."
"Oh," the bishop said, "General Valdena is bringing him in. I guess he's a
reputable person. He... They say he has great crowds of people and so forth."
"Oh," he said, "nothing goes out to hear them things such as that but the
ignorant and unlearned."
The gov--the president said to him, said, "Sir, you've had them for five
hundred years. Why are they ignorant and unlearned?" Said, "As far as I'm
concerned, he can come."
62-0714 THE.UNCERTAIN.SOUND
Then, he adds the fear in the tone of voice from the bishop, fear that WMB
would bring thousands of people out of Catholicism.
Quote:
Here not long ago down in Mexico (And I'm closing.), we was having a
meeting there, and I had a great thing. It's a great Catholic country, and all
of you, pretty near, you ministers know General Valdena. He--he was the one
taking me in.
The government... The bishop of the Catholic church went up, told the
president, said, "Well, you're bringing a Ca--a non-Catholic in here."
He said, "Well," said, "General Valdena says it's a reputable person."
Said, "Well," said, "there isn't nothing like that in here." Said, "You... We can't
do that."
415
He said, "Why," he said, "they tell me that thousands of people come out to
his meetings," the president said.
He said, "Well, nothing goes out there but just the ignorant and unlearned."
He said, "You've had them five hundred years. Why are they ignorant and
unlearned?" Guess that would crop off the feathers. See?
62-0719E PERSEVERANT
He continues the same story a few times, and then adds ropes and a ring to
the story, showing how difficult it was for a Protestant to gain entrance in a
Catholic country. What is interesting is that between 1962 and 1963, the
general's name changed.
Quote:
And General Valdivia taken me in. I guess you knowed of him, he is one of
the Christian businessmen. And first protestant ever taken in under the
government protection. General Valdivia in Mexico, so then I was...
262 That night I got in, they let me down on some ropes, back out the back
of the ring. I come down into it like this, by ropes, from back off of a car. And
while I got down into the ring, I walked over there. And Billy come to me, my
son, he said, "There is a fellow there been giving out prayer cards." I call him
Maana, that means "tomorrow," he was so slow, and he never would
come get me. So he would give out the prayer cards.
63-1116E PERSEVERANCE
The story grows more as WMB starts believing that "Elijah of the last day will
come as the Lord Jesus Christ". He healed the sick and the blind, and the
audience just wanted to "touch the hem of his garment."
Quote:
When I look at this, it reminds me of down in Mexico here, a few years ago in
Mexico City. We were there one night, there had been a blind man, the night
before, come on the platform, totally blind for many years. I looked at his
feet. I was standing there with a good suit on, pair of shoes. I looked at his.
He was blind, no shoes on, ragged trousers, standing out there in that rain.
Oh, maybe thirty thousand, or more, standing there in that rain, leaning
against one another, no seats; been there since early that morning, just
waiting to get there that night. And there had been this blind man, had
received his sight.
9 And the next night, much, about twice the size of this bench here,
whatever we'd call it, but just on the platform, was just ricks almost as high
as what that curtain hangs, of just old shawls and coats, and that the people
had wore and thrown up there. "Just that we might touch it!"
Most all were Catholic, of course, there in Mexico City.
416
10 And I got in, being the first Protestant ever come in under military
invitation. That was from General Valdivia, our good friend here, Full Gospel
Business Men.
64-0126 WHAT.SHALL.WE.DO.WITH.THIS.JESUS.CALLED.CHRIST
Last, he takes away the seats of the bull ring, and has the audience standing
in the hot sun and rain for multiple days:
Quote:
I was in Mexico City about three years ago. How many knows Brother
Espinoza, you Spanish people here? Well, I guess many of you. He was my
interpreter. We was down there in Mexico City. I was, far as they know, the
only Protestant ever come in there, sponsored by the government. But
General Valdivia, you remember him, his is one of the Christian Business
Men, had received, been saved and filled with the Holy Ghost, and he had
got through the government and got me in.
145 And so we got another big ring out there. It seated several thousand
people; didn't seat nothing, they had to stand up. And you--you think about
having to stand here for two or three hours in this room, them people stood
in that hot blazing desert sun, there from nine o'clock at morning, till nine
that night, day after day. And, one night, pouring down rain, they stood
there; and them young Mexican women, the hair hanging down their face,
and it raining so hard I couldn't see halfway across the audience. Didn't make
any difference to them; they was holding onto that Word of Life.
64-0619 PERSEVERANT
The question is, since there is no record of this general "Medina" "Valdena" or
"Valdivia" being in the Mexican army, who was he? Was this man Samuel Aun
Weor, who had a similar Gnostic faith? Did WMB tell Weor about the 1977
date, or did Weor teach WMB about his 1977 vision? Was Jim Jones also
involved in the Mexico City meetings?
417
Responsibility of a Pastor
John 10 reminds us that our pastors have a responsibility for watching over
their congregation.
Jesus told His disciples that any person who enters the sheepfold any other
way than through the door is a thief and a robber. Jesus said that He was
that door. Any shepherd entering in to watch over the flock must go in
through Jesus Christ.
The sheep will follow the shepherd with a familiar voice, and that voice must
be the Word of God. They will not follow a stranger, and will flee from
strangers.
Jesus said that all who came before Him were thieves and robbers, but His
sheep did not listen to them. The thieves come only to steal, kill, and
destroy. Jesus Christ came so that they may have life eternal.
He is the Good Shepherd. A good shepherd will lay down his life for his
sheep. Those that are hired hands instead of shepherds will flee when they
see the wolf coming. They will allow the wolf to come in, snatching the
sheep and scattering them. The hired hand cares nothing for the sheep.
Peter says in 1 Peter 5 that pastors are not to be domineering over others,
being good examples for the flock. He uses the word "elders" to show that
large flocks will require others to help support the flock. He considered
himself a "fellow elder" instead of a "powerful leader."
Peter says that those who watch over the flock as good examples to them
will have their day of victory. When the Chief Shepherd appears, they will
receive the unfading crown of Glory.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do our shepherds watch over their
flock? Do they even know the trials their flock face? Did they get into that
position through Christ, having a flock that listens to their voice, or did they
get in some other way? Are they in that role because of the love of money,
as a "hired hand?" When wolves knock at the door, do they stand for their
sheep? Or do they bear false witness to protect themselves? Do they take
control, as a dictator over the other elders? Or do they receive advice from
God through those other elders? Will they receive the unfading crown of
Glory?
418
1977: The Prophetic Prediction

Matthew 24:14 tells us that when the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been
proclaimed throughout the whole world, the end will come.
Prophecy that aligns with scripture is the most accurate, but is unfortunately
one of the most abused. There are many religions and cultures that prophecy
of a coming Armageddon, and many Christian leaders who prophesy the
same. Their prophecy cannot be questioned since the Bible speaks of
Armageddon -- unless a date is given with their prophecy. No man knows the
time of the end.
Since the preaching of the Gospel can easily be tied to the end of the world
by scripture, spiritual leaders who are watching the spreading of the Gospel
have a slight advantage over the members of churches who do not feel the
need to study these statistics, giving them a Vegas-style edge over the
numbers game. Still, there was not and is not an accurate way for any man
to know the end time without some guessing.
Unless you lived in the '50s and '60s.
The International Bible Society boasted that in the years that lead up to the
1960's that it began an extensive mission to translate the Bible in well over
350 more languages than ever before and completing Christ's promise in
Matthew (to reach the entire world with the Gospel) around the year 1977
A.D. Obviously, the world did not end in 1977, but many thought it would
once the Bible had reached the world.
Those who studied numerology also felt there was significance, especially in
the seventh day of the seventh month of the seventy-seventh year (7-7-77).
Prophetic songs were written such as "Two Sevens Clash", causing entire
cities to remain trembling in fear in their homes.
Those who studied mysticism and pyramidology also believed that 1977 had
great significance. Adam Rutherford, believed to be the greatest
pyramidologist of all time wrote a book entitled "The Mysteries of the
Redemption: A Treatise on Out-Of-Body Travel and Mysticism" in 1957. He
believed that the millennium would begin in 1977 according to the mystic
principles of the Great Pyramid of Giza.
The IBS, Joseph Hill's "Two Sevens Clash," and pyramid mysticism matched
with a long passed John Wroe who prophesied the same. Wroe was so
committed to this prophesy that he made a public display of himself by being
publicly circumcised in 1823.
419
William Branham claimed to have based his "prediction" on the scriptures,

calling 1977 the "year of the jubilee." The claim was that on the 50th year,
there would be a great "going up." His "jubilee calendar" supposedly started
in 1933. The only problem is that 1977-1933 = 44 not 50.
Since we can discount this prediction based on his calendar of jubilees with
miscalculated dates, we have to assume that his prediction was based on
other factors. He claimed to believe the Pyramid was "a Bible" in its day,
giving evidence that pyramid mysticism played a role in the calculation. It is
probable that he read the works of Rutherford.
He also was greatly involved in the doctrines of numerology, specifically the
number five and the number seven. The clashing sevens would have been a
significant day in his doctrinal stance. When combined with the forecast by
the IBS, we can easily see how his prediction took form.
Many debate whether this was a "prophecy" or a "prediction" by William
Branham, though in the mouth of a prophet these words mean one and the
same. This study does not intend to debate the similar meanings of the
particular word that he chose.
The question here is, why did WMB chose to say that his revelation was
based on scripture? Was he embarrassed that he believed in pyramid
mysticism? Or embarrassed that he studied statistics on Christianity? Or was
this "prediction" without mention of the other research intended to elevate
himself as a more "powerful" prophet?
420
Punishment for Speaking Against God's Children

Ezekiel 26 tells of the downfall of the city of Tyre, God's punishment for
mocking His children.
Tyre was a peaceful city of commerce, unlike the Ammonites and Edomites.
They were a well-fortified port city in today's Lebanon that allowed merchant
trade to flow inland to the other cities. Thought their power was in their
business acquaintances and trade industry, though some of the cities they
traded with may have been bigoted towards Israel. They were dedicated to
increasing their own wealth for reasons of comfort, and saw Jerusalem as a
rival instead of an enemy.
When Jerusalem fell into ruin, the men of Tyre mocked the city of God's
Chosen, saying, "Aha, the gate of the peoples is broken; it has swung open to
me. I shall be replenished, now that she is laid waste!" Now that Jerusalem
had been laid waste, the commerce would flow to Tyre without the
competition.
God was greatly displeased. Though Ezekiel was over a thousand kilometers
away in Babylon, God told Ezekiel to go and prophesy against Tyre.
Through Ezekiel, God said that he was against Tyre. He would cause many
nations to rise against Tyre as the sea crashes against the seashore. Since
Tyre mocked the plunder of Jerusalem, God said that now they would be
plundered. Through their downfall, God would show His power and all would
know that He is the Lord.
Their fall would send mourning throughout the land. God said the princes of
the sea will step down from their thrones and remove their fancy
embroidered garments. They would be clothed with trembling.
God said that hen He made them into a city laid waste, He will bring the
deep over them and take them to the ruins below in the uninhabitable pit.
They would be sought after, but would never be found again.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we speak out against other
children of God when God Himself decides who He will chose and will not
choose? When Christians outside of our particular faith suffer an awful fate,
do we brag on our own state of affairs as though we are made stronger by
their being made weaker? Do we rejoice in their calamity as Tyre did with
Jerusalem?
421
Send Out God's Light and Truth!

Psalm 43 tells us to send out God's Light and Truth, no matter how hard the
oppression of the enemy.
The writer says, "Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an
ungodly people." He asked God to deliver him from the deceitful and the
unjust.
God is the one in whom the Psalm writer took refuge. He pleads with God,
asking not to be rejected. He asks himself why he went around mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy.
Then, He asks God to send out His Light and His Truth, to be led by Light and
Truth. He asked God to let Light and Truth lead him to His holy hill, the
dwelling place of God. Once there, he would go before the altar with
exceeding great joy and praise God.
Last, he asks his own soul: "Why are you cast down?" He asked why his soul
was in turmoil within him. He told his soul to place hope in God, because he
would again praise God for his salvation.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we cast down? Do we put our
hope and trust in God? Do we shine God's Light and Truth?
422
The Good and the Bad

Jeremiah 24 tells about how the Lord gave Jeremiah a vision of the good and
the bad before the eyes of the Lord.
In the vision, two baskets of figs were placed before the Lord. One basket
had very good figs, like the first-ripened figs of the season. The other basket
of figs had awful tasting figs, so bad that they could not even be eaten.
The Lord asked Jeremiah, "What do you see, Jeremiah?" Jeremiah replied
that he saw good figs and bad figs. He saw that the good figs were very
good, the bad figs were so bad they could not be eaten.
After King Nebuchadnezzar had taken Jeconiah and the officials of Judah into
captivity, they had become despised and broken. Along with his capture,
many of the princes of Judah and Ezekiel the prophet was also taken into
captivity. The prophet Daniel and his friends had also been taken into
captivity not long before.
Nebuchadnezzar did not want the people of Judah to fortify themselves. He
also took away many of the carpenters and builders, leaving the people
vulnerable.
The people of the land assumed that those taken were sinners, because of
the awful fate that led them into captivity. They though that God would not
allow His righteous people to be led captive. But this was not the case.
There were two major prophets in Babylon, Ezekiel and Daniel. God gave the
people assurance that he would take care of his people, and would weed out
the good from the bad in His own way.
Like the good figs, God said that he would regard the good people that were
exiled from Judah. He said that He had sent them from Judah into the land of
the Chaldeans. He had set His eyes on them for good, and would bring them
back into their homeland. In that day, the people would turn their hearts
back to God.
There were also some people in captivity that God was displeased with. God
said that he would treat Zedekiah, the king of Judah, his officials, and all
other evil doers like the bad figs. They would become a horror to all the
kingdoms of the earth. They would be utterly destroyed from the land that
God had given to them and their fathers.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we think that God is giving
punishment when bad things happen to others around us? Do we not know
423
that sometimes God puts good men and women through trials for His own
Glory? If we are facing a difficult situation, do we think that God is punishing
us? Would we be the good figs or the bad ones?
Like Mount Zion, We Shall Not Be Moved

Psalm 125 tells us that if we trust in the Lord, we will not be moved or
shaken.
Those that trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, the holy hill that cannot be
moved. The people looked towards Mount Zion, as God's holy place, and no
matter where they travelled, they looked toward the temple.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem, God surrounds His people. Not only in
the time this psalm was written, but for evermore.
The scepter of the wicked kings and monarchs that arise will not rest on the
land that was given to God's children. God will protect his righteous children
from wrongdoing.
The psalm writer asked God to do good to those who are good. He asked
that God do good to those that are upright in their hearts. But to those who
turn aside from God to the evil and crooked ways of the wicked, the Lord will
lead them away with the evildoers.
Peace be to Israel!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we trust in the Lord? Are we like
God's holy hill, a place where others can look towards to see righteousness?
Are we daily surrounded by God? Or have hour hearts and minds turned
towards another that is leading us away from God?
424
For the Greater Good

In Jeremiah 32, Jeremiah prayed for God to give him understanding.
He praised God, saying that God made the heavens and the earth by His
great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for God, and His
steadfast Love has been shown to thousands.
But he asked God why He was repaying the guilt of the fathers to the
children. He was a God great in counsel and mighty in deed, knowing the
hearts of men and rewarding each one according to the fruit of their deeds.
He had shown great signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and made a
Name for Himself that had lasted from that time forward.
But the fathers did not obey His voice or walk in His law. They did not keep
His commandments, so God made disaster come upon them.
God answered with authority. "Behold, I am the Lord, God of all flesh. Is
anything too hard for me?" God told Jeremiah that He was giving the city
into the hands of the Chaldeans and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon.
They would come and burn the city, burning the roofs of the houses that had
held the worshippers of Baal who provoked God to anger. God said that the
children of Israel had done nothing but evil in His site from their youth, and
done nothing but provoked God to anger.
Because the city had done nothing but evil since the day of its construction,
this would be the day of its destruction. Judah was the priesthood, and their
officials, priests, prophets, and common man had turned their back on God.
Though God taught them persistently, they did not listen to God's
instruction. They used God's house for their abominations, and built high
places of Baal in the valley.
Worse yet, they sacrificed their sons and daughters to the Ammonite god
Molech. This was not in God's perfect plan, and God was displeased.
Therefore, God told Jeremiah that He would cleanse the city. It was now
given to the king of Babylon though sword, famine, and pestilence. But it
would not last forever.
God promised that He would gather the children of Israel from all countries,
each place that He would drive them to. He would bring them back and let
them dwell in safety. They would one day be God's people, and He would be
their God. They would be given one heart and Way, and that Way was to
fear God. This was for their good, and for the good of their children after
them.
425
God would make them an everlasting covenant, and would continuously do

good to them. He would put the fear of God into their hearts, and they would
not turn from God. Then, He would rejoice in their good instead of anger at
their evil.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we understand that God's
punishment is sometimes for the greater good? Do we rejoice in our trials,
praising God for His mighty work? Do our pastors today keep their hearts
and minds on God? Is God pleased with us? If our churches face struggles,
we should consider this question: Is God planning to show us a great and
mighty change for our greater good?
426
Revelation 11: Elijah? or Christ? Your Decision

Studying the Book of Revelation tonight, I came across something I'd never
noticed before.
There is a good bit of MSG controversy over the end of Chapter 10 of
Revelation. What did John see, what was the mystery of those seven
thunders? Some say that they have the "revelation" of what WMB found
when he "opened those seven seals", and they know this great mystery.
The troubling part for me was that the Bible says that Christ was the mystery
fulfilled. There should be no more mystery necessary for the salvation of
man's soul. ...turns out the Bible was correct.
Let's look at Revelation 10:
Quote:
7 but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh
angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his
servants[a] the prophets.
One of the problems I find in understanding the Book of Revelation is simply
removing all that I've been taught that is incorrect, and untangling the truth.
Let's take a look at what WMB said about the following chapter, Revelation
11:
Quote:
Notice, now, as He comes. And then this had another meaning to it. I know
many of you my brethren, the clergymen, you apply that to the coming of
Christ. That's right. It was applied there, the order of the coming of Christ. As
they looked and they seen glorified Jesus, they looked again and seen Moses
and Elijah, the two witnesses Revelation 11.
57-0519A HEAR.YE.HIM
Now, when is the Gospel returning to the Jews? When the day of the Gentile
is finished, the Gospel is ready, go to the Jews. Oh, I could, if I could just
foretell you a little something that's fixing to happen right here, see, right in
this day. You see? It's fixing to happen. We get it in the Church Age. And this
great thing is fixing to happen, will carry over to Revelation 11 and pick up
those two prophets, Elijah and the Moses returning back again for the Jews.
60-1204M THE.REVELATION.OF.JESUS.CHRIST
And last week's tapes, I think, will reveal to you the great hideous things that
we're going to speak on one of these days when we can get a place
sufficient, of the opening of those last plagues to be poured out upon the
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earth, those Vials, rather, pouring out of the Vials, and the Seven Thunders,
and those hideous sights that's coming upon the earth. Man now, and people
today, are in such a neurotic condition; the whole world!
65-0822M CHRIST.IS.REVEALED.IN.HIS.OWN.WORD
And He said there'll be hideous sights upon the earth. "Locusts with hair like
women," long hair, to haunt them women that cut their hair. "Teeth like lion;
stingers in their tails, like scorpions; they would torment men, months." Just
wait till we get in to opening them Plagues and Seals, and them Seven
Thunders, watch what takes place. Oh, brother, you better get to Goshen
while there's time to get to Goshen. Don't pay any attention to this outside.
65-0815 AND.KNOWETH.IT.NOT_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN V-2 N-10 SUNDAY_
WMB linked the two witnesses to Moses and Elijah (and obviously placing
himself as that Elijah), and associated the seven thunders with the plagues.
Not so. The Bible says that Christ is the Mystery fulfilled, and Revelation 10
agrees with that statement: "but that in the days of the trumpet call to be
sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as
he announced to his servants[a] the prophets."
All the Old Testament prophets prophesied about the coming Messiah. John
prophesied about the Christ, but was asked to hold back until the seventh
angel blew his trumpet.
Let's continue to the next chapter, Revelation Chapter 11. The one that WMB
claimed was speaking of Moses and Elijah, and the one that is telling about
what the seventh angel was announcing with his trumpet:
Quote:
Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in
heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our
Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever." 16 And the
twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and
worshiped God, 17 saying,
"We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was,
for you have taken your great power
and begun to reign.
18 The nations raged,
but your wrath came,
and the time for the dead to be judged,
and for rewarding your servants,[c] the prophets and saints,
and those who fear your name,
both small and great,
and for destroying the destroyers of the earth."
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19 Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant
was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings,[d]
peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.
There is NOWHERE in this chapter that describes Moses or Elijah. In fact, the
beginning of this chapter describes measuring the temple, which is almost
directly out of Ezekiel 40. This entire chapter of revelation is about Christ
coming into power and glory. It has nothing to do with coming mysteries and
prophets.
The end of this chapter is praise towards Christ, not praise towards prophets.
Christ IS the mystery fulfilled! He came down to earth, lived a perfect life,
died for our sins on the cross, conquered death and hell, and rose again so
that we could be saved.
The ark of the covenant is now in His temple, the one measured in Ezekiel
40. The temple was being prepared for Christ!
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The Value of Wisdom

Job 28 teaches us to seek out and find wisdom in God.
Job compares wisdom to the riches of gold and silver. There is a mine for
them, and man seeks them out. Once found, they refine the gold and silver.
In the same manner, iron is taken out of earth, and copper is smelted from
the ore. Man seeks out the valuables of the earth to the deepest limits, in
dark shafts far from home.
The earth itself produces bread, yet underneath is turned up by burning,
molten lava. The stones of the earth contain precious jewels and gold. No
animal of the field or bird in the sky has seen how the earth produces these
things. Yet when man finds them, they overturn mountains by the roots to
dig them up. Digging channels in the rock and damming streams and rivers
to expose the ground underneath, man searches out to find the precious
things hidden in the earth.
But where is wisdom found? Where is the secret place of understanding?
Man does not know its worth, and it is not found in the land of the living.
Wisdom cannot be found in the deep places of the earth or at the bottom of
the sea. It cannot be bought with gold or silver, and it cannot be valued.
The value of wisdom is so far greater than these things that no precious
thing of the earth can be its equal. And it is hidden from the eyes of all
living.
Job said that God understands the way to it, and He knows the secret hiding
place of wisdom. God looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything
under the heavens. When God allotted the power of the wind and the depth
of the seas, God saw wisdom and established it for us to seek out and find.
Then, God said, "Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To turn away
from evil is understanding."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we seek out wisdom? Do we
place its value higher than any gold or silver, or any item of this world that
money can buy? Do we refuse wisdom, led blindly by those who have not
searched out wisdom for themselves? Do we get our wisdom from God or
from some other man's idea? Is our wisdom based around our devotion to
the One True God?
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Women: From the Animal Kingdom's Point of View

As I sat with a client in a coffeeshop yesterday, a group of beautiful, young
women sat down at a table across from where we were sitting. The thirty-six
years of condemnation of every aspect of their beauty started sending up
MSG flares of distress into my mind, making me want to quickly dive under
the table and hide from them -- which I'm sure would have cost me a new
client.
As my client started to ramble about things of non-importance, I sat there
thinking about my programmed response to the situation. While most men I
know from our new church would have simply noticed them and ignored
them, my instant fear was that I might be seen by someone I know at a table
next to these young women.
Because of this situation that was awkward for me, I started to review what
I'd been taught all these years to the Bible and nature itself. I suddenly
started to realize something that I had been blinded from for most of my life.
We were taught that this modern style of attractive dress and appearance
defied nature itself. Teachings like "this kind of beauty is of the devil," or
"those women are less than dogs" because "even the dogs would not do that
to themselves" started going through my head with a familiar voice
screaming to a fearful and receptive congregation.
Looking around the room, I noticed that there were other women around that
were not so differently dressed. They were much older, and less attractive
simply due to their age, yet they were pretty just the same. Though they
would have been considered to be "painted" and dressed the same, there
was a difference that as a man can be felt.
At the same time, I thought about my wife, and how I loved her
tremendously. I remember when she was their age, there was not one among
them that could match her beauty -- inside and out. The difference with my
wife in the same situation would be that because of the "yolk not yourselves
with unbelievers" scripture was applied only to MSG followers, not other
Christians in the world. I knew my wife's inward beauty because the fish of
the sea become much less when the sea becomes a pond.
I quickly became aware that noticing the beauty of young women around me
had very little affect on my marriage. Nothing besides death could separate
me from the woman I love.
Remembering the bible story about Jezebel, the evil woman we were falsely
taught was condemned for wearing paint, I looked at the older women
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around. They wore makeup to improve their appearance, but were no match
when compared to these younger women. Jezebel put on her "paint" when
she realized that she was going to die, preparing her appearance for her
impending demise. Though she led many to idolatry, she knew death was
coming and wanted to die with as much dignity as humanly possible.
The real shock was when I considered the animal kingdom. We were taught
that this promotion of products to improve appearance defied nature itself,
yet I started to realize that the teaching was not entirely correct.
As humans, we cleanse ourselves daily with scented soaps, oils, and other
products intended to remove the natural scents that we were given by God.
Animals do not have this luxury. Though some may roll in the wet mud or dip
in the streams, very little of their natural scent is removed.
Most animals put off a mating scent to attract their mates. Not all animals
mate for life, but there are some that do. Those that mate for life may smell
the scent from others looking for a mate, but ignore it. They are not taught
by the oddball one of the pack that these mating scents are "of the devil."
They are not separated from these mating scents and placed in a position of
awkwardness when suddenly around another pack without the oddball. Most
of all, their own mates have no limits to their own scents for pleasing their
own mates.
While we were taught that our modern ways defy nature, I started to realize
that our "God looks to the outside" ways actually defied it more.
As one who has struggled inwardly with pain over the "god of this evil age," I
started to ask myself: Could my teachings have been the root cause of my
battle? Do not other similar religious movements suffer the same problems
with their men? Was the one who started this teaching suffering these
battles himself, intending on creating a commune having a dress code?
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Removing All Idolatry and Cleansing the Temple

2 Kings 23 tells the story about how Josiah cleansed the temple of all idolatry
after he read God's Word.
The people had filled the temple with all kinds of idolatry, from sacrificial
vessels for Baal to child sacrifices unto Molech to male prostitutes for the
Semitic breasted goddess of fertility, Asherah. Josiah had read from the Book
of the Covenant that he had found in the house of the Lord, and his heart
and soul became dedicated to keeping the words of the covenant God had
made with the children of Israel.
He gathered the priests and elders, prophets, and all the people great and
small before the house of the Lord. Josiah read the words of the Book of the
Covenant to them, and all of the people joined in the covenant.
Josiah commanded the priests to bring all the vessels made for Baal,
Asherah, and for all the host of heaven out of the temple to be burned.
Josiah himself deposed the priests who had participated in this idolatry.
Josiah beat the Asherah into dust after it was burned, and cast it upon the
graves of the common people. The houses of the male cult prostitutes were
smashed down, the high places at the gates where offerings had been made
were broken down, and the places of child sacrifice were destroyed. The
horses dedicated to the sun god were removed, the chariots of the sun were
burned, and the alters to the sun god were destroyed.
The temples were filled with the bones of the men who served in idolatry. At
Bethel, however, not all the graves were emptied. When Josiah saw the
monument next to certain tombs, he asked what the monument was for. The
men of Bethel told him that it was the tomb of the man of God who came
from Judah and predicted Josiah's cleansing of the temple. All the shrines
were removed, and all the priests were sacrificed, but Josiah commanded
that no man would move the bones of the man of God.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we cleansed ourselves of all
idolatry? When new religious movements spring up, bringing new ideas into
the minds of the people they associate with, do we compare their beliefs
scripturally before listening? Do we listen to those who entangle the God of
Abraham with the "breasted god" or those who teach ancient worship of the
stars like the Gnostics do? Have the teachings of Kabballah resurfaced into
Christianity again today? Have new idols came forth, things that we place
before God? Do we idolize great men of power, sports heroes, or women of
beauty? Is it time for the cleansing of our temple, which is now our bodies?
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Comfort in the Coming Messiah

Isaiah 40 brings a message of comfort to God's people.
Through Isaiah, God gave the people an announcement of the greatest event
the world has ever known: the coming of the Christ. God was going to send
His Son, and bring the hearts of His people back to God.
"Comfort, comfort my people," says God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, God's
children, and let them know that their warfare is ended. Their iniquity is
pardoned. They had received correction from the Lord's hand double for all
of their sins.
A voice cries in in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord: "Make a
straight highway for our God in the desert." Every valley will be lifted up and
every mountain and hill will be made low. The uneven ground will become
level and the rough places will become smooth like a plain.
The Glory of the Lord will be revealed. All flesh will see it together, for the
Lord has spoken.
All mankind is like the grass of the field. Their beauty is like the flower of the
field. The grass withers away and the flower fades when the breath of the
Lord blows on it. The grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of our
God will stand forever.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we take peace and comfort in the
Gift that God gave to the world? Do we accept the pardon that was given to
us by Christ's death on the cross? Do we look forward to rising to be with
him, as he arose from the grave? Do we see all mankind as beautiful, giving
us a burning desire to tell others of Christ?
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God Hates False, Speak the Truth

In Zechariah 8, God reminds His people that He keeps His promises, giving
them the commandment to speak the Truth.
God spoke through Zechariah and told his people that he was a jealous God,
and was jealous with great wrath. Though God had disciplined His children
for their iniquity, He assured them that He still loved them. He would return
to Zion and dwell with the people. Jerusalem would one day be called the
faithful city, and Zion the Holy Mountain.
God said that the men and women would grow old peacefully, sitting in the
streets and watching the children play. He would save His people from
opposing countries, and bring them into Israel where they would be His
people and He would be their God. They would dwell in faithfulness and
righteousness.
God told His people to become strong by hearing His Word through the
mouths of the prophets. They were laying the foundation for the temple that
would one day be built. In the days of the prophets, there was very little
provisions for man or his animals, and they would not live at peace in safety.
God set every man against his neighbor, and allowed enemies to infiltrate
their dwelling places. But that day had ended.
God said that he would no longer deal with Israel as He did in times past.
Peace would start to be sown, and one day that vine of peace would start
yielding fruit. As they had been a cursing among the nations, God would
save them and they would become a blessing.
As God brought disaster to them when their fathers provoked Him to wrath,
He did not relent from that wrath. Just as God did not relent in wrath, He
promised to bring peace.
God had one command: Speak the Truth. Make judgment for truth and for
peace. Do not plan evil against one another, and do not find pleasure in any
falsehood. God declared that He hates false things.
God spoke through Zechariah declaring the fasts. At the end of the fast,
there would be seasons of joy and gladness. They would have cheerful
feasts. God told them therefore to love Truth and peace.
God said that people would come to look for His favor. Many people from
many strong nations would come to seek Him in Jerusalem, looking for God's
favor. They would be known as God's people, and men from every nation
would ask to be with them, for they would hear that God is with them.
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As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we speak the Truth? If there are

things that even we ourselves question, do we seek out the Truth and speak
it with assurance? If we find it to be a lie, do we continue to speak it for
popularity or monetary gain? Is the war and turmoil around us because of
other's evil, or is it because we have not spoken God's Truth?
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The Deceived Prophets

Ezekiel 14 gives warning to the deceived prophet and those who listen to
that prophet.
Idolatry had taken over the hearts of the children of Israel, and God was
estranged by the many idols that the people had begun to worship. The
Word of the Lord came through Ezekiel to warn the people of their iniquity.
Through Ezekiel, God told the children of Israel that any person of the house
of Israel who worships an idol and still comes to the prophet will be answered
by the Lord as though he worshipped a multitude of idols. God was not going
to permit a people to serve both Himself and idolatry.
God spoke, telling the people to repent and turn away from their idols.
Everything that they did that was an abomination before God was evil, and
God told them to turn their faces from it.
Moreover, if the people living in idolatry came before a prophet to inquire of
God, God would answer Himself. God would give the idolater a sign and cut
him off from the people. Through this, the people would know that He was
God.
God warned that the idolaters could not even trust the prophets. God said
that he would deceive the prophets, and destroy the prophets before the
children of Israel. The punishment of the prophet and the punishment of the
idolater would be alike.
God would let the people know that He was God. He would not allow the
people to serve other Gods, and He would not allow them to go astray.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do the idols of today's world come
before God? Do we become lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God? If
we were living in Ezekiel's day, would we fall into the deception of the
prophets or would we serve the Living God? Would we put the word of the
deceived prophets through the test of God's Word? Or do we follow
everything we are told by our elders, never testing their words against the
scriptures? Would God let prophets come to deceive us so that He can let
the people know that He is God?
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Untangling the Truth: Elijah

The latest "Untangling" book is available: "Untangling the Truth: Elijah".
Summary
The idolatry of Tyre was quickly spreading throughout the ancient world. It
had long-lasting effects on ancient Greece, Italy, and other nations. God
would not let this evil befall his children, and sent many prophets to
condemn the false gods of the ancient world.
Many preachers and evangelists of today do not speak of the violent evil that
was spreading in an audience of women and children. It would not be
pleasant to listen to child sacrifice. Christians of today do not want to listen
to men's blood spilled on ancient altars, prostitution openly in temples of
Jewish goddesses, homosexuality as a form of worship, or worse evils.
At the same time, very few study the ancient world to learn of the cultures,
styles, beliefs, or histories of the nations. A single quote of painted eyes by a
woman spreading these evils cannot be the foundation for a doctrine,
especially when many other women of the ancient world had similar
customs.
They were different customs than today, eyes painted to become larger in an
effort to mimic the appearance of their false gods. The paint on their face
reached the temples of their forehead, and was nothing like the small
amount of cosmetics applied to the eyelids, as is the custom today. The
Christian woman William Branham condemned openly in front of her
husband would not have been painting her eyes to mimic a false god.
The truth of the matter is that William Branham taught a doctrine of the
"breasted god," which essentially is the same thing that Jezebel did in her
day - mix the religions of the female goddesses into the belief system of the
Ancient Jews. Had William Branham painted his eyes before his own death, it
would have been a much lesser sin than bringing the worship of a false
goddess into Christianity - even if painting of the face was a sin.
There is no mention of beautifying ones self through use of paint
condemned anywhere in the Bible, and Elijah the prophet certainly did not
devote his life to condemning Jezebel for her use of paint. The Bible teaches
to use a modest dress style, as is custom for the times. No specific guidelines
are given, because cultures change as time progresses. Men and women of
the ancient world Paul ministered to may be considered immodest compared
to the dress cultures today, while other ancient ages of times past may be
more modest than even the Christians of the Pentecostal faith.
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Pleasing God Through a Worship-Filled Music Ministry

2 Chronicles 25 tells who David and the chiefs of the service organized the
music of worship to God.
They set apart those who prophesied with lyres and harps. Those who
prophesied were directed by other prophets of music with more experience.
Some prophesied under direction from the King, while others prophesied
praise and thanksgiving to the Lord under the direction of Asaph.
Two hundred and eighty-eight men and women were involved in the music
ministry, men and women who were trained in singing to the Lord and were
skillful. To divide the work, they cast lots for their duties. All participated,
small and great, pupil and teacher.
In Hebrew worship, temple music consisted of singers and an orchestra, and
the Old Testament lists several kinds of instruments in the temple orchestra.
Chronicles 15, 16, and 25 list many of them, including the big harp, the lyre,
the ram's horn, the trumpet, the timbrel, and cymbals
In David's time, instruments that were associated with pagan gods were
excluded from the temples, but over time and as the culture changed, those
instruments such as the pipe and flute became included in temple worship.
Like humans, God Himself loves music. In Leviticus 23, God told Moses to
gather the people to a festival called the "Festival of Trumpets," and refrain
from all work. Worshippers would praise God with loud blasts from their
trumpets. In Numbers 10, God told the people that the trumpets would
remind the Lord God of His covenant with the people.
Asaph, a prophet of music under King David, instructed all to sing praises to
God. He specifically told the people to beat the tambourine, play the lyre
and the harp, and sound the trumpets. He said that it was a law of the God
of Jacob. Through music, Asaph proclaimed messages from God to the
people, and he gave those messages with instruments of music.
By name, the Bible mentions harps, lyres (similar to a harp, but stringed with
ten strings that could be chorded like a guitar), pipes, flutes, tambourines,
castinets (pottery made to rattle), lutes (similar to a lyre, but boxed like a
pear-shaped guitar), sistrums (sliding rattles), cymbals, trumpets, shofars
(ram horns used in the fall of Jerico), TOF and timbrel (drums), triangles
(metal triangles used for ringing percussion), and more.
The most
interesting is the "zither", which was a combination of a variety of
instruments. It included xylophones, musical glasses, stones chipped in a
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graded scale for percussion, reeds, nut shells, sea shells, metal bowls for
percussion, and more.
It is believed that under David, hundreds of instruments were invented. He
is credited as the inventor himself in not only the Bible, but also by Josephus
in Antiquities of the Jews. All of the instruments were used by David to give
glory unto the Lord.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we value the worship of God
through music? Do we suppress the powerful prophecy through music by
continuing a few old hymns as a tradition, or do we allow new music to
minister to us through God? Do we limit God's worship by telling our
congregations that only "sacred" instruments such as the piano and organ
are the only music God likes in his church, when God Himself told the people
to blow the trumpets? Do we condemn the drums in the temples when King
David himself dedicated people to play the TOF and timbrel (drums)? Have
we limited God in our churches by limiting the music ministry? Is God even
pleased with our music ministry?
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Judging by Our Faithfulness

Psalm 96 Tells us to rejoice by singing a new song unto the Lord. Bless His
name, and tell of His salvation every day.
As a nation, we should declare His glory to other nations. We should tell of
the marvelous things He has done for us to all the people of the world.
God is great, and greatly to be praised. He alone should be the God we fear.
All other gods of the people in this world are worthless idols, but the Lord is
the Creator of the heavens. He created splendor and majesty.
We should serve the One True God because of his glory and strength, and
give Him the glory due to his name! All the earth should fear the Lord. We
should declare to the nations that the Lord reigns!
The writer of the Psalm says, "Let the heavens be glad and let the earth
rejoice. Let the sea roar, and all that fills it. Let the field exult, and
everything in it!" Even the trees of the forest sing before the Lord, because
He comes to judge the earth.
The Lord will judge the world in righteousness. He will judge the peoples in
His faithfulness.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we praise God every day for His
glory? Do we fear Him, or do we give our devotion to something or someone
else? Do we declare God to others around us, or do we put God on a shelf
and ignore Him? Do we become legalistic, telling others that He will judge
the world by the rules they follow? Or do we tell them that He will judge the
world by their faithfulness to Him? Are we faithful?
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Hello Miss Dog Meat

In a recent investigative report by the local news in Jeffersonville, IN about
the "Message" organization (the followers of the William Marrion Branham
movement), a quote by William Branham himself was played to the public
that pointed out his view of women wearing makeup. In this quote, he called
the women of his day "dog meat," with the intention that all women wearing
these cosmetics should be fed to the dogs.
This view is not isolated to the followers of Branham. Many Christians in
other organizations have a very modest appearance, avoiding makeup,
clothes that expose any flesh, and avoiding fancy jewelry. There is one
difference, however: Other Christian organizations live in harmony with the
people around them, regardless of their point of view. Though some ministers
may speak out against other Christians and their modern ways, it is isolated
and almost forbidden.
Slogans like "What Would Jesus Do?" or "What Would Jesus Say?" have
spread around the globe, referring to the gentle, loving way that Jesus Christ
issued correction to those who He came in contact with. Bible awareness
groups are becoming more and more involved in the Christian world today,
and leaders who raise themselves to a platform of dictatorship are becoming
few and far between.
Watching the comments flood into the internet message boards regarding
this small audio clip by William Branham in the news article, it is very evident
that his own followers do not know the true beliefs and intentions of Rev.
Branham. Most believe that this quote was an isolated sentence that was
scraped out of a loving sermon intended to help Christians on their pathway
to glory, and that Branham himself was a loving, gentle man who would
never make a doctrine out of calling women "dog meat."
Even the Organization in Jeffersonville, IN posted a response letter to the
news article, objecting to the manner in which the quote was presented.
Many agreed with the response letter, truly believing that this offensive
quote was taken out of context.
What the people don't know: William Branham used this phrase almost forty
times throughout his ministry, and this general concept that became a
doctrine a countless number of times. This offensive phrase was more "in
context" than the followers even know.
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The Sacrifice of the Unworthy

Judges 10-11 Tells the story of how God can use those who we feel are
unworthy to do His work.
The Israelites turned away from God, and began serving several false gods.
The anger of the Lord was against them, and they were given into the hands
of the Philistines and Ammonites. Under their rule, the children of Israel
were crushed and oppressed for eighteen years.
As the Ammonites began to rise up against Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim,
the children of Israel were at their breaking point. They cried out to the Lord,
pleading for mercy. God reminded them how He delivered them from the
hands of great nations, yet they turned to other false gods. God told them to
go cry out to those false gods for deliverance.
The children of Israel begged for forgiveness, and put away all foreign gods.
They began to serve the One True God, and God became impatient with
Israel's misery.
The Ammonites were called to arms around Gilead, and the leaders of Gilead
had no military leader. They declared that if anyone could lead the battle, he
would be head over all Gilead.
The elders of Gilead met with Jephthah, begging him to lead the battle.
Jephthah was an outcast, the son of a prostitute. Gilead himself was the
father of Jephthah, but his legitimate sons drove him out of the land after
condemning Jephthah for being a bastard child.
Jephthah declared that if the elders of Gilead brought him home again, he
would fight the Ammonites. He said that if the Lord delivers them from the
hand of the Ammonites, he would be their leader.
Jephthah consulted with the king of the Ammonites through messengers,
attempting to find a peaceful resolution. The king would not listen. The
Ammonites were hard-set on war, and would not rest until they had taken
Gilead.
Then, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah. Jephthah made a covenant
with the Lord, declaring that if God would give him the Ammonites, then
whatever comes out of his door to greet him as he returned would be given
to the Lord as a burnt offering. God gave the Ammonites to the hand of
Jephthah and the people of Gilead.
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When Jephthah returned, he kept his vow to God. One person would be the
sacrifice for the sins of all of the children of Israel, just as Christ was the
sacrifice for all of the sins of mankind.
This one person was not a great and mighty leader of the people of Gilead,
and was an outcast. This sacrifice was the grand-daughter of a prostitute,
Jephthah's daughter and only child. As she came to greet her father with
dancing and music, Jephthah was struck with inward pain. He rent his
clothes and became greatly sorrowed.
As Christ was alone in the wilderness, his daughter went into the wilderness
to mourn for the tragedy that would become her destiny. For two months,
she wept alone in the mountains.
As Christ walked up the hill at Calvary, bearing the sins of the world on his
back, Jephthah's daughter walked towards her father. She came like a lamb
to the slaughter as she walked towards her father. As Christ sacrificed
Himself for our sins, Jephthath's daughter sacrificed herself for the sins of the
children of Israel.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we think that God calls only the
righteous? Do we think that because of our family name or our holy lifestyle,
we are "more chosen" by God? Do we look at others around us, thinking that
God will refuse them for their sins? Do we look at the children, condemning
them for the sins of their fathers and mothers? Do we think that only men
have the calling of God in their lives? Would we have sacrificed ourselves for
the sins of our nation?
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The War Man Cannot See

Revelation 12 describes the battle going on that man cannot see. While we
labor here on earth, God is fighting our battles in the heavens.
The archangel, Michael, and his angels fight the dragon. It is a great and
terrible war, the dragon and his angels fighting back. But in our hope for the
victory of God's armies comes our tribulation.
The great dragon is defeated, and cast back down to earth. The bible
describes this dragon for us, so that we can know plainly who is the chief
member of the army against the armies of God. The great dragon is that
ancient serpent. It is called the devil and Satan, and he is the deceiver of
the whole world.
When defeated, Satan is cast down to earth, because there is no place for
him in heaven. He is conquered by the blood of the Lamb, but there is
another factor that we must consider.
He is also conquered by our
testimony. Our love is not for our own lives, but for Jesus Christ who
redeemed us. We loved Christ more than even our own lives.
The Bible says, "Woe unto you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down
to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!" Satan is
angered by being cast out of heaven, and his power is not equal to God's.
His wrath will be focused on us.
The battle he rages against us is not one of weapons and physical warfare.
Satan pours his wrath out of his mouth. John the Revelator describes it as
being "poured like a river out of his mouth," meaning that the message that
is given will come in the form of the words of deception. He is called the
great deceiver. Jesus said the end times would be near when the false
prophet rises.
His words do not stand. The earth opens its mouth and swallows the words
that will one day fall. The dragon becomes furious, and goes to make war on
the offspring of the great woman, those who keep the commandments of
God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we grumble and complain about
the trials that we face from day to day? Do we not know that the greater
battle is being fought for us? Do we realize that the problems in this world
today are because of Satan's defeat, not his rising power? Do we see the
deception rising today, the teachings in the name of Christianity that do not
match the words of the Bible? Do we hold fast to the Bible? Do we hold to
the testimony of Jesus Christ?
445
446
The Everlasting Promise to Israel

Ezekiel 37 gives God's promise to Israel after the battle of Armageddon. It
was a covenant of everlasting peace.
God told Ezekiel to take two sticks, writing the name 'Judah' on one and
'Joseph' on the other to represent the peoples of Judah and the peoples of
Ephraim. Before the people as a witness, Ezekiel was commanded to join the
two sticks together, signifying that God would bring the peoples of Judah and
the peoples of Ephraim together into one nation.
When the sticks were joined together, God commanded Ezekiel to tell the
people that the Lord had spoken. "Behold, I will take the people of Israel
from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all
around, and bring them to their own land. And I will make them one nation
in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be over them all,
and they shall no longer be divided into two kingdoms."
God said that the people would no longer defile themselves with their idols
and detestable things, or with any of their transgressions against God. God
would save them from all of their many backslidings, and cleanse them. God
said that they would be His people, and He would be their God.
After they were gathered together, King David would again reign over the
people. The people would have one shepherd that would keep the people
walking in God's rules and obeying God's statutes. They would be given
their land that was given to Jacob, the land of their fathers. This would be
their final dwelling place, for them, their children, and their children's
children forever. King David will be their prince forever.
God said that he would make a covenant of peace with them that was
everlasting. The people would multiply, and God's sanctuary would be in
their midst forevermore. God's dwelling place will be with them, and He will
reign as their God. The nations of the world will know that He is the God that
sanctified Israel when they see God's sanctuary.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we see these signs unfolding?
Do we see the "hooks" in the nations, drawing the powers of the world to
gather in Israel? Do we see the unrest in the land that could lead to the
great battle that will give us our freedom? Do we look forward to that day, or
do we tremble in fear for the sin in our lives?
447
Comfort and Strength from the Arm of the Lord

Isaiah 51 is a message of comfort and assurance from God.
God asks all who seek Him and pursue righteousness to listen to Him, looking
to the Rock from which they were made. Those who seek Him need only look
to their Creator for comfort.
God reminded the people of Abraham and Sarah, how Abraham was but one.
God blessed Abraham, and he multiplied across the land. He comforts Zion,
even to the wastelands. He makes the wilderness like Eden, and the deserts
like gardens of the Lord. Joy and gladness can be found in Zion, and songs of
thanksgiving.
"Give attention to me, my people," God asked. He promised to send words
of justice as a light to the peoples.
His salvation had gone forth,
righteousness was drawing near, and His arms judge the peoples of the
earth. Sheltered underneath His arm the people wait.
"Look around you," God said. The heavens and the earth will vanish and
fade away. They that dwell in it will die in like manner, but His salvation will
never fade away.
To those who know righteousness, and keep God's Word, there is no fear of
any man. We should not be dismayed at their attacks towards us, for the
moth will eat them like wool. God's righteousness will last forever. His
salvation will last to all generations.
We should only ask for the Arm of the Lord to awaken and put on strength!
Just in the days of old in the generations of antiquity, when the arm of the
Lord parted the sea, God will make a way for His ransomed. They will have
everlasting joy, all sorrow and sighing will flee away.
God is the one who gives us our comfort. Why would we be afraid of a man
who dies, one who fades away like the grass. They have forgotten the Lord,
our Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the
earth. Why would we fear one who sets himself to destroy through his
oppression? Those who are bowed down before the Lord will speedily be
released. They will not die, and God will always provide for them.
"I am the Yahweh your God!" God said. "I stir up the seas so that its waves
roar." Yahweh is His Name! God said that He puts the words in our mouths
and covers us in the shadow of His hand. He establishes the world around us
while saying that we are His people!
448
God told the children of Israel to wake up. They had drunk from the cup of
wrath from the hand of the Lord. They knew God's wrath firsthand! He
reminded them of the devastation and destruction that came from His hand.
Now, they were drunk, but not with wine. God asked those drunken in the
spirit to listen to Him. God pleads the cause of His people.
He had taken away their cup of wrath, and they would drink from it no more.
That same cup of wrath was given to their tormentors. It was given to the
same tormentors who told them to bow down before them. God made them
like a street for His righteous to walk over.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we fear the wrath of our
oppressors? Do we bow down before them when we are sheltered under the
arm of the One True God? Do we not remember that His hand parted the red
sea? Or His promise to us that will last to all generations? Do we call upon
the Lord during our times of trouble? Are we established in Him?
449
The Nativity ... As Prophesied by Balaam

Everybody knows the story of Balaam, though some know only the part
about the donkey that spoke to him forbidding him to prophesy against the
children of Israel.
Balaam was a diviner, which was condemned in the Laws given to the
children of Israel. Deuteronomy 18:10-12 clearly forbids any acts of
divination, describing them as something detestable to God, and Leviticus
19:26 says, "You must not practice either divination or soothsaying"
The evil of Balaam through deception is one of the greatest evils in the
history of the Bible. Converting the children of God into worshippers of Baal
through his trickery, he is compared to the evil deceiver and false prophet
that will rise in the last days in the book of Revelation.
As a diviner, Balaam conjured spirits, similar to the witch of Endor or Simon
Magnus -- practicing the occult, which is clearly identified with the work of
Satan. Diviners have no hesitations to call on the spirits, good or bad.
Balaam was no exception.
Balaam used his divining power in an attempt to place a curse upon the
children of Israel, but got more than he bargained for. He was face-to-face
with the One True God. Yahweh would not allow this evil to befall the children
of Israel.
Since he could not place the curse upon the children of Israel, Balaam gave
Balak a strategy of infiltrating the camp of Israel with their women of Baal.
These women would produce offspring, outnumbering the men of God. In
doing this, Balak was able to bring temples of Chemosh (Ba'al-Peor) into the
camps of Israel, where they practiced fornication and human sacrifice.
The exact opposite of this story of Balaam, which is considered one of the
greatest evils described in the entire Bible, is the story of the Nativity. The
Birth of Jesus Christ is the greatest event in the Bible, and should be revered
and respected by all Christians -- it is the event that has given them new life.
Branham respected Balaam, however. Why not? Balaam was a "fellow
prophet!" Branham considered Balaam to be a misguided prophet, and
compared him to the great and mighty Samson. He considered Balaam's
"gift" to be directly from God, even though the Mosaic Law was very clear
about Balaam's evil.
Quote:
450
Balaam, anointed with the same Spirit that was upon Moses. What was the
difference? The teaching of Moses was perfect.
65-0725M THE.ANOINTED.ONES.AT.THE.END.TIME
Just as Balaam infiltrated the worship of Yahweh by false teachings, Branham
wove this false teaching of Balaam throughout his ministry. He did teach that
Balaam was a false prophet because of "his fall", but considered him a
prophet of God nonetheless.
451
Stature of a Mason Man

I know many have seen this comparison before, but there are many who
have not. I don't believe we have discussed this topic yet in this forum,
though it's discussed many places before.
Have any of you who've never seen this ever stopped to think about the
"Pyramid was a Bible" theology and where it came from?
452
The Atonement for The Sins of the People

Numbers 15 gives the provision for the atonement of unintentional sins.
If a person sinned unintentionally, breaking the Mosaic Law, the congregation
could offer one bull from the herd for a burnt offering. They also were to
provide a grain offering and its associated drink offering according to the
Law, as this was pleasing to the Lord. For the sin, however, a single male
goat would be offered unto the Lord as atonement for the unintentional sin.
This promise was given to the children of Israel, and was acceptable to all
generations from that day onward. By doing this, not only were the sins of
the one atoned, but the entire congregation as well. Even the strangers
sojourning among them would be forgiven, because the whole population
was responsible for the sins of the one.
This was a type of Christ. Through the blood of one Lamb, Jesus Christ, the
sins of the world are forgiven. Through His sacrifice, our atonement has
been provided, and all we need do is accept it by faith. His grace is sufficient
for the atonement of our sins.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we ask Christ for forgiveness for
our unintentional sins? Or do we think that because they were unintentional
that we do not need repent? Are we led astray when evangelists tell us that
"sin is unbelief," giving the perception that unintentional sin needs no
atonement since we are believers? Do we accept the atonement Christ has
provided for us?
453
Untangling: I Will Be with You Even in You

And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy,
God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city,
and from the things which are written in this book.
Revelation 22:19
Matthew 28:19 is the commandment given by Jesus when he gave his great
commission.
Quote:
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Matthew 28:19
The verse containing the great commission ended with a colon, there was
more to the commission given by Jesus Christ.
Quote:
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am
with you always, to the end of the age."
Matthew 28:20
Jesus instructed the disciples to teach others to observe (keep) the
commandments given by Jesus Christ. Jesus said that he would be with them
(and us) always, even to the end of the age.
In a prayer, Branham begins praying to the Father. In this prayer, he changes
the words of Matthew 28:19.
Quote:
Our heavenly Father, we're thinking of the time that Nathanael came to You.
Philip went and got him, and when he came up to Nathanael, he found him
praying. And he said to Nathanael, "Come, see Who I've found, Jesus of
Nazareth, who was spoke of by Moses, the prophet."
He said, "Could anything good come out of Nazareth?"
He said, "Come and see."
And when he came to the prayer line, O God, we can see the Spirit of God
moved Jesus. He said, "There's a Christian. There's a believer, an Israelite
indeed," otherwise.
And Nathanael said, "When did You know me?"
He said, "Before you come, you were praying under a tree."
And he said, "Thou art the Son of God, the King of Israel."
Oh, you promised that Your Spirit would be with us always, even to the end
of the world. And You're here tonight to detect, to tell, and to heal through
faith. And Father, we're so thankful that You said, "A little while and the world
will see Me more--no more. Yet you'll see Me, for I will be with you, even in
you, to the end of the world."
50-0405 EXPECTATION
454
It was such a subtle change. Just as the serpent beguiled Eve by adding one
simple word to change the meaning of the sentence, Branham adds words to
change the meaning of the sentence. Not one, but three: even in you.
No accepted translation of the Bible contains these words, not even the King
James Version.
New International Version (1984)
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I
am with you always, to the very end of the age."
New Living Translation (2007)
Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And
be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
English Standard Version (2001)
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am
with you always, to the end of the age."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you
always, even to the end of the age."
King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and,
lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
International Standard Version (2008)
teaching them to obey everything that I've commanded you. And remember,
I am with you each and every day until the end of the age."
Aramaic Bible in Plain English (2010)
"And instruct them to keep everything whatever I have commanded you, and
behold, I am with you every day, even unto the end of time. Amen"
GOD'S WORD Translation (1995)
Teach them to do everything I have commanded you. "And remember that I
am always with you until the end of time."
King James 2000 Bible (2003)
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and,
lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
American King James Version
455
Teaching them to observe all things whatever I have commanded you: and,
see, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. Amen.
American Standard Version
teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I
am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and
behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.
Darby Bible Translation
teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have enjoined you. And
behold, I am with you all the days, until the completion of the age.
English Revised Version
teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I
am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
Webster's Bible Translation
Teaching them to observe all things whatever I have commanded you: and
lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. Amen.
Weymouth New Testament
and teach them to obey every command which I have given you. And
remember, I am with you always, day by day, until the Close of the Age."
World English Bible
teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with
you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
Young's Literal Translation
teaching them to observe all, whatever I did command you,) and lo, I am
with you all the days -- till the full end of the age.'
Even the 1611 version of the King James Bible did not contain those words.
Quote:
Teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you: and
lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
The invented "Scripture" was a combination of John 14:12-13 with Matthew
28:30. Because he wanted to stay away from thoughts about the Triune
nature of God, he left out the part about the Father abiding in Jesus and Jesus
abiding in the Father, believers abiding in Jesus and Jesus abiding in
456
believers, and about the Comforter who would be sent to teach believers all
things.
From 1950 to 1965, William Branham used this scripture that had been
subtly changed, altered other scriptures to go along with it, and then
changed it more. All the while, he would challenge the listeners, saying,
"Isn't that exactly what the scriptures say?"
Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, "That you may
be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged."
Romans 3:4
457
Fortify Ourselves in God!

When David was in the cave, and the armies of the enemy were surrounding
him, Psalm 142 came to David to give him comfort.
He cried out to the Lord, pleading for mercy from the One True God.
poured out his soul to God, telling God of his trouble.
He
Though his spirit was weak with the trial he was facing, God knew the way
that he should go. Though the enemy had set a trap for David, God knew all
about it. Though he could find no one who noticed his righteousness, no
refuge and no care, God knew David.
So he cried out to God. "God, you are my refuge! You have given me my
portion in the land of the living!" David asked God to hear his cry, for he was
very low. He asked God to deliver David from his persecutors, they were
stronger than David. He asked God to deliver him from the prison of the
surrounded cave, and he would give thanks to the Name of the One True
God.
David got comfort in the Lord. He said that the righteous would surround
him, for God had dealt bountifully with him.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we look to God for our refuge and
our safety? When the enemy surrounds us, do we cry out unto the Lord who
gives us strength, or do we bottle ourselves up in defeat? If we were in
David's shoes, would we have turned towards the Lord, or would we have
tried to fortify the cave?
458
Jesus, the Everlasting Covenant

Isaiah 42 is a message from God to the children of Israel that He would send
His only begotten Son as an everlasting covenant.
God describes the Messiah as His servant, the Chosen One that He would
uphold, the One that God's soul was delighted with. God had put His Spirit
upon the Messiah, and the Messiah would bring justice to the nations.
God said the Messiah would not come to the world as a loud and boisterous
evangelist, He would not cry out loudly to the people or raise His voice to be
heard throughout the streets. The Messiah would come gentle and softspoken. He would not come to break the already bruised or to put out the
fire of the already dying flames. Nor would the Messiah Himself become
faint or discouraged until He had established justice to the earth.
The same God who created the heavens and stretched them out throughout
the universe, and who spread the earth and everything that comes from the
earth, and who gives the breath of life into all the people, proclaimed the
promise of the coming Messiah. God said that He called the Messiah in
righteousness, and would take Him by the hand to keep Him. He would give
the Chosen One as a covenant for the people. The Messiah would open the
eyes that are blind, to free the blinded as prisoners from a dark, cold
dungeon.
God said, "I am Yahweh! That is my Name!" He did not give His glory to any
other, and did not give his praise to idols. Therefore, before these things
come to pass, God said he would declare them to the people. The former
things would come to pass and the new things were now declared.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we praise God for His Son? Do
we accept the everlasting Covenant that was made with the sacrifice of Jesus
Christ? Do we open our blind eyes to see the salvation in Christ, or have we
become willfully blinded by those crying loudly in the streets? Do we
continue to bruise the already broken down, or do we lift them up and tell
them that Christ has come!
459
Praising God for His Protection and Safety

After Jerusalem's wall had been built, Ezra the scribe read from the Holy Book
of the Law, and the people had confessed their sins, Nehemiah 12 describes
the dedication of the wall unto the Lord God.
All of the Levites were brought in from their dwellings, so that all could
celebrate the dedication with gladness, thanksgivings. The singers had built
villages around Jerusalem, and the sons of the singers were gathered
together so that all the people celebrated with cymbals, harps, and lyres.
The priests and the Levites purified themselves, cleansing their hands,
hearts, and minds for God's service. Then, they purified the people, the
gates of the wall, and the wall itself.
Nehemiah then brought the leaders of Judah up to the wall, and appointed
two massive choirs to give thanks to the One True God. One choir went to
the Dung Gate at the southeast wall, and marched to the Fountain Gate at
the stairs that led up to the Old City of David. From there, they went to the
Water Gate on the east wall within the Old City of David. In the old city, they
brought many of the musical instruments of David.
The other choir went to the north wall above the Tower of the Ovens to the
Broad Wall. From there, they marched above the Gate of Ephraim all the way
to the Gate of the Guard. They offered great sacrifices unto God and
rejoiced, and God made them rejoice with great joy. Even the women and
children rejoiced, and the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar.
The wall of Jerusalem was protection for God's children, but the things made
by men's hands will fail. The things that God protects can never fail. The
people of Jerusalem wanted God to be pleased with their resolution to serve
the One True God, and wanted God's blessing on the wall.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we think that our insurance,
arms, or strength are our protection? When we purchase expensive policies
or powerful arms for safety, do we pray that God will bless them? Is our
assurance in the things of this world, or the things of God?
460
Harmony, Unity, Love

Psalm 133 tells us that it is good and pleasant when brothers dwell in unity.
To David, unity was like the precious oil on the beard of Aaron, running down
on the collar of his robes. It was like the dew that falls on the mountains of
Zion, which the Lord had commanded his blessing of life forevermore.
Just like Paul said to the Philippians in Philippians 2:2, it completed his joy
when the brothers were of the same mind, having the same love, and being
in full accord with one mind. Paul preached many sermons and wrote many
letters on harmony, unity, and love. They were all part of each other. Paul
said in Colossians 3:14 that Love was the key, it is Love that binds everything
together in perfect harmony.
This teaching of Love should not end with the Apostle Paul. Jesus Christ did
not die on the cross for all mankind to separate themselves into smaller
groups that fellowship only among themselves, Christ gave a Great
Commission for all Christians to go forth and spread His Love to the rest of
the world.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we in unity? Do we have this
Divine Love, or do we have something else? Does our small church separate
itself from other Christians of the world, refusing fellowship with our
brothers? Do our churches even separate themselves from similar churches
of like faith? Can like faith even be found in our religious structure and
organization? Have we strayed from the Unity that was taught from the
pages of the Old Testament to the New, trading Divine Love for our own
traditions?
461
Was It an Angel?
Quote:
At the age of thirty-seven, one night I was praying in my room, and when I'd
raised up, I noticed there was a Light on the floor. And looking around to see
where it come from, It was coming from above. The Pillar of Fire was hanging
just above, and was throwing the Light on the floor. I heard someone
walking. I looked; coming through the room, coming into this Light, came a
man. In human figure He'd be about two hundred pounds of weight. He had
dark hair to His shoulder, an olive complexion. He was bare-footed.
53-0800 TWENTIETH CENTURY PROPHET
Early in William Marrion Branham's career, and before the description
changed of the "angel" from whom Branham claimed to have received his
commission, Branham described an "angel" that looked like a middle-eastern
man. This "angel" had long, flowing dark hair, olive complexion, and weighed
two hundred pounds.
Until the description of the angel changed to other variations in hair color,
facial features, and style, Branham continued with the same description of
his "angel."
In the very first recorded sermon by William Branham in 1947, young
Branham describes meeting Avak the Armenian.
Quote:
And I have many thousand miles of flying ahead of me. I have... going up on
the... plumb from Vancouver, work down the coast as far as California,
coming back to Fresno where I'm to go tomorrow, to the Armenian people.
They flew a boy, who prays for the sick, by the name of Avak. They brought
him from Cairo over to pray for a man by the name of Arkelian.
47-1102 THE.ANGEL.OF.GOD
Avak Hagopian was a world-renown "divine healer" from Armenia, a middleeastern country bordering Turkey and Iran. His fame in the United States
started quickly spreading to the point that he filled six thousand seats in the
Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on September 21, 1947. He just happens to
be from the same country as George Lamsa, Branham's acclaimed translator
of the "correct" bible.
Avak entered the United States in April, 1947, two months prior to William
Branham's first appearance to the newspapers in June, 1947. By September,
Avak's fame was quickly spreading, and the people of Los Angeles were
462
eager to see this mysterious dark-haired and olive-skinned man who could
heal the sick.
Using an interpreter to translate, Avak is said to have healed over a thousand
people in the Shrine Auditorium alone.
Vengeance is Mine, Saith the Lord

Ezekiel 35 is a story of how God holds our enemies accountable for their
actions against us, even when we are not living the life that God wants us to
live.
The people of Mount Seir, which were the people of Edom, held nothing back
when God's children were facing their discipline for their idolatry. They
brought war against the the children of Israel and the children of Judah when
they were weak, and planned on taking the two nations for their own.
Though God was focusing His judgment against the idolatry, He is allknowing. He knew the hearts and minds of the Edomites of Mount Seir, and
knew of their hatred for His people. God had enough of this, and sent Ezekiel
to prophesy.
Through Ezekiel, God spoke against Mount Seir. He told the Edomites that
He was against them, and would stretch out His Hand against them to make
them into desolation and waste. God said that he would lay their cities
waste unto desolation, and then they would know that He was God.
God let them know that this punishment was coming because they loved
their enmity and battled with His children at the time of their final
punishment for their idolatry. Therefore, God said he would prepare them for
blood. Bloodshed would pursue them until they were a waste and a
desolation. Their mountains would be filled with their slain, and their hills
and valleys would be filled with the bodies of their men of war. They would
become perpetually desolated, uninhabitable. Then, they would know that
He was God.
Their punishment did not end in death. Because they tried to take the
nations of Judah and Israel, God would deal with them according to their
anger and envy during the judgment. They would face God in judgment, and
they would know that He was the One True God.
Finally, because the people of Mount Seir rejoiced in Israel's desolation, God
would utterly wipe them off of the face of the earth. While the whole earth
rejoices, they would be made desolate. Mount Seir, Edom, all of it. Then, the
people of the world would know that He is God.
463
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we think that God does not see
the evil that comes against us when we are down? Do we think that God
Himself is causing the evil because of our sin? Do we think that we need to
rise up against our accusers and take the situations under our own control?
Do we not realize that God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and God of
everything in this world and every world in the entire Universe? Do we let
God take his own punishment against our accusers, or do we settle for the
limited ways in which we can stand for ourselves? Do we claim the whole
power of God?
464
Salvation for the Foreigners

In Isaiah 56, God spoke through Isaiah concerning the salvation of foreigners,
those who were not of Abraham's seed.
God said to uphold justice and righteousness, because soon His salvation
would come. God was speaking of the coming Messiah, and said that soon
His righteousness would be revealed.
Through Isaiah, God said that the man who lives in righteousness is blessed.
Those who keep the Sabbath and do not profane it, and those who keep their
hands from doing any evil.
This was not only to the seed of Abraham. God said not to let the foreigners
who have joined themselves to the Lord think they should be dealt with
separately from His people; all who joined themselves to the One True God
were His people.
God said not to place their faith in their bloodlines. He reminded the people
of the eunuchs, and told them not to mourn. They should not tell themselves
they are a "dry tree," for God would bless them. The eunuchs who uphold
the things that please God would be given a house in His kingdom with a
monument and a name that was better than sons and daughters. They
would be given an everlasting name that would not be cut off.
Those that were not the seed of Abraham and joined themselves to the Lord
to minister to Him, and love the Name of the Lord would be given joy in the
House of the Lord on His Holy Mountain. Because they kept the Sabbath and
did not profane it, and because they held fast to His covenant, their
sacrifices and burnt offerings would be accepted on God's altar.
God said that His house would be called a House of Prayer for all peoples.
The Lord God declared that He would gather even more together, from the
outcasts of Israel and beyond.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we place value in our bloodlines,
thinking that because our fathers were saved that we are too? Do we think
that because of our earthly heritage that we are given a special place in
God's Kingdom? Do we think that there is also an evil bloodline that God will
destroy, like the children of Israel thought in Isaiah's day? Have we joined
ourselves to an earthly bloodline, or have we joined ourselves to a heavenly
bloodline of the redeemed? Do we seek out our own salvation with fear and
trembling to become a member of that bloodline? Do we separate ourselves
from other Christians, or do we join together with all of God's children to give
Him praise and worship?
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466
Vindication of the Lord

Psalm 26 gives us hope of vindication against our accusers because we have
walked with the Lord.
David writes, "Vindicate me, O Lord." David had walked in integrity, trusting
in the Lord God without wavering in his faith in the One True God. He asked
the Lord to prove himself and try himself, to test his heart and mind, because
he walked in faithfulness to God.
David said that he did not sit in the counsel of men of falsehood, and did not
consort with hypocrites. He hated assemblies of evildoers and did not permit
himself to sit with the wicked.
David's hands were washed in innocence, and he could go before the altar of
the Lord proclaiming thanksgiving to all, and telling everyone about God's
wonderful works. David loved the house of the Lord, and loved to be in the
place where the Glory of the Lord was found.
He asked God not to allow his soul to be carried away with sinners, and his
life not to be given to the hands of evil and bloodthirsty men. David said "As
for me, I shall walk in my integrity." He asked the Lord to redeem him and be
gracious towards him.
His feet were firmly planted, and David blessed the name of the Lord.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are our feet firmly planted? Do we
look to God for our vindication, or do we look to men for vindication? If we
walked before the alter of the Lord, could we do so with hands washed in
innocence? Is our devotion to God strong enough that we could ask God to
try us and prove us? Are we fully vindicated?
467
Let the Word of God Be True Though Every Man Is a Liar

Romans 3 gives a sermon about the leaders who were puffed up, exalting
themselves to such greatness that the people respected their every word as
fact -- ignoring even what the scriptures say.
The Jews were immediately rebuked by the Gentiles. What advantage did
they have because they were Jews? What value in the salvation of their
souls were the circumcision? "Much!" said Paul.
The Jews held to the Law in their faithfulness. They were entrusted to be the
oracles of God. Let the Word of God be true, though every one were a liar.
It is written in the scriptures "That you may be justified in your words, and
prevail when you are judged." But if our unrighteousness serves to show the
righteousness of God, can we really expect that God would be unrighteous to
inflict His wrath upon us?
Paul said, "By no means! For how could God then judge the world?"
Paul said that we cannot abound in evil so that some good may come. The
lies of the puffed-up leaders, though giving glory unto God, was still sin, and
they would be condemned as a sinner. Paul asked the people, "Why do evil
that good may come?"
Even as today, some people slanderously charged Paul for his stand for the
Truth. Paul said that their condemnation was just.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we stood for the Truth? Have
we searched out the facts of our doctrines to learn the truth behind the
sayings? Can these doctrines be found in the Word of God? It has been said
that, "The Truth will stand against all scrutiny." Have we even compared the
first single doctrine with God's Word? Are our ministers teaching lies that
some good may come, or are they standing for God's word? Would Paul
stand today and say that their righteousness stood before God, or that their
condemnation was just?
We ask that everyone take a moment today to pray for Believe the Sign as
they take their stand for the Truth. Please contact them and let them know
that as brothers and sisters in Christ, we stand beside them in earnest prayer
that many souls will be led to Christ.
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Vision of the Plum and Apple Trees

BelieveTheSign caught a vision that I missed when I went through the list of
inaccuracies.
The "vision" directly contradicts the doctrine.
Quote:
And now, did you notice, there's many Trinitarian people setting here; there's
many oneness, and there's many different ones. But how little you would be
to fuss about it, because if that part of the vision was true, the other part's
true too. Both fruits were found in the cross. See? Both of them was in the
cross, all clustered together, and both plums and pear--or peach, plums and
apples rained down on me there: both of them. All found in the cross,
because they all believed in God and are filled with the Holy Ghost, and have
the Christian works and signs following.
-- Present Stage of My Ministry, September 8, 1962
Now compare this "vision" to the statement by WMB:
Quote:
"Jesus said, "Except you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." He is
the revelation of God, the Spirit of God revealed in human form. If you can't
believe that, you're lost. You put Him a third person, second person, or any
other person besides God, you're lost."
-- Branham (July 25, 1965)
A very good question was asked by the BTS author:
Quote:
If William Branham was correct in condemning Trinitarians in 1965, then the
vision of the plum and apple trees from 1933 was wrong. If the vision from
1933 is wrong, then William Branham was a false prophet as visions should
not be subject to Progressive Revelation. It is unlikely that God's opinion
changed on this subject. Do you think that William Branham was wrong in his
teaching in 1965, or that the 1933 vision was false?
469
Not One Word of God Will Fail

Joshua 23 reminds us that not a single Word of God will fail.
After God had given the people rest and comfort from their enemies for a
long time, Joshua gathered the people together in his final days of life. All of
Israel was gathered, with elders and heads of the tribes, judges and officers,
all relaying the message to the large multitude of people.
Joshua told the people that he was getting to be old, and would not be long
on the earth. He reminded them of the mighty works of the hand of the Lord,
all of the things that God had done to the other nations as God fought for
them.
Joshua said that he had allotted the remaining nations to conquer as an
inheritance for them, along with all of the nations that had already been cut
off from the Jordan to the Great Sea in the west. He said that God would
push them back and drive those nations out of their site, so they could
possess the land just as the Lord God had promised them.
A solid warning was given to the people, instructing them to keep all of the
words written in the Book of the Law of Moses. They were given charge to
keep the words of the Law, not varying from it in the slightest. The gods that
the other nations served would be mentioned no more, and the children of
Israel were not to mix with these people of idolatry.
Instead, the Children of Israel were to cling to the One True God, just as they
had until the day that Joshua spoke. Right before their very eyes, God had
driven out many mighty nations, and no man had been able to stand against
them. God endued the people with power, such that one single man from
their army gave the fight of a thousand strong men. It was God who fought
for them, just as He had promised.
He reminded the people to love the Lord God with all their hearts. If they
turned back to cling to any of the remnants of these nations that they were
conquering, and associate with them to mix their idolatrous ways with their
ways of the One True God, God would no longer fight for them. Without God,
these nations would be a snare and a trap for them, and they would suffer a
great defeat.
Joshua's last reminder to the people was to all of the people, deep in their
hearts and souls. He reminded them that not one single Word that the Lord
God had given them had ever failed. All that God promised concerning the
children of Israel had happened exactly as God had told them, and they
could rest assured on the Word of God.
470
He also reminded them that God gave instruction on both the rewards and
on the punishment. Just as the good things were given to them as a reward,
all of the evil things God spoke as punishment would be given to them if they
transgressed the covenant. If they allowed other gods to be served by any
of the people of the children of Israel, the anger of God would be against
them, and they would perish.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we see the hand of the Lord at
work in our lives? Do we see when the mighty power of God gives us
strength and comfort to face our trials each day? Have we noticed that not a
single word has failed, from the very first word to the very last word of the
Bible? Do we hold fast to the Word of God, standing for the Truth?
471
The Idolatry of Putting Our Faith in A Prophet

1 Samuel 8 is a solemn warning from God that if we place too much faith in
any man, we will fall. It is commonly discussed that this scripture's sole
warning is against the children of Israel appointing a king, but there is also
an underlying story that is commonly overlooked.
Samuel walked before the One True God, and righteously judged the people
according to the ways of the Lord. While God blessed His people during this
time, the people slowly began to move the focus of their faith from God to
Samuel. Samuel's righteousness and the confidence the people had in
Samuel became a tradition rather than a devotion to God.
Even the sons of Samuel strayed from the righteous ways of their father. As
many men would do from their day until today, they were swayed by
monetary gain, taking bribes and perverting justice. The root of all evil was
within them.
When the elders gathered before Samuel to discuss the end of his life and
ask for his appointing of a king, there was not a riotous revolt against the
righteous ways in which Samuel trusted the One True God. All of the elders
of Israel asked for a king. Samuel was old, soon to be taken off of the scene,
and there was not one found righteous for the people to appoint as a judge.
Samuel was displeased with their request, and prayed unto God. God
comforted Samuel, telling him that the people had not rejected Samuel.
They had rejected God. God compared the people's idolatry from the time
they left Egypt until that day with their faith and devotion to Samuel. As
they served other gods in the path, God said "So they are also doing to you."
God instructed Samuel to give the people a solemn warning, and tell the
people that if they chose to allow a man to reign over them as king, that king
would replace God as their king.
Samuel warned the people, but it was too late. He had already become their
idol, and their idolatry was too deeply embedded. The people chose to deny
God and appoint their king.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we place our faith in a man? Has
our reverence and respect for any man, even a prophet, became idolatry?
Has our focus left the One True God that is worthy of our praise and worship,
to a man that is only worthy of God by grace? Who would we choose this
day as our king? A prophet? A healer? An Evangelist? A minister? or God?
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
472
473
The Marks of a Cult

There are a wide variety of "Message" churches across the world, from those
you'd never recognize any difference from mainstream churches to those
who look strikingly similar to the worshippers in Warren Jeff's commune.
This variety is not only in the outward appearance as they hold to their own
convictions according to how their pastor "interprets" the words of WMB,
there are varying levels of asceticism in the teachings as well. Some to the
level of a cultish following.
Check out this video describing the attributes of a cult:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQzpumw1geU&feature=emshare_video_user
and tell us: Which type of Msg church were you involved with? One that was
a cult? Or one that was simply a group of Christians in fellowship?
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The Worship of a Prophet

This morning's "Thought for the Day" on the main site struck me as strangely
different that I'd been taught listening to "the tapes." Reading the scripture
for myself rather than through the eyes of "the prophet," I find that the
meaning of the scripture is polar opposite from what WMB preached.
1 Samuel 8, according to WMB, was a story about the people's leaving God
as their king and appointing a man. And to some extent, it is. That is the end
result of what happened.
WMB missed the root cause, though. The people had already left the One
True God. They had placed their faith in Samuel, rather than in God! God
specifically told Samuel that their doing so was a form of idolatry.
I thought the subject would make for a good discussion. Here is the post of
the "Thought for the Day:
...
1 Samuel 8 is a solemn warning from God that if we place too much faith in
any man, we will fall. It is commonly discussed that this scripture's sole
warning is against the children of Israel appointing a king, but there is also
an underlying story that is commonly overlooked.
Samuel walked before the One True God, and righteously judged the people
according to the ways of the Lord. While God blessed His people during this
time, the people slowly began to move the focus of their faith from God to
Samuel. Samuel's righteousness and the confidence the people had in
Samuel became a tradition rather than a devotion to God.
Even the sons of Samuel strayed from the righteous ways of their father. As
many men would do from their day until today, they were swayed by
monetary gain, taking bribes and perverting justice. The root of all evil was
within them.
When the elders gathered before Samuel to discuss the end of his life and
ask for his appointing of a king, there was not a riotous revolt against the
righteous ways in which Samuel trusted the One True God. All of the elders of
Israel asked for a king. Samuel was old, soon to be taken off of the scene,
and there was not one found righteous for the people to appoint as a judge.
Samuel was displeased with their request, and prayed unto God. God
comforted Samuel, telling him that the people had not rejected Samuel. They
had rejected God. God compared the people's idolatry from the time they left
Egypt until that day with their faith and devotion to Samuel. As they served
475
other gods in the path, God said "So they are also doing to you." God
instructed Samuel to give the people a solemn warning, and tell the people
that if they chose to allow a man to reign over them as king, that king would
replace God as their king.
Samuel warned the people, but it was too late. He had already become their
idol, and their idolatry was too deeply embedded. The people chose to deny
God and appoint their king.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we place our faith in a man? Has
our reverence and respect for any man, even a prophet, became idolatry?
Has our focus left the One True God that is worthy of our praise and worship,
to a man that is only worthy of God by grace? Who would we choose this day
as our king? A prophet? A healer? An Evangelist? A minister? or God?
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
476
Turning The Things of God into an Idol

2 Kings 18 tells the story of the rise of Hezekiah who began his reign at
twenty-five years old. The nation had fallen to idolatry, such that even the
things of God were used as idols.
Hezekiah was the grandson of Zechariah through his mother, Abi, and did
what was righteous in the eyes of the Lord. Though his father's reign was full
of idolatry, Hezekiah was devoted to righting the wrongs of his father before
him.
When Hezekiah came into power, the people had setup pillars and high
places to Asherah, the breasted god. Temples of Asherah were filled with
temple prostitutes, sacrificial vessels for blood, and even human sacrifice.
While the thought of this is vile and inexcusable, it was not the worst part.
The people had taken the brass serpent that Moses had made for healing,
and turned it into an object of worship. Though the serpent on the pole has
been considered to be a type of the coming Christ, and was used for God's
glory to the people, they placed offerings before it.
Hezekiah placed no value on the earthly things, but worshipped the One True
God. Because the people had turned the divine institution of healing that
Moses had setup into an idol, Hezekiah destroyed the brazen serpent,
breaking it into pieces.
He broke down the pillars and high places of Asherah, and removed all
idolatry from his land. Hezekiah wanted his reign to be one filled with power
endued from the hand of God, and not of Satan.
Because of this, God honored Hezekiah. The Lord was with him wherever he
went, and he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria, refusing to
serve him. He struck down the Philistines from the far reaches of Gaza and
its territory to the watchtower and fortified city.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we cast out our idols when we
learn God's Truth? Have we turned photographs of "spiritual clouds" and
"halos" or double-exposed film into idols? If we were asked to get rid of
them, would we be superstitious in thinking we would have some great evil
befall us for casting our idols out of our house? Have we taken things worse,
worshipping a cardboard box of idolatry? Worshipping rotten wood from the
"floor of a prophet" to images of belt-buckles and more? Have we setup
pillars of Asherah, the breasted god, in our own homes without even knowing
it?
477
478
Self-Made Religion of Asceticism

In Colossians 2:16-23, Paul warns of those who will come before you as
humble, Godly leaders, yet will rob you of your prize.
Verse 16: Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food
and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.
Paul said not to let any man judge you with their questions of food or drink,
or with regard to your celebrations, days, or keeping of the Sabbath. Many
of the ceremonies of the law of Moses consisted in the distinction of meats
and days, and the people had held on to these laws until that day.
17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance [body]
belongs to Christ.
Paul let the people know that since Christ had come, there was no need to
follow these rules. God had made them free, and Paul warned against those
who would again try to impose a yoke of bondage. The Law was given as a
shadow of the much greater thing to come, which was the coming Messiah.
When Christ came in the flesh, his substance was the Glory shining that cast
the shadows.
18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels,
going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous
mind
Paul warns the people about those who would introduce angels as mediators
between God and themselves. Man now had a direct line of communication
to God, through Jesus Christ. The Gentile philosophers taught that men
could not communicate with God, and God would only speak to them through
an angel because of our unworthiness. Paul taught that the blood of Christ
made us worthy.
He also warned against those who would be vainly puffed up by their own
sensuous mind, pretending to describe visions given to them without reason.
These things were introduced by their own carnal pleasure to be thought of
as wiser than others. At the bottom of this grave error was the sin that Paul
preached about: pride.
19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished
and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that
is from God.
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These who go on about their own visions, in effect, have turned away from
their Head, which is Christ. Christ is the only mediator between God and
man. The Head which controls the whole body grows from a growth that is
from God, but when this head is severed, the people are separated from the
body of Christ.
20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you
were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations
Paul was shocked that the people would rather submit to being controlled by
regulations rather than enjoy the freedom in Christ. If through Christ, we
died to the elemental spirits of the world, why would we even care about
these regulations? Christ came to fulfill the Law, yet the people looked
backwards as slaves who returned to their slavery.
21 "Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch"
The Gospel of Jesus Christ was the Good News that all who accepted Jesus
Christ could be saved by Grace. They were not saved by their laws and
regulations, the ways in which outward appearance seemed to be holy -they were saved by Grace. Those things forbidden by the Law had no effect
on their salvation. This included not only the meats which were considered
unclean by the Jews, but all of the things they were instructed not to partake
in by the Law.22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)
according to human precepts and teachings?
The things of this world are not eternal. God is eternal. Our faith in Christ
makes us eternal, not the things of this world that will perish. As humans,
we like to conceive notions that the perishable things of this world should be
included in our teachings of holiness, but Paul directly states that these
things are of no effect. These preconceived notions only hold men and
women down to the earthly things, forgetting about the spiritual things.
23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made
religion and asceticism and severity to the body,
Asceticism is a harsh and bitter resolution. The definition of asceticism is
this: "practicing strict self-denial as a measure of personal and especially
spiritual discipline"
Paul warns that though disciplining yourselves to abstain from the pleasures
of this world, a false appearance of spiritual wisdom is produced. This
promotes self-made religion, which does not come from God.
but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
480
Moreover, Paul knew that all men and women in this world are human. As
humans, they will have the desires of humans. They will want to better
themselves, enjoy life, and praise the God who created it.
He said that this legalism, which started long ago in antiquity, had no value
in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. Once our hearts and minds move on
towards the spiritual things, God will speak to the heart.
Questions:
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we condemn others for what they
drink? There are seldom any rules regarding the things we eat, but this is
only half of Paul's warning? Do our pastors preach against wine or strong
drink when Paul tells us not to feel condemned by it?
Do we listen to ministers who tell us to separate ourselves from the others in
the Body of Christ? How can we spiritually grow, when we are severed?
Have we been led by a man who went on about his own visions? By a man
who claimed that an angel was on the platform with him as a mediator,
telling the secrets of the heart? Telling increasingly growing stories of his
own experiences rather than the stories of Christ?
Have we submitted ourselves to rules and regulations, binding us once again
to the Law? Do we forbid ourselves to enjoy the things of life, falsely
claiming that by our denial of these things we will become more holy? Does
not Paul himself state the exact opposite?
Have we fallen into a self-made religion of asceticism?
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The Eleventh Commandment

This request for a forum discussion came in through the main website.
We have no reservation to post anything in this forum that is supportive of
the MSG, just as we have no reservation to post anything that is negative
towards the message. The objective is to discuss and find the Truth.
This brother asked that we search for the Truth, and I want to honor that
request. I invite the brother to join in the discussion under an alias, and
participate! All are welcome.
...
Dear Brother John Collins I have heard and read the things on your website
about VOGR and all the money they have. And this week about Jeremy
Bergen and his website. Sad to hear all those things.
Years ago somebody translated the seven church age book into Dutch. In the
front the translator put in a prophecy that was out of a old Dutch paper
called "De Oogst" from 1962.
Yesterday I found in a little green colored printed book "The Eleventh
Commandment" that real prophecy in English language. See under here. On
the front page stands (written) by William Branham.
But I think that it is like the seven church ages book,( Lee Vayle) written by
other men, and they have used William Branham's on it, because of his
name. I found out that the most of the books has been printed by Gordon
Lindsay.
My question to you, is this: Who has written that book? Gordon Lindsay or
who else? Do you know who is the real writer? The prophecy in that printed
book page 21 to 23 is under here, with warnings against the leaders etc.
On the link you can read it for yourself, in there it is on page 10/11. In there
is written that the prophecy that was spoken after brother Branham preach
the message " We Would See Jesus" in Tacoma Washington as the writer of
that book says.
I have look for that message in what year that was preach and where, but
could not find it. I like to know it from you, (if you know it) where that
message was preach and on what date and if there is a real old tape
available where we also can hear this prophecy, because it is a strong
warning against the leaders, who are against William Branham.
482
Maybe you can put that prophecy on your webpage if you don't know it,
maybe there is somebody from the older ones that knows it, and have sound
evidence, that it has been spoken. So what do you think yourself, about this
prophecy, is that true or not? I like to hear from you or to see this prophecy
on your weblog, maybe somebody else know it or has de date and sound of
that prophecy. I have no Facebook otherwise I could put this prophecy on the
site of Jeremy Bergen "The Believe the sign. com.
Thank you and God bless you.
Brother Branham had just finished preaching the sermon "We Would See
Jesus," and the audience was in profound silence nay, not one moved, nor a
whisper heard. When God is about to speak He calls a holy hush! Even
Brother Branham who had been speaking softly suddenly stopped!
Then all of a sudden a voice was heard from the far balcony. There was no
need of a microphone for God opened each ear as it seemed! The air waves
carried it plainly to ear and heart of all present. Let me quote it exactly word
for word as recorded on my tape recorder:
Prophecy warning to the leaders "Yea saith the Lord to this my people, that
my servant whom I have sent, even unto thee, even unto this generation, he
must speak boldly even as Paul, to convince these that I have sent him to.
"Yea for I have sent him my servant Branham. I have put My words in his
mouth. Even as I have sent my Son to die, and my people rejected Him even
so have I sent my son Branham, even in this thy day unto these he hath
come.
"Yea they have assembled together, they have met in their secret chambers.
The leaders of my people have counseled together. They have passed
judgment even upon him. They have said in their secret chambers, 'We shall
reject him, we shall seek a fault with him. We shall find many faults with him,
and we shall teach our people. We shall tell them that this also is Beelzebub.
Yea, it is not the Spirit of the Lord that has sent him. "So I will judge them
even by my servant Branham whom I have sent unto thee. "For I will put my
Spirit in my servants and if thou doth not yield to my Spirit thou shalt be
broken. But if it shall fall upon thee, if the Word of the Lord shall fall upon
thee, thou shalt be crushed, and thy house left unto thee desolate.
This is the rock, yea if thou shalt fall upon it thou shalt be broken. But if it
doth fall upon thee it will grind thee to powder. "And thus saith the Lord even
unto those who have assembled together, thus saith the Lord unto those that
call themselves by those who have been filled with my Spirit: For ye have
been my people, I have blessed thee, I have anointed thee, but thou hast
483
gathered together and hast rejected the servant of the Lord God that I have
sent unto thee.
And even by sending him will I judge thee, and thy house shall be desolate
even in this day, and in this hour. For thou shalt call for revival but the ear of
the Lord shall not hearken unto thee, for when I did call unto thee thou didst
not know me. Thou wouldst be a strange people unto me when I would speak
unto thee. Yea thou hast become even as my people when I stood and cast
out devils, and healed the sick, and broke bread and multiplied it in thine
eyes, thou said 'he has a devil. "But unto him that hath an ear let him hear
what saith the Spirit unto the churches, for I will speak unto thee.
I will send my servants unto thee and they shall bless thee and thou shalt be
gathered unto me. Thou shalt be blessed mightily as thou hast never been.
Cast from thee the thinking of men and the ways of men and turn to the
Lord."
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Praising God for His Steadfast Love

In Psalm 69, David cries out unto God, seeking help from his enemies who
attacked him with false accusation.
He cried, "Save me O God!" He compared his situation to sinking in the
waters, deep in the mire where there is no foothold. He writes that he was
so weary from crying out that even his throat was parched and his eyes were
growing dim.
David says that his enemies were greater in number than the hairs of his
head. They hated him without cause, and attacked him with lies. Now, the
things that he did not steal were required of him to restore.
David had confessed everything unto God, and knew that God had
understanding of all things. He said that God knew the wrongs he had done,
and he had not hidden them from God. But he did not do the things he was
being accused of doing.
He asked God not to let those who placed their hope in God to be put to
shame because of himself. Those who were seeking God should not be
brought dishonor through David, and David begged God to protect them.
David did not complain about his situation. He said that it was for the sake
of God that he was under reproach, and that he was fully dishonored. David
was the talk of those sitting idle by the gate and the drunkards in their
drunken music. But through it all, David stayed true to God and prayed that
an acceptable time for deliverance would come.
He asked God to answer his cry with the abundance of His steadfast Love.
He asked God to deliver him from sinking in the mire, from his enemies that
rose against him.
David praised God, saying that His steadfast Love is good. His mercy was
abundant, and David asked that God turn His mercy towards David.
David told God of the many awful things that his enemies did towards him,
and David asked God to show His mighty power in judgment towards them.
David held nothing back, even to the point that he asked God that they be
blotted out of the book of the living, and not be enrolled among the
righteous.
As for David, he still praised God with song. He magnified the Name of God
with thanksgiving. David said that the song would please God more even
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than his animal sacrifice, and that the humble would rejoice with David. God
hears the needy and does not despise his own people who are prisoners.
Rather than cry out that God had left him, David cried out for all to praise
and to worship God. God would save Zion and build up the cities of Judah.
Those who loved the name of God would dwell there, and it would be the
house of the Lord for generations to come!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we praise God when we are
down? Do we think that God has left us, like the story of the footprints in the
sands of time? Are we afraid to call out for God's judgment after our
enemies if they do not make their hearts and minds right with God? Do we
understand that God is a Loving Father, who loves to spoil and protect His
children? Do we go to the Father when we are in need?
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Paul's Warning to Avoid False Prophets

In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul gives instructions for the way of a true prophet after
Christ's death and resurrection. These instructions were quite different from
the Old Testament prophets who gave oracles of warning before judgment,
for the Atonement had been fulfilled.
Paul's first instruction was simple: Pursue Love.
Prophets according to Paul are not pronouncing judgment, they are God's
instruments for edifying the Body of Christ. Prophecy, according to Paul, was
to be an edification rather than warning of impending destruction.
Paul said that we should earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially the gift
of prophecy. He said that the gift of speaking in an unknown tongue was a
good spiritual gift, but that gift was speaking to God and not man, for no man
can understand it. He utters mysteries in the Spirit.
On the other hand, Paul said that prophecy was not speaking mysteries.
New Testament prophecy was building up the church. This gift of prophecy
was for all, and Paul wished that they all could increase in faith until they
could prophecy. The gift was for every believer, not just one lone oracle as in
the days of the Old Testament.
Paul said that speaking in unknown tongues was a sign given to those who
did not believe in Christ. Pagan worlds would receive blessing from the gift
of tongues, because it was a clearly supernatural sign.
Prophecy, however, was a gift for the Body of Christ. Those who believed in
Jesus Christ would be edified by prophecy. Paul said that if an unbeliever
came into the church, and is convicted, he would fall on his face to worship
God and declare that God was among the people when the prophecy was
given.
New Testament prophecy was not without regulation. Jesus had warned of
the false prophets that would come, and Paul gave a solemn warning to all.
When one prophesies alone, he is not prophesying according to God's plan.
Just as those who spoke in tongues must have two or three involved,
prophecy could not be alone.
Paul said that prophecy should be given by two or three prophets. While one
spoke his prophecy, the others were to remain silent. When the first was
finished, the second spoke his prophecy, and on unto the third. Paul said
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that they should prophesy one by one, so that all could learn and be
encouraged by the spiritual gift from God.
The prophets were also to confirm the prophecy of one another. The spirits
of the prophets were subject to the prophets, meaning that if one spoke a
prophecy that was not from God, the others could immediately discern the
evil spirit that had come among them. Paul said, "God is not a God of
confusion, but of peace."
Finally, Paul gave instructions for the entire congregation. If anyone thinks
that he is a prophet, he must adhere to these rules, and if he did not adhere
to these rules, he was not to be recognized. Paul said that these things
should be done orderly according to these rules.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we seek after God's gift of
prophecy? As a spiritual gift, it is given to all in order to edify the Body of
Christ. Do we seek after edification?
Do we adhere to these rules given for the prophets? Do we listen to great
evangelists who claim to prophesy as the teach, when prophecy was to be
done within their own church? Do we listen to them when they prophecy
without two other prophets to confirm that the prophecy came from God? By
not doing so, could we fall into the trap Jesus warned about a false prophet?
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Calling Jesus a Liar by Denying Three Witnesses

John ended his letter in 1 John 5 by telling the people how they know they
would make it into the kingdom of God, and warning them not to fall back
into idolatry.
The first was simple. John said that everyone who believes that Jesus is the
Christ has been born of God. He did not preach any other gospel, John
simply said that the path to eternal life was to believe in Jesus Christ.
John also preached against the same asceticism doctrines that Paul preached
against. John said that the commandments God had given were not
burdensome. God did not come into the world to impose a rigid set of rules
that were difficult to follow. Jesus said that every commandment was fulfilled
within these two:
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your mind.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
John said that "By this we know that we Love the children of God, when we
Love God and obey his commandments.
John was careful not to raise himself into the platform of an object of
worship. He did not teach that others should follow every word, teaching,
doctrine, and belief that he had, John said that to overcome the world you
must simply believe in Jesus Christ. John asked, "Who is it that overcomes
the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"
John said that Jesus came by water and by blood. He said that Jesus did not
come by water (baptism) only, but by both: water and blood.
The third testimony was the Spirit. The Spirit, John said, is the Truth.
Therefore, there are three that testify your salvation: waters of baptism,
sacrifice of the Lamb, and the Holy Spirit.
He paused to warn against placing your faith in man. He said the testimony
of God was greater than the testimony of man, for the Holy Spirit was the
testimony of God. All three were required, water, blood, Spirit.
Then, John preached against those who had taught a different Jesus.
Evidently, some had started to deny the fullness of God, worshipping Jesus
without worshipping the Father and the Spirit.
John said that if we only believe in the Son of God, then we only have the
testimony in ourselves. We have not applied all three witnesses. Even
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worse, whoever only believed in Jesus, the Son of God and not in God, had
made Jesus a liar!
John said that if we did not believe in God, and only in Jesus Christ, then we
have denied God's testimony, concerning His Son. Whoever has the Son has
life. Whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life!
Baptism is the essential testimony of a True Christian's devotion to God. It is
not something to take lightly. John was very clear that there were three
witnesses, water, blood, and Spirit. He was also very clear that by teaching
a different Jesus, we were denying ourselves eternal salvation and calling
Jesus a liar.
Baptism is not simply a New Testament commandment. Paul said that all
were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. Three witnesses in the
Old Testament, just as in the new.
Jesus said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matt 28:19).
Jesus gave three witnesses. This was no different than the day of Moses. As
Moses stood as a witness before God as God parted the sea, the Spirit stood
witness in the cloud.
Are we baptized with three
witnesses? Are we baptized in the Son, denying the Father, when John said
that would make Jesus a liar? Have we left the Spirit out completely, when
John said that the Spirit was required as a witness? Have we denied the
testimony of God, concerning His Son?
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God's Wrath as Protection from False Prophets

2 Peter 2 tells us how God gives protection from a false prophet.
destruction will follow their abomination and blasphemous words.
Swift
Peter warns that false prophets are were among the people in the days of
old, just as there are false teachers among us now. They secretly bring in
destructive heresies.
These heresies, Peter says, deny even the Master who bought their
Salvation. By doing so, they bring swift destruction upon themselves.
Unfortunately, Peter warned that many will follow their sensuality, or
indulgence of the emotions and senses of the people. Because of them, the
way of Truth will be blasphemed.
In their greed, these false teachers and prophets will exploit you, saying
things that never happened. Peter made it very clear that their destruction
would not be at the day of the judgment, they were condemned from long
ago, and their destruction does not rest until judgment day.
Peter said that if God knows how to rescue His own from hell. Even the
angels are not spared, but cast into the pit of fire. The entire ancient world
was not spared, so that Noah and his family could be preserved as a herald
of righteousness. Sodom and Gomorrah was annihilated to rescue Lot who
was righteous. Lot was greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the
wicked.
God knows how to rescue the godly from trials and punish the unrighteous
until the day of judgment. Especially those who lust after defiling passion,
despising authority.
These false prophets and teachers are bold. Even as the blaspheme the
glorious ones, they do not tremble. They are bolder even than the angels,
who are greater in might and power. Angels do not pronounce blasphemous
judgment against the righteous of the Lord.
These were like irrational animals born to be caught and destroyed. They
blaspheme about things which they do not even know or understand, but will
be destroyed in the blasphemous destruction they create. They will suffer
for their wrongdoing.
Peter held nothing back. "Accursed children!" he wrote in shouting tones.
"Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray! They have followed
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Balaam, but like Balaam would be rebuked for their wrongdoings. Even the
donkey rebuked Balaam in a human voice to restrain the prophet's madness.
He said that nothing good could come from these false prophets and
teachers. They are like waterless springs or mists driven by the storm.
These blasphemous liars have a placed reserved for them in utter darkness.
They speak loudly, boasting of folly. They entice us with sensations and
passion. They attract the ones who are barely escaping from error. They
promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption.
He warned not to be fooled by their conversion. Even if these false prophets
and teachers have the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they
are entangled in defilement once more. Their current state is worse than the
first. It would be better for them to never have known the way of
righteousness than to turn back into defilement.
Peter said the proverb was true: The dog returns to its own vomit, and the
sow after washing herself returns to wallow in the mire."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we putting our teachers through
the Word test? Are we judging the prophets by their own prophecy? As we
watch teachers and prophets suffering horrific destruction, do we stop to ask
ourselves if God was behind their demise? As they yell and scream, raising
our emotions, do we stop to listen to Peter's description of their loud
boasting of folly? Or are we enticed by sensations and passion just as Peter
warned? Are we the ones Peter described walking the edge of destruction,
and falling prey to false teaching?
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Mixing Law and Grace

BelieveTheSign.com has an article entitled "Mixing Law and Grace."
Many people who are struggling to find answers after realizing that many of
the "law" they were taught since birth is not exactly according to the
scriptures ask the same question: "Which laws should we keep?"
Falling into the same trap, they have essentially gone from one set of laws to
another, leaving behind Grace. To those people, I highly recommend reading
this article:
http://en.believethesign.com/index.php?title=Mixing_Law_and_Grace
I
also
highly
recommend
reading
this
book:
http://www.amazon.com/Unmerited-Favor-Joseph-Prince/dp/1599799391
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Wisdom and Holy Spirit Vs Witchcraft and Sorcery

Acts 13 gives the classic story of Good vs. evil, Wisdom and Holy Spirit
against witchcraft and sorcery.
Barnabas and Saul, led by the Holy Spirit, sailed into Cyprus. Barnabas was
a native of that country, so it is fitting that the Holy Spirit sent them on their
way to give Glory to the people Barnabas knew and loved.
When they arrived at Salamis, a city on the eastern side of the island, they
began planting seeds of the Holy Spirit. Preaching in the synagogues of the
Jews, Barnabas, Saul, and John proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the
people.
They travelled inward to the city of Paphos, which later became the capital.
The people of Paphos were primarily worshippers of Aphrodite, which is
believed to have been passed down through time from Asherah the
"breasted god." Like Asherah, Aphrodite was the goddess of fertility, the
Roman equivalent of the goddess Venus. Instead of sacrificing children as
worshippers of Asherah did, most Aphrodite worshippers are believed to
have sacrificed swine.
They were called into the city
Bible as a man of intelligence,
the ancient antiquity, history
salvation through research and
to hear the Word of God.
by Sergius Paulus. He was described in the

so it is assumed that he was well studied of
of the prophets, and sought out his own
study. Sergius summoned Barnabas and Saul
In Paphos, they also met a false prophet and sorcerer named Bar-Jesus. BarJesus and another sorcerer named Elymas tried to hinder the work of the
Holy Spirit, twisting their teachings. They were attempting to turn a certain
deputy away from the Faith of Jesus Christ through their evil ways.
Saul, filled with the Holy Spirit, would not be threatened by these evil men.
He looked intently at Elymas and spoke directly to the evil spirit that was
causing deception. "You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full
of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths
of the Lord!" Saul exclaimed. "Now, behold the hand of the Lord is upon you
and you will be blind, unable to see the sun for a time!"
Immediately, mist and darkness fell upon Elymas.
seeking for someone to lead him away by the hand.
He staggered away
Seeing the Hand of God more powerful than witchcraft and sorcery, the
deputy was led to Christ.
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As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we easily swayed by witchcraft

and sorcery? As Wicca and other obvious occult practices emerge, do we
allow them to continue, using the "who are we to judge" excuse? When
witchcraft is more obscured and entangled with Christianity, can we see the
deception and evil spirits involved? Do we follow men who use the Word of
God as incantations? Or even "secret words" as incantations? Do we follow
teachers and prophets who resurrect Gnostic texts to conjure up spirits? Do
we follow men claiming to have angels or "spirit guides," or do we follow
men who truly have the Holy Spirit? Have we ourselves been placed under a
spell?
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Praise God! We're FREE!

It's time to pause a moment and reflect what God has done for us. There's
no better way to do it than by reading Romans 8. Let's rejoice with Paul and
praise God, because we are FREE!
Paul said that anyone who believes in Jesus Christ can be saved, and starts
out saying that there is absolutely NO condemnation for those who are in
Christ Jesus! The Holy Spirit has set us free! We have a new law of the
Spirit, free from the Mosaic law of sin and death!
The Mosaic law had failed, weakened by the wretched lives of sinners who
could not uphold the law. Through Jesus Christ, God had done what the law
could not do: bring salvation to all who believe on His Son! By sending His
own Son in the likeness of the sinful flesh, he condemned sin for us in the
flesh!
The Mosaic Law had requirements that must be met. Many of them, from
stoning our children when they disobey to eating locusts and not mixing of
fibers. These requirements had no effect on the salvation of one's soul. But
because of the law, men set their minds on the things of this law, essentially
turning the law itself into an idol. Paul said that those who set their minds on
the things of the flesh live according to the laws and focus on death. Those
who set their minds on the Holy Spirit set their mind on life and peace!
Paul did not take this lightly. He rebuked those who tried to uphold the law
that had failed. Paul said that the mind that is on the flesh is hostile to God!
It does not submit to God's law, because it can't! It pleases the law that had
become a failed system! He said that those who are in the flesh (living by
the law) cannot please God!
We are no longer living in the law, the things of the flesh. We are now under
the Holy Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells within us. Paul said that
anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him.
The mortal man cannot uphold the law. It is impossible. Paul said that
although our bodies are dead because of sin, if Christ is in us we have the
Spirit of LIFE! If the Spirit of God, the One who raised Jesus from the dead,
dwells in us, then God will also give life to our mortal bodies!
Therefore, Paul said that we were no longer debtors to the flesh (law). We no
longer have to live according to the flesh (law). If we live according to the
flesh (law), we will die, but if through the Holy Spirit we put the deeds of our
bodies behind us we will LIVE! Paul said that all who are led by the Spirit are
sons of God!
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Paul begged them not to go back to the law. It was slavery! We did not
receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear! We received the adoption
of sons of God! That's why we cry out to the FATHER! The Holy Spirit himself
bears witness with our spirits, and we are now children of God! Not only
heirs of God, but Paul said that we are fellow heirs with Christ! If we lose our
own life for Christ, then we may also be glorified with Him!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we thankful that our Heavenly
Father sent His only Son to free us from the law? Or are we unthankful,
returning to the law? Have we adopted the law of slavery or the law of Grace
and Unmerited Favor? Are we the sons and daughters of the law of death, or
the sons and daughters of the Heavenly Father? Are we heirs of the
kingdom?
Shalom!
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The New Covenant: Christ Came to Fulfill the Law!

Today's praise and worship is given to God for His Covenant of Grace that He
gave us through His Son, Christ Jesus.
Throughout the Bible, God made covenants with those who loved and served
Him. From the garden of Eden to the cross, covenants were given to show
the people that He was God, and that He keeps His promise. God's Word is
the Absolute.
Adamic Covenant
Genesis 3: 16-19 gives the Adamic Covenant.
woman, and part to the man.
Part of it was given to the
Originally, man lived in innocence, only having one commandment to follow:

do not eat the fruit of the tree in the midst of the garden. When that
commandment was broken, innocence was removed and a covenant was
given.
God said that the woman's pain would increase in childbearing, and through
this pain, children would be brought into the world. Their desire would be for
her husband, and her husband would rule over her.
To the man, a punishment was also given. Because he listened to his wife
and ate the fruit of the tree that God had commanded them not to eat, the
ground would also be cursed. From that day forward, man would eat of the
ground all the days of his life. The ground would bring forth thorns and
thistles, and man would eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of man's
face, man would eat the bread produced by the ground until he returned to
the ground. For man was taken from the dust, and to dust will he return.
This covenant has no end. God gave this covenant without requirement, and
man will be under this covenant until the end of the world.
Noahic Covenant
Genesis 9:18-17 gives God's covenant with man after the flood. God said
this was an everlasting covenant between God and all flesh that lived upon
the earth.
Never again would the world be cleansed by water. The waters of the flood
would never be used to destroy life from the earth as God had done as Noah
and his family were in the ark. As a sign of His covenant, rainbows were set
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in the clouds. From that day forward, man can look at the bow in the clouds
and know that God still remembers his covenant.
Abrahamic Covenant
Genesis 12:1-3 gives the everlasting covenant He made between Himself
and Abraham.
Abraham was to be blessed, his seed made into a great nation. God was to
give Abraham land for his seed to grow and flourish, and would bless
Abraham's name. All those who bless the name of Abraham would be
blessed, and all who dishonor the name of Abraham would be cursed. In
Abraham, all of the families of the earth would be blessed.
This blessing also includes the coming Messiah. Through the seed of
Abraham came the children of Israel and finally the Christ.
Mosaic Covenant
The Mosaic Covenant is described through several chapters of the Bible, but
ultimately is described in Deuteronomy 11:26-28. It was set before the
people as a choice: either a blessing or a curse. If the people obeyed all of
the commandments of the Lord God, they would receive the blessing. If they
did not obey the commandments, and started serving other gods, they would
receive the curse.
There are approximately six hundred parts of this covenant besides the ten
commandments which most are familiar with. About three hundred of them
were positive if the people obeyed, and three hundred negative. The
covenant was given to set the nation of Israel apart from the other nations
and become God's chosen people.
The Mosaic Covenant is different from most covenants of the Bible in the
structure of the blessings for obedience and the curse for disobedience. It
was a bilateral agreement, having obligations by God but also by the children
of Israel. The covenant placed the children of Israel under the blessing of the
law if God's commandments were kept, but placed them under the curse of
the law if the commandments were broken.
Before Moses even came down from Mount Sinai to give the choice of
blessing or curse to the people, they fell back into idolatry. They made a
golden calf, breaking the covenant of blessing before it was even proclaimed.
Exodus 32:1-10 describes the anger of God as he saw that the covenant had
been broken, but Moses pleaded for mercy on their behalf. Exodus 32:11-14
describes how Moses pleaded and God changed His mind to give them
another chance.
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Ultimately, the people eventually turned back towards idolatry, and the
God's anger was against them for breaking his covenant. The people fell
under the curse of the law until the Messiah.
Paul said that the curse of the law was lifted from the people when Christ
Himself became the curse for us in Galatians 3:13
Davidic Covenant
2 Samuel 7 describes God's covenant with David, which He gave through His
prophet Nathan. David felt that it was wrong for himself to dwell in a house
of cedar while the ark of God dwelled in a tent. That night, the Lord spoke to
Nathan and gave Nathan the Davidic Covenant.
As with Abraham, God said that He would make the name of David great. He
would appoint a place for the children of Israel to dwell, and they would be
protected from evil and disturbed no more. Since David offered to make a
house for the Lord, God said that He would make a house for David. When
David passed away, his offspring would come for his body to take it into the
kingdom that would be established by God. The throne and the kingdom
would be forever.
God promised that he would be like a father. When the son committed
iniquity, he would discipline him with a rod and stripes of men. But God said
that his steadfast love would not depart from him.
God promised that David's house and kingdom would last forever.
throne of David would be established forever.
The
New Covenant
The prophet Jeremiah declares the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31:31-34.
God said that it would be a new covenant with the children of Israel and the
house of Judah, and would be unlike the Mosaic Covenant that was broken by
their fathers. Rather than outward obedience or curse, God would put His
law within the people, written in their hearts.
No longer would people have to teach the ways of the covenant saying,
"Know the Lord." God said that they will all know Him from the least to the
greatest.
Their iniquity would be forgiven and their sin would be
remembered no more.
When Christ came, he did not come to abolish the Mosaic law -- he came to
fulfill it, just as he said in Matthew 5:17. The people had chosen the curse of
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the Law, and they were no longer to be cursed. Christ became the curse for
us to fulfill it and remove us from the curse.
Christ said in Luke 22:20 that the new covenant was His blood. All who are
under the blood are under the new covenant.
The Mosaic covenant had no end when it was given. Though the children of
Israel broke their side of the covenant with God, God's Word will never fail.
The Mosaic covenant is in effect today, but Jesus is upholding our side of the
covenant for us! Paul said in Hebrews 9:15 that Christ is the mediator of the
New Covenant, redeeming us from the transgressions that break the Mosaic
Covenant!
Questions
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we thankful that God has given
us a New Covenant? Do we try to ignore it by teaching laws from the Old
Covenant? Have we not accepted Christ as the mediator for the New
Covenant? Have we been taught that because the Mosaic Covenant is still in
effect that we ourselves have to try to uphold the law, removing Jesus as the
mediator? Have we accepted Jesus?
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Let Our Enemies Believe the Sign!

Psalm 86 is a song of praise and worship to the One True God for His
steadfast love towards David. David pleads for mercy unto God, asking God
to show a sign to his enemies that those who had risen against David would
Believe the Sign and be put to shame in knowing that David served the One
True God.
David asks God to listen to His poor servant who has placed his trust in the
Lord. He asked God to give him protection and save his life.
It was God that David cried out unto all the day, and David asked God to be
gracious. He asked God to bless him with comfort and happiness. David
lifted his soul up towards God.
He said that God was good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all
that call upon Him. Therefore, he asked God to listen to his plea for grace.
David said that when he was in trouble, he could call on God because God
would answer!
There is none like Yahweh among the gods, and there are none that can do
the works of the One True God. All the nations that God has made will come
and worship before God and glorify His Name. David said that God was great
and did wondrous things, and He alone was God.
David asked God to teach him God's way so that he could walk in God's
Truth. He asked God to unite his heart to fear God's Name. He gave thanks
and glorified the Name of God with his whole heart, and would do so forever.
It was God that had delivered his soul from the depths of hell.
David said that insolent men, arrogant men with lack of respect had risen
against him. A band of ruthless men sought out to take David's life. But
these men did not walk with God.
David praised God for his mercy and grace, and said that God was slow to
anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. He asked God to
turn his mercy and grace towards David, his servant. He asked God to give
strength.
Finally, David asked God to show a sign of His favor towards David. Others
who hated David could see and Believe the Sign, and then would be put to
shame. They would know that Yahweh, the One True God, had helped him
and comforted him.
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As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we praise God for His steadfast

love? Do we serve the God above all other Gods? Do we fear the insolent
men who rise up against us, or do we hold fast to God and know that God will
stand with us? Do we get our favor from the Lord, or from men?
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Encouragement of the Scriptures

In Romans 15, Paul tells us our obligation in order to be examples of Christ:
to build up others through encouragement of the Scriptures.
He said that those who are strong should help bear the burdens of the
failings of the weak, just as Christ bore our sins on Calvary. Paul said that we
should not try to please ourselves, but instead help others in their failings.
Each one of us should try to please our neighbors to build them up, make
them feel encouraged. Christ did not come to please himself, but as the
scripture says, "The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me."
Paul said that we should all find encouragement by this. In former days,
before Christ came, all that was written was for instruction. It was meant to
show that through endurance and through encouragement of the Scriptures,
we can have hope!
Paul blessed the people, asking the God of endurance and encouragement to
grant harmony and peace to the people. Not earthly peace, Paul said this
harmony should be in accord with Christ Jesus. This harmony should allow us
to glorify God in harmony, together with our neighbors as one resounding
voice! Paul said we should loudly glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, welcoming one another just as Christ had welcomed us. This was for
the Glory of God.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we encourage others through the
Scriptures? Do we help bear the burdens of the weak? When a brother or
sister is down, do we encourage them and lift them back to their feet? Do
we praise God with one voice of harmony, glorifying God the Father of Jesus
Christ with other Christians in their churches dedicated to Christ? Do we
welcome one another as Christ welcomed us? Do we encourage for the glory
of God?
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Once for All

In Hebrews 9, Paul gives us the promise that the Blood of Christ is sufficient
for all.
Christ appeared as a High Priest. He did not come in an earthly tent or
tabernacle as the days of old, He came in one not made with hands. In the
times of antiquity, God came down into the holy places by the sacrifice of
blood of goats and calves. When Jesus came, however, God came down
through the blood of Jesus Christ. Christ was the sacrifice.
The blood of goats and bulls were not sufficient, and offered by impure flesh.
How much more powerful the blood of Christ! How much more perfect His
sacrifice, without blemish to God! How much more powerful His offering, one
that can purify our minds and remove the dead works of the law that had
failed!
Christ is the mediator of the new covenant. He stands between God and
man as a mediator, so that all who are called can receive the promise of
eternal life. Because of His death, we are redeemed from all transgressions
committed under the first covenant, the Mosaic Law!
Paul said that whenever there is a documented will, the death of the one who
wrote the will must be established. The will only takes effect at death, and
cannot be enforced while the person who composed the will is alive.
Therefore, blood was required to fulfill the first covenant. Under the law,
almost everything was purified with blood. Without the blood, there is no
forgiveness of sins.
Paul went on to say that this was the reason it was necessary for the earthly
copies of heavenly things to be purified. Yet the heavenly things themselves
have better sacrifices than these! Christ entered into a tabernacle not made
with hands, which was a copy of the earthly ritual, but took place in heaven
itself. He entered into the presence of God on our behalf!
Christ was not offered as a sacrifice repeatedly, as the high priest entered
the holy places each year with sacrifice. If this was required, then he would
have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world.
Paul said this was not the case. He appeared once for all! He appeared at
the end of the ages! He put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself!
Just as it is appointed once for a man to die and then return to face
judgment, Christ died bearing the sins of many. He will appear a second
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time, but not to face judgment or to deal with sin. When Christ returns the
second time, it is to save those who eagerly await His coming!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we eagerly awaiting His coming?
Are our hearts and minds right with God? Are we at peace with our
neighbors? Have we applied His sacrifice?
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United We Are the Temple of God!

Ephesians 2 tells us that we are now one in Christ by joining together in unity
as the holy temple and dwelling place of God.
At one time, the Gentiles were called "The Uncircumcised" by those who
were circumcised. Circumcision is something that physically is done by our
own works, by our own hands. Gentiles were separated from Christ at that
time, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel. They were strangers to
the covenants that God made with Israel.
Outside of the covenants, Gentiles had no hope and were without God in the
world. But now, Jesus Christ has brought hope. In Christ, those who were
outside of the covenant are brought near through the blood of Jesus Christ.
He Himself is our peace. He is both the one who made us, and also the one
who has broken down the dividing wall of hostility. Through the flesh of
Christ, we have peace.
Paul says this peace came by abolishing the law of commandments
expressed in ordinances. Through abolishing the law, He might create in
himself one new man in the place of two: uniting together to make peace.
He came to reconcile both Jews and Gentiles unto God in one body, through
the cross. Therefore, Christ killed the hostility.
Christ came and preached peace to both the Gentiles and the circumcised
Jews. Through Christ, we both have access in one Spirit unto the Father! We
are no longer strangers and aliens, but fellow citizens. We are united with
the saints and the members of the household of God. This household built
on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Christ Himself is the
cornerstone that joins the entire structure together. Being joined together,
united Christians around the world form a holy temple in the Lord. In Him,
we are also built together into a dwelling place for God by the Holy Spirit!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we hold to the old laws when
Paul said that Christ abolished the law of works righteousness? Are we the
old man, or the new man of peace that Christ created, joining together with
our fellow Christians around the world? Are we part of the holy temple of
God? Have we separated ourselves from the body of Christ, leaving the
dwelling place of God? Or are we part of the temple and dwelling place of
God by the Holy Spirit?
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Proud of our Weakness

2 Corinthians 12 tells us that we should be content in our persecutions and
hardship, for when we are weak God makes us strong.
Paul describes a brother in Christ who was caught up into the third heaven,
an experience in which only God knows the details. The brother heard things
which cannot be told, and no man can describe.
Paul was very clear regarding boasting of one's self. He said that on his own
behalf, he would not boast except to boast of his weakness. Though he
would be speaking the truth in telling his heavenly experiences, he did not
want others to think more of himself than they should.
To keep himself from being conceited by describing the greatness of his
revelations, Paul was given a thorn in the flesh. Paul described this "thorn"
as a messenger of Satan sent to harass him, yet the evil spirit was sent to
keep Paul from becoming conceited.
Three times Paul pleaded with God to ask this evil messenger of Satan to
leave, but it did not. God said to Paul, "My Grace is sufficient for you. My
power is made perfect in weakness!"
Therefore, Paul gladly and proudly boasted of his weaknesses. In his
weakness, the power of Christ rested upon Paul. For the sake of Christ, Paul
was content with weaknesses. He was content with insults, hardships,
persecutions, and calamities.
Paul said, "For when I am weak, then I am strong!"
As Christians we should ask ourselves: Are we proud of our weaknesses and
God's grace that forgives us of each and every one of them? Do we try to
hide our weaknesses from others, or confess our sins to others so that we
can be humble and God can have the glory? Are we content when others
insult us, or do we fire back with vengeance? Do we follow leaders who
boast in themselves, going on about visions and experiences rather than
boasting in their weakness? Are we following leaders like Paul who remained
humble, or leaders like Balaam whose fame was spread throughout the land?
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Take Assurance of Christ Through Faith

Hebrews 10 tells us that we should take full assurance of God's grace
through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ.
Through the blood of Christ, we have confidence to enter the holy places.
Though the old temples kept the high places behind the curtain with only the
priest able to enter, Christ has opened the curtain for us through his flesh.
Since we have a great high priest over the house of God, we can draw near
with a true heart in full assurance of faith. We enter holy and clean from all
evil, as though our bodies were washed with pure water.
We should hold fast to this confession of hope. Never waver, those who are
promised are faithful!
Paul said that we should consider ways to stir one another up, pushing others
to love and good works. He said we should not neglect to meet together,
though some people had already taken this habit in his day. We should
encourage one another more and more the closer the Great Day draws near!
If we continue sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the Truth,
there is no longer a sacrifice for sin. Without faith, we fear a day of
judgment with a fire that will consume all adversaries.
Paul said that anyone who aside the Law of Moses would die without mercy
on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse the wrath of
God who profaned His blood, His new covenant that He Himself sanctified? If
we do not have faith in Jesus Christ, we outrage the Spirit of Grace.
Therefore, remember the days when you first came to know Christ. You
faced a hard struggle with suffering. You were publicly ridiculed and
afflicted, sometimes along with others suffering the same trials. You had
compassion on those who were still imprisoned, hanging onto the old laws.
You joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, because you had a
better possession awaiting!
Paul said do not give all of this up! Don't throw away your confidence when
you have a great reward! Have endurance, so that you can receive what He
promised after you have done the will of God!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we have assurance of our
salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ? Do we enter the holy places
with a pure heart, knowing His blood is sufficient? Do we stir others up,
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encouraging them to be excited for God and live by faith? Have we not
remembered the trials we faced when we came to know Christ?
Don't give all of this up! Have faith!
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Search Us, O God!

Psalm 139 is a psalm of David,
David said that God had searched him and knew him. He knew when David
sat and when David rose; God even knew David's thoughts from afar on His
throne.
God is acquainted with everything in our lives, from the time we sleep to the
paths that we will take from day to day. Before a word comes from our
mouths, God already knows exactly what we are going to say.
God is the one who binds us together and keeps His hand upon us. It is
wonderful to know that God is involved in every thread of our lives! So much
greater than we can even comprehend!
After knowing the Spirit of God, where could we go were we to leave? If we
ascend to heaven, God is there! If we are cast down into the pits of hell, God
knows all about it. If we rise early and try to leave the presence of God, His
hand will even lead us there. His hand is holding fast to ours no matter
where we go!
God is the one who formed our bodies from each inward part to our outward
appearance. He knitted us together in our mother's womb, just like a mother
would knit with loving care for her child.
We praise God. We were made to serve God, and wonderfully so. His works
are wonderful, and we know it well. Nothing within us is in secret, woven
together already in the depths of the earth before the beginning of time.
God had already written our names in His book before a single person
dwelled upon the earth!
Try to imagine the thoughts of God, how wonderful! Knowing the thoughts of
each and every person on the earth from this moment to the beginning of
time and to the ends of eternity, God knows everything! If we were to count
them, it would be more than the sands!
We serve a living God, watching over our every step. Our enemies' steps are
numbered, though allowed to torment for a little while. Though they may
speak against us and God, who can rise up against the God we serve?
Search us, God, and know our heart! Try us and know our thoughts! If there
is anything within us that causes you grief, lead us in the way that leads to
life everlasting!
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As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we want God to search us, or do

we think we can keep things hidden from God? Do we try to withhold our
inward thoughts from the God who knew we would have them before the
beginning of time? Do we worry about our trials when we serve the God who
already knows the outcome? Do we praise God for his knowledge and
control in our lives?
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All Things Are Lawful to Lift Up One Another!

1 Corinthians 10 teaches us that all things are lawful, and we should use all
things to the advantage of others and not ourselves.
Paul said "All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. All things are
lawful, but not all things build up." We should use all things for the good of
others, to lift up one another and edify the Body of Christ.
No one should seek for their own good, but the good of their neighbor. As
Christians, we lift our neighbor up above ourselves.
Paul was not even concerned about meats offered unto idols, even though it
was against the law of the old covenant. He said to eat whatever is sold in
the meat market without raising any concerns or questioning with our
conscience. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof!
We are to be careful what things we partake in when in the presence of
unbelievers. Those who do not know Christ and hang on to the old laws are
not aware that all things are lawful. Paul said that if we are invited to eat
with an unbeliever and they tell us the meal had been offered in sacrifice, for
their sake we should stop eating. Since they do not know Christ, they will
think we have sinned before God. Paul said we should not partake for their
conscience, not for our own.
We should also be free to partake in all things. Paul asked, "Why should my
liberty be determined by someone else's conscience? If I partake with
thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?"
All things lawful are not only limited to food. Paul said "whatever we eat or
drink, or whatever we do." But, we should do these things all to the glory of
God. We should give offense to no one. Everything we do should be to lift
up another, seeking their advantage so that they also might be saved.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we place our neighbor before
ourself? Do we do all things to lift up one another and lead them to
salvation? Are we robbed of our glory by letting our liberty be determined by
someone else's conscience? Are we Christians or do we remain bound to the
law that Christ came to fulfill?
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Freed from The Law, Walking in the New Law of the Spirit
Romans 8 tells us that we are freed from the law, and Paul calls it the law of
sin and death.
Paul says that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
There is a new law; the law of the Spirit. The law of the Spirit is a law of life
that sets us free in Christ Jesus from the old law, the law of sin and death.
For God had done what the law, which was weakened by the flesh, could not
do.
God sent His only Son in the likeness of our sinful bodies, and Christ
condemned sin itself while he was in flesh. By doing so, the requirement of
righteousness described by the law was fulfilled. Christ came to fulfill that
law.
Now, we walk according to the Spirit and are not to be concerned about
things of the flesh. Those who live according to the law, the things that they
do to produce their own righteousness, have set their minds upon
requirements of the law that Paul called the law of sin and death. Those who
set their minds on the Spirit have peace and life!
Paul is by no means accepting of those who try to continue walking daily in
the law. Those who set their mind on the flesh have set their mind on death
and are hostile towards God. They cannot please God because they can
never submit themselves fully to the law.
As Christians, we are not in the flesh. We are not instructed to claim our
righteousness by the way we live our lives and continue walking in the flesh.
If the Spirit of God dwells within us, we walk in the Spirit. Paul said anyone
who does not do this does not belong to Christ.
If Christ is in us, then the body is dead because of sin. We cannot refrain
from sin, so our bodies are dead already. The Spirit is life, because the Spirit
is righteousness. If the Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead dwells
in us, then that same Spirit will give life to our mortal bodies through His
Spirit that is dwelling within us!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we try to please God and claim
righteousness by the way we live our lives when it is hostile to God? Do we
walk in sin and death? Or do we walk in the Spirit of God, which brings life
and peace? Do we try to hold up these bodies dead from sin or do we let
them go to walk in the Spirit? Does His Spirit dwell within us?
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Made Perfect Through Christ

Hebrews 7 tells us that our legal requirements were fulfilled by Christ.
Paul reminded us that under the Levitical priesthood, the people received the
law. Through those requirements given by the priesthood, we never reached
perfection.
Paul asked: "If perfection had been attainable through the Levitical
priesthood, what further need would there have been for another priest to
rise after the order of Melchizedek?"
He said that when there is a change in priesthood, there also is a change in
the law. When Christ came in the order of Melchizedek, he did not come
after the order of Aaron, which was a change. This High Priest came from
another tribe in the earthly realm, from one which no one has ever served as
a high priest at the altar. Christ descended from the line of Judah, and Moses
never mentioned priests descending from that bloodline in physical bodies.
Therefore, Christ came not on the basis of a legal requirement by His earthly
bloodline, but a heavenly bloodline through power of an indestructible life!
The scriptures witnessed Christ, saying "You are a priest forever after the
order of Melchizedek!"
Paul correctly divides the two schools of thought. On one hand, we have a
former commandment to become righteous by the way in which we live our
lives. Laws were given to the people, and they were to follow those laws or
death would pursue. Paul said that former commandment had been set
aside because of its weakness and uselessness. Through the law, nothing
was made perfect.
On the other hand, Paul said a better hope is introduced. Though we are
sinners, we can become heirs to the kingdom by grace through faith in Jesus
Christ! Through this better hope, we draw nearer to God!
The required oath was made long before Jesus was born on the earth.
Though the former priests had no such requirement, Christ brought a new
covenant which required an oath to seal the change. The oath for Christ was
made when a former priest who said, "The Lord has sworn and will not
change his mind. You are a priest forever!" This statement makes Jesus
Christ the guarantor of a better covenant!
There were several former priests. They could not become a priest forever,
prevented by death under the old covenant. The priesthood under the old
covenant was an earthly priesthood, but Christ comes as a heavenly High
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Priest. He holds His office of priesthood permanently because He continues

forever. Because of this, Paul said that Christ is able to save those who draw
near to God through Christ -- even those who are scattered to the uttermost.
Christ always lives to make intercession for the sinners.
Paul said that it was fitting for us to have such a High Priest. He came holy,
innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and was exalted above the
heavens. Christ never needed to sacrifice daily for His sins; He had none!
He sacrificed for the sins of the world when He offered Himself as the
ultimate Sacrifice!
The law appointed men in their weakness to become high priests. All men
are born into sin. Christ came perfect, through the word of the oath which
came after the law. He was appointed as our High Priests through God's only
Son. Our High Priest remains perfect forever.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we made perfect through Christ?
Do we vainly try to follow laws to gain perfection, choosing the earthly
covenant rather than the heavenly covenant? Have we chosen an earthly
high priest rather than the Heavenly High Priest, God's only Son? Have we
chosen not to accept our new covenant of perfection to remain under an old
covenant of death?
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The Body Built by Love

In Ephesians 4, Paul says that the body of Christ is built by unity and love.
Paul considered himself a 'prisoner' for the Lord, destined to spread God's
Word of love for the rest of his days. He urged the people to present
themselves worthy of their calling to Christ. They should be humble, gentle,
have patience, love one another, and eager to maintain the unity of the Holy
Spirit in the bonds of peace.
Paul did not teach a tiny, little elect that should separate themselves from
false Christians. He said there is one body of Christ. There is one Spirit.
There was one hope that drew us nearer to Christ. There was only one
baptism needed when Paul said, "One Lord, one faith, one baptism." Only
one God who was the Father of all mankind, and that Heavenly Father
reigned over all mankind through all within all.
Grace was given to all Christians according to the measure of Christ's gift.
As the scriptures said, "He ascended on high and led a host of captives, and
He gave gifts to men."
Paul said that God also descended into the lower regions, the earth. Christ
that descended is the One who also ascended far above the heavens that he
might fulfill all things!
Christ did not only give the priests and the prophets power to work. He gave
the apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers for us to equip
us! Christ sent them so that we could also do the work of ministry, together
building up the body of Christ! And we should do so until we have unity of
the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, Jesus Christ!
Paul warned that we should not act like children, tossed to and fro like the
waves of the sea. We should not be carried about by human cunning in their
doctrines. We should not be deceived by their schemes. Instead, we should
speak Truth and Love! We should grow up in every way to Him that is the
Head, into Christ!
Christ is He who makes the entire body whole, joined and held together
through every joint. Once each part of the body of Christ is joined together,
it begins to work properly. The body then begins to grow so that it builds
itself together! And it is joined together by love!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we have love for our other
Christian brothers and sisters? Do we falsely assume that or little church is
the only church in the body of Christ? Have we separated one of the joints of
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the body? Are we equipped to teach of Jesus Christ, or are we teaching some
other doctrine? Are we acting like children, as Paul said tossed by the
doctrines of men? Are we speaking Truth and Love?
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Save Yourselves and Everyone Who Listens

In 1 Timothy 4, Paul tells us how to be a good servant of Christ.
Paul warns that deceitful teachings would come in the end times. These
teachings were of demons, deceitful spirits that would cause some to depart
from the faith of Jesus Christ.
These demons would cause insincere liars, of which Paul says have seared
consciences, to spread false teachings. Though everything created by God is
good, these liars would come forth teaching abstinence from things of this
world to preach works righteousness.
Paul says that the best way to become a good servant is to make these
things known before our brothers. We should be trained in the Word, the
words of faith, and spread the good doctrine of Jesus Christ.
Again, Paul warns us to have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths.
Instead, we should train ourselves to become godly having faith in Jesus
Christ. Also, this was not an outward expression. Paul says that training our
bodies is only of some value, but godliness is of value in every way! It holds
us fast to the promise of not only this life, but of the life to come.
Paul placed great value on expressing these thoughts. He said that what he
had just spoken was trustworthy and must be fully accepted. Because of this
very saying, Paul said that he toiled and strived. Paul had set his hope on
the living God, who is the Savior of all people -- especially those who believe!
He said that we should command and teach these things to others. Even if
we are not fully matured in the scriptures, we should go forward letting no
man despise us for our youth. Instead, we should become an example to
others in our speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.
Paul said to devote ourselves to the public reading of the Scripture, teaching
others about the Word of God. He said that they should not neglect the gift
that was given us by the Holy Spirit, which was given by prophecy when the
council of elders laid hand on them. We should practice our gifts, immersing
ourselves in them. Everyone should see our progress as our gifts mature.
Again, Paul stressed the importance of this. He said to keep a close watch on
ourselves and this teaching. Be persistent in this teaching. By being
persistent, we will not only save ourselves, but everyone who listens!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we persistent? Do we keep
watch on the stories we hear, to ensure they are not strange myths spread
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by insincere liars? Do we listen when they try to rob us of our enjoyment in

the wonderful things that God has created? Do we train only our outward
bodies towards holiness, or do we chasten our hearts and minds as well? Do
we teach these warnings to others as Paul commanded? Are we good
servants?
Paul's Astonishment
Galatians 3 is a story about Paul's astonishment in the people because they
kept placing themselves back into the ways works-righteousness instead of
the new covenant of faith in Jesus Christ.
Paul said, "O foolish Galatians! Who as bewitched you?" He could not
believe that the people would even want to turn back to relying on keeping
themselves holy by the outward way they lived their lives when they had
been set free from the law. Paul asked them if they were bewitched, under
some sort of spell of a sorcerer!
He asked them: "Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by
hearing with faith? Are you so foolish?" To Paul, only fools would turn back
into rules and regulations made to remain holy on the outside, when the law
had failed and sin remained on the inside. Paul asked them that after they
had received the Spirit and then turned back to works-righteousness, "Are
you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you really suffer so many things
in vain?"
Paul said that the same God who Abraham believed by faith and was
considered righteous had sent His Spirit to them. That Spirit had done so
many miracles among them by His Spirit. He asked them, "Do these same
miracles come by the works of the law?"
Paul said that those who live by faith are the sons of Abraham. The Scripture
foretold that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and preached the gospel
of Jesus Christ to Abraham when the Word said, "In you shall all the nations
be blessed." Those who live by faith instead of works-righteousness are the
blessed this scripture describes. They are blessed along with Abraham, the
man of faith!
On the other hand, those who rely on works of the law are under a curse!
Paul said that it is written in the scriptures, "Cursed be everyone who does
not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law and do them"
Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the works, the things
that the flesh can do to become holy. The righteous shall live by faith. The
law is not of faith, and living by the law, we can only be justified if we keep
each and every one of them!
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Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us!
Paul said it was written in the scriptures, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged
on a tree." Christ is the blessing of Abraham that was foretold to come to
the Gentiles. Through Christ, we can now receive the promised Spirit
through faith!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we receive our righteousness by
faith in Jesus Christ, or have we fallen back into works-righteousness? Why
would we ever want to turn back to laws that are a curse, when we are to be
the blessed? If Paul were to come today, would he be astonished at us?
Would he call us foolish or bewitched? Have we even accepted the new
covenant of Grace?
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The Treasure to Be Revealed

When Peter greeted the exiled Christians in 1 Peter 1, He greeted them with
grace, peace, and hope. Peter spoke of a treasure that would be made
known only through revelation.
He blessed them with grace and peace, according to the foreknowledge of
God the Father. He blessed them for sanctification of the Holy Spirit, and he
blessed them for their obedience to Jesus Christ, God's son, who gave His life
upon the cross.
Peter praised the God and Father of Jesus Christ for His great mercy. Through
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, God the Father gave us a new
hope. We are destined to an inheritance that will last forever, one that is
kept in heaven for us. Our treasures laid up in heaven are guarded by faith
for a salvation that will be revealed in the last time.
Peter said that we could rejoice in our treasures in heaven, though we face
trials for a little while here on earth. God is testing the genuineness of our
faith. This faith is more precious than gold, tested by the fire.
This revelation Peter spoke of is the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though we
have not seen Christ, we love Him! Though we do not see Him, we believe
Him! Christ gives us a joy that is beyond expression, and fills us with glory.
Through Christ, we can obtain our treasure through faith, which is the
salvation of our souls!
This treasure of salvation is what the prophets of old prophesied about. They
foretold that grace would be ours for the taking. They predicted the
sufferings of Christ, and how the Spirit would come. It was revealed to the
prophets of old that they were not serving themselves, but were serving us!
They were given the gift of prophecy for the sole purpose of announcing the
coming Messiah. They preached the Good News to us by the Holy Spirit that
was sent from heaven, telling us things that even the angels longed to see!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we glad that God announced his
coming to the prophets of old? Are we proud to be named among the body
of Christ? Are we laying up our treasures in heaven?
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Forget About the Past! Look Towards the Goal!

Philippians 3 tells us to forget about our past and press own towards our
righteousness through faith in Christ.
Paul admitted that he was not perfect, but pressed on to be perfect. He
strove for perfection in Christ because Jesus Christ had made Paul His own.
He longed for righteousness in Christ, not from the works he did in the law,
but through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul said that the best way he found to do
this was to forget about what lay behind and start straining forward to what
lies ahead. He said that he pressed on for the call of God in Jesus Christ.
Paul asked those who were mature to start thinking this way. If anything
within them thought otherwise, Paul asked that God would reveal it to them.
He said that we should hold to what we have attained through faith.
He asked the brothers to join in this way of thinking, watching those who look
to them for their examples. There were many already coming together as
enemies of the Christians. Their end is destruction, and their god is their
belly. They set their minds on earthly things and glorify in their shame.
Our citizenship, Paul said, is in heaven and not upon earth. We wait a living
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform our earthly body into a body
like His glorious body. The power of Christ makes all things subject to
Himself.
Do we press on towards
righteousness? Do the things we have done hold us back, or have we
forgotten about them to look towards our shining goal? Does anything within
us cling to works-righteousness, or do we believe with all our heart and soul
that we can be saved through faith in Jesus Christ?
523
Do Not Let Your Past Sins Drag You Down!

Hebrews 12 gives us hope in telling us not to let our past sins drag us down.
Paul said that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, so there is no
need to be burdened down by the sins that cling to us so closely. Jesus
endured our sins for us on the cross, took our shame for us, and now is
seated at the right hand of the throne of God!
Jesus endured our sins for us, taking our punishment so that we need not
grow weary with our burden of sin. We struggle against it daily, yet we have
not resisted it to the point of the shedding of our blood as Christ did for us!
Paul said that the law was for discipline that must be endured. God was
treating the people as sons, and without discipline they would have been
illegitimate children. If we are disciplined through our earthly fathers and
held respect for them, how much more our heavenly father?
Our earthly father disciplined us for just a short while as they saw fit, but it
was for their own good. God disciplines us for our good so that we can share
in His holiness! The discipline of God may have seemed painful, but later
yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness!
Paul told the people to lift up and do not hang low. He said to strive for
peace with everyone, and strive for the holiness that enables us to see the
Lord. They were given clear instructions: See that NO one fails to obtain the
Grace of God!"
He warned them not to let any root of bitterness spring up among them. Let
no one become sexually immoral or unholy like Esau who sold his birthright.
Though Esau sought his birthright with tears, it was too late; there was no
chance to repent.
The blessing we have is not something that we can see or touch. It is not a
blazing fire of doom and gloom, and the message we hear is not one that
makes us beg to hear no more. Though under the law, Mount Zion could not
even be touched by an animal or that animal would be stoned, Jesus is the
new mediator of the new covenant. Though Moses trembled in fear when he
approached the mountain, we need not tremble in fear.
Paul said to make sure that we did not refuse the words of Christ that was
being taught to them. If they did not escape to peace when they were
warned on earth, how much less would they reject Him that warns from
heaven? Paul said that God promised us that He would no longer shake the
earth when He promised to once more shake the earth and the heavens.
524
We should be grateful to receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken. We

should offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe. Our God is
a consuming fire!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we grateful that Christ rose to
shake the heavens once for all? Do we drag ourselves down, burdened by
our sin? Do we turn back to the discipline that was under the Mosaic Law, or
do we partake in the peaceful fruit of righteousness that it produced? Do we
tremble in fear of our God, or do we bless his Holy Name with thanksgiving?
525
Third Person of the Trinity

There are two huge myths surrounding the belief (or disbelief) of
Trinitarianism. Most followers of William Marrion Branham will absolutely
deny that they believe in the Trinity of God, and will tell you with unfounded
confidence that William Branham himself was never a Trinitarian.
William Branham violently opposed Trinitarianism -- but only in his home
churches of Jeffersonville, IN and Tucson, IN. (with a few scattered others
later.)
The second myth is Branham's opinion as to what mainstream churches
believed concerning the Trinity. Most mainstream or denominational churches
do not believe that there are three separate gods that can be broken into
three like a three-foot rule. Most believe the Godhead exactly as the Bible
describes.
The Latter Day Saints (Mormons), which have separated themselves from
mainstream churches, believe that there are three separate gods in the
trinity. For a full review of what others believe and what the scriptures say,
please visit http://thriceholy.net
Quote:
Now, my precious brother, I know this is a tape also. Now, don't get excited.
Let me say this with godly love, the hour has approached where I can't hold
still on these things no more, too close to the Coming. See? "Trinitarianism is
of the Devil!" I say that THUS SAITH THE LORD! Look where it come from. It
come from the Nicene Council when the Catholic church become in rulership.
The word "trinity" is not even mentioned in the entire Book of the Bible. And
as far as three Gods, that's from hell. There's one God. That's exactly right.
61-0108 REVELATION.CHAPTER.FOUR.3_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN
Most followers would be shocked to find that outside of his home churches,
William Branham supported the Trinitarian belief and openly claimed to
support the Persons of the Trinity.
See, you believe in God; you believe in the Son, believe in the Holy Ghost;
that's the Trinity. We believe in that. See?
51-0506E AT.THY.WORD LOS ANGELES, CA
And now, there are those sitting here who are feeble this afternoon, that's in
need of physical healing. And we have chosen these few words to read from
Thine. And may the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, come in now,
the Promise, the Comforter, that You said You would send.
51-0729A THE.RESURRECTION.OF.LAZARUS_ ERIE.PA
526
SATURDAY_ E-13 Then suffered under Pontius Pilate, crucified, died, was
buried, rose the third day, setting at the right-hand of God the Father,
making intercessions now for we who've accepted the Holy Spirit, the third
Person of the trinity.
51-0929 OUR.HOPE.IS.IN.GOD_ NEW.YORK.NY
Truly, we're not much in this world, we're looked down upon, but, God, we
believe we're accepted in Christ Jesus, and He in return, has give us the Holy
Ghost. We love Him, that great, third Person of the trinity.
52-0713A EARLY.SPIRITUAL.EXPERIENCES_ HAMMOND.IN
Then Jesus Christ comes into His Church, to His people, to manifest Himself
out through the people, while He, Himself, is setting at the right hand of the
Father, sending back the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the trinity, to live in
human beings, to work through them, to show the same works that He did in
the beginning, making Him, "the same yesterday, today, and forever."
52-0713E GOD.TESTIFYING.OF.HIS.GIFTS_ HAMMOND.IN
Now, if Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and do we believe
that the Holy Spirit is on earth today? How many believes that? Well, that
Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit of God. Is that right? The third Person of the
trinity, Jesus Christ.
52-0720E WHO.HAS.BELIEVED.OUR.REPORT_ HAMMOND.IN
Now, in the great Divine trinity of God, in the day... It's all the One God, God
in a trinity: The Fatherhood, the Sonship, and the Holy Spirit dispensation.
53-0607E A.TESTIMONY_ CONNERSVILLE.IN
And He put this supernatural being which was called man, the third Person of
the Trinity, Holy Spirit, into mankind (Thats exactly right.), that man and He
made him in His own image.
53-0610 SHOW.US.THE.FATHER.AND.IT'LL.SATISFY.US_ CONNERSVILLE.IN
God's provided Sacrifice is here. God's Holy Spirit, the third Person of the
Trinity, the Holy Ghost, is now moving over the building.
53-0613 GOD'S.PROVIDED.WAY_ CONNERSVILLE.IN
Now, Father, take the Word, and may the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the
trinity, comes, take the Word of God, and break It out to the people, and put
It in every heart where it has need, where God would send It. For we ask it in
Jesus' Name. Amen.
54-0401 GOD'S.PREPARATION_ LOUISVILLE.KY
527
Now, tonight Jesus Christ has risen from the dead, and is living right here
among us in Spirit form, called the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit of God, which is
Jesus Christ, the third Person of the trinity.
54-0902 SOUTH.AFRICA.TESTIMONY_ NEW.YORK.NY
So One that has been among us, died and rose again, is glorified in the
Presence of God tonight, comes back in the form of the third Person of the
trinity, the Holy Spirit, and dwells in us, and moves, and proves Himself to be
the same Lord Jesus.
58-0208 THE.QUEEN.OF.THE.SOUTH_ SOUTH.BEND.IN
Let Him open your eyes. He's the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity
here tonight to grease up your eyes with God's salve: open your eyes.
58-0316E DOOR.TO.THE.HEART_ HARRISONBURG.VA
528
Pure Joy in Christ

James 1 tells us that we should consider it pure joy when we face our trials.
The testing of our faith produces a steadfast foundation for our faith. We
should let our steadfast faith have the full effect, so that we can be made
perfect and complete. Let our steadfast faith grow until we lack nothing!
If you lack wisdom, ask God! God gives wisdom generously to all who ask
without reproach. If you ask, it will be given! But you must ask in faith,
believing, for doubters are like a wave of the sea that is tossed any direction
by the wind. Without faith, you cannot expect to receive anything from the
Lord; you are unstable.
If you are downcast, boast of your exaltation! If you are rich, boast of your
humility! Like a flower of the grass, we will all fade away. The rich man will
fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
The man who remains steadfast under a trial is blessed. When he has stood
the test, he will receive the crown of life! God promised the crown to all who
love him!
When we are tempted, we should never even think that our temptation
comes from God. God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempts
no one. Each person is tempted when he is enticed by his own desire!
Desire gives birth to sin, and sin brings death!
Let no person deceive you. Every good gift, every perfect gift, comes
directly from God above. The Father sends good gifts down and there is no
variation in God's perfect plan. God made us His own, and He will bring us
forth by the Word of Truth! We should consider ourselves the firsts of brandnew creatures in Christ!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we steadfast in our faith in Jesus
Christ? Do we remain steadfast until we have the full effect? Do we ask God
the Father in faith for the gifts we need to grow in Christ? Do we remain
steadfast in faith during a trial? Do we boast of our success even though we
struggle? Are we brought forth by the Word of Truth?
529
Paul and Peter's Argument

Galatians 2 tells the story of the argument between Paul and Peter. Peter
started bringing legalism to the Gentiles, while Paul taught Grace.
When Cephas (Simon Peter), came to Antioch, Paul met him face to face.
Paul said that Peter stood condemned.
While Peter was eating with the Gentiles, men of the Jewish circumcision
party came from James to visit. When they arrived, Peter drew back from the
Gentiles and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party.
When Peter did this, the rest of the Jews did the same. Paul said that they
acted hypocritically, to the extent that even Barnabas was led astray by their
hypocrisy.
Paul said that their conduct was not in line with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Though Jews, they were eating with the Gentiles, which was against the law.
Yet when the circumcision party grew in number, they tried to force the law
upon the Gentiles. Paul asked them, "If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile
and not a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?"
They were Jews by birth, and not Gentile sinners. Yet, though Jews, they
knew the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A person is not justified by the way they
live their lives according to the law; they are justified by faith in Jesus Christ.
Paul said that he believed in Jesus Christ, so that he could be justified by
faith instead of the rules and regulations under the law. Through the works
of the law, not a single person will be justified.
"But if we are found sinners in our attempt to be justified in Christ", Paul
asked, does that make Christ a servant of sin? Certainly not!"
Paul said that if he tried to rebuild what he tore down, as Christ rebuilt the
covenant after tearing down the covenant of the law, Paul would be a
transgressor. Through the law he died to the law so that he could live in God.
Paul said that he now had been crucified with Christ. It is no longer the man,
Paul, who lived, but Christ who lived in him. The life he now lived is not in
the flesh, he lived by faith in Jesus Christ. He lived by the Son of God who
loved him and gave Himself for all.
Paul said that if we were righteous by the way we lived according to the rules
and regulations of the law, then we have nullified the Grace of God and
Christ died for no purpose!
530
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we nullify the Grace of God by

trying to uphold the rules of the law to gain righteousness? Have we made
Christ die in vain for our souls? When others claim their righteousness
through their holy ways, do we join in their hypocrisy? If see others who
forbid themselves entertainment or modern clothing for their righteousness,
do we bathe ourselves in their folly by imposing this upon ourselves and
others? Do we have the same message as Paul, or have we followed Peter's
mistake?
531
Do Not Go Beyond the Bible

1 Corinthians 4 warns us not to go beyond what is written in the Bible.
Paul warned that if men went beyond what was written in scripture with new
doctrines, it would create men who were exalted and in favor of others. He
said that he and Apollos were devoted to being good stewards for the Gospel
of Jesus Christ for their benefit, so they would learn not to go beyond what
was written.
Paul asked them, "Who can see any difference in you now? What do you
think you have now that you did not receive? And then when you received it,
why do you brag about it as though you did not receive it?" They were
falling quickly back into the ways of men rather than the ways of God. They
kept wanting more and more.
Paul told them that they already had everything the wanted. They were
already rich like kings. Paul said that he wished he and the apostles could
reign as kings as they did.
He said that God had put the apostles on display for mankind, as the last
display of all. They were like men sentenced to death, because they were to
become a spectacle to the world. They would be on display for not only
men, but angels! For Christ's sake, the apostles were made like fools in front
of mankind, but were made wise in Christ. They were made strong, held in
honor, while Paul and the apostles were made weak and slandered. They
hungered and thirsted, were poorly dressed and homeless. When reviled
before others, they blessed in returned. When persecuted, they endured.
When slandered, they entreated with love. They were refuse before men.
Paul said that he did not write these things to make the people ashamed, but
to admonish them as though they were his beloved children. They had
countless men guiding them in the ways of Christ, but do not have many who
treated them as fathers. Paul said that he became their father in Christ Jesus
through the Gospel of Jesus Christ so that he could remind them about the
ways of Christ. He taught the ways of Christ everywhere and in every
church.
Some men among them were becoming arrogant in their doctrines, and Paul
said that he would come if the Lord permitted. He said that he did not come
to listen to their doctrines, but to find out if they had received the power of
the Holy Ghost. The kingdom of God does not exist of doctrines, the words
of man. Paul said that it consisted in power.
532
Paul gave these men spreading their doctrines a solemn warning: Do you
want me to come to you with a rod of correction, or with love in a spirit of
gentleness?
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we place emphasis on the
doctrines of men or in the Word? If Paul came today, would he find us
exalting a man or the God who sent his Son, Jesus Christ? Do we find
emphasis on things that came after the scriptures or "in-between the lines,"
or is our only emphasis placed upon the scriptures found in the Bible? What
do we think we have now that was not already written in the Word of God?
533
Going Beyond the Elementary Principals of the Law

In Galatians 4, Paul implored the people not to keep returning to the Law,
making themselves slaves to the elementary principles of the world that
were within the law.
Not only were the people now free from the slavery, Paul said that they were
heirs. The heir, Paul said, was no different than a slave when he was a child.
Though as an heir, he was the owner of everything, he remained under close
watch until he was of age that the father would give him full reign and
possession.
According to Paul, mankind was the same way under the Law. They were
enslaved to the elementary principals of the world. They had a set of rules
to abide by, and were under close watch for punishment if even one of those
rules were broken.
But when the time had come for mankind to become heirs, God sent his only
Son. Jesus Christ was born of a woman, born under the law. In order to
redeem all mankind enslaved to the law, Christ fulfilled the entire law to
adopt us as sons and daughters of God.
And now, because we are sons and daughters of God, the Holy Spirit of His
Son was sent by God into our hearts to cry unto the Father. Therefore, we
are no longer enslaved, but a son! And if we are sons and daughters of God,
we then are also an heir through God!
Paul said that in days gone by, when mankind did not know God in His
fullness, they were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. Now that
they had came to know God, or rather to be known by God, why would they
even want to turn back again to the weak and worthless law? As heirs, why
would they want to return back to slaves once more? Paul said that he was
afraid that he labored for them in vain, since they kept returning back to the
law!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we remained heirs to the
Kingdom of Heaven, or have we brought ourselves back into slavery of the
law? Do we now stand watch over others to keep them bound in their chains
of slavery by condemning them of the ways they break the law that Paul
called "useless?" Or have we gone beyond the elementary principals of the
law, conducting ourselves with grace, love, and peace? Do we present
ourselves to others as true heirs to the kingdom, or do we hold our hands up
before them to show our chains of slavery to the law?
534
Imprisoned for Christ

Acts 16 tells how our trials are a tool in God's hand to save the lost. Because
of the grace and love of Paul and Silas, the jailer came to know Jesus Christ.
Paul and Silas were not discouraged by their chains while in prison. They
were praying and singing hymns of worship to God, loudly enough that the
other prisoners were listening to them.
Around midnight, a great earthquake shook the foundation of the prison so
violently that the doors to the prison were opened and the bonds that held
every prisoner were unfastened.
The jailer woke and realized that the doors were opened, and assumed that
the prisoners had fled. Rather than allow himself to be tortured for failing to
keep the prisoners in their cells, the jailer started to take his own life with his
sword.
Paul yelled loudly for the jailer to stop. "Do not harm yourself, for we are all
here," Paul said.
When the jailer called for lights and rushed into the prison, he fell at the feet
of Paul and Silas in fear. He brought them out of the prison and asked them,
"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
Paul and Silas replied that if the jailer believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, he
would be saved along with all of his household. The jailer took Paul and Silas
to his house, and they spoke the Word of the Lord to all who were within. In
the very same night, the jailer and all of his family were baptized.
Paul, Silas, the jailer, and his entire family feasted and rejoiced together.
They all gave God the praise for their salvation through their faith in the One
True God.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we rejoice in the trials we face, or
do we become cast down with no hope? Do we realize that God works his
salvation of ourselves and others through the trials we go through? Are we
angry at the men who imprisoned Pastor Youcef, or do we give glory unto
God in knowing that his testimony of grace and love may have reached one
lost soul?
535
Abiding in God Through Divine Love

1 John 4 tells us that our Love for one another is a sign that God abides
within us. Anyone who does not Love does not know God.
God is Love. Love is from God, and whoever Loves those around him has
been born of God and knows God. The Love of God was made manifest
among us when God sent his only Son into the world for our salvation and
everlasting life.
It was not a one-way Love. In sending His Son, God showed us that He Loved
us. He sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Therefore, if God
Loved us, we should also Love one another!
No one has ever seen God. Yet, when we Love one another, God abides
within us and His Love is perfected in us!
Through our Love, we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He
has given us His Holy Spirit. His Spirit is Love.
Our Love testifies that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the
world. And whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God accepts God to
abide within. He who abides in Love abides in God and God abides in him.
We are perfecting Love within us by accepting Jesus as the Son of God,
receiving the Holy Spirit, and abiding in Love. In perfect Love, we may have
confidence at the day of Judgment, because God is Love. John said, "As He
is, so also are we in this world".
There is no fear in Love. Perfect Love casts out fear. Fear is a part of
punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in Love. We Loved
because He first Loved us!
If anyone says that he Loves God and is filled with hatred, then he is a liar.
He who does not Love his brother who is right before his eyes cannot Love
God who he has not seen.
This is the commandment we have from God: whoever Loves God must also
Love his brother.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we filled with the Holy Spirit, or
are we filled with hatred which comes from the evil spirit? Do we love our
neighbor greater than we love ourselves? Do we claim to be filled with the
Holy Spirit while making harsh comments of hatred to our brother? Do our
outward expressions expose the liar within our hearts?
536
537
Do Not Forget the Gospel of Jesus Christ

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul reminds us what the original Gospel is, the Gospel
of Jesus Christ. He said that if the Gospel was forgotten, they had believed in
vain.
Already, some had forgotten what the Gospel was. They believed that Jesus
was the Christ and that He died for their sins, but had forgotten the Gospel
that was given to the saints, the Good News that Paul dedicated his life to
spreading.
Paul reminded them of the Gospel that he had preached to them. If they
held fast to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, received it in their hearts and stood
for it, they would be saved.
It was not difficult to remember. Paul said that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was
the first and most important knowledge that he received. And it was simple:
Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures. He died and was
buried. He rose from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures
proclaimed. This is the Gospel that Paul said we are to believe, and this
Gospel gives eternal life.
Christ did not remain in the grave. He appeared to Simon Peter and the
twelve apostles. He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one
time, most of which were still alive while Paul was spreading the Good News.
Then Christ appeared to James and all of the apostles.
Paul said that last of all, Christ appeared to Paul himself. He was untimely
born, unworthy to be called an apostle because he persecuted the church of
God.
But by the grace of God, Paul said, "I am what I am." By God's grace, Paul
said that he was able to work harder than any of them in spreading the
Gospel. It was not because of anything Paul could do in of himself, but by
the Grace of God that was with Paul.
Paul said it did not matter who they received the Gospel of Jesus Christ from.
Whether it was the apostles or himself, they preached the Gospel so that the
people could believe the Gospel.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we remain founded in the Gospel
of Jesus Christ, the Good News that Christ came, lived a perfect life and died
for our sins, was buried and conquered death and hell, and then rose again
so that we can rise with Him? Do we even know what the Gospel is? Have
we forgotten that Christ died for sinners as well as saints? Are we a believer
538
of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, spreading it everywhere we go, or are we

spreading something else?
539
Rolling in Dog's Vomit After the Death of the Dog

The New Testament writers gave their warning regarding false prophets and
St. Peter was no exception. In 2 Peter 2, Peter held nothing back.
Peter also included false teachers in the same category as false prophets.
Bringing their own doctrines into their teaching instead of the glorious
Gospel of Jesus Christ. He said these false teachers sneak in teachings that
were heresies, teachings that were destructive to the church. To the extent
that they would go so far as to deny their Master who brought them to the
earth! in doing so, they would bring swift destruction upon themselves and
suffer a terrible end.
These false prophets and teachers would be filled with sensuality, and many
would follow them because of the attraction to the heightened emotions and
senses. Peter warned that in their greed, they would begin to bring false
teachings and doctrines.
These false prophets and teachers were
condemned from long, long ago. Their destruction does not wait to be
wakened at the judgment.
Peter gave examples of God's power and authority over those who do not
fully worship Him. Even the angels were cast into hell for their sin. They
were chained in darkness until the day of Judgment. In the ancient world,
Noah was spared for being a herald of righteousness. He and seven others
survived the flood while the entire ancient world suffered a swift destruction.
Sodom and Gomorrah was leveled to ashes, condemned to extinction to
become an example of the fate for the ungodly.
Lot, however, was greatly upset with the sensual nature of the wicked people
of Sodom and Gomorrah. Daily he was tormented over their lawless ways.
God knows how to rescue the godly and righteous from such trials, and how
to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of Judgment.
Especially, Peter said, those who indulge in the lust of their defiling passion
and despising of authority.
These false teachers and prophets boldly and willingly march forward in their
destruction having no fear as they blaspheme the righteous. Even the
angels who are greater in power and might will not pronounce blasphemous
judgment against them before God!
Peter said these false prophets are like "irrational animals," creatures of
instinct who are born to be captured and slaughtered. They blaspheme
others for matters which they are completely ignorant. Peter said that in
540
their destruction of others, they will also be destroyed. They will suffer for
their wrongdoing.
Peter said that they take great pleasure in their wrongdoing in the sight of
others. He said that they are nothing more than "blots" and "blemishes,"
taking pleasure in their deceptions in your company.
He said that these false prophets and teachers have eyes full of adultery.
They have an unsatisfied desire for sin, and entice the souls who are not yet
steady in their faith of Jesus Christ. Their hearts are full of greed.
"Accursed children!" Peter exclaimed. They have forsaken the true path to
salvation and have gone astray! They followed after the way of Balaam who
loved the gain he got from his wrongdoing! Balaam was rebuked for his own
transgression against God. A donkey was given a human voice to restrain
the prophet's madness!
Peter compared these false prophets and teachers to waterless springs,
mists that were driven by a storm. The gloom of the utter darkness of hell
has already been reserved for these evil ones.
They speak loudly with their boasts of their folly. They are enticing others by
their sensual passions, those who are on the edge of escaping sin to gain
salvation. They promise freedom, but yet they themselves are slaves to their
own corruption.
Peter said that the state of their souls were worse after learning about Christ.
Though they had escaped the defilements of the world through knowing their
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they again became entangled in sin. It would
have been better for them to have never known the way of righteousness
than to turn away from it!
Peter said that the proverb was very true: "The dog returns to its own vomit,
and the pig after washing itself returns to wallow in the mire."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Were we enticed by the boasting of
sensual things? Were we leaning on the edge of the fence between heaven
and hell, and chose the wrong side? Do we listen to any other doctrine than
the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Do we follow after men who judge others, when
even the angels of heaven tremble in fear at the thought of it? Are we
enticed by their loud screaming of folly? Do we continue to follow their
teachings after they met with their swift destruction? Do we roll in the dog's
vomit after the death of the dog?
541
The Ginormous "Little Bride"

In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul spoke against those who would spread doctrines of
"little brides" and "chosen few" from the Christians that make up the body of
Christ.
Paul said just as our own bodies are one, yet have many members, so is the
Body of Christ. All members of the body, though many, are still one body!
With the same Holy Spirit, we were all baptized into one Body. The Holy
Spirit that was freely given to us by faith brought us together -- Jews or
Greeks, slaves or free, everyone! We were all made to drink of one Spirit!
Paul said that those who would separate themselves from other Christians
were silly. What if your own foot decided that since it was not a hand, it did
not belong to your own body? Because it is a foot, does that make it any less
part of your body? If the whole body were a foot, how would you even
function!
The eye cannot say to the hand that it no longer has any need of it. Nor the
head to the feet. All parts of your body, even those that seem to be weaker
or less honorable are still part of your body! Paul said that we actually
bestow greater honor on the parts of our body that are less desirable,
because we cover them up!
Our own bodies are like the Body of Christ. God composed our bodies, giving
greater honor to the parts that lacked honor. So there is no division in our
own bodies, all members care for the other members of our bodies. If one
member of our bodies suffer, all members suffer together. If one member is
honored, all rejoice together.
Christ is the foundation that binds His body together.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Which foundation did we choose for
the body we became a member of?
Is it the foundation of Christ,
fellowshipping with all other Christians weak or strong?
Or is it the
foundation of a man, separating from other Christians like the foot from the
hand? Were we taught that such a small little 'elect' group would be the
'little bride,' or were we taught the same message Paul taught? Do we
decide we do not like a certain group of Christians, like our heads to our
undesirable body members? Or do we lift them up with love and kindness,
covering up their weakness with our faith?
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Exalting Christ by Exalting Others

Philippians 2 tells us that we exalt Christ by exalting others. We complete
our satisfaction by perfect love with one another.
Paul said that his joy was complete and perfected when the brothers and
sisters were filled with love for one another. It was his encouragement in
Christ when they were all in one accord, and of the same mindset that
perfect love could abound.
He warned them to do nothing that led to any selfish ambition or conceit. He
said that we should live our lives in humility, and that we should consider all
others more significant than ourselves. We should not look to our own
interests, but look to the interests of others.
Paul said that we should be more like Jesus. Jesus did not consider his
equality with God when he emptied himself to become a servant born in the
likeness of men. Though He was in the form of God, He put all aside for
others. Christ loved others even unto the point of death, dying on a cross to
lift up others.
Because of Christ's perfect love, God exalted Christ by giving Him a name
that is above every name. At the name of Jesus every knee should bow in
heaven and on earth, and even under the earth. Every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Paul said that through Christ is the glory of
God the Father!
Paul said that we should live this way of perfect love not only in his presence,
but even more so in his absence. We should work out our own salvation with
fear and trembling, for it is God who works within us. God works in us so that
we may work for His good pleasure!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we work our our salvation by
lifting up others as Paul describes? Do we seek the things of God, which is
doing His good work to lift up others? Or do we lift up ourselves, thinking we
have some special knowledge or mystery that all others are too sinful to
find? Do we live our lives planning our strategy for increase without
considering others? Or do we include them in our plans of increase, making
sure they are lifted up with us? Do we have perfect love?
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1907 and Alexander Dowie

In WMB's 1949 sermon, "I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision" in Zion
Illinois, he has great respect for Alexander Dowie. Dowie, he claims,
prophesied that Branham would come.
Quote:
Just recently, this afternoon, one of the brothers that's on the platform now,
handed me a letter from a lady, said... A very saintly looking, motherly lady,
aged, was standing in the hotel lobby, said, "Give this personally to Brother
Branham." She was acquainted, of your, our great renowned brother that's-that's sleeping tonight, no, not sleeping (his body is); his soul's with Jesus:
Doctor Alexander Dowie. "And forty years before... When he died, he
prophesied," she said.
He said, "It'll be forty years after my death, that this city shall go on the rock,
but after that forty years there'll come a revival, that'll be more glorious than
it was in the first place." And I have the writings here in--in--in just in part
that I might read there. It's kinda... "Doctor Dowie prophesied that some
forty years after his death, that the churches would be restored in more
power and glory than they were in--in the former."
49-0718 I.WAS.NOT.DISOBEDIENT.TO.THE.HEAVENLY.VISION
Oh, if I... If Jesus tarries, and I can stay that long, let me be like that. That's
right. Brother Richey here, how I could speak of him, of how down through
the age when I was a little boy in school, he was out there preaching the
Gospel and praying for the sick, when I was just a boy. Your mothers and
dads listened to him preach the Gospel on Divine healing, both of them out
of Zion, Illinois. Candidates are out from under the--the great teacher late
Doctor Dowie. How Doctor Dowie in his death prophesied that I would come
to that city forty years from the time that he died. Not knowing nothing
about it, he died on one day, and I was borned on the next. And forty years
to the day I entered the city, not knowing nothing about it. Oh, how God's
great move is coming together; I hear the sound of abundance of rain.
--51-0929 OUR.HOPE.IS.IN.GOD
To those in Zion, he claimed to have been born the day after Dowie's death in
1907. John Alexander Dowie died March 9, 1907, so Branham claimed to
have been born March 10, 1907.
Yet on his marriage certificate, he claimed to have been born April 8, 1908,
and in his "Life Story" accounts where the fortune teller guessed his date, it
was April 9, 1909.
Quote:
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She said, "Anybody ever tell you you were born under a sign." I said, "No,
ma'am." I lied to her there, see, and I said... just wanted to see what she was
going to say. And she said... I said, "No, ma'am."
And she said, "Doesn't... Hasn't ministers ever told you?"
I said, "I don't have nothing to do with ministers."
And she said, "Uh-huh."
And I said... she--she said to me... I said, "Well..." She said, "If I tell you just
exactly when you was born, will you believe me?"
I said, "No, ma'am."
And she said, "Well, I can tell you when you were born."
I said, "I don't believe it." And she said, "You were born on April the 6th,
1909, at five o'clock in the morning."
55-0117 HOW.THE.ANGEL.CAME.TO.ME.AND.HIS.COMMISSION
So which was it? 1907, exactly a day after Dowie died? 1908 as he described
on a government document? or 1909 at exactly five o'clock in the morning?
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Branham Messed Up ... Let's FIX it!

This morning, I was reviewing a site intended to answer questions ... that
raises many more questions: http://www.ALivingGod.Com, a MSG website
that focuses on Oneness and Church Ages.
Shocked a bit when I went through the Church Ages that Branham copied
from Clarence Larkin's "Dispensational Truth." One of the mistakes WMB
made when he copied the dates from Larkin and "assigned" messengers to
the dates was Columba of the Thyatira Age. Columba died before the age
even started.
According to WMB: "The Thyatirean Age lasted the longest of them all, about
900 years, from 606 to 1520," but Columba died in 597 -- nine years before
his "age" even started: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columba
This site, http://www.alivinggod.com, takes liberties with the dates yet
provides no explanation as to why. No mention of these dates being copied
from Larkin, and they change the years slightly to allow for assumption that
Columba's final years ended within the church age.
ALivingGod.com changed the Thyatira age from Branham's (or actually
Larkin's) teachings of 606-1520 to their own date range of 590 A.D. - 1517
A.D.
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The Evil Doctrine

As Paul spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, setting up churches and workers to
spread the Good News, he warned against those who would add their own
doctrines to hinder the faith. Romans 16 gives the warning.
Those spreading the good news were not limited to the men only. Men and
women alike were workers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, spreading the Good
News that Jesus Christ had came as the Messiah. They spread the message
of Grace by faith in Jesus Christ, just as Paul taught.
Paul took special care to mention Phoebe, a sister in Christ who Paul
considered to be a patron that helped many in their efforts to spread the
Gospel. He told the church to help her in whatever she needed so that she
could continue in her work. Paul mentioned many other men and women
who were establishing churches, spreading the Gospel, and helping others to
learn of Christ.
The early church was growing, and Paul wanted them to grow in one accord.
Already men with ill intentions had been adding law back into the message
of Grace, forbidding meats or drinks and spreading the Jewish tradition of
circumcision into the Gentile churches. Paul warned them against those who
started these divisions in the churches.
Paul considered anything contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ an 'obstacle.'
Those who created these divisions with their doctrines did not serve Christ,
but served their own appetites. Through their smooth talk and flattery, they
deceived the hearts and minds of the naive.
The dedication of the early church towards the Gospel of Christ was well
known. Paul rejoiced that they all taught the same message of Grace that he
taught, but wanted them to be aware of the evil that came in through these
doctrines. It was evil, and Paul said that the God of Peace would crush Satan
under their feet.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: What message do we spread? Do
we tell others from the rooftops that Jesus Christ has died for our sins, or do
we spread some other message? Is our message one of Grace and Peace, or
one of rules and law? Does our message bring the Christian churches in our
cities and around the world together in harmony, or does it create divisions
to separate ourselves from other Christians? Have we become part of the
evil doctrine Paul warned about?
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The Difference Between Law and Grace

Romans 5 teaches us the difference between the Law and Grace.
Paul said that through one man, sin entered into the world. One rule was
given to Adam, before Eve was created: Do not eat of the fruit of the tree.
Though Eve ate first, Adam was the one who sinned against God, because
God told Adam not to eat. Adam broke the one rule given to him.
Paul said that sin existed before the Mosaic law. Because of Adam's sin,
death entered into the world. But there was a difference.
Paul said that sin was not counted before the Mosaic law. Though death
reigned, as God promised if the fruit was eaten, sin was not counted. From
Adam to Moses, many sinned. Sin abounded, from slaying brothers to
adultery and more. Yet without law, rules cannot be broken.
When Jesus Christ gave his life for us, He offered Himself freely so that we
could be righteous and holy. Now that the law has been fulfilled, we still
know and remember sin, because sin was magnified under the law. Yet we
are under the covenant of Grace. Paul said that Adam was a "type" of the
One who was to come. Though he sinned, Adam had no reason to worry
about it since he did not know the law. Likewise, though we sin, we have no
reason to worry about it because God gave His Only Son to die on the cross
for our salvation!
Paul said that the free gift we were given is not like Adam who trespassed
against God. If many men died through Adam's mistake, how much more will
live from the grace of God? The grace of one man, Jesus Christ, gives us
security in knowing that we have a right to our salvation!
He said that the free Gift is not like the consequences given by God for
Adam's sin. Judgment followed close behind that one single trespass, and
brought condemnation to the world. The free Gift is the opposite; because of
the righteousness of Jesus Christ, an abundance of Grace and free gift of
righteousness abound! One trespass led to condemnation while one act of
righteousness led to justification and life for all!
Paul said that the law came to increase the trespass. It came to magnify our
sin. We would have never known we were sinners without the law! It's sole
purpose, according to Paul, was to show us how badly we needed Grace! All
are sinners!
There are over 60 sins described in the New Testament. All of which are
given to show that through the Law no one could be worthy. To show anger
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toward another is breaking the commandment to commit murder. To look at

another woman in lust is to commit adultery. All sins described in the new
testament are explaining how we break each and every one of the Ten
Commandments in our daily lives. And no man is without sin!
But where sin increased through the law, where we were shown how pitiful
we are, grace abounds all the more! Though our sins are too many to count
in just a single day, God's grace is larger than we can fathom in just a single
millisecond!
The law was given so that grace would one day reign through righteousness
leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we try to uphold the law,
knowing that even the Apostle Paul said it was impossible? Shouldn't we be
accepting the new covenant of Grace instead? Though our anger towards
another is the same as Cain killing Abel, do we continue as though we are
not under the new covenant of Grace? How many sin daily through pride or
anger, lust or covetousness, deceit or foolishness? How many never repent
for these things, covering them by the Blood of Christ simply because they
are not in the set of "rules" given by the pastor? Do our pastors even know
of God's Grace?
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The Sermon On the Mount: The Solid Foundation

In the closing of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that all who hears
these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who builds his
house on the rock. This sermon (Matt 6-7), should be the instructions we
should live by.
Lifting Up the Downcast
He stared the sermon telling us we should lift up the downcast, and those
who did would be blessed. The poor in spirit were blessed, and if we were
persecuted for our stand for Him, we were laying up treasures in heaven.
Proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to Others
Using examples of "salt" and "light", he said that we should become living
examples to all people. Others should see our good works and give glory to
the Father in heaven.
Fulfilling the Law
The Mosaic Law had two parts: a blessing and a curse. The Jew's side of the
bargain was to keep each and every one of the Law, and in return, God would
give them the blessings. Since the Jews were unable to keep their part,
Christ said that He came to fulfill their side of the Law. The Law, though
having failed, was showing a better way. Jesus said that even though He
came to fulfill it, we should continue to strive for perfection in the law.
Whoever kept the Law and teaches others to do the same would be great in
the kingdom of heaven.
The Law
Jesus then went on to show how the Ten Commandments were broken in our
daily lives. Using examples that every man could associate with in his own
life, Christ told us that our sinful flesh needed an interceder. Those who
followed the Law as a set of rules were missing the much, much larger
picture.
Thou Shalt Not Kill
Jesus said that everyone who is angry with his brother had violated the
commandment regarding murder. Even those who ridicule others were
destined to hell. We are to make peace with our brothers in reconciliation of
breaking this commandment.
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Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery

Every man who has looked at a woman in lust had already broken the
commandment regarding adultery. He rebuked those who proclaimed to be
righteous regarding this commandment and yet walked around in lust. For a
man, to keep this commandment was to cut out our eyes and cast them
away.
He went on to say that those who divorced their wives caused her to commit
adultery. Those who married a divorced woman committed adultery. Those
who were guilty of this had already broken the commandment, even though
they were given a certificate of divorce.
Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness
Jesus said that any person who takes an oath on heaven or earth was
potentially breaking the commandment regarding false witness. Anything
more than a simple "yes" or "no" came from evil.
Peace and Love
Jesus said that we should live our lives in love and peace. If our enemies
attack us, we should accept our persecution. If anyone asks for assistance,
we should go an extra mile for them. If anyone is in need, we should give
freely.
He said that Divine Love was not just Love for our brothers, but Love for our
enemies as well. We should Love our enemies and pray for those who
persecute us so that we can be sons of the Heavenly Father. God has no
special regard for those who are good over those who are bad, the same sun
rises on the just and the unjust. We should love everyone, just as our
Heavenly Father loves all.
Give to the Needy in Secret
Those who give to the needy so that others might see their righteousness
will have no reward in heaven. Our reward does not come from others on
earth who see us give, but from the Father in heaven who knows our hearts.
He will reward us.
Pray in Secret
Likewise, when we pray, we should pray in secret.
We should not
intentionally pray for others to see our righteousness. Jesus called it the way
of the hypocrite.
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How to Pray
Jesus even gave an example of the correct way to pray. Our prayer should
be unto the Father in heaven. We should pray that He forgives us as we
forgive others, and not lead us into temptation to sin. He said that the
reason we should forgive others is so that the Father would also forgive us. If
we do not forgive others, our Father in heaven will not forgive us.
How to Fast
When we fast, we should not do so in a way that is on display for others. We
should present ourselves as we normally would. If we do this in secret, we
will be rewarded by our Heavenly Father.
Do Not Lay Up Treasures On Earth, Lay Them Up in Heaven
He said that we should not store up our treasures on earth. Earthly treasures
will pass away. If we store up treasures on earth, our heart will remain on
earth. Instead, we should lay up treasures in heaven. Jesus said that we
could not serve two masters, and storing up treasures on earth would keep
our hearts and minds focused on our valuables rather than on our Heavenly
goal.
Do Not Be Concerned with Our Wellbeing
Jesus said not to worry about our wellbeing. He would take care of us.
Whatever we need for food or drink would be provided, and our lives were
more valuable than food, drink, or clothing. Our focus should remain on Him.
If God can provide for the grass or flowers of the field, how much more can
he provide for His Children? We should seek first the kingdom of God, and all
of these things would be provided for us.
Do Not Judge Others
If we decide to judge rather than forgive, then we will be measured by the
same rules that we use to judge. While judging others for something small,
we do not realize that we ourselves have sin that is much greater.
Ask, and It Will Be Given
Those who do not ask will never receive. Jesus said to ask the Father in
heaven for everything that we have need of. As we give good gifts for our
children, God loves to give good gifts to us.
The Golden Rule
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The entire Law, and the entire list of the Prophets in the Old Testament
pointed to this one simple rule: treat others in the way that we ourselves
wish to be treated. That rule, though very simple, is very difficult to follow.
Jesus said that it was a narrow gate that led to life.
Beware of False Prophets
He gave solemn warning against prophets who proclaimed prophecy and
their visions did not come to pass. They come in sheep's clothing but are
inwardly ravenous wolves. Jesus said that we will recognize them by the
fruits of their ministry.
Jesus said that even though they proclaimed Him on earth, they would not
enter the kingdom. Only those that do the will of the Father in Heaven can
enter. Though they prophesy in His name, He will still tell them to depart
because He never knew them. They were workers of lawlessness.
The Conclusion
Jesus said that this sermon was the Rock. Anyone who built his house on this
Rock would stand against everything that came against them. Those who
did not keep the teachings of this sermon had built his house on sinking
sand.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: How many of these teachings have
we broken daily and never even considered them? How many judge others
by the law, not knowing that they themselves are breaking it? How many
never lift the downcast, but push them further into the ground? How many
show outward righteousness, not knowing that God does not even see it?
How many never proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ? How many preachers
preach law instead of Grace, mounting up judgments against themselves?
How many are filled with enough love to love even their enemies? How
many treat all others exactly like they themselves wish to be treated? How
many worry about houses, cars, boats, retirement plans, or more, laying up
treasures here on earth instead of in the kingdom of God? How many are
following after famous prophets or televangelists having one or more
prophecies that did not come to pass? How many have built their foundation
on the rock, and how many have built theirs in the sand?
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2000 Cities Worldwide!!!

This is a very special day for www.seekyethetruth.com. Since February 1
when we started this journey, plenty of hardships and tears, trials and
persecution have made us stronger in Christ. At every turn, Christ was
always there to provide the direction, and at every question He was always
there to provide the scripture. All answers are in His Word.
There is no person on this planet that Christ cannot save, no person who is
beyond His Grace. As Christians, our mission in life should be to shout His
Gospel, the Good News that Christ died for us, from every mountain, valley,
city, street, and corner. All we have to do is believe in Christ, and He will offer
salvation freely.
This journey was not an easy start. As we began looking beyond all
understanding to lean on Christ, a flood of emotions got in the way. Pride had
to be replaced with humility, and Divine Love had to cover all emotion. Our
love had to change from not only the few brothers that stood with us, but
also for all who come against us. Christ did not come to save the righteous,
His love was for all mankind.
The answer to every problem came directly from God's Word. Each and every
"Thought for the Day" came directly from the scriptures. Line by line, word
by word, each "Thought" was simply writing the scripture in today's English.
Some who challenged or objected to the "Thought of the Day" began to
realize that they were objecting to the scripture itself because they had been
taught a different doctrine, and joined us on our journey to the Truth.
We now have over 3,000 Facebook likes, 2000 cities actively reading our
website including its publications, research articles, books, and information,
multiple private research groups, support groups, and Bible study groups,
and countless viewers in multiple forums we either host or are active in.
People all around the world are seeking the Truth!
Please continue to pray for us as we continue to help others find answers to
their questions. Pray for us as we battle those who constantly attempt to
bring our sites down. Pray for the hundreds who have began their journey
and for the thousands who realize something is missing from their lives, their
hearts bleeding to know the Truth that comes only from Christ. Pray that all
who see a post on our sites may be pointed to Christ.
Thank you for supporting us, and God bless you!
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Blaspheming The Name of God Through Law

09/18/2012
In Romans 2, Paul says that the Jews were guilty of blaspheming the name of
God by trying to enforce the Law on the Gentiles.
Paul said God judges the heart. All who sin without the Law will perish
without the law, and all who sin under the Law will be judged by the law.
Men are not righteous simply because one hears the rules presented in the
law. Those who uphold the values and morals given in the Law are the ones
justified.
Paul said Gentiles do not have the Law. Yet, by nature, they do what the Law
requires. In doing so, they are a "law" to themselves. Our "law" is written on
our hearts, and Paul said that our conscience is our guide. Though we have
conflicting thoughts of accusation or even thoughts that excuse us from
portions of the Law, Paul said that our conscience is the one that bears
witness for us. God judges the secrets of the hearts of men by Christ Jesus,
not the rules we impose.
Paul said the Jews were hypocritical, and were blaspheming the Name of God
in their attempt to impose the rules of the Law to the Gentiles. He said that
it was prophesied in scripture that they would do so.
The Jews were given law that was excellent, because they were to be a guide
to the blind Gentiles living in darkness. They were presented with the
knowledge and Truth. Yet, as men, they were not perfect. They preached
against stealing, yet they themselves broke the commandments in either
their hearts or their actions. Adultery, idolatry, and more, they were guilty of
breaking the Law they tried to enforce upon the Gentiles.
Paul said that those who boast in the law dishonor God. They were guilty of
breaking the Law, and this was blasphemy.
Paul said that if we rely on following the rules by the letter, or exact words in
which they were written, our praise is from man and not from God. Our
circumcision is one that comes from the heart, not from the physical actions.
If our interpretation of righteousness is simply by obeying rules, then our
"circumcision" becomes "uncircumcision."
Yet, if we who are
"uncircumcised" keep the precepts of the law -- the foundation for our moral
conduct -- we become "circumcised" by our hearts.
They were Jews, and they were trying to teach the rules of the Law to the
Gentiles. The Law was given to the Jews. Paul said that Jews are not Jews by
their outward attempt at keeping Law, they were Jews inwardly from their
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heritage. He said the same about "circumcision." It is not an outward and

physical display of following rules, circumcision is a matter of the heart and
by the Holy Spirit. Our praise is from God.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we blasphemed the Name of
God by condemning others in their walk with Christ? Are we guilty of laying
down rules of the Law that we break daily? Have we looked down on others
who are circumcised by the Holy Spirit?
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The Priests Are at Fault for Leaving the Knowledge of God

In Hosea 4, God condemns Israel because they had lost the most valuable
possession they were given: the knowledge of God.
God spoke through Hosea and let the people know that He was displeased
with them. There was no faithfulness to God, no steadfast love for Him.
There was no knowledge of God in the land.
Instead, they had replaced God with swearing, lying, stealing, and adultery.
The people broke every facet of the law, bringing bloodshed. The entire land
mourned because the people did not know God.
Without God, all who dwelled in the land suffered, from the animals in the
fields to the birds in the skies to the fish of the sea. All lived condemned,
they had lost their connection with God.
God said that no one should accuse another for leaving God and turning
towards sin. God said that his contention was with the priests. It was
because of the priests that the knowledge of God had been lost.
God said that they would stumble, and the prophet would stumble with
them. Because of the priests, God would destroy.
He was very specific with the priests. They would be destroyed for their lack
of knowledge. The priests had rejected knowledge of God, and He would
reject them from being His priests. Because they had left the Law, God
would also forget their children.
God said that the more the priests increased, the more they sinned against
Him. He would change their glory into shame. The priests would feed on the
sin of the people, for they were greedy.
The priests were responsible for the sin of the people, and because of this,
God said that the priest would reap the punishment. They would be repaid
for their deeds because they had forsaken God.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have our pastors forgotten the
knowledge of God? Do they teach us of heavenly things or earthly things of
the past? Do they teach us the Bible, or some other man's doctrine? Are
they spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or some other Gospel? Do the
fruits of their ministry produce good fruit? Are their followings at peace and
love with God and man, or are they filled with hatred and violence? If Hosea
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were sent here today, would he be given a message of praise and honor, or a
message of destruction?
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False Apostles
Paul writing in 2 Corinthians 11 was upset because of "false apostles."
Preaching a different message than the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they were
leading some astray.
He felt foolish discussing the subject with them, likely feeling that they
should know this already. But he asked the people to bear with him as he
gave them correction.
He said that he felt a "divine jealousy" towards them, because he had
presented the church as a "pure virgin" to Christ. As a husband weds his
pure bride, He had presented them to Christ with the Gospel.
Yet, the people seemed to have went astray. Just as the serpent deceived
Eve, the people were let away by cunning people who came with deceit.
They no longer had a sincere and pure devotion to Christ, they were
elevating these deceivers as "super apostles."
Paul said that he was not the least bit inferior to these "super-apostles."
Even though Paul was not as skilled in his speech as they were, he was more
so in knowledge of the Gospel. Everything Paul had made known to them, he
did so plainly so they could easily understand. There was no other Jesus
than the one Paul preached about, and no other spirit than the one that they
had received.
He asked them if he was wrong in the way he humbled himself so that they
could be exalted. He had preached the Gospel to them free of charge, yet
they were turning towards men who were seeking to profit. He accepted
support from other churches so that he could preach to them without cost,
and did not burden anyone with his needs.
Paul said that he was going to undermine the claim of those that had
boasted themselves before the people. He would continue to do so, and let
the word spread that they were false apostles.
They were deceitful,
disguising themselves as an apostle of Christ.
He compared these false apostles directly to Satan. Satan himself puts on
the disguise of an angel of light. It should be no surprise to them that
Satan's servants disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.
Paul said that their end would correspond to their deeds.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we follow after men who spread a
message different than the Gospel of Jesus? Have we elevated men above
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ourselves, when even the Apostle Paul humbled himself and asked to remain
so? Have we created "super-apostles," men who we consider to be greater
than ourselves? Do we rely on their spirit instead of the Holy Spirit within our
hearts? Do we follow after strange lights, when even Satan disguises himself
as an angel of light? Do we remain in the following of men whose end has
already corresponded to their deeds?
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Preparing for Battle

Ephesians 6 tells us how we should prepare for battle as we start each day.
We are to put on the full armor of God, not just a portion of it. Learn
everything we can learn about God's Word, so that we can be strong in His
strength and His might.
We are not fighting against flesh and blood; mortal men who Jesus gave His
life to save. We are fighting against the forces of evil, the powers of
darkness. Our battle is against the spiritual forces of Satan that influences
men to stray from or deny God's Word.
Paul says that we must take the whole armor of Go so that we can withstand
this evil. We have to stand firm in God's word.
Like a soldier preparing himself for battle against men, we should prepare
ourselves for battle against the forces of evil. Fasten ourselves to God's belt
of Truth, and put on God's breastplate of righteousness. Our shoes should be
the Gospel, which is a gospel of peace. In every circumstance, our shield is a
shield of faith, which will protect us from every flaming dart or arrow that
comes from the evil one. Our helmet should be the helmet of salvation, and
our sword one of the Holy Spirit. This sword, Paul said, is the Word of God.
Like a soldier receiving instruction from the commander in chief, we should
pray at all times. Pray in the Spirit, asking God for his mercy and strength.
Pray for not only ourselves, but for all of the saints.
Paul asked the people to also pray for him, that the words coming from his
mouth should boldly proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He considered
himself to be an ambassador in chains, a prisoner in Christ. He asked that
they pray that he can boldly declare the Truth of the Gospel, which is what
he ought to be speaking.
We also pray the same. As you pray each day, remember us in your prayers
of faith that we may also boldly proclaim God's Word to those who need it
most in their battle against the enemy. Ask God that we may say exactly
what is needed for those battling the enemy just at the time that they need
it. Pray that through us, others may gain strength in the Lord, and that God's
army may press on to victory!
561
Removal of Mold
Many people mistakenly think the Bible is only a book of spiritual food and
rules, but it is simply not true. Leviticus 14 shows us that the Bible is a
much, much more diverse book of instruction. God gave His children
instructions even for removal of the mold in their houses.
God told Moses and Aaron that if they found mold in their houses, the
children of Israel were to speak to the priest for its removal. To ensure the
mold did not spread to the other belongings during this process, all items in
the house were to be emptied.
When the priest examines the disease, he looks to see what type of mold is
growing: red mold or green mold. If the mold seems to be deeper than just
the surface, the priest is to board up the house for seven days to let the mold
dry out.
On the seventh day, if the priest finds that the mold is still spreading, then
the stones or blocks affected are to be removed and placed in the garbage
dump outside of the city. The rest of the house is to be scraped, removing all
mold. Any plaster that is removed by scraping is to also be removed and
placed in the garbage dump. The stones are to be replaced with new stones,
free from mold.
After the house has been scraped and cleaned, if the mold breaks out again,
then the house is deemed unclean. The entire house, including all stones,
timber, and plaster is to be removed and placed in the garbage dump.
Anyone who enters the house while the mold is drying out is to be
considered unclean until the evening. All clothes must be washed, and those
who sleep in his house must also wash their clothes.
On the other hand, if the scraping and removal of mold causes the spreading
to stop, the priest will pronounce the house to be free from mold. At this
point, he is to apply a cleaning solution to the house seven times. Every
trace of the mold must be removed.
As Christians, we should have knowledge of the spiritual things. But we
should also have knowledge of the earthly things that are required in life.
We should never be so spiritually minded that we are no earthly good, in the
same way we should never be so earthly minded that we are no spiritually
good. The Bible is our example!
562
Bless The Name of the Lord

Like David in Psalm 135, let us bless the Name of the Lord, Praising the One
True God above all.
Everyone give praise! Those that are servants for the Lord, doing His work,
praise the name of God! Those who stand faithful in the house of the Lord,
praise God! Those who have the gift of song, praise God! Everyone lift His
Holy Name in praise!
We serve a God who chose Jacob as the father of Israel for His own. He is
God above all other gods of this earth. God does whatever He sees fit for us,
as it pleases Him to do. God makes the clouds form at the ends of the earth,
and brings terrible lightening for the rain. Even the winds are in His control!
God fights our battles for us, there is nothing to fear. He struck down the
firstborn of Egypt, both man and beast. He sent great signs and wonders to
pronounce judgment against Pharaoh and his army. He battled for Israel
against many nations, leaving the promised land free for the taking!
The Name of the Lord endures forever, throughout eternity. This mighty God
that we serve will not only show his wonderful power in our lives, but will also
show his compassion for those who serve Him!
The world has turned to idolatry. Their new idols are the things made with
human hands. They look and feel tremendous, but yet will one day lie in ruin
with the people that do not worship our God.
Everyone bless the Lord! Bless the God that loves his people in every land
and every nation. Praise Him for sending His Son, Christ Jesus! Praise Him
for sending His Holy Spirit in our lives! Praise Him for giving us the power to
lead others to His Holy Spirit! Praise ye the Lord!
563
Freemasonry and The Message

Freemasonry in the message is harder to detect, by the simple nature of the
religion itself. Masons have mixed idolatry, paganism, the occult, Gnosticism,
Kabala, fertility cults, Satanism, spiritualism, demonology, and more,
creating a hodge-podge of false religions into one combined evil.
Some believe this religion that encompasses so many results of the idolatry
described in the old testament is the Harlot of Babylon described in the Book
of Revelation. Regardless of whether it is or not, it is truly Pagan worship.
Masons offer new recruits "the light". The light they are actually giving is:
Lucifer. The Christian Bible says that Satan walks to and fro on this earth
masquerading as an "angel of light", that many might be deceived.
Mystery Religion of Nature, Pyramidology, and Astrology
Masons repeatedly are directed to the "Mystery Religion," claiming that their
religion was one hidden in ancient teachings and lost over time. The
fundamental belief of the Masons is that this mystery will be revealed to the
people in the last days.
The core element of the Mason religion points back to the time man found
God in nature. Masons believe that ancient man studied nature as his bible
before the written Word.
As time progressed, man set up a great monument to corroborate the Bible:
The Great Pyramid of Giza. This pyramid, according to the Masons, is
believed to be representation of the mystery religion.
During the troubled times of the Middle Ages, Masons believe that the truth
was written in the stars. The Zodiac was the outlined interpretation of the
mystery religion.
Study of [basic] numbers
Masons have a fascination of studying [elementary] numbers. It is prominent
throughout their doctrine, and used to depict not only basic core beliefs, but
advanced knowledge as well.
The numbers 33 and 3 are both believed to have significant meaning.
Masons believe that when the 'Sons of man' fell, they landed on Mount
Hermon in what used to be Phoenicia, now in Israel. This location is exactly
33.33 degrees north and 33.33 degrees east.
Oddly, it is 2012 miles from the equator, and 2012 miles from the Paris
Meridian. Many ancient structures are aligned to the Paris Meridian, and
564
Masons believe that this is significant in their study of the New World Order.
An 'unearthly' ruler will return.
Also interesting is that 33.33 degrees translate to 2012.9 degrees of the
earth -- which corresponds to December 21, 2012 (the date the ancient
Mayans believed their calendar would end.)
Their core belief system is very basic:
Three is the third whole number excluding zero.
Three is the sum of the first three whole numbers.
In the first three numbers, 0, 1, 2 all of the others are synthesized.
From the union of oneness and duality (which is its reflection), that is, from
triad, proceed all of the other numbers, and from this primordial triangle all
figures derive.
A triangle, with three sides, is the first closed a two dimensional object.
RNA has a triplet codon system.
DNA has a triplet codon system.
Human chromosomes can present trisomy. We are hard-wired for the number
three.
3 mammalian Germ layers: Endoderm- Mesoderm- Ectoderm 3
principal stages of glucose respiration: Glycolysis~ Krebs cycle~ Electron
transport chain.
But later moves on from basic discovery to theology common among all
cultures:
There are three main Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
The Holy Trinity in Christian doctrine (or trinity in general), is God both as a
single being and three persons: The Father, the Son and the Spirit. This is
also known as Tripartite division.
Jesus rose from the dead on the third day.
The Wise Men who visited Jesus after His birth left Him three gifts.
Three Wise Men
In Muslim devotional rites, certain formulas are repeated three times, and
others thirty-three times
A devout Muslim tries to make a pilgrimage to all three holy cities in Islam:
Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem
Finally, it is included in their organizational structure:
Three Grand Masters
Three Principle Officers
Three Great Supports of Masonry
Three Great Lights of Masonry
Three Distinct Knocks
Three Degrees
Three Orders of Architecture
Three Precious Jewels of a Fellowcraft.
565
Three Wages of a Fellowcraft Mason.

The Three Villains
The Three Deacons Raps
Watching You, Watching You! There's An All-Seeing Eye Watching You!
Masons teach that the 'capstone' of the pyramid was the deity to be
worshipped. The capstone was an 'all-seeing eye.' The symbol on the dollar
bill has been taught since the 18th century by Masons in their pagan religion
to describe the one who would bring the New World Order.
This symbol, having three sides, lines up with the Mason's theology of the
'threes'.
The Sixth Sense
Masons teach that we have lost our 'sixth sense' abilities. To find a higher
faith than what we were given, we must learn the ancient 'sacred science'
that allows us to move on to a higher plane.
Quote:
"It is the opening of a sixth sense through which a man actually feels his
immortality with the same absolute certainty as he feels another object
through the sense of touch. This sixth sense cannot be communicated from
one person to another; it lies dormant in all; it must be developed through
spiritual exercises -http://www.deepertruth.com/journal/article-2.html
Baphomet: The Breasted God
Image
The breasted god 'Asherah' combined with other gods of Baal became the
imaginary god Baphomet. The Knights Templar performed rituals to this
pagan god during the foundation of Freemasonry.
The False Prophet
Many false prophets were openly Mason. Others hid it well, but were
discovered after their deaths. This is not limited to William Branham.
Oral Roberts was a 33'rd degree Mason. The design of his medical center
included the three-sided pyramid.
Charles Taze Russell's grave, similar to William Branham's is the form of a
pyramid. Russell founded the Jehovah's Witness religion. Russell was a 33rd
degree mason.
Joseph Smith of the Mormons was also a 33rd degree Mason.
Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology, was a 33rd degree Mason.
Prophetess Ellen G. White, founder of the Seventh-day Adventist [SDA]
Church; was a Mason and believed to be a Wiccan.
The list could go on throughout the ages.
566
Almost none of Masonry's teachings come from Christianity, yet there are
enough doctrinal teachings spread throughout William Branham's ministry to
fill an entire forum. Since Freemasonry is a combination of several false
religions, the rest of this forum will speak for itself.
The thing that binds all of the false religions together is the capstone. This
capstone is on display for all to see:
Image
Edit:
References added:
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/False
%20Religions/Illuminati/occult_connection.htm
http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/freemasonry-zodiac-cross.html
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/False%20Religions/Seventh-Day
%20Adventist/sda_cult.htm
http://www.bibleprobe.com/freemasonry.htm
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/False%20Religions/Freemasonry/moodyfinney.htm
http://www.ovrlnd.com/Masonry/freemasonry.html
567
The Sun That Stood Over Gibeon

The Bible is a book of Truth. With the exception of scriptures of prophesy or
symbolism, it is a literal Truth. We can rest with assurance that every
passage contained is accurate to the degree of the knowledge of the ancient
languages by the translators. Each scroll can be read and understood
without assumptions or additional outside knowledge.
In Joshua 10, the event described is a literal event, not a symbolic event. Yet
the sun and moon stood still.
"Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon. And the sun
stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their
enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the
midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. There has
been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man,
for the Lord fought for Israel."
The simple explanation for this is that Joshua did not know the orbital paths
of the stars and planets. Some believe that he did not understand the
earth's rotation and the sun's orbit as compared to the earth's orbit, and that
God understood what Joshua said even when Joshua did not fully understand
the mechanics.
In our opinion, Joshua did understand. Ancient artifacts uncovered through
archaeology have proven that the ancient cultures had a full and complete
grasp of the solar system. The newest craze is the Mayans, who have the
most accurate solar calendar uncovered today. But the Mayans are not the
only ones who had an understanding of the solar system.
The ancient Babylonians also had a very solid understanding of the solar
system. The gods they studied were stars and planets, worshipping the sun,
moon, and stars. Though their star charts and orbital systems have proven
to to be very accurate, there is one major difference in their description of
the solar system and ours: another planet.
Though the names differ, the Babylonians have a name for each planet in our
solar system, and one extra planet, Nibiru. It is the Babylonian word for
"crossing over" or "transition."
Coincidentally, other great cities in the Babylonian empire besides Babylon
have the same understanding of the solar system. Ancient Sumerians also
include a tenth planet in their description of the solar system, as do the
Assyrians.
568
Yet, our understanding of this tenth planet they describe is limited. What if it
were not a planet? What if our solar system contained a second sun?
Let's consider for a moment the words of Joshua. "Sun stand still at Gibeon."
"Moon, in the valley of Aijalon."
Why did Joshua identify the sun and moon using earthly locations? Were you
and I there, we would have simply said, "Sun and moon: stand still,"
especially in the heat of the battle.
A modern theory for this event is that our solar system contained more than
one sun, and that more than one moon revolved around the earth. It is not
too far fetched, when you consider that other solar systems in our galaxy
have more than one sun, and many planets have more than one moon.
Had the sun, the one that was over Gibeon, stood completely still it would
have dropped out of our orbit. Likewise, the moon that was over the valley
of Aijalon would drop out of earth's orbit.
As time progresses, our knowledge and understanding of the ancient world
increases.
Unlike other religions, Christianity is proven by time and
vindicated by science. One day, all things will be made known.
Whether there were two suns, whether there were two moons, whether
Joshua did not know and understand our solar system, or whether another
fact we have not considered can explain the event, it does not matter. What
matters is that it happened. We can rest with assurance that God fought the
battles for Israel to the extent that He considered Joshua's battle to be more
important than even the solar system.
Our God loves us and protects us!
569
Vibrations in the Hand - Direct from Wiccan

Vibrations in the hand to detect disease is not something new to WMB. This
practice has been around since the dark ages, and is practiced still today by
Wiccans.
Consider this:
Wiccans describe the detection of sickness through 'vibrations', and can be
felt through the hand: http://www.wiccan-grove.com/groveall8.htm
Wiccan 'prophecy' is fully dependent upon the understanding of time by the
view through the 'crystal ball' http://www.wiccan-grove.com/groveall4.htm
Wiccan healing must involve upsetting the patient's imagination, loud
boisterous communication in a fully quiet environment: http://www.wiccangrove.com/groveall5.htm
Wiccan religious experiences include that of white lights, and believe that the
body
and
soul
are
made
up
of
lights:
http://www.wiccangrove.com/groveall8.htm
Wiccans believe you can 'project your spirit': http://www.wiccangrove.com/groveall9.htm
Wiccans believe in the 'presence' of the dead in our midst:
http://www.wiccan-grove.com/groveall10.htm
Tell me, how many of these things sound familiar?
570
Eat, Drink, and Be Merry! God Has Approved It!

Ecclesiastes 9 is God's way of telling us that we should not let power-hungry
men take away the good life that God has given us.
Though this is such a simple Truth, it was enough that Paul confirmed it time
and again throughout the New Testament. In Colossians 2:18, Paul warns us
not to let any man rob us of our good life by insisting on asceticism. These
men, according to Paul were bringing forth the worship of angels, going on in
detail about their visions, puffed up without reason by their own sensuous
minds.
Paul typically spoke in general terms when dealing with this subject. As the
Gospel of Jesus Christ spread into the Gentiles, there were many ways of life
in the non-Jewish culture that had no specific rule in the Mosaic law.
Ecclesiastes, however, gets very specific in detail.
Ecclesiastes 9 says to eat your bread with joy. We should be thankful with
the food that God has provided us!
It says to drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved
what we do. Let no man tell you that you cannot drink your wine, and do not
drink it in sorrow! If any man tells you not to drink your wine, simply reply,
"God has already approved what I do!"
Let your garments always be white, and do not let oil be lacking on your
head. As with most verses in the scriptures, this has a physical and a
spiritual context. Physically, we should not go around unkempt, un-groomed,
or filthy. We are representatives of The King, and we should present
ourselves as such. Spiritually, our garments have been made white as snow
by the cross at Calvary. We are anointed with the oil which is the Spirit.
Enjoy your lives with the woman you love. As man and wife, you should
enjoy your time on this earth all the days of our lives under the sun. God has
given us our portion in life, and that is to enjoy the good things He has given.
Whatever our hands can find to do, do it the best we can! There is no work,
thought, knowledge, or wisdom in the grave that we will one day fill, so we
should therefore do the best we can to enjoy these things in life!
At the end, Ecclesiastes gives the same warning about asceticism that Paul
gives, though in a different way. It says that "Wisdom is better than the
weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good."
571
All it takes is one man to take away our victory. All it takes is one man to
spread a doctrine of legalism, modern asceticism. Many will follow after,
snared in their traps.
One man can take away the good life God has given us.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we followed a message of
asceticism? How many forbid themselves of wine because they wrongly
think it makes their bodies un-holy? How many deny televisions, movies, or
other entertainment -- the good, healthy ones -- because some man tells
them it leads them away from righteousness? How many bottle themselves
up in asceticism, thinking all enjoyment in life is from 'Satan's Eden?' Does
our testimony of asceticism cause men and women to turn away from Christ?
Does it cause the seeking to refuse Christianity because of self denial? Does
our testimony align with the scriptures?
572
Gnosticism
A large portion of the Masonic belief system is taken from Gnosticism.
Though Gnostic beliefs sound Christian on the surface, they are structured in
such a way that Jesus Himself is depreciated and 'Gnosis' is elevated. There
are many points of interest, but the common ones are these:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
secret knowledge,
asceticism,
depreciation of Christ (lowering Him in name and in glory),
strict rule-keeping, ceremonies, or rituals
worship of angels,
and reliance on human wisdom and tradition.
Paul warns against Gnostics in Colossians:

Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels,
mind
Colossians 2:18
The most identifiable topic found in the message is the 'secret knowledge.'
Gnostics teach that you must 'read in-between the lines' to get the Truth,
and that the Truth is hidden in mystery for only the chosen ones. This secret
knowledge is required to gain your ascension.
The second (and most important to the faith) is asceticism. Denying yourself
of the enjoyment of life by avoiding life's pleasures. This topic alone is
condemned in several places in the Bible from the Old Testament to the New.
Asceticism breeds legalism, and legalism breeds works-righteous faith.
Gnostics must 'earn' their salvation, making the Cross of Jesus Christ of noneffect.
Depreciation of Jesus Christ is very cunning. It is not obvious for the beginner
to see, but the message of William Branham took a very slow course of
action in bringing Christ down to our level.
Using reverse psychology tactics intended for a two-year-old, WMB would tell
a story of how a woman claimed that he "put too much emphasis on Jesus,"
turning it into a funny story that psychologically made us think that he
actually did. He did not.
WMB claimed that the Holy Spirit left Jesus in Gethsemane. With this
conclusion, Jesus suffered and died on the cross as a man and not as God. If
man dies for our sins, there is no remission of sin.
573
He also claimed that Jesus and Satan were equal at one time. Jesus was
lowered to the level of not only an angel, but a fallen angel.
WMB taught that Jesus could do nothing unless the 'Father showed him'. At
this point in his ministry, Jesus was lowered to the level of just a prophet.
This theology is Gnostic, and comes directly from the evil one. Regardless of
whether or not WMB knew he was serving Satan, this point in his ministry
was quickly becoming an ambassador for the devil. This writer and this
forum wishes to give WMB the benefit of the doubt, hoping and praying that
his soul was simply mislead.
Strict rule-keeping is not only visible in the message, but required. Earrings
are forbidden, though not a single scripture forbids. Makeup is forbidden,
though not a single scripture condemns. Several scriptures twisted,
misinterpreted, or invented to create a rule-based religion towards a worksrighteous faith system. Were these things required for our salvation, Paul
would have preached a message of works and not Grace.
Worship of angels is also strongly supported in the message of William
Branham. By elevating the fallen angel (Satan), and lowering the Son Jesus
Christ, angels are given greater status. WMB claimed he could do nothing his
'angel did not tell him -- instead of relying on Jesus Christ. Angelic worship is
prevalent, but the question we have is which side these angels were fighting
for.
Reliance on human wisdom and tradition is prideful. Most followers of William
Branham today will tell you that you can only earn salvation if you follow the
tradition of William Branham. Those who do not believe in their 'prophet' are
not worthy of the bride of Christ and will not be in the 'rapture.' The pastor in
the church in Jeffersonville teaches that all Christians not part of this elect
group will be 'servants' to the 'bride.' This group is worthy to be called 'bride'
because they have the 'knowledge' of William Branham.
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnosticism
http://the-end-time.blogspot.com/2012/09/gnosticism-part-3-depreciation-ofjesus.html
http://catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0835.htm
574
Kabballah and Name Numerology

Quote:
Everything in this world consists of energy which is the source of life and
power. Every individual possesses a certain amount of energy as well. Even
people's names have their own energy which in some ways determines their
future and influences their present life. Kabbalah numerology is a whole
study that is mostly associated with names, rather than numbers. It has a lot
in common with kabalistic mysticism and it originated from the Hebrew
alphabet.
http://www.kabalatalisman.com/blog/kabb ... ology.html
Name numerology is mysticism and not scriptural. Though the content below
started in a thread related to Wicca, we decided to move it to it's own thread
because it can be said that it is also part of Buddhism, Hinduism, and several
other religions.
WMB specifically chose to target the names 'Elvis' and 'Ricky' as names we
should never use for our children, but the truth of the matter is that many,
many people share the same signs for their names.
The numerologies that WMB used in his ministry were all 'basic' numbers,
numbers used in numerology calculators that translate to the numbers 0-9.
With only nine choices, many names also match the number of Elvis (which
is 9). "Johnny", for instance, is the same as "Elvis." Try your name here:
http://www.sanatansociety.org/vedic_astrology_and_numerology/calculate_yo
ur_name_numbers.htm
Elvis Presley's name just happened to calculate to a '9', which is symbolic to
the 'cat.' Cats, as we know, are superstitious in many aspects, but especially
in Wicca.
Quote:
Cats perceive things beyond the physical world.
Anyone who's had a cat has seen evidence of this. Watch a cat on Hallowe'en
night, or in the house of someone who's recently passed. They are obviously
seeing things that we don't see.
Another example is cats' sensitivity to energy. Cats are irresistibly drawn to
ritual and sacred space. This is not always a good thing . . . If a Witch's cat is
peeved, it's not unusual for it to express its feelings all over her altar or ritual
items.
575
On the plus side, this sensitivity makes the cat a wonderful companion in
working magick. Cats can protect a working Witch, and act as a messenger
in the spirit realm or energetic level.
This is why cats are common Witches' Familiars.
Black cats are just double the witchiness! A black cat is one of the most
common Wicca symbols, to outsiders.
See also Evil Eye.
http://www.wicca-spirituality.com/wicca-symbol.html#cat
WMB was very afraid of cats. Odd that a child of God would fear superstitious
feelings, however WMB was afraid of them.
Quote:
You people can have them if you want them, now, see, but I'm scared of a
cat. And so I--I just don't like that superstitious feeling you get around them.
And so we don't have them around house, and--and I believe the cat can
realize that I'm afraid of him. So, my father was afraid of cats. So, then, my
little girls knowed not to have any cats around there.
63-0118 SPIRIT.OF.TRUTH
Quote:
I seen a--a little... pretty, little ol' kitten, and he was laying on a silk pillow,
and he was the cutest little fellow. And I walked over there (and I'm afraid of
a cat),
60-1209 THE.SARDISEAN.CHURCH.AGE
Quote:
Excuse this, sisters; I don't like a cat. I just can't stand them
61-0415B FROM.THAT.TIME
WMB often referred to Elvis as meaning "cat". This came directly from
numerology of Wicca, using basic interpretations of the number '9'. Wiccans,
like masons, place great value on numbers, and cats as we know have 9
lives.
The "cat's nine lives" myth comes from ancient egypt, but was carried
forward in Wicca. The number 9 is deeply associated with cats.
Quote:
The three great symbols of Bast-Wicca are the nine-pointed star
(representing, among other things, the ninefold rebirth cycle of a cat's spirt),
the Key of the Nile (also known as the ankh, the ancient Egyptian symbol of
life), and the sun, which symbolizes the Bast's original role as a solar deity.
576
-- Exploring Spellcraft: How to Create and Cast Effective Spells

WMB claims to have got this meaning of names from 'numerology':
Quote:
I... Excuse that, see, I--I didn't mean that, see, but I sometimes I get overenthused, I guess. But I mean... Ricky is all right. I just don't like the name,
that's right. But you look that up in numerology, you'd re-name your child.
Yes, sir. Now, Ricky or Elvis, or something like that, oh, mercy! So, oh,
anyhow, now, you see they have to. They didn't have those names gone by,
it has to come. This is the age for it to be here. Sure. Exactly right.
62-0603 THE.END.TIME.EVANGELISM
Of course, this is not Christian theology. WMB must have been confronted
about this, because he does a 180 -- and claims he is NOT using numerology.
He claims instead of what he first mentioned that he has TSTL:
Quote:
Now, we find out that they set the pace. And did you ever notice, our young
boys has become "Ricky" and "Elvis." You got a child named that, change it
right quick, call him number "one" or "two," or something. Don't, that's a
horrible... You say, "What difference does the name mean?" Why, sure, it
means something. Your name characterizes your life. "Now, Brother
Branham, you're on numerology." No, I'm not! I'm on THUS SAITH THE LORD!
63-0120M THE.VOICE.OF.GOD.IN.THIS.LAST.DAYS
He then blends the two:
Quote:
That expression. If you only--only knew the numerology of the Bible, and
know what Elvis or--or Ricky means, to the Scripture! Uh-huh. Just like, why
did Jesus... You say, "There is nothing to that, your name." There isn't? That
name could only come in this last days, for this last-days people.
63-0728 CHRIST.IS.THE.MYSTERY.OF.GOD.REVEALED
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Let My People Go
The story of the Exodus continually speaks of God hardening the heart of
Pharaoh. Most are confused by this, because it seems that God is hindering
progress of delivering His people from their slavery. This is not the case.
In Exodus 5, when Moses and Aaron first said, "Let my people go," Pharaoh
simply refused. "Who are you that I should obey your God's voice?" he
asked.
Though the scripture does not mention the hardening of the heart, the
process began. Pharaoh decided to let the children of Israel make their
bricks without straw, which would have been a great hindrance to progress.
No man of sound mind would make such a commandment unless he did not
expect results. His heart was hardened.
As the servants labored without good production, they were beaten harshly.
Pharaoh commanded that the same number of bricks be given to the people,
though they had no straw.
Even Moses and Aaron were confused by this. "Why have you done this evil
to the people?" they asked. "Why did you even send me to Pharaoh, things
are worse now than before, and the people have not been delivered?"
God had a plan.
The children of Israel were comfortable with their lifestyle. They had been
slaves for several years, and saw the overwhelming power of Egypt. To
them, Moses must have seemed like such a small thing compared to the
great army of Egyptians.
Had Pharaoh allowed them to leave, warning them that they would no longer
be under the protection of the Egyptian army, many would have refused!
The children of Israel had never fought their own battles against other
nations, nor did they want to.
Egypt was security, and they were
comfortable.
God did not harden Pharaohs heart for the sake of Pharaoh, He did it for His
children. With each instance of Pharaohs heart being hardened, the children
of Israel became more aware that they were serving under a ruthless ruler
concerned only with his own pleasure in power. God flushed Pharaohs
power and money hungry personality to the surface so that the children of
Israel could see his evil.
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Because of the hardness of Pharaohs heart, the children of Israel were given
bravery.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: If we are in a church with false
teachings, do we stay out of comfort? Do we attend because of our love of
God, or because of our friends and family? Can we see God hardening the
hearts of the pastors spreading false doctrines?
Can we see the
congregation becoming unsettled by their angry personalities being flushed
to the surface? Are we beginning our Exodus to Christ?
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The New World Order

The most fundamental belief to the Masonic teaching is the New World Order.
It is the belief that the 'world order' we have today will be replaced with a
'new world order,' and those who have earned their right to be part of it will
ascend to a higher plane.
This teaching has spun off several cultish conspiracy theory followings, since
their pathway to this new world is covered in mystery. Any time a group of
people claims to have knowledge of a deep mystery that will one day give
them power over another, both the group claiming and the group wanting
isolate themselves with pure hatred. But the mistake of the conspiracy
theorists is that it is an earthly 'world order' instead of a spiritual one.
Ancient Babylon brought much of its mysterious worship directly from Egypt.
The ancient gods they worshipped are very similar in structure to the ancient
gods of Egypt, and most are identified in the Zodiac. The stars, to the ancient
mystery Babylon, were the gods.
Egypt had something the Babylonians did not have, however. Egypt has
three great monuments representing the stars in Orion's belt. Aligned
perfectly to the stars in Orion, the three pyramids in Egypt are an earthly
representation of the stars in the heavens.
Image
Before the pyramids were constructed, Baal worship of the stars was simply
done by observing them. To the Baal worshipper, the 'Zodiac' was their bible.
Once the pyramids were constructed, they acted as a second bible.
Quote:
God is from above. He's writing the zodiac in the sky. Zodiac starts with the
Virgin, the first coming of Christ, ends up with the Leo, the Lion, the second
coming. And He's writing His first Bible. There's three of them.
One of them was written in the skies, one in the pyramids, one on this.
Everything in God is in a trinity, like a man's in a trinity. All right.
Then after He got all that written, the stars and the planets off that sun. Then
I can see a big ball of ice laying yonder somewhere, this earth. And He brood
over the earth, moved it over around the sun, dried it off. And He begin His
creation on the earth.
51-0729A THE.RESURRECTION.OF.LAZARUS
Egyptians worshipped the sun god, Ra. Ra was primarily identified with the
midday sun, when it was at its hottest. During this time, the pyramids point
directly to the sun god, and become beacons toward their false god.
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Because of this, it is believed that the capstones were an object of worship.

The capstone was basically the 'eye' that pointed to Ra. Coincidentally, the
'Eye of Ra' is the female counterpart to the sun god Ra. Its symbols are found
in ancient Egyptian worship as well as mystery Babylon.
Image
Masons also believe this is an object of worship, and include it in not only
their belief structure, but place it in symbols that are hidden in plain sight.
Even the masonic symbol of a compass and ruler are laid out in such a way
that resembles a pyramid with a 'G' as a character symbolizing the 'eye.'
Image
Masons tie the 'New World Order' teaching to scripture by only partially
interpreting the Greek word 'kosmos.' Kosmos does mean 'world order,' but it
means much, much more than that. Kosmos is not just the order and
harmony of the world we live in, it is the harmony of every single world in the
entire universe! Like a huge clock, each inner working of the stars and
planets are in perfect harmony with each other, perfectly in order, forming
the Kosmos.
Masons teach that this verse refers to an 'earthly order,' and specifically
those who are not chosen.
Quote:
"A little while and the world will see Me no more." That meant the world
order, the unbelievers. "The unbelievers will see Me no more. Yet you shall
see Me (ye,) for I will be with you, even in you, to the end of the world."
55-0620 CONTENDING.FOR.THE.FAITH
Masons contend that this world order, the unbelievers, will be replaced with a
new world order. Though scripturally this is very close to truth, it is subtly
different. This belief separates the 'elect' from the 'unworthy,' making the
cross of Jesus Christ of non effect. Most cults that rise and separate
themselves follow this same belief system.
When teaching historically, Masons identify each 'world order' to the
cleansing of the old and the replacing with the new. Scripturally, this is very
close, because in the first destruction of the world by water, there was only a
very small group of people saved. Reading the description of the second
coming in the New Testament, however, we do not find a small group unless
taken out of context. "The harvest is plenty and the workers are few."
Where Masons deviate quickly from the Bible is the placement of dates to
their events. The "No man knows the hour" scripture is omitted, and Masons
try to calculate the end time according to numerologies derived from their
Kabbalistic teachings.
Quote:
But look, let's take historically speaking. The first two thousand years, the
world order come to a climax, and God destroyed the world with water. You
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know that? Then it come forth as a new world. And the second two thousand
years, it came to its end again and God sent Jesus. Is that right? This is the
end of the next two thousand years, 1954. And the Gospel, Jesus said, "The
work would be cut short." For what? "The elect's sake, or no flesh would be
saved," it would so wicked. So we're at the end time. And then the seventh,
in type, is the Millennium, a thousand years.
54-0513 THE.MARK.OF.THE.BEAST
When one date is missed, as shown above, then another date is
implemented. Numerologies target the next sequence of dates.
The strongest masonic teaching we find in the 'message' of William Branham
is the 'Future Home of the Heavenly Bridegroom and the Earthly Bride'.
During this sermon, not only did William Branham teach the entire New
World Order doctrine from start to finish, he drew it on a blackboard.
The mystery Babylon 'all seeing eye' found on the dollar bill becomes
Branham's god.
Quote:
I don't have my pocketbook with me. But if you'll notice in your pocketbook,
if you have a one-dollar bill, they have the seal of the United States; a eagle
on one end, a-holding the spears, the coat of arms, as it were; and on the
other end, it's got the pyramid, with a all-seeing eye on top of it. See, they
didn't know what they were doing. And on there it's wrote in Latin, and you'll
find out it says it, this is "the great seal." They didn't know what they were
doing. Neither did Caiaphas know he was prophesying.
411 [Brother Branham illustrates at the blackboard--Ed.] There is the Great
Seal. Here it is, see, the City. It's not just a flat cube like this, see, but it leans
up so it can be seen. And upon this holy Mountain of the Lord, the Lord shall
descend upon top of His Mountain; here He is. That's the reason the
capstone wasn't put on by Enoch. See? That's the reason the Capstone has
to come now. And the Mountain will be pushed up, and it'll be the Mount of
the Lord.
64-0802
THE.FUTURE.HOME.OF.THE.HEAVENLY.BRIDEGROOM.AND.THE.EARTHLY.BRIDE
As he draws the pyramid on the blackboard, he specifically uses the period of
time that the structure pointed to the sun god, Ra. The Great Pyramid of Giza
DOES cast a shadow, but not at the time that it becomes the Eye of Ra.
During midday as it points to the sun God, the pyramid casts no shadow. In
the same breath, Branham claims that the Eye of Ra is Jesus Christ!
Quote:
On this Throne, look, so high! The New City; with the foundations; twelve
gates; Jesus, the Headstone; the apostles, judging; the twelve tribes.
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The pyramid of Enoch casts no shadow no time of the day. I've been in Egypt,
at the pyramids. It's so geographically fixed, and in the dimensions of this
great geometrical figure; that, no matter where the sun is, there is never a
shadow around the pyramid. See how it is?
And there'll never be no night there. Him on top of the Mountain, floods it
with His glory. His Glory Light will be there all the time. There'll be no night
there. Jesus, the Headstone!
64-0802
Masons, by name, symbols, and teachings, are architects. They teach that to
become part of this 'New World Order', one must earn their ticket by the
work of their hands. They are all architects, and the Eye of Ra is the 'divine
architect.'
Quote:
Jesus gone to prepare, with the Divine hands, a Divine City; Divine Architect,
for a Divine-boughten people, for a predestinated people. He has gone to
prepare.
Abraham was looking for it. "And he professed that he was a pilgrim and a
stranger, for he looked for a City Whose builder and maker was God." That
prophet, knowing it was somewhere! John saw it coming down, but Abraham
thought it must be on earth right then. Why? He met Melchisedec, the King
of it, and give Him a tithe. "Which had no father, or no mother. He had no
beginning of life or no ending of life." Abraham met Him, and they took
communion right on the literal spot where the City will be raised up, the holy
Mountain of the Lord, where the Redeemed will live. Oh, my!
That time just don't stop. No, we're in time; after a while we'll go to Eternity.
64-0802
Masons also teach that their group -- and only the more advanced in their
group -- are able to earn a place in the New World Order.
Quote:
Oh, holy Mountain! There will be streets of transparent gold, avenues; and
houses, and parks. If you want to read this, Revelation 21:18. The Tree of Life
will be there; twelve different manners of fruit, one each month, will be bore
on it. The people that eat these fruits, they'll change their diet every, every
month.
And it's--it's from... for only the overcomers. Do you know that? It isn't for the
denominations.
You say, "You mean that, Brother Branham?"
Let's turn to Revelations 2, just a minute, and find it. Revelations 2:7. Let's
find out now whether it's really the Truth or not. Revelations 2:7 reads like
this.
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And he that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit...
Now, remember, He is not talking to the Jews now. This is the Church, the
Gentile.
He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches; To him
that overcometh, I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of
the paradise of God.
"Overcomers only, that overcome the beast, overcome his mark," that's
Catholicism, Protestantism, denominationalism, "who overcome the beast,
his mark, the letter of his name." "He'll have a right to the Tree of Life, to
enter into the gates where nothing that defiles can ever go in." See? Think of
it. Now, just a minute now, as we go just a little bit farther. Tree of Life will be
for the overcomers only.
64-0802
In 1998, Choosing Truth Ministries compiled a full and complete Christian
awareness publication in a determined attempt to teach Christians about the
New World Order. If you have been taught under the message of William
Marrion Branham, this is a very important read:
http://www.crowhealingnetwork.net/pdf/Freemasonry%20on%20Trial.pdf
584
Take Up Your Cross and Follow Christ

Luke 9 gives us fair warning that our turn towards Christ is not an easy one,
but is very rewarding.
Jesus said that if anyone decides to follow Him, then they must deny
themselves. This is no simple task. As men and women, our nature is to
supply ourselves, not deny ourselves! Our comfort comes from the things
that we have earned, earthly things that we have either been bought or
given. The greatest comfort of most people is that of family, the comfort we
have felt since birth. Following Christ does not always mean that these
things can come with us.
He also said that to follow Christ is to take up our cross daily. In this day and
age, we cannot fathom how difficult it would have been to take up our own
cross. It would be difficult to know that we are destined to die, following an
angry mob that we knew would drive hard, cold spikes through our hands
and our feet, and that we would hang there on the cross as the blood drained
from our bodies in the harsh, painful heat of the sun. Yet it would be even
more difficult to decide on our own that we should carry this cross of death
to help the angry mob move it! Yet Christ does not ask us to do this once in
a lifetime to prove our devotion to Him -- He asks us to daily do this!
Jesus gives words of wisdom that are so simple yet so unbelievably difficult:
"whoever would save their life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My
sake will save it."
Though some mistakenly assume Christ is speaking of martyrdom, Jesus has
just finished saying that we must do this daily! We only have one life to give,
not many, and we cannot lose our lives in the earthly sense on a daily basis.
He is speaking in a heavenly sense! Our hearts and minds must be
completely lost from the things of this world. If we were asked to sell every
single thing we have had, strongly against the wishes of our families,
knowing our friends would never speak to us again, simply to tell another
about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, would we do it? If we could save one single
soul by completely destroying our own lives, would we do it? Yet Christ says
that this is how we can save our own lives!
Our treasures are not stored up in this world. Many use this term very
loosely and would never give everything they had to save one lost soul. Yet
to do this is salvation! Jesus asks, "What profit do you have if you can
acquire everything in the entire world, if you lose your own soul while you do
it?"
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Any person who is unwilling to do this is ashamed of Christ. Jesus said that
when the Son of Man comes into His Glory, and also the glory of the Father,
that same Son of Man will be ashamed of this unwilling heart in front of His
Father!
Jesus spoke of things spiritual, not of things earthly. Treasures stored up in
heavenly places. Losing our own lives daily. Saving their own lives daily
when they lose them. He told them that there were some standing among
Him that would not taste death at all until they see the kingdom of God!
Even among His own, there were the unwilling!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we the willing, or are we the
unwilling? Are our treasures here on earth, or are our hearts and minds
focused on heavenly goals? If we were asked to sell our cars, houses,
televisions, gaming systems, everything we had -- just to buy a plane ticket
and lodging to go to the jungles of the Amazon to save one lost soul,
knowing that we may never return again, would we do it? Are we ashamed
of Christ?
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Undivided Body of Christ

As the time was drawing near for Christ to give his life for the sins of the
world, John 17 says that Jesus looked towards the heavens and told the
Father all that he had accomplished his Mission in life.
He told the Father that the hour was finally here, and asked that He glorify
His Son. Jesus said that as the Son was glorified, He would glorify the Father
since He was given authority over all flesh to give eternal life to every one
that the Father had sent him to die for.
Jesus plainly explains to the listeners of the prayer what eternal life is:
knowing the One True God and knowing Jesus Christ that was sent by the
Father.
Jesus told the Father that he glorified Him on earth, having
accomplished the work that the Father sent Him to do.
So that others before him would not mistakenly think that Jesus was simply a
man praying to God, He said that He had accomplished the work that the
Father gave him to do. He asked the Father to glorify Him with the same
Glory that he had with the Father before the world even existed!
He told the Father that He had manifested His name, or authority, to the
people He had given the Son out of the world. He said that these people
were once the Father's, and the father had given them to the Son.
Jesus asked a special blessing for all the Father had given Him. Though he
was leaving this world, He asked the Father to keep them undivided. Just as
Christ was in unity with the Father, the body of Christ should be undivided.
At this point, Jesus established Christianity itself. He said that He had kept
the people in the name of the Father, which they knew as Yahweh. Now that
He was coming to the Father, he asked that they stand together as one body,
undivided: Christians.
Jesus asked the Father to sanctify them in Truth, and said that the Word of
God was Truth. For the sake of the people, Christ consecrated Himself, so
that they would be sanctified in Truth.
This blessing was not only for those who were with Him. Jesus asked that
this Truth be established for all who would believe in Christ by believing what
these people said. The entire flock of people, one body with Christ, should
be sanctified in Truth. Jesus asked that the body of Christ be made one with
both the Son and the Father so that the world would believe that the Father
had sent the Son.
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Like a child standing up before his friends to his earthly father, Christ stood
for his followers to the Heavenly Father. He said, "O righteous Father, even
though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you
have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make
it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I
in them."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we remained one body, united
in Christ? Are there divisions in our churches? Are our churches divided
from other Christians? Have we separated themselves, denying the Father
by saying that Jesus was talking to Himself? Have we separated from the
body of Christ, saying that Jesus was not One with the Father? Are we
sanctified in Truth, which is God's Word, or are we pretending to sanctify
ourselves by the words of man?
588
Delivering The Deceived from "Thus Saith the Lord"

In Ezekiel 13, God spoke through Ezekiel against the prophets who said "Thus
Saith the Lord" when God had not spoken through them. God said He would
deliver His people out from under their hand.
God said that those prophets follow after their own spirit, not of God. They
were like jackals among the ruins. They have not entered into the city of
God, and had not built a wall that can stand in the time of battle.
These men had seen false visions and lying divinations. They use the phrase
"Thus Saith the Lord," when God has not given them any message. Yet, they
expect God to fulfill their word! God asked the people, have you not seen
the false vision? Have you not seen the lying divination?
Because of not only their lies, but putting words in God's mouth that were
not there, God said that He was against them. His Hand will be against
prophets who see false visions, and those who give lying divinations. They
will not be included in the Body of His people.
These false prophets have misled the people. They gave false prophecy, and
built their own wall that God would strike down. God said that he would
spend his wrath upon not only the wall they had built, but the people that
helped, and the prophets with their false prophecy.
God did not limit His wrath to just the men. Women were included in God's
message through Ezekiel. Any person, man or woman, that utters prophecy
that was not from God would be punished. These false prophets were killing
souls that should not die. They were keeping souls alive that should not live.
They were lying to the people, and the people were listening to their lies.
God's anger was full. He said that he was against their magic. He would
tear their magic away from them. He was against their veils that hid their
eyes mysticism, and would rip them away. God said that they would seek
after visions, and they would not come. He would remove even their false
visions and divination.
God would deliver the deceived from the prophets who falsely cried "Thus
Saith the Lord." They would become free like birds! And you shall know that
I am God, saith the Lord!
As Christians we should ask ourselves: Have we followed a false prophet?
When we see one vision fail, do we rely on the next one? When we hear the
words "Thus Saith the Lord" and it does not match the Word, or does not
match what happened, or is simply rambling of idle words, do we not have a
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bad taste in our mouths? Have we been following after God or after magic of
a false prophet?
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Warning Against Worldliness

James 4 gives a warning against worldliness, and what James considers
worldliness is not what we might think.
"Why are you all fighting among yourselves?" James asked. James said that
we argued and fought with one anther because of our own passions. Our
minds were dwelling on things of this earth rather than things of God, and
they were very passionate to us. This, James said, was friendship with the
world: worldliness.
James said that we covet, and therefore we quarrel and fight. We long for
what someone else has! If we truly had Christ in our lives, we would have no
need for bickering! James said the reason that we do not have is because we
do not ask. Because we do not ask, we do not receive. What we ask for, we
ask incorrectly and then spend it on our passions.
James said that anyone consumed by passions and placing themselves in a
state of arguing and fighting had made themselves an enemy of God. James
called those who did this an "adulterous people!"
He asked, "Do you think that the scripture says to yearn jealously over the
Spirit?" Absolutely not. James said instead, God gives us more Grace. That
is the reason, according to James, that the scriptures say God opposes the
proud but gives Grace to the humble.
James told the people who to avoid falling into this trap: submit yourselves
to God. Resist Satan, and he will flee from you. Draw closer to God! He will
draw closer to you! Wash your hands of this evil and purify your hearts to
God! Do not be double-minded!
Those that are proud, according to James, should make themselves wretched
and mourning. Turn their laughter into sorrow and humble themselves. After
this, God will exalt them!
Finally, James said not to speak evil against another. The one who speaks
evil against a brother or judges him is doing so by the Law. He is judging
another by the Law. If someone judges by the Law, they are not a doer of
the Law!
There is only One Lawgiver and one Judge. He is able to both save and
destroy. "Who are you?" James asked, "to judge your neighbor?"
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we an enemy of God? Have we
become so full of pride that we turn towards argument? Do we argue
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because we are jealous of the Holy Spirit in others that we do not have? Are
we an adulterous people?
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Follow Me
John 21 shows the Love of Jesus towards Peter, who He knew would suffer
and die for his Name.
After the miracle of the fish in the net, and after the breakfast that followed,
Jesus asked Peter three times if Peter loved Him. Each time, Jesus instructed
Peter to feed His sheep.
Peter was grieved at the repetition in the question, reading more into it than
he should have. He said, "Lord, you know everything! You know that I love
you!"
Jesus replied that He was not questioning Peter, but giving him strength for
the next journey in his life. "When you were young, you used to dress
yourself and carry yourself wherever your feet could take you," Jesus said.
"But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress
you and take you where you do not want to go."
Jesus was preparing Peter to be martyred. Peter would one day be crucified
under Nero's authority, slain in the same manner as Jesus Christ was upon
Calvary.
The name "Peter" comes from the word "Petra," meaning "Rock." Jesus said
that "upon this 'rock' [petra], I will build My church, and the gates of hell will
not prevail against it." Yet, Peter was not a solid foundation -- Peter was
described to have been weaker in the faith. Peter denied Jesus three times,
and Jesus questioned Peter three times after the meal. Peter is the one that
was described as losing faith when walking on the water, and cutting off the
ear of the Roman soldier that arrested Jesus. Peter is the only one who
entered the empty tomb of Christ to see for himself.
Peter was a living, breathing example that though we may have little faith,
all we need is faith the size of a mustard seed to serve Christ. We can easily
say that we would never deny Christ given the same situation, but one can
only know our true actions if we were actually placed into the shoes of the
Apostle Peter.
All the same, Jesus loved Peter, and wanted to give Peter special attention to
prepare him for the day that he would take his stand for Christ. Peter would
lead many souls, sheep, to Christ. Like Paul, Peter spread the Gospel of Jesus
Christ far and wide, setting up many churches throughout the ancient world.
This man of little faith was truly a Rock, and was made so by the revelation
that Jesus was the Christ. Christ was made weak so that we could be made
strong.
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All it takes to lead souls to Christ is given in the last words of Jesus to Peter in
this section: Follow Me. If we follow Christ, he will guide our footsteps.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Would we follow Jesus unto death?
Would we suffer and die for Him? Do we think we cannot lead others to
Christ because our faith is too weak? Have we placed our faith in the Rock,
or in the sinking sand?
1933 Municipal Bridge Prophecy

For those who do not follow the Facebook pages of BelieveTheSign and
SeekYeTheTruth, I'm posting the link to the first video BTS has done in
examination of William Branham's ministry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPxLLO61lE4&feature=youtu.be
Unbiased, factual, and to the point. May God lead many souls to Christ with
this work they are doing.
"Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.
Abstain from every form of evil."
-- 1 Thessalonians 5:20-22
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Judged by The Spirit

1 Peter 4 teaches us that the blood of Jesus Christ covers the sins of the flesh
so that we are judged by the Spirit.
Peter says that as soldiers preparing for battle, we should arm ourselves with
the same manner of thinking as Christ. Christ suffered in the flesh but was
elevated in the Spirit. He says that "Anyone that has suffered in the flesh
has ceased from sin." When we turn from keeping our minds focused on
things of the flesh, we are no longer struggling to uphold human passions,
but instead the will of God.
Legalism and works-righteous teachings are not a problem that has recently
manifested its ugly head in this day. Most of the apostles battled against the
teaching of the failed Law.
The Gentiles had already broken every rule in the book.
Sensuality,
passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry were the
ways of the Gentile, and Peter gives hope that we are not judged by the
things of our past. He said that others are surprised that you no longer want
to join in their sin, and may even oppress you for your new-found faith.
Peter said that the Gospel was not only preached to the living, but also
preached to the dead. Though the dead had been judged in the flesh, but
the rules they kept and the Law they followed, they may now live in the Spirit
the way that God does.
As Christians, we should not judge others by their outward appearance of
holiness, God no longer judges by the flesh. God judges by the Spirit.
That same God, who can judge every person in the Old Testament who broke
the Law according to their Spirit and not their failure can also represent you
before His Father.
595
I Was Just Like You, Remember?

In Acts 22, Paul reminds those against him that at one time Paul was one of
them. Not only did he describe his stance against the Christians, he did so in
their native Hebrew tongue.
When Paul spoke using the language they were familiar with, the crowd
quickly became silent. They listened intently to what Paul had to say.
Paul told them that he himself was a Jew, born in Tarsus. He was raised in
their city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel. Paul was taught the strict law of
their fathers, just as zealous for God as each and every one of them
listening.
Paul said that he himself persecuted Christians unto death. He bound and
imprisoned them, both men and women. The high priest and the entire
council of elders would testify this to be the truth.
From those elders, Paul received letters of instruction to take the Christians
from Damascus. He was to take the Christians from Damascus to Jerusalem
to be punished for their leaving the Law and serving Christ.
While drawing near to Damascus, Paul was suddenly stopped by a light in the
wilderness. He immediately fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying
"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Paul answered by asking who
spoke.
By persecuting the Christians, Jesus said that Paul was persecuting Christ.
Seek Ye The Truth has seen no light that struck us with blindness. We have
heard no voice, and claim no visions, revelations, or supernatural events of
any kind.
Brothers and sisters, we were one of you. We spread what we thought was
the gospel, the "good news that William Branham had came" to this earth.
We were not taught by Gamaliel, but we were taught under Willard Collins,
current pastor of the Branham Tabernacle in Jeffersonville. We know all of
the supernatural events that surrounded this ministry.
We know that
thousands were healed in the healing campaigns and the ministry that
followed. We know that many souls were led to Christ.
Where Jesus struck Paul with a light, he struck us with an unstoppable desire
to read the Word of God. Every breath we breathe, every move we make,
every day we live is because that Word gives us new life! That Word tells us
596
the real Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News that Jesus Christ came! He
lived among us with a perfect life! He suffered and died on the cross for us,
giving us healing and salvation! He was buried and rose from the grave,
conquering death and hell for us! He has risen so that we can rise with Him!
This, brothers and sisters, is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Just as Paul stood for the Gospel over the Law, we take our stand. Not a
single person has gained salvation by wearing clothes according to the law
given by William Branham. Living a modest life has not told others about the
Gospel of Jesus Christ. Telling others that we have revelations of hidden
knowledge of mysteries in the scriptures does not save a lost soul!
We were one of you! We did not do this out of anger or retaliation as we
have been accused. We had no hidden motives of fame or fortune as we
have been accused. We have not turned towards a homosexual lifestyle,
drugs or alcohol, wild music or other things of this world as we have been
accused! We started Seek Ye The Truth because we love the Lord Jesus
Christ with our entire heart, mind, body, and soul! We want to help save the
lost, and our preachers were not preaching about Jesus Christ! They were
preaching salvation through a Law and through a man! They preached
things contrary to God's Word, the bread of LIFE!
We repent for every single lost soul that we tried to help by telling of a
prophet. How many dying souls could have been led to Christ by telling
them of ... Christ! We've sinned! We were lost! Our souls were bound for
hell!
As Paul pleaded his case before the people that once were his brothers, we
plead our case before you. We are your brother, a fellow Christian, a fellow
believer who has found God's Word!
Join us in our journey, find Christ in our lives. We are not asking to leave
your churches, change your lifestyles, or even deny what you've been
taught. Seek the Truth of Christ! You will find it in your Bibles!
597
Setting Your Minds at Ease

I've been receiving phone calls and emails asking why I have not spoken
publicly about what was said in the conversations when Jeff Jenkins and
George Smith [separately] contacted me to discuss their "new revelation" of
how the angels of God missed the date in Tucson, arriving several days early
while WMB was in Houston, TX.
I admit I was a little confused until I watched the series Bro. Jenkins preached
about me, and more confused that he had spoken to me -- because I was
unaware. If having your office assistant call to ask, "Is this John Collins" and
hang up is equal to Bro Jenkins speaking to me ... then yes Bro. Jenkins must
have spoken to me, but I did not consider it as such.
I was more confused that the angels of God would actually miss a date -when they live in a world outside of time and space -- but that is another
topic for another forum thread.
Quite frankly, I am not seeking to contact these brothers -- no matter the
new revelations they seem to have produced. A cloud of smoke does not
make light of several failed prophecies, and I can't imagine a phone
conversation with those men inventing new myths to have any value or
consequence.
At this point I would be hesitant to speak to them without recording and
witness -- this seems to have produced a bit of discredit to the questions I
am raising. I would never want any more fabricated stories to be made public
while the humble are seeking Christ.
Therefore, set your minds at ease. Anything submitted to me in writing will
be posted. Anything recorded will be transcribed and posted so that we can
decide as a group whether these men are truly men of God.
Were they to have contacted me and completely proven me wrong on all
accounts, I would publicly apologize to you in not only this forum, but every
other forum or website I have been in contact with.
Truth will stand, and I will be part of the Truth no matter which side of the
fence it falls.
598
Avoid Cleverly Devised Stories

2 Peter 1 tells us to avoid cleverly devised stories. Stories that are not from
scripture will heighten our emotions and lead us astray.
Peter felt it important enough to remind the people of this, though he felt
they were already firmly established in the Truth. He said that as long as his
spirit was in his body, he would refresh their memory over and over again so
that they were not led by ravenous wolves in sheep's clothing.
He also knew that his life on the earth was short, Jesus Christ had let him
know that he would be put to death. He said that he would make every
effort possible to help them remember to avoid these cleverly devised
stories so that after his departure, they would hold fast to it.
Peter said that they did not have to follow cleverly devised stories when they
were told about the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in power. They were
eyewitnesses of His majesty. Christ received His honor and glory from God
the Father when the voice spoke from that Majestic Glory! As the Father
spoke "This is my beloved son," they were there to witness it. There is
absolutely no question whether or not a cleverly devised story was invented
for Christ, they were there to hear and see.
As Christians, we should be very careful when listening to a speaker. Many
man, carried by their own lusts, invent cleverly devised stories that would
lead God's children astray. They claim evidence that does not exist or weave
threads of truth into an otherwise fabricated story. Peter said it would be so.
We should ask ourselves: Have we been led astray by cleverly devised
stories? Have fabricated stories that appeal to our emotions take place of
the Gospel of Jesus Christ? How many reading this even knew that Peter said
it -- when you can remember stories in the life of a pastor or evangelist? Is
our focus on the things of this world, or Word of God?
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The Thorn in Our Flesh

2 Corinthians 12 tells us exactly why we must endure insults as we take our
stand for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Paul did not boast of his own visions and supernatural events. He said that if
he were to boast, it would be of the great things of others -- not of his own.
When he boasted about himself, it would be towards his weaknesses, not his
greatness.
Paul said that were he to boast of his own spiritual events, he would not be a
fool; he was speaking the Truth. Nevertheless, he refrained from it so that no
one would never elevate himself to a stature above that of the man he was.
Because of this, God allowed what Paul called a "thorn in the flesh." God
allowed a messenger of Satan to harass him, for the sole purpose of keeping
Paul from becoming conceited. Paul was not immune to the insults, and
went through some of the same experiences that we go through in our walk
with Christ. These insults were from a messenger of Satan through an
insulting man of his day, yet God permitted it.
Three times Paul pleaded with God about this. He asked the messenger of
Satan to leave. God's reply? "My Grace is sufficient for you, for My Power is
made perfect in weakness."
Paul did not hide his weakness, he bragged about it. He said that he would
boast it gladly, because in his weakness the power of Christ rested upon
Paul.
He said: "For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults,
hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am
strong."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we overcome to the point that
we can brag about our weaknesses? Do we boast in pride of the spiritual
events in our lives, or do we point this boasting to others? Do we boast of
our own powerful experiences, or our weaknesses? Do we follow after men
who boast of their own power? Do we harass and insult other children of God
when Paul says that these insults are the "messenger of Satan?"
600
Buddhism: Making Satan Equal to God

Buddhism
For a period of time (definitely not from start to finish), WMB preached
sermons that seemed to have the aspects of Buddhism more than the
aspects of Christianity.
Let's review some fundamental Buddhist beliefs:
Worship of nature and/or ancestry
Increased respect for elders
Events (good or bad) are a direct result of the decisions you make
Priests, monks, mediums, and diviners are equipped to handle the spirits, not
the simple followers
The evil force is equal (or very close to equal) to the good force
Good spirits have the power of healing, bad spirits do not
The first two points are very simple, and most Christians who study their
Bibles in the slightest will understand these things to be false.
Regardless of what WMB taught, there is no scriptural support for "nature
being anyone's first bible." Buddhism is not the only religion that teaches
this, and it definitely coincides with the American Indian teachings.
Scriptures support respect for elders, but not elevation in "rank" or stature.
Paul was given a "thorn in the flesh" to keep him humble before men, and
taught the same.
The focus of this article are the rest of the points, which are much more
deceptive and much more ... Buddhist.
Events (good or bad) are a direct result of the decisions you make
God does not send floods to take the life of your wife and children when you
decide to follow a different path in Christianity.
The result of this teaching very problematic, because followers of the
Message of William Branham believe this to apply to not only the major
events in their lives, but the minor ones as well. The casual message follower
will see a tragic car wreck that has halted traffic, and "prophecy" that had
they not been slowed down in their travels, something awful may have
happened to them! Though God has the power to do this, the minor events in
our lives have no comparison to others losing their lives in the cause of the
traffic jam.
601
Priests, monks, mediums, and diviners are equipped to handle the spirits, not
the simple followers
On the surface, this looks correct. When compared to the Old Testament, the
great men of old were typically the ones who withstood the spirits. Further
examination, however, finds that this also is not scriptural.
When Christ came, he gave power to the church --- you and me. Any
message follower would shake in their boots to face an evil spirit, and quickly
speed-dial the VOGR headquarters for one of the sons to come and perform
exorcism or spiritual shield. In doing so, they are denying the power of Christ
in their lives.
Christ sent His Spirit to the church, and we claim that power by faith. Pastors,
true pastors of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, equip their congregations with that
same power, and do not elevate themselves as the all-powerful wizard who
has a "spirit guide" on the platform with them.
The evil force is equal (or very close to equal) to the good force
For a period of time, WMB taught that Jesus and Satan were one day equal.
The only difference between the two, according to WMB, was that Satan
could not create --- but then he gave Satan the power of creation with the
Serpent's Seed doctrine.
Satan is not only an angel, but a fallen angel. Though Satan had some
limited power before Christ conquered death, hell, and the grave, the fallen
angel had nothing in comparison to the Son of God who created the heavens
and the earth. Otherwise, Satan would have simply created his own planet
and let the demons dwell!
Good spirits have the power of healing, bad spirits do not
Though WMB taught this from day one of his ministry to the day of his death,
this is not scriptural. The funny part is that he also contradicted himself on
this several times -- saying that the evil spirit in the Beatles music was also
healing because "for everything God has, Satan has a substitute."
This teaching would not be so damaging, but the book of Revelation and the
book of Matthew both describe the false prophet that will one day come with
signs and wonders, deceiving the very elect if it were possible. To claim that
only the Holy Spirit had the power to heal would be to deny the healing in
each and every one of the false religions -- from the American Indians to the
Buddhist, to even the Wiccans.
Not only do these false religions offer healing, they offer healing placing the
weight of the cure upon the faith of the individual rather than the God who
created them. Of this, we should beware.
602
One of the best online resources to study Buddhism is "Know Buddhism"

(http://www.knowbuddhism.info/).
603
Liberty Is Not Liberty When Bound by Another's

Conscience
In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul gives some very good wisdom: "Why should my
liberty be determined by someone else's conscience?"
To remain free, these are words that everyone should live by. Many times
our freedom is revoked by those with a legalistic, works-righteous
conscience, and by the rules of their conscience we ourselves become
judged.
Paul makes it very simple: "All things are lawful." Not some things, ALL
things! We find churches today that have made rules for their rules,
otherwise they would have nothing else to preach about. Face it, Salvation's
Plan is simple according to Paul! Brothers and sisters, have faith in Jesus
Christ!
Paul says that if we are asked to partake in something that is against another
person's conscience, and it offends them, then of course we should not
offend anyone. But, however, Paul said it was for their conscience, not ours.
Paul had a very clear concept of the Grace of Jesus Christ. All things are
lawful. We are free. But not all things are helpful. We should do everything
possible to lead another soul into the Glory and Grace of Jesus Christ.
And in all things, give glory unto God!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we remained free in the Grace
of Jesus Christ? Do we forbid ourselves of certain clothing, activities,
entertainment, giving into the same asceticism that Paul preached against?
Have we even accepted the freedom that Christ died on the cross to give us?
604
Women's Place in The Home

Out of respect for my father, I will not use my family structure as an example
-- and will speak on general terms.
The most damaging aspect of the message (in my opinion) is the breakdown
of the family structure by changing the woman's place in the home to a
structure that is contrary to scripture. Man is the king; woman is the servant.
This is harsh, and many may disagree, but they have never truly stopped to
consider the major issues. Most message men feel that they are the only
decision makers, and that the women are not to be involved. Women are not
to discuss scripture, or more importantly the way of the 'prophet.'
The KJV-only ministers take the verse regarding "wives subject to their
husbands" completely out of context, assuming "subject" is the lowly in the
presence of the king.
Let's review the supporting scripture:
Quote:
Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do
not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their
wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your
adorning be external the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry,
or the clothing you wear but let your adorning be the hidden person of the
heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in
God's sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in
God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as
Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do
good and do not fear anything that is frightening.
--1 Peter 3:1-6
Notice, not only does this scripture apply towards the inward nature of the
heart in marriage, it applies to the inward beauty of your wives. This
scripture is also used for the "modest apparel" doctrines, but the ministers
"glaze over" the part about "braiding their hair."
The worst part? The message women are led to oppression and fear. They
are afraid to speak up in the homes. Notice the last verse, "You [women] are
her [Sarah's] children if you do good ... and do not fear!"
Having spoken to several men and women who are now leaving the cult, all
have practically the same story to tell. The love of God was not in the
structure of their family while the wife was treated like a servant.
605
I'm interested to hear the thoughts of others here. What are your opinions on
1 Peter 3?
Zoroastrianism and Balaam

Zoroastrianism (also called Mazdaism and Magianism), is a religion and
philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster. It is thought to have
been one of the world's largest religions in the ancient world.
The most important texts of the religion are those of the Avesta, of which a
significant portion has been lost, and mostly only the liturgies of which have
survived. The lost portions are known of only through references and brief
quotations in the later works, primarily from the 9th to 11th centuries.
Some of the ancient texts identify Zoroaster with Balaam. In the "Bar 'Ali",
Balaam is referred to as Zardosht, the diviner of the Magians. [Gottheil,
References to Zoroaster in Syriac and Aribic Lit]
The 17th century writer George Hornius actually confuses Zoroaster with
Moses, listing several accounts where the stories of Zoroaster agree with the
biblical stories of Moses.
The Magi were Chaldeans. Chaldea, another name for Babylon, is where
Western astrology was invented. At the time of the birth of Jesus, the religion
of the Magi was the dominant religion in Babylon. These Magi are believed to
have descended from the teachings of not only Zoroaster, but also Balaam.
The children of Israel came in contact with many from this ancient pagan
religion, and their teaching was so influential that Deuteronomy mentions it
in the Law of Moses.
Quote:
And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun
and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and
bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has
allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.
Deut 4:19
and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the
moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have forbidden
Deut 17:3
606
Though these two religions were entirely separate -- one pagan idolatry and
one serving Yahweh -- the two eventually did merge together as one. ...in the
message of William Branham.
Quote:
Balaam, anointed with the same Spirit that was upon Moses. What was the
difference? The teaching of Moses was perfect.
65-0725M THE.ANOINTED.ONES.AT.THE.END.TIME
But there was a star that passed through the land. And three men followed
that star, and no one else saw it but them, for they were looking for it. They
were looking for the Star of Jacob to rise. See? They were down in the
country there where Balaam, the prophet, had spoke that this Star of Jacob
would rise. Now, you look for Him. Believe Him with all your heart.
51-0501 EXHORTATION.OF.DIVINE.HEALING
Some Magis, astrologers, come over, and stargazers. And they seen the star
that passed right over every observatory. Nobody said--seen it at all. The
Magis saw it. Why? They were looking for it: the Star of Jacob. According to
their prophet, Balaam, he said, "The Star of Jacob would rise." And they were
watching it. And it passed right by the people that was stargazers, and didn't
see it. But they followed the star.
I believe they saw a star. What do you think about it? The observatories
didn't see it, but the Magis saw it.
52-0727 LED.BY.THE.HOLY.SPIRIT
Now, let's turn to Simeon just for a few moments as we close. Reading of him
as in the days of the birth of Jesus. They didn't have the press like we got
now. And they didn't have television, and telephones, and so forth. The only
way they carried message was from lip to ear, and maybe a runner packed a
letter.
But the news didn't spread out too well. Well, there was three Magi had been
watching for the--the star to appear. The... Balaam had prophesied there
would be a... Those eastern oriental people had... He'd prophesied that
there'd be a star rise out of Jacob. They'd watched for that for years, and
they followed it and found Jesus.
53-0903 EXPECTANCY
Then we notice again, a way back in the East some magis, or stargazers... I
believe they'd noticed the prophecy of Balaam, that a Star of Jacob would
rise. And they would... they was watching for that star to arise. And we're
told by historians that the three magi... They come from different parts, not
followed one star, as the Christian tradition has it, but they followed three
different stars.
54-0220 EXPECTATION
607
And as it was with Jesus, so was the morning star a sign to the wise men that
came from the East. They had heard that there would be a Star of Jacob rise.
Balaam, the prophet, prophesied of it. And they knew that there would be a
star arise. And this star would be the sign that there'd be a King borned on
the earth, that would be a Saviour to all the nations. And when they seen this
star arise, it was a sign to them to get ready, that the redemption was at
hand.
54-0718A THE.GREAT.COMING.REVIVAL
Look, do you believe they actually followed a star? The Bible said they did.
Now, it come over very... They kept time then by stars. And no observatory,
no scientist, all the people standing up on the watches, looking at every star
moving, to see what time moving, to see what time it was, in the night, and
so forth, stargazers. There wasn't anyone seen that Angel, or that star, but
these Magis, for they was expecting to see it. They had read God's prophecy
when He spoke through Balaam back there, and said, "There'd be a star out
of Jacob rise," and they were looking for it. So that's the reason tonight the
American people are not expecting, they're not looking for a great Holy
Ghost pouring out revival. And that's the reason they're not receiving It,
while It's poured out; they're not expecting It. That's all. They're looking to
see a reformation in the church, and the people come back and join church
and live on out in the world. And that, it's not that age. It's the time where
God is filling His people, and baptizing them into the Body of the Lord Jesus
Christ. And that's the reason they're not expecting it; they're not seeing it is
going on.
54-1206 EXPECTATION
So the wise men was watching, because the Bible said, the prophet Balaam,
he said, "There will come a star out of Jacob." And they were watching for
that star. Now, they found it. After they'd looked for twenty--about twentyfive hundred years, generation after generation, finally there it appeared.
And they started towards Jerusalem. And look at the trip they had: deserts,
valleys, mountains. And how did they go? They never went by a compass;
they go--and they didn't go in a scientific way; they followed God's directions
by His sign. And they was led directly to Jesus Christ.
55-0819 BEING.LED.BY.THE.HOLY.SPIRIT
The red--Nobody else seen it, because no one was expecting it but them.
They got what they expected. They was watching for the star where Balaam
said, their prophet, that there'd be a Star of Jacob rise, and they was looking
for it. And so they followed the star and found the Christ.
55-1001 EXPECTATION
One day there was somebody expecting to see something else happen, way
back in the east, in the land of India. I was there a couple of years ago, and it
hasn't changed a bit since that day: still just as primitive as it was. They had
608
the wise men. And they were watching the stars, for they know Balaam, the
prophet, said that a star shall rise out of Jacob. And they were watching for
that star. And they knew according to the Scriptures it was just about time
for it to happen.
57-0811E EXPECTATIONS.AND.LEADINGS.OF.THE.SPIRIT
And as we watch, we find, night after night, they watched It. They discussed
It. They looked at the Scriptures. And in searching I can see one coming, and
say, "Here is another Hebrew writing. It comes from one of their prophets, by
the name of Balaam. And he said, 'There shall rise a star to Jacob.'" And they
seen the Scriptures being fulfilled. Oh, how their hearts rejoiced.
And how it should make our hearts rejoice to know that in this evil day that
we're now living, to see God's holy Writ being fulfilled and revealed to us as a
great searching Light over our being.
57-1222 THE.GREAT.SHINING.LIGHT
It must have been about the time that they picked up the Scroll of Daniel,
and was reading in Daniel. Because he must've conversed with them. Daniel
2 said that he was their chief. And so, they must've conversed with him. And
they picked up a Scroll where Daniel had prophesied that there'd come a
time when there'd be a Stone cut out of the mountain without hands, and it
would tear down the kingdoms of the world. They must've been reading that.
And then at... They'd had some of the Hebrew scrolls--or Scrolls, of back in
Numbers, where that Balaam said there would be a Star of Jacob rise.
59-0411E WATCHING.HIS.STAR
Now, they knowed of the Scriptures, 'cause Daniel was their chief. You know
that. Second chapter of Daniel tells us that he was made chief over them, so
he taught them. No doubt, one night they was setting there, reading in the
Scriptures about... "And Daniel said, as he beheld all these kingdoms, till
finally they become into what they was, each, the Medes-o-Persians and on
down till it come into Rome. And then finally he saw a Stone cut out of a
mountain, without hands." And they said, "It must be about that time." Then
they remembered the rehearsal of--of way back in before that time, way back
in the days of the journey of Israel, when they come up and heard Balaam
say, when he seen Israel, he said, "There'll rise a Star out of Jacob." Amen. It
must've been about that time when they was thinking about those things,
that the new Visitor appeared.
60-1225 GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT
Now, we find that the--the wise man, the wise man of the Old, followed the
God-given substance. They followed the Word of God, to the Light, because it
was the Word that brought Life. Now you say, "How did they follow?" Well,
they were, kinda, magis, we understand.
609
And then we find out that Balaam, the prophet, back in Numbers 24:17,
Balaam was kind of a magi himself. He was a prophet, truly, and he
prophesied here and said a Star would rise out of Jacob.
63-1229M THERE.IS.A.MAN.HERE.THAT.CAN.TURN.ON.THE.LIGHT
610
Some Will Hear but Will Never Understand

Acts 28 tells of Paul's time in Rome.
Paul would have been set free when presented before the Jews and found to
be a just man, but had appealed to Caeser. Since the appeal was directly
with Caeser, Paul had to present his appeal before the Romans.
The Romans told Paul that they had received no letters of information or
instruction concerning Paul, and were curious as to what he believed. They
had heard of the religious sect of Jews called "Christians," but had never met
one of them. It was widely condemned throughout the ancient world.
They appointed a day for Paul to present his views, which led to a packed
congregation in what could very well be considered a sermon from an
evangelist rather than the views of a condemned man as he presented his
case before Caeser. Paul testified to the Kingdom of God, and taught them
from the scriptures that pointed to Jesus Christ from both the Law of Moses
and from the Prophets. Many believed, but some did not believe.
Paul left them with these words from Isaiah the prophet:
"Go to this people, and say, "You will indeed hear but never understand, and
you will indeed see but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown
dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have
closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and
understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them."
Paul said that before their very eyes, this scripture was fulfilled.
salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen.
The
For the next two years, Paul preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all who
would listen. He did so with boldness and without hindrance.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we follow Paul's example,
preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Or do we preach some other gospel?
Do we testify of the Kingdom of God, or the historical and questionable
events of a man? Do we read and not understand, listen but can't hear, look
but can't see the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Have we been blinded like the Jews
or set free like the Gentiles?
611
The Watchtower
This one is very easy to identify, and to the message follower who is of an
age to understand any words spoken by William Branham, you will quickly
identify with the beliefs of the Jehovah's Witnesses.
How many of these are you familiar with?
Satan is the 'god of this evil age'
After the death of the apostles, the 'church' started diverging from the
teachings of Jesus, and the true teachings were lost for centuries
The church must be restored to the 'original faith.'
All other non-witness Christian organizations are 'Babylon the Great'
Jesus was not God until lifted up upon the throne
The 'Trinity' is unscriptural
There is no eternal hell
Satan is the invisible ruler of the world
Satan is God's chief adversary (greater in power than simply an angel)
A specific date was given to mark "the last days"
Salvation requires a perfect [rapturing] faith
Salvation is dependent upon the 'formula' spoken. (must be baptized in the
name of Jehovah to be saved)
Those who do not make the 'rapture' have a separate hope after tribulation
(but a lesser class)
"Shunning" is used for those who question or are compelled to leave
Charles Taze Russell's Tomb:
Image
William Branham's Tomb:
Image
Recognize anything familiar?
612
Those Sinful Ministers!

Philippians 2 teaches us that men drawn to their own lusts and purpose as
we see today is nothing new. Paul struggled with the same exact thing, even
with the help he had in spreading the Gospel.
Paul, sending Timothy, says that he has "None like him." He says that
Timothy was genuinely concerned for their welfare, while all others sought
after their own interests and not the interests of Jesus Christ!
He said that Timothy was like a son to him, serving Paul in spreading the
Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the land. He said that he could not come
to visit the Philippians yet, but would come soon if possible.
He also had great respect for Epaphroditus. Though Epaphroditus was sick
near to death, he was not concerned with his own welfare. He was deeply
concerned that the Philippians had learned of his illness, and that it stood a
chance of swaying their faith.
It is believed this was because of the troubled time they lived in, when so
many were weak in the faith in Jesus Christ. Christ gave the apostles the gift
of healing so that others in that day would believe and understand them to
be anointed and appointed by God to spread the Good News. Epaphroditus
was concerned that they may have thought God was not among them since
the gift of healing seemed to be lacking.
Paul said that it was not lacking, however. Epaphroditus was indeed sick, but
was now well. He was so sick that he nearly died! God not only had mercy
on Epaphroditus, but mercy on Paul as well. Sorrow upon sorrow, Paul was
very relieved to have his brother in Christ at his side!
He said that he was all the more eager to send Epaphroditus with Timothy to
visit them, so they could rejoice when they see him again. Also, Paul said it
would relieve a bit of anxiety from himself.
Paul let the people know to receive him with all joy and honor, because
Epaphroditus nearly died doing the work of Christ. He risked his own life to
fill in the gaps where extra help was needed in spreading the Gospel of Jesus
Christ.
As Christians, we should stop to consider this passage. Paul had many
helpers, though we only have writings from a few of them. Many were
considered and appointed "Apostles" in that day. Though we elevate them in
esteem, they are no greater than you or I if we are focused on spreading the
Gospel of Jesus Christ to as many as will hear us. An "apostle" simply is a
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person who spreads the gospel in Truth, writing down for all to learn by. A
person God uses to His purpose, which is serving the people -- not ruling the
people.
This is not limited to men only in the writings of the Apostles, men and
women alike spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and were 'helpers' or
'servants' to the people.
We should ask ourselves this one, simple question: Are we spreading the
Gospel of Jesus Christ? Or are we spreading some other gospel that is for the
device used to elevate some man?
614
Twisting Scriptures
2 Peter 3 describes Peter's warning of those that would one day come to
twist the scriptures.
He said he did not know the day nor the hour this would happen, for a day
with God is like a thousand years of our time. God is not slow in fulfilling His
promises, we are slow in receiving them. Nevertheless, the day would come,
and it would catch everyone unawares.
On that day, the heavens will pass away, and the stars and planets will be
burned up and disintegrated into nothing. The earth and all the works done
upon it would be one day exposed to all.
Peter warned that everyone should continue living their lives for God up until
the day of the return of the Lord. He describes the ending of time, and it
must have been a terrible and awesome sight in his mind, because Peter
describes the stars and planets melting as they burn! But the promise
continues that we are waiting for a new heavens and a new earth, one in
which righteousness dwells instead of sin.
After assuring the people that the kingdom of heaven was soon to come,
Peter said to be diligent in their faith in Jesus Christ. Be at peace. The
patience of our Lord is salvation, just as Paul wrote in his letters and spoke in
his teachings.
Some things, Peter warned, are difficult to understand. The ignorant and
unstable will twist these scriptures to their own destruction -- just as they do
the other Scriptures!
Therefore, Peter again warned, make sure that you do not get carried away
with the same error of the lawless people. Make sure that you do not lose
your own stability. Instead, grow in peace, and in knowledge of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we allowed ignorant, lawless,
and unstable men to twist our scriptures? Have we fell into idol worship by
men who would invent scriptures such as "I will be with you even in you" or
add words to scriptures such as "This is my beloved son in whom I am well
pleased to dwell in?" Have we lost our own stability? Are we listening to
ignorant, lawless, and unstable pastors who tell us not to study the
scriptures, or are we growing in peace and knowledge of the Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ?
615
616
Paul's Departure
Acts 20 gives the story of Paul's departure from Asia.
Paul reminded them how he lived among them, serving God with all humility
and tears, and reminded them of the trials they went through when the Jews
devised their schemes against him. Through all of this, Paul never stopped
telling the good ways of Christ to them, teaching them both in public and in
house to house. He said that his testimony to both Jews and Greeks was that
of repentance to God and of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, the Spirit was not only leading but constraining him and pulling him
towards Jerusalem. He did not know the reason, but knew that the Holy
Spirit testified to him in every city that brought both imprisonment and
affections. This was not something that Paul wanted to value as precious
towards himself, but only wanted to explain how he was led to finish the
course God had put before him and spread the Gospel of the Grace of God
that he received from Jesus Christ.
He knew that he would never see them again, so Paul gave his final warnings
to them:
Pay close attention to yourselves. Elders made overseers by the Holy Spirit
pay close attention to the flock. Care for the church of God, which Christ
established with His own Blood.
Paul predicted that after he left, wolves would come in among the sheep.
Not from the outside, but from among them men would start to rise up
speaking twisted things to draw disciples after them. He told them to be
alert, watching for this to happen -- because it would. For three years, Paul
did not cease day and night to cry for each and every one of them for the
day when the wolves would come.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we watchful of ourselves? Do
we pay close attention not to become followers of men? Do our elders watch
the flock, keeping them from becoming followers of men? Worse, have we
became a minister that points to a man instead of pointing to Jesus Christ?
617
The Sixty-Seven Sins of the New Testament

Some teach that the Mosaic Law is still in effect for the church. Obviously, to
make this work, these teachers must overlook portions like "stoning your
children when they disobey" or "washing your hands in a brass basin before
entering the temple."
As best as possible for this modern day, these teachers try to follow the law
to the letter -- for the portions that they feel are necessary for salvation. In
order to do so, the examples that Jesus give in the Sermon on the Mount
become additional law, added to the Mosaic law. The problem is that the
reason Christ died on the cross is overlooked by placing our salvation in the
works of our own hands.
In Romans 8, Paul called the Mosaic Law the "Law of Sin and Death." Then
he proceeds to give more examples of how our sinful lives required a Savior
to rescue us. Christ said that the greatest commandment was to "Love God
with all your heart heart", and the next greatest was to "Love your neighbor
as yourself." Then Jesus proceeds to also show how many ways we break
these Ten Commandments. Jesus said that to show anger and hatred
towards a neighbor was to break the commandment of murder.
For some, this question will be difficult. Some cannot name the Ten
Commandments. For others who feel they have earned their righteousness
through their "holy living", this question will be impossible. For some starting
their journey with Christ, they will have their hearts fall in shame that we are
so sinful and in peace because Christ paid it all.
Here's the question: The New Testament lists over sixty sins that were not
described in the "letter of the law" within the Mosaic Law. Each were
contained within the law, because to violate each and every one of these
sins, we are in violation of the Ten Commandments. Several of these sins
have been violated in the mail sent to us in response to this website! How
many of these sixty-plus sins can you list, and how many of them have you
violated over the past seven days?
618
Jewels in His Crown

Psalm 132 is a testament to David's devotion to God, even through the hard
times.
The writer asks God to remember all the hardships that David endured, and
how David remained devoted towards finding a place for the Holy Temple of
God. David vowed that he would not enter his own house or his own bed,
would not sleep or even rest his eyes until he found a dwelling place for the
Lord.
David searched high and low, and found the place for the House of the Lord
in the fields of Jaar. The people asked God to enter His resting place, both
God and the Ark of the Covenant. The priests would be clothed with God's
righteousness, and all the saints would shout for joy. They pleaded with God
to enter the Holy Temple for the sake of His servant, David.
God had given David a solemn oath, and God keeps His Word. God said that
one of David's sons would be set upon David's throne, and if they keep God's
covenant, God would keep them upon the throne.
God had chosen Zion for His dwelling place. He said it would be His resting
place forever. God said that He would abundantly bless them, giving
provisions to the poor. Their priests would be clothed with salvation, and the
saints would shout for joy.
Finally, the writer, not knowing fully what he was writing about, proclaimed
Jesus Christ. "There will I make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a
lamp for my anointed. His enemies I will clothe with shame, but on him his
crown will shine."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we opened our hearts to God
to give him a resting place in the new temple, our bodies? Are we proud that
He chose these bodies as temples? Do we pray daily for God to remain in His
temple, our bodies, so that we can shine for Him? Are we clothed with
shame, or are we gems in His crown shining before all?
619
The "Baptism Gospel"

I was talking to a brother about how many message believers have forgotten
the Gospel of Jesus Christ, replacing it with something else. One of the
doctrines that they have replaced it with is the "baptism gospel," or the false
teachings that the incantation used determines your eternal salvation.
The "baptism gospel" is a tough one to conquer; many are blinded by this
one. WMB, as we learned in other forum posts, was either a Wiccan or a
small-time practicer of Wicca, and has tricked us into thinking that baptism is
an incantation! Our words mean absolutely nothing before God. Our hearts
and commitment to showing that we stand with Christ are all the words God
needs to hear.
Here's some ammo for it:
Those baptized in the baptism of John had to be re-baptized according to the
scriptures, and WMB used this to his advantage. Wrongly saying that John
Baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, WMB again
programmed us into a corner.
John baptized unto the coming Messiah, not Father, Son, Holy Ghost. He had
no knowledge that Christ would send the Holy Ghost, he only had knowledge
of Yahweh and the coming Messiah. Likely, his baptism was simply "repent"
but if it did have titles it would have been a dualism baptism.
Of course those baptized with "repent" would need to be re-baptized,
because what does "repent" get you? A sinner can repent, but that does not
mean he has an experience with Christ or has the Holy Ghost!
That "Name of" is absolutely the "Authority of", whether you are a "Jesus
Name'er" or a Trinitarian. Otherwise, we have ourselves putting authority in
the pastor's hands by his good or bad choice of words! Which pastor has the
best spell for conjuring up salvation?
I strongly suspect that the Apostles would have said something more like, "I
baptize you with the authority Jesus Christ gave me when he died and rose
again."
Hebrews 6 describes men who tried to say they were baptized incorrectly.
Paul dealt with the same exact thing!
Quote:
Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto
perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works,
and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of
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hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will
we do, if God permit.
Paul was glad he did not baptize! Just as we see in these last days with men
saying their baptism is better than another, Paul experienced the same.
He was relieved that he did not baptize too many in his name (or his
authority), because people might start claiming to be baptized in Paul's
name was better than Cephas or Apollos' name (or authority).
Christ is the one who gives the power to the church, not man. Words spoken
by man can never replace the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Quote:
1 Corinthians 1:10-17
"I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of
you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united
in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by
Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean
is that each one of you says, "I follow Paul," or "I follow Apollos," or "I follow
Cephas," or "I follow Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or
were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of
you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one may say that you were
baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond
that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send
me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent
wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power."
I put all authority in the hands of God, not the words of man. The word Paul
used for "baptized in my name" is "ovoma". It literally means my "name".
Not authority. Paul was afraid people would say, "I baptize you in the name of
Paul." It's the same word used for "And you shall call His Name Jesus" in
Matthew 1:21.
Acts 2:38, on the other hand, uses the word "onomati", which means "name
and authority." By the authority of the president of the united states I
command you to halt.
Acts 4:7 gives a good example of this word using name with authority: "In
what name have ye done this?" today's English would be, "Under what
authority did you make the people halt? The president or the vice president?"
621
Islam and Jesus the Prophet

WMB had a theology that differed from most mainstream and even nondenominational Christians. Were this teaching not in the Quran, we could
even say that it was unique. But it wasn't unique.
WMB taught that Jesus had to see a vision from the Father, and He only did
what the Father showed him in the vision. Multiple times throughout his
ministry, WMB claimed that Jesus was a "super prophet."
Quote:
Now if you'll notice, my dear Christian friend, fellow citizen of the Kingdom of
God, that Jesus testified while on earth, that He did nothing in Himself, that
He only did, what the Father showed Him, by vision to do. Is that true? That's
right. See? Only by what the Father showed Him. See? He said, "Verily, verily,
I say unto you, the Son can do nothing in Himself; but what the Father
showeth Him, that doeth the Son."
51-0505 MY.COMMISSION
He said, "The things that I do, shall you do also, and greater than this shall
you do, for I go to My Father." Is that right? Do you believe so?
Now, you sick people, look here for a minute now. Do you believe that that is
the truth, that Jesus said in Saint John 14:7--or--or I mean 14:12, "The things
that I do, shall you also; and greater than this shall you do, for I go to My
Father"? And Jesus plainly stated... Now, listen, and outside, I hope you hear.
Jesus plainly stated that He could do nothing of Himself, but what God
showed Him to do in a vision, that's what He done. Is that right?
51-0923 THE.PRINCIPLES.OF.DIVINE.HEALING
The Quran mentions Jesus by name twenty-five times, while it only mentions
Muhammad by name four times. WMB's "different Jesus" fits the description
of "super prophet" perfectly as He is described in the Quran. From the virgin
birth to his "healing campaigns and visions", the Quran seems to be the most
accurate description of Jesus Christ according to WMB's doctrines.
In general Muslim belief, Jesus was the last prophet sent by God to guide the
Children of Israel. In Islam, Jesus is a precursor to Muhammad, and is
believed by Muslims to have foretold the Muhammad's coming.
The Quran also teaches that Jesus came to "confirm" the Law of the Old
Testament, not Fulfill it as the Christian Bible describes. Very interesting
when you consider that WMB taught the same.
Like WMB, the Quran teaches that God was NOT the son of Mary --even
though the Quran states that Jesus was born of immaculate conception. In
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fact, they teach strongly against Trinitarian religion -- even mentioning the
"trinity".
Sura 5:72-73, 5:75 "They do blaspheme who say: "God is Christ the son of
Mary." They do blaspheme who say: God is one of three in a trinity: for there
is no God except one God Allah. If they do not desist from their word of
blasphemy, verily a grievous penalty will befall the blasphemers among
them. Christ the son of Mary was no more than a Messenger; many were the
Messengers that passed away before him."
Quote:
The virgin birth was a paradox. I do not believe that Jesus was any part of
Mary. That was not His mother. It was a woman that God used for that
purpose, an incubator to bear His Child.
62-0128A A.PARADOX
Let's compare:
Islam Jesus
Mary was not the mother of Jesus
Jesus was born of immaculate conception
Jesus was a prophet
Jesus could not not everything unless revealed by Allah
God is not a trinity
Christ was a precursor for Mohammed
Branham Jesus
Mary was not the mother of Jesus
Jesus was a prophet
Jesus could not not everything unless revealed by God
God is not a trinity
Bible Jesus
Mary was the mother of Jesus
Jesus was a prophet, but also God
Jesus was God
God is a trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and all three are ONE God)
623
Respect Authority and Fulfill the Law by Love

Romans 13 gives instruction regarding authorities.
Many feel that their authorities are either power hungry, incapable of
leading, or even ignorant on how to govern people. Though this may be
true, these men are in place for a reason, and that reason is ordained by
God.
Paul says that God has appointed the governing authorities. There is no
authority except from God, and those that exist for us have been instituted
by God. Any person who resists or objects to authority has resisted God.
Rulers are not a threat to good conduct, but are against bad conduct. If we
do good, we will gain the approval of our authorities. If we do bad, justice is
served at their hands, and it is not in vain. These in authority are God's
servant for our good, and are an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the
wrongdoer.
Therefore, we must be in subjection to authority. Not only to avoid God's
wrath, but also for the sake of our own conscience. Paul says these
authorities are ministers of God, and this is why we pay them our taxes. Pay
all what is owed to them, taxes, revenue, and respect.
Paul said that any person who loves each other has fulfilled the law. All the
commandments are summed up in this one simple phrase: "You shall love
your neighbor as yourself." Love is the fulfilling of the law.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we respect our authorities? Do
we give them our respect? Are we fulfilling the law with Love?
624
Searching Out the Truth

In 2 Corinthians 13, Paul gives us a very deep thought:
anything against the Truth, only for the Truth!
We cannot do
This was the third time Paul came back to the Corinthians, yet again they
had strayed from the Truth. Paul kept reminding them not to let men rise
among them -- every charge must be established by the evidence of two or
three witnesses. He had warned those who sinned before, warned all the
others, and warned the new ones now while he was absent. He had already
warned them on his second visit!
These men tried to oppose Paul, seeking proof that Christ was speaking in
him. Paul warned that God was not weak in the wrath that would deal with
them, and that Paul would deal with them by the power of God.
Paul said for us to examine ourselves. Test whether you are in the faith, or
not. Test yourselves!
He asked, "Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you? Do you not realize
this about your own selves? The only way this can be is if Jesus Christ is not
in you!"
Paul was utterly shocked that the people would let men rise in power among
them. Christ came to give His Spirit freely among them. The same Jesus
Christ that was in them was in Paul. The same Spirit in Paul was in the rest
of the apostles. The same Holy Spirit in the apostles was in them! Why
would they even want to let another rise in power, looking to a man for their
answers?
He says we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. We
are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we
pray for!
The Truth stands for itself. If we rise against the Truth, we learn more about
the Truth! It becomes an invasive cleansing of all untruth when we rise
against it! Paul was glad when others were weak, because they were
searching out the Truth for themselves.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we searching out the Truth?
625
Mary the Mother of Jesus

WMB tried to distance himself from mainstream religion with his claim that
"Mary was just an incubator," and that Mary was not the mother of Jesus. In
doing so, he also deviated from scripture.
Not only does the scriptures use the word "son" when describing the
relationship between Mary and Jesus, Luke places the entire emphasis of the
lineage of David through MARY instead of through Joseph!
The Gospel of Matthew gives the lineage of Christ quite different from the
Gospel of Luke. Matthew gives what is believed to be the "legal" bloodlines
according to record, while Luke seems to have researched to find actual
physical bloodlines. For this reason, the family tree given by Luke is about
sixteen families longer than the lineage Matthew gives.
"In the case of Heli and his daughter, Mary, this could have been
accomplished by Joseph's becoming identified with Mary's family. Joseph
would be included in the family genealogy, although the genealogy is really
Mary's. Thus the genealogies of Matthew and Luke diverge from David on
because Matthew traces the Davidic descent of Joseph, and Luke the Davidic
descent of Mary (with Joseph's name standing in)" (Harmony of the Gospels,
page 307).
Heli is understood to be the progenitor of Mary, not of Joseph. Joseph is not
properly part of the genealogy, and is mentioned only parenthetically. In Luke
3:23 we read, "And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age,
being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli." The
words "the son" in italics are not in the original Greek manuscript.
Also interesting is that Luke traces the bloodlines of Mary through
Bathsheba's son Nathan as opposed to Joseph's lineage through Solomon.
This is the lineage according to Luke:
David
Nathan
Mattatha
Menna
Melea
Eliakim
Jonam
Joseph
Judah
Simeon
Levi
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Matthat
Jorim
Eliezer
Joshua
Er
Elamadam
Cosam
Addi
Melki
Neri
Shealtiel
Zerubbabel
Rhesa
Joanan
Joda
Josech
Semein
Mattathais
Maath
Naggai
Esli
Nahum
Amos
Mattathais
Joseph
Jannai
Melki
Levi
Matthat
Heli
Joseph (only by marriage)
Jesus
Lineage according to Matthew:
David
Solomon
Rehoboam
Abijah
Asa
Jesoshaphat
Jehoram
Uzziah
Jotham
Ahaz
Hezekiah
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Manasseh
Amon
Josiah
Jeconiah
Shealtiel
Zerubbabel
Abuid
Eliakim
Azor
Zadok
Akim
Eliud
Eleazar
Matthan
Jacob
Joseph
Jesus
628
The Reason the Law Changed

The children of Israel were under the curse of the Law until the Kinsman
Redeemer came to fulfill the Law. Hebrews 7 tells us the reason that the Law
changed, comparing it to the traditional Jewish custom.
Paul said that under the Law, perfection was attainable through the Levitical
priesthood. Under that priesthood, the people received the law. Now that
Jesus Christ is our High Priest, Paul says that we have no further need for any
other priest to rise after the order of Melchizedek.
Paul said that "When there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily
a change in the law as well. The one whom these things are spoken
belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the alter."
Jesus Christ descended from the tribe of Judah, which had no connection to
the Levitical priesthood. Moses had mentioned nothing regarding priests in
the tribe of Judah.
Paul said it was even more evident that the change in law was required,
because this High Priest came in the likeness of Melchizedek who became a
priest without any legal basis or requirement. The scriptures are witness to
this: "You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek."
Paul called the Law a "former commandment" that is "set aside" because of
its weakness and uselessness. The Law made nothing perfect!
Now, we have a better hope, by Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ. Through
that, we draw nearer to God!
As the Mosaic Law was made with an oath, so was the new Covenant of
Grace. The new Covenant, however, was made with Jesus as the guarantor
--- not man!
The priests under the Old Covenant could not continue in office. As humans
they were prevented by death. But Jesus Christ holds the priesthood of the
New Covenant permanently, because He continues forever! Because of this,
He is able to save any who draw near to God through Him, since He is always
alive to make intercession for them!
Paul said that the Law appoints men in their weakness as high priests. But
this New Covenant which came after the Law, appoints a Son, Jesus Christ,
who has been made perfect forever!
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As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we remain under our new High

Priest and the New Covenant of Grace? Or have we turned back to the Old
Covenant of Law which has no priests still alive to intercede for us? Do we
claim the Sacrifice of the New High Priest as our forgiveness forever?
630
The Vindicated Prophet

MSG believers claim their prophet is "vindicated" because he healed some
sick. We should examine that claim (and for now avoid arguing about WHO is
the one that healed the sick).
Vindicate:
1. To clear of accusation, blame, suspicion, or doubt with supporting
arguments or proof.
2. To provide justification or support for: vindicate one's claim.
3. To justify or prove the worth of, especially in light of later developments.
1 KINGS 18:36-39
Elijah the prophet approached the altar and prayed "O Lord God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Israel, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your
servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O
Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are the true
God and that you are winning back their allegiance." Then fire from the Lord
fell from the sky. It consumed the offering, the wood, the stones, and the dirt,
and licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they
threw themselves down with their faces to the ground and said, "The Lord is
the true God! The Lord is the true God!"
When Elijah prophesied, He did so, boldly, publicly, and when HE gave Thus
Saith the Lord, it came to pass, without exception. Look it up. In each case,
the act of the prophet served a purpose, and the people who witnessed it
had an opportunity to respond. The same spirit that was on Elijah was also
on Elisha, according to the Bible. The same pattern followed him as well.
Compare the Biblical "Spirit of Elijah" to WMB, who supposedly embodied Mal
4:5-6. When your vindication needs vindicating, something is amiss.
631
1954 ... The First End of the World Before 1977

But look, let's take historically speaking. The first two thousand years, the
world order come to a climax, and God destroyed the world with water. You
know that? Then it come forth as a new world. And the second two thousand
years, it came to its end again and God sent Jesus. Is that right? This is the
end of the next two thousand years, 1954. And the Gospel, Jesus said, "The
work would be cut short." For what? "The elect's sake, or no flesh would be
saved," it would so wicked. So we're at the end time. And then the seventh,
in type, is the Millennium, a thousand years.
54-0513 THE.MARK.OF.THE.BEAST
632
Beware of the Scribes

At the end of Luke 21, Jesus gives a simple statement with a foundationshaking power: Beware of the scribes.
Jesus said that "they walk around in long robes, love greetings in the
marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor
at the feasts, yet they devour widow's houses and for a pretense make long
prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation."
In the New Testament, the Scribes had two simple tasks: study the Law of
Moses to know it intimately, and then teach it to the people.
Their title came from the days of the Old Testament when Ezra was called to
be "a scribe in the law of Moses," (Ezra 7:6) and when Ezra used the title "the
scribe of the Law of the God of heaven." (Ezra 7:21)
Ezra was the ideal type for the scribes in the New Testament, because of his
devotion to Yahweh to both learn and teach Israel the statutes and
judgments of the Law of Moses.
The scribes of the New Testament fall very short of Ezra's example. Though
they were respected by the Jews, Jesus saw the harm in their methods and
often reprimanded them. They had turned the Law of Moses into a legal
issue with loopholes instead of a holy and respected way of life. It was not
the position of "scribe" that was evil, but their misuse and abuse of that
position and title.
Jesus warned that the scribes had love for themselves. He said that they
would receive a "greater damnation." (Mark 12:38-40)
The scribes, though then knew the Law of Moses by the letter, were directly
involved in the condemnation and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Their pride led
others to destruction and brought damnation upon themselves through their
love of themselves.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we like Ezra, who studied the
Word because of the Love of God? Or are we like the scribes, who study the
Word in a twisted manner to lift ourselves among our peers?
633
634
But as for Us, The Lord Is Our God, And We Have Not
Forsaken Him
2 Chronicles 13 gives the story of Abijah, who rose up against the king and
his mighty army. King Jeroboam had turned to idolatry.
Abijah went to battle with 400,000 men of war. They stood against 800,000
men of King Jeroboam's army.
Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim and denounced King Jeroboam and his
wicked ways. He said that the king had forgotten Yahweh and turned the
kingship into a "covenant of salt." Jeroboam, a servant of King Solomon, had
gathered men that Abijah considered "worthless scoundrels" to defy
Rehoboam the son of Solomon when Rehoboam was too young to stand for
himself.
He said that Jeroboam planned to withstand the kingdom of Yahweh because
of his great multitude of men. Jeroboam thought that the golden calves they
made for idols gave them power. He had driven out the priests of Yahweh
and made priests from worshippers of Baal.
Abijah let his words ring out: "But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we
have not forsaken Him!"
Though Abijah had only half the size of the army of Jeroboam, he knew that
the power of God was on their side. He warned them they would be
defeated, but he did not say they were fighting against mortal man. He said,
"O sons of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for
you cannot succeed."
The scriptures say that God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah
and Judah. Abijah struck them with such a great force that 500,000 chosen
men fell slain at the power of God through Abijah's army.
Abijah chased Jeroboam and his men throughout the land, and Jeroboam
never recovered his power. God struck him down, and he died.
Abijah, on the other hand, grew mighty. God blessed his family with twentytwo sons and sixteen daughters.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we afraid when the enemy rises
against us? Do we flee scared, or do we stand firm with the power of God on
our side? Do we claim our victory with the mighty hand of the Lord?
635
636
Those Seven Angels That Met Me in The Room

We are all aware of the "seven angels" that WMB claimed to have met him in
Arizona to give him the "mystery" of the Seven Seals (while he was in
Houston, TX).
It's also been discussed that before WMB saw the photograph of the
"mystery cloud", the story was that those angels met him one-by-one in the
"little room" in the Tabernacle to open each seal before the sermon was
preached.
...then he commences to preach Clarence Larkin's "Dispensational Truth" to
the congregation claiming the "mystery" Larkin reveals as his own.
Here are some handy quotes describing how those "angels" met him in the
"little room" before his story changed:
Quote:
I don't know what the Second Seal is no more than nothing, but I'd got some
old contexts of something that I'd spoke on several years ago and wrote it
down, and I'd gathered this context--context... And Dr. Smith, many great
outstanding teachers that I--I'd gathered, and all of them believed that, so I'd
wrote it down. And I was fixing to say, "Well, now I'll study it from that
standpoint." And there about twelve o'clock in the day the Holy Spirit just
swept right down into the room, and the whole thing just opened up to me,
and there it was...?... of this--of this First Seal being opened.
63-0318 THE.FIRST.SEAL
Now, I want to give thanks to Him Who's omnipresent, and that today, not
knowing one thing about that Fifth Seal, it came in that same mysterious way
this morning, just about a hour before daybreak that when I was out in
prayer. And today... I have just set these last five or six days just in a little
room, don't see no one, just go out and eat my meal with a--with a friend,
with some of my friends here.
63-0322 THE.FIFTH.SEAL
Oh, see... Them--them revelations in the presence of that Ball of Fire hanging
there in the room, till... Oh, brother. Although I've seen It since a child, it...
every time It comes near me, It alarms me. He almost puts me in an
unconscious condition. You never get used to It. You can't: It's too sacred.
63-0322 THE.FIFTH.SEAL
And now, I know it's warm in here tonight, and--and it's... (No, I guess the
heat's altogether shut off.) and--and we're... I noticed last night, or today this
637
is my seventh day in a room without light (just electric light. See?) studying
and praying for God to open these Seals.
63-0323 THE.SIXTH.SEAL
Now, just look here. You see how perfect everywhere you go. If I could stand
here and talk the things that's revealed in that room, I tell you, it'd swing
your heads around; but how you going to do it when you got a whole thing
here.
63-0324M QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.ON.THE.SEALS
276 You see how the Holy Spirit watches that? 'Cause exactly, that's the
same thing I said the other night, when He had talked to me in the room, and
I come down here and preached to you all: that when the Lamb left the place
(Oh, my. Now, I believe we'll just take a text. See?)--the Lamb had left His
seat and come forth (See?), as I got up there when He was present, that
Light, which is Christ... When He was present, told... When the Lamb leaves
that seat of the throne, to--being a Mediator, He becomes down here, and
the day of redemption for the church is finished.
63-0324M QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.ON.THE.SEALS
I have tried to stay in a--in a room with the shades pulled down, a light on
(This is the eighth day.) and not even got in my car to--to go anywhere.
I had to go with some brothers down to the bank to sign some notes and
things on money and stuff that's been borrowed for this church, but I--a--but I
come right straight back and went right to study. And the strange thing,
there hasn't been one person said anything or... Usually they're knocking and
pulling and around. There hasn't been one thing. It's been very phenomenal.
63-0324E THE.SEVENTH.SEAL
And you'll find out that in that room, the revelation coming from God (just
like all the rest of them has), that them...
The interpretation come just as I had need of it; that was in the room. And I
gave it out just as He give it.
Now, you see, friends, visions doesn't fail; they're always perfect; they're just
exactly true.
638
The Woman with Thus Saith the Lord

At an early age of eight years, Josiah began his reign in Jerusalem. 2 Kings
22 says that he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord even before he
found the Book of the Law. The Bible says that he walked in all the ways of
David, and did not turn aside.
At age eighteen, Josiah sent men to Hilkiah the high priest for an assessment
of the money collected from the people. He wanted to use that money to
pay workers to repair the House of the Lord. Josiah trusted them to the point
that the money given to them was given freely without any accounting.
While going through this process, Hilkiah the high priest told Josiah's
secretary that he had found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord. He
gave it to the secretary, and the secretary read it.
When the secretary returned to king Josiah, he told the king all that was done
concerning the house of the Lord. Then, he told king Josiah about the Book.
As the secretary read the book to the king, Josiah rent his clothes. He
immediately sent men to the house of the Lord to inquire what God would
say concerning the words of the Book of the Law. He said, "Great wrath of
the Lord is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the
words of this book."
So they quickly went to Huldah the prophetess, who lived in Jerusalem. They
asked her to receive Word from the Lord.
She said, "Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel. Tell the man who sent you
to me that Thus Saith the Lord, behold I will bring disaster upon this place
and upon its inhabitants, all the words of the book that the king of Judah has
read. Because they have forsaken me and made offerings to other gods,
that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands,
therefore my wrath will be kindled upon this place, and it will not be
quenched. But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, you
will say, 'Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel: Regarding the words you
have heard, because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself
before the Lord, when you heard how I spoke against this place and against
its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you
have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares
the Lord. 20 Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall
be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the
disaster that I will bring upon this place.'" And they brought back word to the
king.'"
639
So, from Huldah the prophetess, they returned to the king with Word from
the Lord.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we discovered the Word of the
Lord? Is it on a shelf collecting dust, one day to be discovered? When we
read it, do we humble ourselves before God for the sins we daily commit?
Once we learn of our sin, do we patiently read the Word and wait on His
instruction for our lives? When we receive instruction, do we act upon it?
Are we like Josiah who walked in the way of the Lord, or his fathers who
walked in the ways of baal?
640
But The Word of God Increased and Multiplied.

Acts 12 tells the story of how powerful the Gospel of Jesus Christ is.
matter how difficult things may seem, God is in control.
No
King Herod was very violent against those who belonged to the early church.
He killed James the brother of John by the sword, and then proceeded to
arrest Peter. Peter was kept in prison during the Passover, and was to be
handed over to the Jews after the Passover had ended.
But before Herod could bring him out, an angel of the Lord came and shone a
light in Peter's cell. The angel quickly awakened Peter and helped him out of
the prison. The iron gates opened by themselves, and Peter watched in
amazement thinking that he was seeing a vision.
After he was free, Peter went to Mary's house. Many were gathered together
praying, and Peter approached the door. A servant girl named Rhoda came
to answer the door, and was so filled with joy that she did not even open the
gate. She ran back inside to tell the others that Peter was outside, but they
all assumed she had lost her mind. Peter kept knocking, and finally they
opened to find that he was truly there to meet them. Peter told his story and
asked the people to tell others while he departed to another place.
The next day, Herod was furious. He put the soldiers and sentries to death
for losing Peter, and then went from Judea to Caesarea.
Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, but they begged
him for peace because their countries depended upon Herod's land for food.
On the appointed day, Herod put on his royal robes and took his seat upon
the throne to deliver his oration. The people all shouted, "This is the voice of
a god and not of a man!"
Immediately, the angel of the Lord struck Herod down because he did not
give God the glory.
But the word of God increased and multiplied.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we stand for God's Word? When
things look too difficult for us, do we rely on God for our safety and security?
While others worship men, do we worship the One True God?
641
William Marrion Branham: Necromancer

This one falls into multiple categories, all of which deal with the occult.
Abominable Practice of Interaction with The Dead
Quote:
When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall
not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not
be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an
offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets
omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who
inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the
Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them
out before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God, for these
nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to
diviners. But as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do this.
Deuteronomy 18:9-14
Divination: The practice of attempting to foretell future events or discover
hidden knowledge by occult or supernatural means.
Necromancy: The supposed practice of communicating with the dead, esp. in
order to predict the future.
Charmer: to endow with or protect by supernatural powers.
One who inquires of the dead: Communicating with spirits of the dead
Medium: One who communicates with spirits
William Branham and his followers often tell of an event where a certain
person had died, and a lady asked Branham to raise the dead. Branham
claims to have searched for his soul "on the other side," and found that he
was happier in the land of the dead. Though this story is not recorded, it is
often told from behind the pulpit of churches that follow William Marrion
Branham. Other similar stories are recorded, and it is very evident that
William Branham was in contact with spirits - which is an abomination.
The most obvious necromancy in the sermons revolve around his dead wife
Hope. She would speak to him from the dead:
Quote:
Sister, dear, not knowing what the future holds, but believing... Here it
comes to me. Here it is. It was to be something... Right here's where my
wife's casket laid, Hope. And it was this morning. And it was--it was Hope
that raised and said she would not die. And the thing, I believe, was meaning
to this baby now. She's laying exactly at the same place. And I can almost
positive say it's THUS SAITH THE LORD.
54-1219M DIVINE.HEALING
642
Any follower of William Branham is familiar with his command of "the spirits."
He would enter an auditorium and say things like "I take every spirit in this
auditorium under my control," like a grand sorcerer of the dark ages.
To the common believer who has not studied his or her Bible, this is
fascinating. To the one who has studied and found it to be an abomination
before the Lord, it is very sickening.
Quote:
And notice, now. Like this street here's where mortals live. Mortals are
influenced from an outside world. I should understand by the grace of God. I
deal with spirits. And I should know what I am speaking of.
And I look along through this dark mass of gaiety. Every once in a while,
you'll see little lights a burning. Lights, that's... There you are. It's your table
today. Lights a burning. that's Christians in the darkness giving light. See
what I mean?
Now, look at this here. The sinner is influenced by a spirit because he has a
spirit. And the wrong gives influence and the right gives influence. And those
who are dominated from--with blackness and separation, are dominated from
the underworld of devils.
Look. The first thing when you... Here when you're going out of this line now,
get this straight. Here's where mortals live. A whole conglomeration is
blackness and darkness. And in there is little lights, placed now and then.
That's Christians borned-again of Light. "Ye are--you are a light that is set on
a hill. A candle that is set in the room and gives light to all the room." That's
what a Christian is amongst darkness. You're supposed to shine where it's
dark.
Now, notice. The wicked or the unbeliever is influenced from beneath. There
is a trinity of hell like there's a trinity of heaven. They're influenced by evil
powers.
Notice. The first thing, when you start down, the first thing you find is a
realm here that's got the unsaved in it. That's right. That's where Jesus went
and preached to the souls that were in prison that repented not in the longsuffering in the days of Noah. The next is demons. And the next is hell itself.
The world is influenced by these demon powers through this trinity. And the
Christians are influenced by a Spirit too, the Holy Spirit.
The first is the Holy Spirit, above, for Christians. The next layer is Angels. And
the next heavens is God. Holy Spirit, Angels and God... The Holy Spirit come
a past Angels, come down to redeem sinners.
54-1204 GOD.PERFECTING.HIS.CHURCH
Medium: In Contact with Spirits
643
Quote:
51-0415E THE.HOUR.IS.COME_ PHOENIX.AZ SUNDAY_
I--I believe that you're a Christian. I believe you're a Christian woman, and
you have been for some time. You're--you're awfully nervous for one thing.
As your nervousness is--type of nervousness, a worry nervousness. Isn't that
right? You're awful person to take other people's troubles too, aren't you? You
cross some bridges before you get to them and call it. Isn't that right? Now
see, that always happens before... Something's blocking you like there,
because you made plans, and it never comes out that way. You get in your
mind something that's going to happen, and it doesn't, it just takes that way.
Isn't that right? And you're...
Now, it stopped on me just a moment. It's kind of hard. Now, everybody be in
prayer, please.
Now, just look this a way, sister. I just want to talk to you (See?), just order to
contact your spirit. I seen a vision coming up from a child, from a little girl.
And I--I... It just... I have to speak it as it's coming (You see?), or I--I don't get
it. Now, just keep praying.
51-0509 TESTIMONY_ LOS.ANGELES.CA WEDNESDAY_
Now, this lady here, she's just a prayer card. We'll call some more, if the Lord
will permit us. (And you got the... Yes. Yes, sir.) Well sister dear, I'm happy
that you got the prayer card. And I--I trust that--that something will be done
that our Lord will glorify His Son, Christ Jesus, between us. That not only to
you, but to the people out there in the audience, that they might see and be
healed also.
Now, we are perfect strangers. I--I do not know you. And I--I don't think you
know me. No, you might've heard of me. Now, what I'm wanting to do is just
to contact your spirit. And there's so many people out in there pulling. I don't
think they hear us. I--I'm... I don't think they do, because there's some
interference in the... They may be now. See? Now, I'm not sure. I can't say
whether they do or not.
51-0717 THE.MANIFESTATION.OF.THE.SPIRIT_ TOLEDO.OH TUESDAY_
Good evening, sister. Isn't our Master lovely? I just love Him with all my
heart. I believe you do too...?... Do you believe that that's His Spirit that you
feel now? Do you believe that that's Him? You do? You and I are strangers,
aren't we, sister? We don't know each other at all. And if I would know
anything of you, it would have to be like Jesus...
The reason I talk to you is merely to contact your spirit. You understand that.
This microphone's alive. You see? And I've got to contact your spirit first, 'fore
I can see what's happened in your life. See? That's none of the audience's
business. I'm just talking to you. You see? And merely this is just to contact
you.
644
53-0215
JESUS.CHRIST.THE.SAME.YESTERDAY.TODAY.AND.FOREVER_
TALLAHASSEE.FL SUNDAY_
You heard Mr. Baxter, I guess, tonight, tell about an Angel visiting me
sometime ago and speaking with me about these things. Well, that's--that's
the truth, sir. And He told me that I was to pray for sick people. That was my
mission in life was to pray for the sick. Now, I questioned it and said, "I'm-I'm uneducated, so the people..." But since a little child, I was called for that
work. You believe that?
Now, if our Lord Jesus, when He talked to the woman at the well, He just
didn't talk her a little while. And then after He talked to her, He said, "Go, get
Me a drink"
And she said, "I..." talked about the well. Now, what He--He was trying to
contact her spirit. Now, you're the first patient here at the platform tonight,
so that's what I have to be to contact your spirit. You see? See, we're both
men standing here, got to one day meet God. See? But you're--you're also a
supernatural being; you're--inside of you is a spirit that'll live somewhere
forever, why, here too. Well, if you've got a disease, Satan's did that. And He
sent me to pray so these two spirits will come together. And then if His Spirit
can... It'll depend on which one you give in to (You see?) of these two... If you
believe what you're told, it'll be right, you will get well. If you do not believe
it, 'course there's nothing it can do. See? This is just for a vindication.
53-0531 SEEKING.AFTER.JESUS_ CONNERSVILLE.IN SUNDAY_
Now, you're... Now, I'm talking to you just like the--He talked to the woman at
the well. I'm trying to contact your spirit. See? You don't think I'd be reading
your mind? No, sir, I'm not. No, sir. I'm not. I'm--I'm just trying to help you.
Yes. You're complete breakdown. Everything's wrong with you.
53-0800 THE.TWENTIETH.CENTURY.PROPHET_ CHICAGO.IL
Lady, I just want to talk to you as... in the... The reason I'm doing this is to
contact your spirit. Will you believe with all your heart? And if God will just
reveal to me what is wrong with you, will you accept Him as your Healer? You
would. Now, we're strangers I suppose, are we? Never seen each other in life,
nowhere? But God knows what's wrong with you, isn't that right? You, one of
your greatest things, you are anemia also. Isn't that right? You believe that
God will make you well.
53-1104 DEEP.CALLETH.UNTO.THE.DEEP_ OWENSBORO.KY WEDNESDAY_
Now, I've talked to you for a purpose (See?), to contact your spirit. And now
your spirit's falling right in line with the Angel of the Lord. You got a--it's a-it's a gallbladder or some... Gallbladder trouble. See? Yes, ma'am. And I see
you was in a doctor's office or something where there was taking a picture.
And then you've had a... I see something another: you're alarmed about it
being a cancer or something in your... You thought it was a cancer. Yes,
sister; yes, ma'am. It's a nervous condition. And I tell you... Long time ago or
something, you've had a operation on the head or something or other. It's
645
something taken away or something. Yes, that's right. Un huh. It's a... It was
a... Yes. Is that the truth? What was it? I just seen an operation being
performed on it. Do you believe that God will make you well? If I ask Him, do
you believe, audience, that God will heal this woman? Will you pray with me
for her? Come here, mother. I want your hand. When I would take a little old
wrinkled up hand like that, you don't know how it makes me feel. I think of
my own mother who's been in... That's probably stroked back the tears from
many babies eyes, cried and rocked them to sleep, done a many hard days
work, washed. God bless them.
53-1108E EXPECTANCY_ OWENSBORO.KY SUNDAY_
Now, my brother, it's just as our Master talked to the woman at the well. He
just had a--a way of talking to her in order to contact her spirit. And you're
standing here, a strong looking man as far as I know. And I... And, but God
knows both of us, and I'm just trying to speak to you in order to--to contact
your spirit like I... And if I am God's servant, and just a humble man as
yourself, then the Angel of the Lord... Did you see the picture, did you? And
then That comes down, and That gives the anointing. And that anointing
then does the--the, it does the telling. That's right.
54-0216 JAIRUS.AND.DIVINE.HEALING_ WOOD.RIVER.IL TUESDAY_
Now, lady, I suppose you and I are strangers. Are we, lady? You... Where
abouts was that you met me? Vandalia, Illinois. My, that's a long time ago.
Yes, ma'am. Well, was you there at the meeting? Well, of course I would not
remember that in this much time. Was you a up at the prayer line or
something? Oh, you wasn't prayed... You just attended the meeting. That's
right. Well, that's makes us then just the same as strangers. You just saw me
standing on the platform. Was you there the night, the boy that was born
blind received his sight, and come back, and took my tie, and ask his mother
what color it was? Well, then... That was along about the next to last night
somewhere. Now, I want you to look on my just a moment. Not--not--I'm not
reading you mind, no ma'am. That's not... No, ma'am, I'm not. I'm just trying
to contact your spirit. See? Just like a--a picture camera, a film's been taken.
God has to take me down that same line again. See? You're...
54-0216 JAIRUS.AND.DIVINE.HEALING_ WOOD.RIVER.IL TUESDAY_
E-65 How do you do? Of course, we're strangers, I suppose. God... Ma'am? I
don't know you, no ma'am, I... Well then, if we're strangers in this world, and
God knows that we are strangers then, there'd--there had to be some way I'd
have to know you, and contact your spirit, or some way to find out. All right,
audience, are you believing? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.]
54-0307E DO.YOU.NOW.BELIEVE_ PHOENIX.AZ SUNDAY_
Now, lady, I just want to look at you, just a moment to speak with you, just to
contact your spirit and to--to see what the Lord would tell me.
646
Of course, you know I've been stalling for Something; it's the Anointing of the
Angel of the Lord. 'Cause if He doesn't come, then I know nothing. But when
He comes, He knows all things. If He will, by His grace, let me know what's
wrong with you, you will accept your healing, or whatever it is. Is that right?
Here It is.
54-0329 REDEMPTION.BY.POWER_ LOUISVILLE.KY V-25 N-7 MONDAY_
I'm not reading your mind, friends. I only speak the truth, and God vindicates
it to be the truth.
What do you think about it, setting there next to him? Do you believe? Do
you believe me to be God's prophet? Do you believe if God... You setting
'cause you're on the front seat, that's the reason I'm talking to you so much.
See, it's back in behind there and around me. But do you believe, if I can
contact your spirit, God will reveal what's wrong? Would you accept your
healing? You're a diabetic. Is that right? Raise up your hand if that's the truth.
Stand up on your feet. Do you accept your healing now? May the Lord Jesus
Christ make you every whit whole. God bless you.
54-0331
THE.RESURRECTION.OF.JAIRUS.DAUGHTER_
LOUISVILLE.KY
WEDNESDAY_
Come. How do you do, sir? Suppose, maybe, oh, us being strangers in this
life, but God knows both of us. He's fed us, been with us. And all that--that
we have comes from God. I'm only trying to contact your spirit, my dear
brother, just so that God's blessings could rest.
Now, just a moment, It... A, It has left me and It's pulling this a way. It's--it's a
man setting here, praying, looking right at me. Oh, it's for that child there.
It's going blind, its eyes. Is that right? Lay your hand over on your little fellow
there and I'll ask God's blessings.
Father, I pray that You'll heal that child and may it not be bothered any more;
in Jesus' Name, heal its eyes. Amen. Have faith, brother. Going to be all right.
54-0403
THE.HAND.OF.THE.LORD.CAME.UPON.HIM_
LOUISVILLE.KY
SATURDAY_
You're the patient, aren't you? ...?... All right. You believe that the Lord Jesus
Christ, you're in His Presence, not your brother? You're here in His Presence.
Well, if I be God's servant, and I told the truth, then this would be God
preaching back the truth, not my sermon now. It's His sermon. Then if you
was standing here and He was visible, that you could see Him, as far as--if it
was healing you was looking for, He couldn't heal you; He's already done it.
He'd only tell you something that'd make you have faith. Is that right?
Well, you just answer me as I talk to you then. I'm--only thing I'm trying to do
is contact your spirit. It's very hard; there's others here praying, trying their
best around everywhere. See?
54-0624 THE.DEEP.CALLETH.TO.THE.DEEP_ WASHINGTON.DC THURSDAY_
647
Now, I want to talk to you a minute, sister. You're conscious that something's
going on, of course, it's--it's just now happened. Now, if that is true, let the
people see by your uplifted hand. That's right. See? It's... That--that's His
Presence. that's right. See?
Now, I'm--I'm a stranger to you, never seen you in my life. And now, if the
Holy Spirit that I have spoke of, of Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today,
and forever; if I have truly witnessed that to the people, and declare it to be
the truth, and He is the same, then He will reveal to me something to you
that would help you to believe. If you're--here I don't know what you have
need of, whether... But He does. Now, if God will permit that, would you
accept your healing and--or--or whatever it is you want, finance, or whatever
it is you're here to seek Him for to ask Him about? Or domestic troubles,
whatever it might be, whatever it is, He will know, and He will be able to let
me know. Is that right? And that would make Him the same as he talked to
the woman at the well.
Now, I'm only talking to you like He did to contact your spirit. And I see you
moving from me. You're--you're--you've had a... I see a great crash of some
sort; it's an accident. And you--it was a car wreck, and you were thrown in
the air, like that. And it strained you in, somewhere in your neck, and has
caused a--a cancer to come into your neck... And you're some sort of a teach
in the Scripture. And you believe that Jesus Christ makes you well?
Father God, in the Name of Thy Son Jesus Christ, on the authority of God's
Word, by a dying woman, I ask this evil thing to leave her.
55-1116 THE.CALLING.OF.ABRAHAM_ SAN.FERNANDO.CA WEDNESDAY_
Now, as we talk, talking to you, is sure, it's to contact your spirit; that's right.
And--and you... He's near, the Holy Spirit, you're aware of that, that
Something's near. So am I, but It just hasn't anointed us yet, just right, to
what it is. But I see the lady now as she begins to dim out to me. I see her.
She's suffering with a--a nervous condition. She's real upset. She's been that
way for some time. She also has a--a ladies condition; it's in the female
gland. She's having trouble in the female gland. Those things are true, aren't
they, lady?
And I... You're--you're not from here. You've come from somewhere else,
another city. I see you moving, coming this a way. Someone had told you
something; it was about the meeting, and you come to be prayed for. And I
see the number that you left from, it's--it's--it's 8614 is your street number.
And somebody calls you, "Betty." And your last name is Moore. That's right.
Just... Now, you can go home; you're healed. Your faith has done it, sister.
The Lord bless you, my sister.
55-1118 THE.FAITH.OF.ABRAHAM_ SAN.FERNANDO.CA FRIDAY_
Now, the Father sent me here to San Fernando Valley, put me here to preach
the Gospel, and here you come. See? Now, the only way I know is to contact
your spirit. And you being a woman, me a man, you a Christian, me a
Christian, maybe you're in need of something, and the Holy Spirit is here as
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(and you His child) to help you to get what you come for. And that would only
bring your faith up. Is that right? Does the audience believe that? That's the
only... Now, not that I could heal, her faith has to do that. "Thy faith has
made the whole."
Now, if God will reveal to me what you come here for, or something that you
know I don't know, what... If something like that, you will believe it? Will the
audience believe it and accept it? Now, may the Lord grant it.
56-0225
SIOUX.FALLS.SD SATURDAY_
But by the grace of God, and the help of God, by me talking to you, I can
contact your spirit by a Divine gift, by yielding myself to the Holy Ghost, that
will produce the same thing that Jesus did to the woman at the well. Now, I
have no idea what you're here for. You might be standing here for sickness;
you might be standing here for somebody else. You might be standing here
for financial troubles. You might be standing here for spiritual troubles. I do
not know; you know that. I'm a stranger to you; I don't know you.
56-0414 BLIND.BARTIMAEUS_ COLUMBIA.SC SATURDAY_
Now, if the Lord Jesus will tell me what you're here for, will you be...? See, I
couldn't heal you if you're sick. I couldn't heal you, or I couldn't give you your
desire. It'd be your faith in Him. But I only claim He raised from the dead, you
understand? Well, may the Lord grant it, sister. Just talking to you to contact
your spirit.
But now, if the audience can still hear my voice, between she and I comes
that same Light that you see in the picture, and she's going away from me.
The woman, I see her in her doing her work, she is very, very, nervous. She
drops things, and she's suffering with a--a skin trouble, which is a cancer in
her skin. That's THUS SAITH THE LORD. Is that the truth? If it is, raise your
hand?
56-0814 DIVINE.LOVE.AND.SOVEREIGN.GRACE_ PRINCE.ALBERT.SK TUESDAY_
Now, may you be reverent. How, sir? Now, to talk to you, I just want to
contact your spirit. Just exactly the way it would be if--if I was... Just like Jesus
said to the woman at the well, He begin to talk to her, 'cause it's just like Him
speaking and it's changing over. But we, being strange to one another, and
not knowing each other, then God would have to do something. And if
something would come to me and the Lord would let me know something
about you, that you know that I don't know, and not knowing you... I don't
know nothing about you. So then you'd know it have to come from some kind
of a supernatural force. Is that right? Then you'd accept it to be the Lord
Jesus, as I have plainly stated before the Bible...?... You believe it? That's fine.
56-1208 ABRAHAM_ BROOKLYN.NY SATURDAY_
What about the colored lady setting next to you? Would you stand up a
minute, lady, the colored lady setting next to her? Do you believe me to be
649
God's servant? Just to contact your spirit (You see?); you don't have to be up
here. So that you'd know, at the calling in the prayer line, whether you're
here or there makes no difference. Would you like to get over that intestinal
trouble and be made well? Do you believe that God would heal you of that
intestinal trouble that you have? If that's right, raise up your hand. All right.
Be seated and believe on the Lord.
57-0127E BLIND.BARTIMAEUS_ LIMA.OH SUNDAY_
Now, let us look to the woman. May... As a Christian and talking, the spirits
of... Or the Holy Spirit's in a gift. One gift is preaching. That's an evangelist.
Another gift is prophetic, which is altogether a different gift. And to be
preaching and switch to something else, it's another anointing, but the same
Spirit. You understand.
Now, you and I being strangers, we never have met each other, and you
being the first person here, I'm just trying to contact your spirit. And it's
exactly just right, exactly what I'm trying to do. That's right. Because you're
a woman, I'm a man, and we've never met before, and here we are before
several hundred people.
57-0728 THIRSTING.FOR.LIFE_ TACOMA.WA SUNDAY_
Now, a strong thing struck the platform then. Stop that. See? Now, we're not
in this dimension of... If you scientists here, this is not the three dimensions
we live in. It's another dimension which is closer to God. See? Just go down.
You believe that God will give you the desire of your heart? All right. You seen
Him heal your boy. You seen Him heal others. You believe that He will heal?
All right. Now, you look this a way then. Just to contact your spirit, and
believing that God will do it. Humbly I ask Him to do it.
58-0209E THE.DOOR.INSIDE.THE.DOOR_ SOUTH.BEND.IN SUNDAY_
Just to contact your spirit, sister, just to see what He would tell me. He might
not tell me one thing. I want to ask you a question. Do you believe what I
preached is the truth about Him? If He didn't reveal one thing to me, would
you still believe if I prayed for you, you'd get well, or--or you'd get what's... I
don't know what you're here for. But would you believe it, anyhow? If I didn't
no more than just pray for you, passed you through the line, you'd believe it,
anyhow? God bless you. I--I believe you would.
58-0515
FORT.FAIRFIELD.ME THURSDAY_
Way down at the end of the row, setting there between two men, the lady
with high blood pressure, the second row back, the end. Do you believe that
Jesus Christ can heal you of your high blood pressure? It happened to be; I
seen a streak leave this lady and go to you; that's the reason I know that you
can be healed, if you want to accept it.
I challenge your faith. Here's a dear soul setting here, right back there
behind you. Setting there with that little black hat on, got trouble with your
650
head, she's praying about it. That is right, isn't it, sister? Right here, the little
lady with the black hat on and glasses. You're having trouble with your head.
But you don't feel it now, do you? You were healed just then.
The lady setting next to her looked like that... You believe, lady? I just want to
contact your spirit. Lay your hand on her and the lady next to you there. The
lady that was just healed, lay your hand on the next lady. Yes. You believe the
Lord God will heal you, lady? You have complications, many things wrong
with you, such as diabetes, for one; heart trouble, for another. That's right. If
that's right, raise your hand. All right, go home and believe it be over, it will
leave.
60-0708 SIR.WE.WOULD.SEE.JESUS_ KLAMATH.FALLS.OR FRIDAY_
Now, if we don't know each other, the Lord Jesus knows her and He knows
me. Now, if He will tell her something that she has done, or something that
she's intending to do, or something that she knows that I know nothing
about, then surely, if He can tell her what she has been, He can certainly
know what she will be. Is that right? Now, how much greater would that be if
Something would tell her, like something happened in the Bible, and would
tell her that. Would... If He would do that, would you believe He was the
same Lord? You would.
You know it couldn't be your brother here; I just have to yield my spirit. I'm
just like this microphone, a mute until He would speak. 'Cause what man
would know that? None. It takes God to do it. Now, if God will let me know
just by talking to you... Yes, sir, I am trying to contact your spirit. That's
exactly right. That's just swept from the audience, and that's right.
61-0123 BE.NOT.AFRAID.IT.IS.I_ BEAUMONT.TX MONDAY_
That strike you? You believe that I am His servant with all your heart? I don't
know you. You're a stranger to me, just so the people see whether that
people hasn't got prayer cards, or prayer cards it doesn't matter. Now, you
know there's some kind of anointing here, is that right? You know that it--it--it
ha... Something takes more than a--than a--a--a man to do something like
that. It takes God, doesn't it? Yes, it certainly does. You believe that God
could tell me what you're standing here for? Which would... You know He
could. That's fine. All right. If you'll believe it... I see you're shadowed, yeah,
something horrible, and you're shadowed, and that's the reason I looked
around and the anointing being on me...
Now, I couldn't take each one of them people down that line, I'd drop off here
on this platform. So weak now, see how beads of sweat standing? See? I
couldn't do it, because if He felt weakness from one person touching Him,
what about now when He has to work back through a sinner saved by grace.
See? And that was the anointed God. See? Just His holy virgin borned body
that God was working through, made Him weak, what about me a sinner
saved by grace? Because He said, "More than this shall you do. The things
that I do shall you also, and more than this." It says greater in the King James
but...
651
You say, "What you talking to me for, Brother Branham?" I'm trying to
contact your spirit just like He talked to the woman at the well. That's right. I
can tell you now, you're suffering with an extreme nervousness; you got
heart trouble also. That's right, isn't it? If that's right raise up you hand so the
people see it. Now, you believe with all your heart? Why, the same God
knows the same thing's the matter with you. See? That just does it.
61-0224 BE.NOT.AFRAID_ TULARE.CA FRIDAY_
God set in the church: apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists, pastors.
That's all. Then them nine spiritual gifts in the church. You say, "Brother
Branham, what are you trying to do?" I'm trying to contact your spirit.
Jesus sent me to this city. I was led here. Now, here's a woman. by having a
number on her prayer card way up in the--I forget where I called--50 or 75 or
somewhere around. I forgot where it was. You just happened to be that
woman standing here. All right.
Now, not knowing one another. Now, what I am trying to do? contact your
spirit. And if the Lord God... If I said I had a gift of healing, laid my hands on
you, and say, "Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. You're going to get well." That'd be
all right. Go believe it, you'd get well. I believe it. God will honor your faith.
But what if He comes and tells you something that you--that you have been,
then tells you what you will be. You know where--whether it--what it has
been, whether it's the truth or not. Something that you have done in your
life, way back there, or whatever He does, or something on that order. Then
it would make the same Messiah. The audience wouldn't sense it. They'd
believe it and just accept it.
62-0704 WE.WOULD.SEE.JESUS_ GRASS.VALLEY.CA JJ 1-36 WEDNESDAY_
Now, I couldn't help that, sir. It's just I--I watch a Light, you see, and It just
went from me, and I seen It hanging over there, and I seen the little lady
come up here before me. And she kept coming before me here, and see it
was a woman instead of a man, so I just had to speak on what I was seeing.
Oh, if this church, if this group of people would just believe right now, and
just have faith, what would happen, what would take place!
Sir, we're strangers to one another. Just wanted to speak to you, in order just
contact your spirit. Here, you're not here for yourself. You're here for
somebody else, that's a--a little fellow, a little fellow, little boy been wrecked
in an automobile accident, cut all to pieces, lacerated, very bad, serious
condition. You're here, standing for him. That's right. If God doesn't help the
little boy, he's got to die. Will you do me a favor? Take that handkerchief out
of my pocket; go, put it on him, in the Name of the Lord, and don't doubt.
And let me hear from him, as the meeting goes on. Have faith.
64-0307 A.TESTIMONY.ON.THE.SEA_ DALLAS.TX V-19 N-11 SATURDAY_
How do you do, sir? I am a stranger to you, and--and you're a stranger to me.
And it's--it's begin... The visions now, I see, look like the whole house is just
getting light, like kind of a whirl-like going around. See? But do you believe
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that the Lord Jesus could reveal to me what you're standing there for? You
believe that He would? I believe that, also. I'm just speaking to you, to
contact your spirit, exactly is what I'm doing it for. See, I don't know you, so
it's got to be something besides me do it. I've got to get myself just so
completely away from myself, that He does it Himself. You understand?
64-0318 SIR.WE.WOULD.SEE.JESUS_ DENHAM.SPRINGS.LA WEDNESDAY_
And I'd bring you up here and lay hands on you, and maybe like some of our
evangelist brethren, which it's just exactly right, and lay hands on you, say,
"Your infirmity is gone. The Lord has healed you." That would be all right. You
could go. That's okay. I certainly endorse that, one hundred percent. That's
what the Bible said.
But now what if He stands here and tells you something that you have done,
or something that you ought not have done? If He knows what you have
been, and tell you what you have been, and you know whether it's true or
not, then if He tells you what your future is going to be; if that's right, this is
going to be right, too. Is that right? That makes it Him, you see. Now I'm just
saying that to contact your spirit. See, just like He did the woman at the well,
"Bring Me a drink."
64-0409
THE.IDENTIFICATION.OF.CHRIST.IN.ALL.AGES_
BIRMINGHAM.AL
THURSDAY_
Now I want to just--just to contact your spirit, lady, just to talk to you. Do you
believe that these things are true? You believe that the Lord Jesus could
reveal to me what you're here for? You also have tumor. That's right. Do you
believe He can reveal to me where it's at? It's in the female glands. [The
sister says, "Yes."--Ed.] And what gland it's in, it's in the womb. That's right.
["Yes."] All right. Believe now, go, with all your heart have faith.
236 Now here is a man. A man once came to the Lord Jesus, and his name
was Simon, now, and he was called Peter; Jesus told him who he was and
where he come from, or what about it. Now if the Lord Jesus can reveal to me
what you're here for, will you believe that? You know it'd have to be the
truth, if--if you know whether it's the truth or not. But, you, you believe me to
be His servant. [The brother says, "That's right. I know it."--Ed.] You know.
Thank you, sir. Thank you. May the Lord help you now to believe that with all
your heart.
64-0816 PROVING.HIS.WORD_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN V-9 N-6 SUNDAY_
How do you do? I say that just to contact your spirit, lady. Just like Jesus did
at the well, said, "Bring Me a drink." Now, I believe... I don't believe I ever
seen you, I believe you're a stranger to me. Is that right? If that's right, raise
up your hand so the audience can see. I don't know the lady.
269 This is genuine healing, it's genuine faith, genuine Scripture, the
unadulterated Word of God made manifest and proved that He's not dead.
He's alive forevermore. "And he that believeth on Me, the works that I do
shall he also, and this believer will lay hands upon the sick and they shall
653
recover." Oh, how can you doubt it? See? Now, He knowed who would and
who would not, I don't. That's up to Him.
65-0427
DOES.GOD.CHANGE.HIS.MIND_
LOS.ANGELES.CA
V-18
N-4
TUESDAY_
Now, do you believe that? If the Lord can tell me what your trouble is, or
what you're here for, something you have done or ought to have done, or--or
something else, then you will believe? All right, I'm trying to contact your
spirit, you see. That's what I'm trying to do. Like He did the woman at the
well, He talked to her a little bit, see, He was asking for a drink. And that's
what I'm trying to do, is get your mind, not reading your mind; but trying to
as He did, perceive your thoughts.
53-1108E EXPECTANCY_ OWENSBORO.KY SUNDAY_
E-33 Now, the reason they set these two microphones here is because of
when the anointing of the Holy Spirit, I never know what takes place. The
next day I have to pick it up on a tape recording up there, to find out what I
said myself. And that's the way we catch a record on everything. Watch what
He tells you, and do just exactly what He says, and I'll assure you that
everything will be just the way He said.
Now, be in prayer. You don't have to bow your head, but unless you're asked
to, and pray. Now, I--I must talk to this man just a little in order to contact his
spirit. And I want you all to help me tonight. And each Christian in your heart
praying, 'cause there's unbelievers setting present. There's critics setting
present. And do you realize that I'm representing the Lord that you serve in
your church? And you realize what a position it is, sometime before a
hundred thousand people. I'm representing Jesus Christ. So you who love
Him, pray for me.
57-0115 GOD.KEEPS.HIS.WORD_ STURGIS.MI TUESDAY_
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... that pleurisy would leave you. That's right, isn't
it? You got more faith than really you thought you had. Now, you're really
know that something's anointing you now. When I said that, that just boosted
your faith. Wasn't that right? Now, you look at me as God's prophet. You're
not from this city. You're not from around here. You come from a big place.
It's Detroit. That's right. Elizabeth is your name. Your last name's Marshall.
Do you believe on the Lord Jesus now, lady? See, as you contact his spirit,
how He moves right back down to you? That--that doesn't heal you. It only
gives you a contact of Spirit. Now, get her to doubt. Some of the rest of you
might, but not her. Neither did Nathanael doubt. Neither did the woman
doubt, who the miracle was done on. Neither did the woman at the well
doubt.
62-0627 WE.WOULD.SEE.JESUS_ SANTA.MARIA.CA WEDNESDAY_
Now, may the Lord grant your request: Jesus the same yesterday, today, and
forever. "Sirs, we would see Jesus." Our lovely Lord Who is here in the form of
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the Holy Ghost, trusting He's on this man, on me, and by your own faith in a
Divine gift sent from God grants the request. I trust that It will. Not knowing
you, knowing nothing about you, perfectly strangers, and if the Lord will tell
me what you're here for, or something about you...
Now, if you say... what if... Someone out there say what's he doing now? Just
exactly what Jesus did to the woman at the well. The Father sent me to Santa
Maria. Now, I'm here. I don't know what for. But here's the first person comes
up before me, so I talk to him like He did the woman at the well. It's to
contact his spirit.
You say, "Now, what's that?" Now, wait just a minute. Let us straighten this
out now. I felt something come in from out there. See?
64-0304 SIRS.WE.WOULD.SEE.JESUS_ DALLAS.TX V-19 N-8 WEDNESDAY_
But now if I come up here and laid hands on you, say, "Glory to God, you're
healed! Glory to God." That would be all right, that's perfectly all right, if you
believed it.
But what if He tells you what you have done, or some cause, the reason you
are sick, or something like that? Then you would know, if He could tell you
what has been, He would surely know what--what will be, would be right. Yes,
sir.
Do you believe that, audience? [Congregation says, "Amen." --Ed.] Now what
am I doing to the man? I'm trying to contact his spirit, just as our Lord did at
the well, to that woman. I don't know him. I've never seen him. Now there is
many in here, sick, many praying.
51-0928 AT.THY.WORD_ NEW.YORK.NY FRIDAY_
Dear Father, come near, I pray Thee. Help Thou Thy humble servant at this
time, that I might know Thy Divine will and might be able to con--comfort
Thy people. And may the Angel of God, Who met me that night in the room...
Lord, He's never said His Name, but You know Who It was, He claimed He
was sent from You. And now may He come near and minister to these people
through Your humble servant. For I ask it in the Name of Thy Son Jesus.
Amen.
I'm just a little late; I always like to close a service by ten if possible. Now, if
you be real reverent now, everybody be talking to God, praying, believing
with all your heart, God will bring it to pass. Don't you believe that? Now, just
reverently while I'm speaking with the sister. 'Course first, you've got to
contact her spirit. See? She is a spirit; I am a spirit. Then we've got to contact
each other. I want you back in here to believe with all your heart.
655
Christ Was the Shepherd of the Flock Doomed to

Slaughter
In Zechariah 11, God told Zechariah to become the "shepherd of the flock
doomed to slaughter." God wanted Zechariah to know the burden Christ, so
Zechariah himself became part of the vision.
Typing the scribes and Pharisees, God said those who buy the flock slaughter
them and go unpunished. Then those who sell the flock say, "Blessed be the
Lord, I have become rich," and their own shepherds have no pity on the
flock.
God said that he would no longer have pity on the inhabitants of the land.
Israel would be unprotected against their neighbors, and each king that rose
against Israel would crush them at his hand.
With this, God said that He became the shepherd of the flock doomed to be
slaughtered by the sheep traders. Zechariah took two staffs, one named
"Favor," and one named "Union." With these, He tended His sheep.
In one month, he destroyed three shepherds, but he became impatient with
the sheep, and his own sheep detested Him. So he said, "I will not be your
shepherd."
Then, God describes breaking and annulling His covenant with Israel. He
said, "What is to be destroyed, let it be destroyed. And let those who are left
devour the flesh of one another. So I took my staff "Favor" and broke it,
annulling the covenant that I had made with all peoples."
When God broke the covenant, the sheep traders who were watching knew
that it was the Word of God. Then God said, "If it seems good to you, give
me my wages." They gave Him thirty pieces of silver.
Then God said to throw the thirty pieces of silver to the potter. He threw the
thirty pieces at the potter, which represented the house of the Lord. Then,
He broke his second staff "Union", annulling the brotherhood between Judah
and Israel.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have our shepherds became "sellers
of the flock," making profit from their sheep? Do they claim their blessing
while sheep have nothing? Are we thankful God sent his Son, Jesus Christ?
Do we look for Him to come again? Are we thankful for the burden of Christ?
656
Arrogance Towards Other Christians

In Romans 11, Paul gives some very deep thoughts using the example of
grafting branches into the root of a tree. Though this story, Paul explains
that we should not be arrogant towards our other Christian brothers and
sisters in other belief systems.
He asked the people if the Jews stumbled so they would ultimately fall, then
answered himself, "By no means!" Paul said that through their trespass,
salvation has been offered to the Gentiles in order to make Israel jealous!
Paul said that he promoted the Gentiles with higher esteem in order to
magnify his ministry with the Gentiles. By doing so, Paul attempted to
somehow make his fellow Jews jealous, and hopefully save some of them.
Paul said that if some branches are broken off, and were grafted in among
other trees to share a nourishing root, we should not be arrogant towards the
branches.
If you are arrogant towards the other branches, remember that you are not
the one supporting the root. The root supports you! You may tell yourself
that other branches were broken off so that I may be grafted in, but Paul said
they were broken off for their unbelief. He said that we should stand fast
through faith and not become proud. We should fear God.
Paul pointed out the severity of not supporting one another in Christian love.
If God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you! If you
do not continue in His Lovingkindness, God will also cut you off!
At the same time, Paul said not to look down upon those in unbelief. If they
do not continue in their unbelief, but are grafted back in, God has the power
to take them in again. If you were cut from a wild olive tree, grafted to a
cultivated olive tree, how much more will the natural trees be accepting of
the returning branches to the original tree!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we became arrogant towards
other Christians? Do we look down upon those who do not believe as we do,
or do we try to help them join into the Christian faith? Are we showing each
other Christian Love? Are we the branches that God would cut off?
657
Trusting in Oppression
Isaiah 30 tells the story of how Israel turned away from God to trust in
oppression. God was angered, but God was faithful to Israel.
Israel had made an alliance with Egypt. They had made plans without
consulting God, and God was not supportive of this union. Egypt had great
power, and the children of Israel made the alliance to have the protection of
the mighty Egyptians.
God spoke to Isaiah and told him to write the Word from the Lord into a book,
so that it could be a witness forever. God also instructed Isaiah to write His
Word on a tablet and bring it before the children of Israel.
God said they were "lying children." They were unwilling to hear the
instruction of the Lord. The children of Israel told their seers "Do not see,"
and their prophets, "Do not prophesy what is right." They wanted to hear
things that were easy to hear instead of the Truth. They did not want to hear
anything more about Yahweh.
God said they trusted in oppression and perverseness. They relied on them.
Because of this, their iniquity would be like a breach in a high wall -- bulging
out until the wall was near collapse. When it fell, it would be like the ruthless
smashing of a potter's vessel.
God had already told them that if they returned to Him, they would find rest
and be saved. In quietness and in trust in Him they would find His strength.
Instead, the children of Israel were unwilling.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we willing to return to God? Are
we willing to submit ourselves in quietness and trust in Him? Are we willing
to give up the idols in our lives, the things that we put before God? Are we
oppressed, or are we resting in Christ?
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Do Not Worship the Angel

Revelation 22 points us to the second coming of Christ.
The angel told John that the words he had been given were trustworthy and
true. The Lord God had sent His angel to show his servants what would soon
take place. He said, "Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the
prophecy of this book."
John fell to worship at the feet of the angel, but the angel forbid him. He said
that he was a fellow servant. Instead, the angel said that we should worship
God.
He told John not to seal up the words of the prophecy, for the time was
drawing near. The evildoer will still do evil, the filthy will still be filthy, while
the righteous will still do right.
He said that those who wash their robes are blessed, and they have the right
to the tree of life. They will be the ones that enter the gates of the city.
Outside the city are dogs and sorcerers. They are the sexually immoral,
murderers and idolaters, as well as everyone who loves and practices
falsehood.
He said, "I Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you about these things for
the churches. I am the root and descendant of David, the bright and
morning star."
He welcomed everyone who would hear to come. The Spirit and the Bride,
all who hears. Let the one who is thirsty come, and the one who desires the
water of life can freely come.
Then, Jesus warned to anyone who hears the words of prophecy of the book:
If anyone adds to them, God will give him the plagues described in the book.
If anyone takes away from the words of the book, God will take his share of
the tree of life.
He who testifies to these things testifies of the coming of Jesus Christ. He
said, "Surely I am coming soon."
The Grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all, amen.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we kept the words of this
book? Have we fallen into worship of angels, prophets, or men? Are we the
idolaters or the lovers of falsehood? May God have mercy on us all.
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To The Unknown God

Acts 17 tells how Paul preached in the midst of the Areopagus, the high court
of appeal in Athens.
Paul said that he could see that the people were very religious. As he passed
through and observed the objects of worship, he also found an alter with an
inscription: "To the unknown god."
He said that what they worship as unknown, he could proclaim to them. This
God they worshipped and did not know was the God who made the world
and everything in it. He is the Lord of heaven and of earth, and does not live
in temples made by man. Nor can he be served by human hands, needing
nothing since He Himself is God. He gives life and breath to all mankind, and
from one man made every nation of mankind to live.
God determined allotted time periods and boundaries of their dwelling place
for one purpose: that they should seek God. Perhaps, they would find their
way toward Him and find Him. Yet, Paul proclaimed, he is actually not far
from each one of us.
Even their poets had proclaimed the One True God. "In him we live and
move and have our being, for we are indeed his offspring."
Being the offspring of God, we should not think that God is like anything that
comes from the imagination of a man. In the times of ignorance, God
overlooked this, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
God has set aside a day when he will judge the world in righteousness by a
Man that He has appointed. God gave this assurance to all mankind when
He raised Him from the dead.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we serve an unknown god, or do
we know the One True God? Do we worship anything that comes from the
imagination of a man, or do we worship God alone? Do we look for the day
when His Son, Christ Jesus will return to judge the world?
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The Friendship of Herod and Pilate

Luke 23 tells the story of the mended friendship between Herod and Pilate as
they accused Jesus.
The people brought Jesus before Pilate, telling him that He was misleading
the nation and forbidding the people to give their tribute to Caesar because
Jesus said that He was Christ, a King.
When Pilate asked Jesus if He was King of the Jews, Jesus answered him, "You
have said so."
Pilate found no guilt in Jesus, but the people were insistent. They said, "He
stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this
place."
When Pilate heard that Jesus was a Galilean, he realized that this was
Herod's jurisdiction. He sent Jesus to Herod, who was in Jerusalem at the
time.
Herod was very glad to see Jesus. He had heard of the miracles done by
Jesus, and wanted to see some sign done by Jesus. Therefore, he questioned
Jesus at great length. But Jesus gave no answer.
The chief priests and scribes were present, and they vehemently accused
Him. Herod and his soldiers treated Jesus with contempt and mockery. But
finally they gave up.
Herod clothed Jesus in splendid clothing of a king, and sent Him back to
Pilate. Though Herod and Pilate had been very hostile towards each other
before, from that very day they became friends. Neither could find fault in
Jesus.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Does Christ put us at peace with our
enemies? Do we find peace in His presence, or have we accepted the
presence of something else?
When we are accused, do we respond
peacefully as Christ did, or do we violently lash out at our accusers? Are we
like Christ, spreading peace?
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The Altar of Witness

Joshua 22 tells the story about the Altar of Witness built by the Eastern Tribes
of Israel.
When they came to Jordan in the land of Canaan, the people of Reuben, Gad,
and the half-tribe of Manasseh built a huge altar. The other tribes of Israel
got word that they had built the altar, and the whole assembly of the people
gathered at Shiloh for war.
They thought the altar was made in rebellion of Yahweh. They reminded the
people of the wrath and destruction from the Lord for serving false gods, and
pleaded with them to serve God instead of baal.
But the people of Rueben, Gad, and Manasseh answered that the One True
God knew their hearts, and they were not turning away from God. They did
not build the altar for burnt offering, or sacrifice, but for a witness between
them and God, and for future generations after them. It was built to be a
witness that they serve the One True God.
When the priest and chiefs of the congregation heard this, they knew their
hearts were pure. Phineas, son of Eleazar the priest, told the people of
Reuben, Gad, and Manassah, "Today we know that the Lord is in our midst,
because you have not committed this breach of faith against the Lord. Now
you have delivered the people of Israel from the hand of the Lord."
The People of Rueben and Gad called the altar "Witness." They said, "It is a
witness between us that the Lord is God!"
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we a witness before God? Do we
stand before God and men as a living witness that God is real? When others
rise against us thinking evil, are we founded in God's Word to give them
assurance that we serve the One True God?
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The Cheerful Giver

2 Corinthians 9 describes the offering system in the church under the New
Covenant of Grace.
Now that the high priests no longer store and make ready for the Sabbath
days, weeks, and years, Paul tells us the correct way to give.
He says that any person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. Anyone
who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. You must give according to
what you have decided in your heart, and not give under any sort of
compulsion. God loves a cheerful giver.
God is able to provide abundant grace to you, and supply all of your needs at
all times. He will ensure that you may abound in every good work that you
do.
Paul said that it is written: "He has distributed freely, he has given to the
poor; his righteousness endures forever."
He said that the same God that supplies seed for the sower and bread for
food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and make your harvest of
righteousness bountiful. You will be enriched in every way, so that you can
be generous in every way!
Paul says that it is our being generous that thanksgiving is given to God
through us. Our ministry is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but
overflowing to others in many thanksgivings!
By the minister's approval of this service, they will glorify God because of
you. Your cheerful giving comes from within the heart, the confession of the
gospel of Christ! The generosity of your contribution for them and for others
glorify God!
Paul said we should freely give while our ministers pray for you, passing the
grace of God upon you.
Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we freely give, or do we hoard?
Do we give only to those we feel worthy, or do we freely give to all? Are we
thankful that God provides abundantly so that we may give to others and
share the Gospel? Do we thank God daily for His inexpressible gift?
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Jars of Clay
2 Corinthians 4 compares our bodies to "jars of clay," filled with the power of
God.
Paul says that we have treasure in our jars of clay, showing that the
overflowing power belongs to God and not to us. Though we suffer many
afflictions, we are not crushed. We may be perplexed, but not driven to
despair. We are persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed.
He says that we are always carrying the death of Jesus with us in our bodies,
so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. We may be
given to death for Jesus' sake, but the life of Jesus will be made manifest in
our mortal flesh.
Paul said that we have the same spirit of faith as was written, "I believed and
so I spoke." We also believe, and so we also speak. We also believe what we
speak, knowing that the One who raised Christ Jesus will also raise us also
with Jesus and bring us into His presence. He did this all for our sake, so that
Grace extends to more and more people through us. It will increase
thanksgiving to God, for His glory!
Therefore, we should never be discouraged. Though our outer self is wasting
away, our inner self is renewed day by day. Paul calls our afflictions "light
momentary afflictions," that are preparing us for an eternal weight of glory
beyond all comparison. We should look towards the glory that is unseen, not
the things we can see with our eyes in this world. The things we see around
us will fade away, but the things unseen are eternal.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we made good use of our jars
of clay? Are they bubbling over with the Spirit, spreading the Gospel of Jesus
Christ, or are we spreading some other gospel? Are we spreading it to many,
many others in thanksgiving to God, or are we bottling up our jar of clay with
a lid? Are we looking to the unseen?
665
The Gospel to The Gentiles

In Antioch in Acts 13, Paul preached a sermon to a welcoming Gentile
congregation amongst jealous Jews.
His sermon to the Gentiles was very simple, and pointed to Jesus Christ. He
said:
"Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen. The God of this people Israel
chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of
Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. And for about forty years
he put up with[b] them in the wilderness. And after destroying seven nations
in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance. All this took
about 450 years. And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the
prophet. Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish,
a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. And when he had removed
him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, 'I
have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my
will.' Of this man's offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he
promised. Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance
to all the people of Israel. And as John was finishing his course, he said,
'What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is
coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.'
"Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear
God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. For those who live in
Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor
understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath,
fulfilled them by condemning him. And though they found in him no guilt
worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. And when they had
carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and
laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, and for many days
he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem,
who are now his witnesses to the people. And we bring you the good news
that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their
children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, "'You are
my Son, today I have begotten you.'
And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to
corruption, he has spoken in this way, ' will give you the holy and sure
blessings of David.' Therefore, he says also in another psalm, 'You will not
let your Holy One see corruption.' For David, after he had served the purpose
of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and
saw corruption, but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. Let it be
known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is
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proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from

everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. Beware,
therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about: "'Look, you
scoffers, be astounded and perish; for I am doing a work in your days, a work
that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.'"
The people were so accepting of the sermon that they begged him to tell
them again on the next Sabbath. Both Jews and devout converts to Judaism
followed Paul and Barnabas as they urged them to continue in the grace of
God.
But when they gathered again, the Jews became jealous of the large crowd of
Gentiles. Paul reminded the Jews that they were blinded by God, and that
the Lord commanded them, saying "I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth."
When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the Word of
God. As many as were appointed to eternal life believed, and the Word of
God spread throughout the whole region.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Does the Word of God excite us? Do
we enjoy reading the Word of God, or do we satisfy ourselves with just the
words of men? Are we thankful that the Gospel spread to the Gentiles so
that we might be saved?
667
Impersonating God the Father

At the end of the sermon "Looking at The Unseen" in April of 1959, William
Branham starts telling the congregation to feel the Spirit "pulsating" through
them. Then, Branham begins to speak with authority, as though God Himself
were speaking through him.
Quote:
I'm the Lord that raised up Christ from the grave.
I'm the One that sent the Holy Ghost.
I'm the One that give the promise.
Brother Branham has nothing to do in this.
I have--He's surrendered his life to Me.
I'm using his Spirit;
I'm talking through his lips.
That's Me; I'm the Lord.
Looking at the Unseen, April 10, 1959 (tape #59-0410).
There's just one problem: Did God stutter? Was the Heavenly Father speaking
through William Branham and then suddenly made a mistake, or was William
Branham impersonating the Holy Spirit?
There are only two possibilities. Either God made a mistake or William
Branham decided to assume the qualities of God by speaking in His
authority. This should not be taken lightly.
The definition of blasphemy is:
1. Impious (lacking reverence) in utterance or action concerning God or
sacred things.
2. In Judaism.
a.
An act of cursing or reviling God.
b.
Pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton (YHVH) in the original, now
forbidden manner instead of using a substitute pronunciation such as Adonai.
3. In Theology - The crime of assuming to oneself the rights or qualities of
God.
4. Irreverent behavior toward anything held sacred, priceless, etc.: He
uttered blasphemies against life itself.
Christ tells us the severity of blasphemy:
"Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but
the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven." (Matthew 12:31).
This was a sin that left the offender guilty for all eternity.
But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is
guilty of an eternal sin" Mark 3:29 ESV
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Love Makes Us Blameless Before God

1 Thessalonians 3 tells us that love, one for another, makes us blameless
before God.
Timothy had brought good news to Paul. He said that the Thessalonians had
great faith and love, and said that they would always remember Paul. They
longed to see Paul again.
Paul said that it gave him great encouragement. It helped Paul through his
many afflictions, just knowing that they were standing fast in the Lord. Paul
said that he prayed night and day that he could return to them and increase
their faith even more.
He prayed that God the Father, and the Lord Jesus, would direct the way to
the Thessalonians again. He asked that the Lord make them increase and
abound in love, not only for one another, but for all. Paul asked that God
grant this for them, so that He may establish their hearts blameless and in
holiness before God the Father, so that they might be blameless at the
coming of the Lord Jesus with all His saints.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we have love for all, or have we
chosen some other way of holiness without love? Will we be blameless
before Christ when He returns?
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God Is Love
1 John 4 tells us that God is Love.
After warning to test the spirits because false prophets would rise, John told
the people to love one another. He said that Love is from God, and whoever
loves has been born of God and knows God.
He warned that anyone who does not love does not know God, because God
is love. The love of God was made manifest among us, so much that God
sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. This love
was not just that we loved God, but that He loved us! God sent his only Sone
as a propitiation for our sins!
John says that if God loved us, we also should love one another. No one has
ever seen God, yet if we love one another, God abides in us. When we love
one another, His love is perfected in us!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Does God's love abide in us?
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The Fire, The Beast, and the False Prophet

Revelation 20 prepares us for the deception that Satan will send to the earth,
and gets us excited for his defeat in the lake of fire where the beast and the
false prophet were.
The book of Revelation warns that Satan will be released from his prison, and
will come out to deceive the nations. This deception will gather them for
battle, and the number involved in that battle will be like the sands of the
sea.
The nations will surround the saints, but fire will come down from heaven to
consume both them and the devil who had deceived them. They will be cast
into the lake of fire where the beast and the false prophet were, and will be
tormented day and night forever and ever.
John said that after this, he saw a great white throne, and saw the One
seated upon it. From his presence, earth and sky fled away. He saw the
dead, both great and small, standing before the great white throne, all to be
judged.
The books were opened, and all were judged according to the things written
in the books, the things they had done. The dead were judged, and even the
sea gave up the dead to be judged.
If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown in
the lake of fire.
Thankfully, Paul gives us assurance that faith in Jesus Christ saves us from
the fire:
gift of God Ephesians 2:8
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we prepared? Will we be ready
when the false prophet is known and the deception comes forth? Have we
placed our faith in Christ, or have we placed our faith in some other man?
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Egypt Will Be Blessed

In Isaiah 19, God gives the assurance that Egypt will one day be blessed as
God's people.
Just as God works within our own hearts, He will work His way in the land of
Egypt. The Egyptians will tremble in fear before the hand of God as it shakes
over them. The land of Judah will become a real terror to the Egyptians, and
just the mention of their name will bring fear to their hearts.
Five cities in the land of Egypt will swear allegiance to the Lord of Hosts. One
of these cities will be called the "City of Destruction." Some translations
describe this as the city of Heres, or of the sun, Heliopolis, where the sun was
worshipped.
In that day, there will be an altar to the Lord in the land of Egypt, and a
monument dedicated to the Lord will be at its border. It will be made for a
witness to the Lord in the land of Egypt.
When the Egyptians cry out to the Lord because of their oppressing enemy,
God will send them a defender to deliver them. The Lord will make Himself
known to the Egyptians, and they will worship Him.
They will make a covenant with God, and God will strike them with healing.
They will return to God, and He will heal them as His people.
God gives us a marker as to the time this will take place: In that day there
will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians and Egyptians will
travel between the two lands. The Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians.
Israel, Egypt, and Assyria will be together as a blessing for the earth. The
Lord of Hosts will bless Egypt as His people, and bless Assyria with the work
of His hands, and will bless Israel who is His inheritance.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we watching for the events
taking place to mark the day of His return?
672
Test The Prophets

The Bible gives us warning to test the prophets, because many will be led
astray by men after their own unknown purpose. In these last days, with the
charismatic-style preachers who build emotional response to their sermons,
we must be very careful. If their words do not match the Word of God, their
religion is worthless
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives
his heart, this person's religion is worthless.
James 1:26
We especially need to be careful not to follow after those who speak of
angels, going on in detail about their visions, and insisting on asceticism.
Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels,
mind
Colossians 2:18
God will protect his own. If they come as a prophet, and their prophecy fails,
they will die. We do not have to be afraid of them; God will protect us and
give us wisdom.
But the prophet who shall speak a word presumptuously in My name which I
have not commanded him to speak, or which he shall speak in the name of
other gods, that prophet shall die. And you may say in your heart, How shall
we know the word which the LORD has not spoken? When a prophet speaks
in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that
is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it
presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.
Deuteronomy. 18:20-22
At the same time, we should not despise their prophecies -- instead we
should test them. Hold fast to what is Good, matching the Word of God.
Refrain from anything that is evil.
Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.
Abstain from every form of evil.
1 Thessalonians 5:20-22
There is only one means by which salvation can come. Salvation comes
through faith in Jesus Christ. It is nothing that we in ourselves can do, it is
unmerited grace that God saves us. It is a gift.
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gift of God
Ephesians 2:8
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Paul's Example
In Galatians 3, Paul was shocked that Christians would allow themselves to
let a leader impose rules when they had been set free by the Gospel of Jesus
Christ.
At the end of the chapter, Paul gave an example. He said that it was a
human example, easy for them to understand. He said that even with a
man-made agreement, nobody can annul it or add to it once it has been
agreed upon.
The promises given to Abraham were made to Abraham and to his offspring.
It does not say to Abraham's offsprings (plural)! It was not referring to many,
but to One. That One, Paul said, was Jesus Christ.
The Law, which came 430 years after this covenant, does not annul the
previous covenant to make it void. If the inheritance comes by Law, then it
no longer comes by promise. But God gave it to Abraham by a promise!
Why then do we have the Law? Paul said it was to put transgressions in
place until the Offspring would come, the One for which the Promise had
been made to Abraham. Angels were put in place by an intermediary, but
now that Christ has come, He is the One intermediary.
Paul asked, "Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God?" He said
"Certainly not!" The scriptures imprisoned everything under sin, so that the
promise by faith in Jesus Christ could be given to those who believe.
The Law was necessary. We were held captive under the Law, imprisoned
until the coming Faith would be revealed. The Law was the guardian until
Christ came, so that we could be justified by faith.
Paul said now that faith has come, we are no longer under that guardian! We
are no longer under the Law! In Christ Jesus, we are all sons of God through
faith.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, neither male nor
female in God's eyes. We are all one in Christ Jesus. And if we are in Christ,
we are also in Abraham's offspring, heirs to the promise!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we let others bind us with rules
instead of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Have we rejected the promise to
Abraham?
675
Not The Righteous, For The Sinners!

Matthew 9 gives us the most precious concept for the Gospel of Jesus Christ,
which many today have forgotten.
When Jesus passed by a tax collector named Matthew, Jesus said, "Follow
me." Matthew followed.
Tax collectors were mentioned many times in the Bible, known as
"publicans," and were looked down upon by the Jews. They were working for
"tax farmers," and were described as been greedy and often taking more
money than they were entitled to.
Jesus reclined at the table in the house, communing with many tax collectors
and sinners. He and His disciples were sitting at the same table with the
despised.
When the Pharisees saw this, they looked at Jesus in disgust. "Why does
your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" they asked.
When Jesus heard this, he said "Those who are well have no need of a
physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, I desire
mercy, and not sacrifice. For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. "
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Having been giving salvation by
God's Grace through faith in Jesus Christ, have we forgotten where we came
from? Do we now think that Christ came only for the saints, and not the
sinners?
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Christ Is the Way to The Father

John 14 tells us not to worry about our salvation, the way is simple. Christ
said to believe in God, and believe also in Jesus.
Christ did not say there were only a few rooms in heaven; He said that there
were many. He said that if there were not, He would not have told us that He
went to prepare a place for us.
And since He went to prepare a place for us, He promised that he will return
again to take us with him. He said that we already knew the way!
Thomas asked, "Lord, we do not know where you are going, how can we
know the way?"
Jesus answered, "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to
the Father except through Me."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we think that we must believe in
anything other than Christ for our salvation? Have we placed our faith in the
doctrines of men, or in the simple Gospel of Jesus Christ? Do we think there
are only a few rooms for the "chosen few," or do we believe Jesus when He
told us there are "many" mansions?
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Curses! Foiled Again!

There seem to be many from Africa who feel their "Christian duty" to curse
us through either private messaging or on the public pages. Those of you
who feel threatened by this need not fear; If we have faith in Jesus Christ, we
have protection over all kinds of sorcery or evil.
Curses in the Bible are always described as evil. Deuteronomy 18:10-11
numbers those who cast spells with those who commit other acts "detestable
to the LORD" such as witchcraft, sorcery, divination, or necromancy
(consulting with the dead). Though William Branham claims to have spoken
with the dead, his alleged power is limited in the eyes of God, and it was an
evil abomination in God's eyes. This was following after the way of Balaam.
Micah 5:12 says that God will destroy witchcraft and those who cast spells.
Revelation 18 describes spells as part of the deception that will be used by
the antichrist and his "great city of Babylon". Though the end-times
deception will be so great that even the elect would be deceived if God did
not protect us (Matthew 24:24), God will utterly destroy Satan, the antichrist,
and all who follow them (Revelation chapters 19-20).
We are in the constant presence of the Holy Spirit who lives within us and
under whose protection we exist (Romans 8:11). There is nothing we must do
to earn our salvation -- in fact we can't. For it is by grace (unmerited favor)
you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the
gift of God (Eph 2:8)
We do not need to worry about anyone casting any sort of pagan spell on us.
Voodoo, witchcraft, hexes, and curses have no power over us because they
come from Satan, and we know that "the one who is in you [Christ] is greater
than the one [Satan] who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). God has overcome
him, and we have been freed to worship God without fear (John 8:36). "The
Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear? The Lord is the
stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid? " (Psalm 27:1).
Seek the Truth! It's in the Bible! http://www.seekyethetruth.com
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The Rock That Never Fails

In Isaiah 44, God spoke through Isaiah to foretell the coming day when He
would send the Holy Spirit and bring the people together as His Children.
God told the people not to fear. He would pour water on the thirsty land, and
make streams on the dry ground. God would pour out His Spirit upon their
offspring, and give His blessing to their descendants. He said they would
spring up like willows by the flowing streams.
God said he was the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, and the Lord of hosts.
He was the first and the last, and besides Him, there is no god.
Who is like God? God asked the people to show Him one who is like the
Almighty. Since He appointed His people, He is the one who foretold the
coming events. God asked to show Him one who claimed to be like Yahweh
that could do the same!
God said fear not, and do not be afraid. God had declared Himself to the
people from the days of old, and they were His witnesses. There is no other
Rock than God, nothing else in which you can put your faith.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we follow after men whose
prophecy failed, when God says there was no other Rock than God? God's
prophecy cannot fail, so which god did we follow?
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The Rich Young Ruler

Matthew 19 gives the story of the rich young ruler.
The rich man asked Jesus what he must do to have eternal life, displaying a
works-righteous faith. Jesus responded, "Why do you ask me about what is
good? There is only One who is good. If you would enter life, keep the
commandments.
Jesus could see into the man's heart. He already knew the man was a good
man, keeping the commandments. Yet he asked, and the ruler responded,
"Which ones?" Jesus listed them.
The rich young man replied, saying that he had kept all of them from his
birth. "What do I still lack," he said?
Jesus knew the man had placed his pride in his value of money, and pride
was sinful. Jesus searched deep and found the one thing that the man was
putting above his salvation, and told the young man to get rid of it. "If you
would be perfect, go, and sell what you possess. Give them to the poor, and
you will have treasure in heaven."
The young man went away with great sorrow, for he had great possessions.
Jesus said that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God. Though this may
seem impossible, Jesus said that with God, all things are possible.
As Christians, we should as ourselves: Is there anything in our lives that we
put above Christ?
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Paul's Mystery
In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul tells a mystery to the Church.
Speaking of the resurrection, Paul said that the the seed that is sown is
perishable. What is raised is imperishable. The seed is sown in dishonor, but
raised in beautiful glory. The seed is weak when it is sown, but it is raised in
power.
Our bodies are like the natural planting of seed. As we scatter seed for
Christ, we sew the seed in natural bodies. But they are raised in a spiritual
body.
Paul said, "It is written, 'The first man Adam became a living being'; the last
man Adam became a life-giving spirit." The first man was from the dust of
the earth, but the second Man is from heaven. We are now like the first man
of the dust, and our bodies of this earth are from the dust of the earth. But
our spiritual bodies are like the second man who is from heaven. Just as we
have borne the image of the first man from the dust of the earth, we will also
bear the image of the man of heaven!
Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. The perishable does not
inherit the imperishable.
Paul gave the mystery: "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet
will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall all be
changed."
Paul said that this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this
mortal body must put on immortality. Then the words written will come to
pass: "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O
death, where is your sting?"
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law. Thanks be to God!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we still bound by the Law? Do
we try to put the "sting" back into death by preaching the Law? Or do we
teach Grace like Paul taught? Have we learned Paul's mystery?
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The Walking Dead

As Message Believers, we were taught that the dead would be resurrected
about thirty days prior to the rapture, and all would attend the great fabulous
"Tent meeting" with the little room where Branham himself would exchange
the old body for the new.
I never really thought about the many, many problems with this until just this
morning as I was reading 1 Corinthians 15. Paul is very clear in speaking
about the resurrection, about the nature of the earthly bodies from the dust
of the earth that would be replaced with bodies not of flesh and blood.
Combined with Branham's all-powerful magic room, this seems like he must
have copied it from Wizard of Oz. ...but he forgot that the "wizard" was
exposed, showing him to be nothing more than a fake.
Speaking of the resurrection, Paul said that the the seed that is sown is
perishable. What is raised is imperishable. The seed is sown in dishonor, but
raised in beautiful glory. The seed is weak when it is sown, but it is raised in
power.
Our bodies are like the natural planting of seed. As we scatter seed for
Christ, we sew the seed in natural bodies. But they are raised in a spiritual
body.
Paul said, "It is written, 'The first man Adam became a living being'; the last
man Adam became a life-giving spirit." The first man was from the dust of
the earth, but the second Man is from heaven. We are now like the first man
of the dust, and our bodies of this earth are from the dust of the earth. But
our spiritual bodies are like the second man who is from heaven. Just as we
have borne the image of the first man from the dust of the earth, we will also
bear the image of the man of heaven!
Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. The perishable does not
inherit the imperishable.
Paul gave the mystery: "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in
a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet
will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall all be
changed."
Paul said that this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this
mortal body must put on immortality. Then the words written will come to
pass: "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O
death, where is your sting?"
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The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law. Thanks be to God!
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Did You Know?

One of the things that disgusted me most about the headquarters back when
I was first questioning the message but had not yet realized that there was
no substance to anything William Branham said was the "Did You Know" blog.
It bothered me.
Children, at a stage of the foundational core knowledge they will retain for
the rest of their lives are being fed nonsense. Things like "did you know mars
is a billion light years from earth." How parents can let their kids feed on lies
I will never know.
In honor of the nonsense branham.org feeds their children, I have created a
"Did You Know" page with the same garbage. But I've added a new twist to
the garbage; a contradictory photograph and comment at the bottom or
side.
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Back When I Was a Child, I Spoke Like That

Having been born and raised in the Message of William Branham, I found it
very difficult to adjust to the love of God's Word after leaving the love of the
recording. It was no fault but my own; I enjoyed every minute of listening,
and truly thought there were words of Truth found in each minute of the
recording.
Today's world is different, however, and much more difficult for the children
to grow in God's Word. We find message pastors strongly opposed to
studying the Word of Truth, and if a conflict arises between God's Word and
"the prophet's," you'd better stick with what "the prophet" said. While the
minds and ears of the adults glaze over at nonsensical rants, the ears of
children are picking up each and every word.
To make things worse, we find that the headquarters of the Branham
Denomination of faith promoting a lack of wisdom in their "Did You Know"
blog. Children are feasting their ears upon the isolated mistakes of William
Branham as though his lack of knowledge and understanding should be
considered divine revelation.
We find in the Bible that God does not work like this. God gave the Hebrew
boys learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, so that Daniel had
understanding in all visions and dreams. (Daniel 1:17)
It is surprising that those in charge continue the folly of their father, because
they have a great deal of the knowledge that their father pretended not to
have. Once receiving truthful information, and having became an adult,
scriptures tell us to put away our foolish ways. "When I was a child, I spoke
like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a
man, I gave up childish ways." (Corinthians 13:11)
King Solomon was a good, Biblical example of the power of wisdom. God
gave Solomon more wisdom than the world has ever known. And Solomon
did not curse his wisdom or refuse to learn. Instead, he gave us this advice:
"Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding,
for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than
gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare
with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. (Proverbs
3:13-18)
While they are teaching children their father's folly around the world, many
of those children do not even know the words of Christ. Several can tell you
that Mars is a billion light years from Earth, but cannot tell you any portion of
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the Sermon on the Mount.

While many children know of Branham's
prophecies of egg-shaped cars, few can tell you the miracles of Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul points us to Christ. Were Paul ever drunken enough to
claim prophecy about an egg-shaped chariot, he would have sent out letters
of apology to the Church and pointed the people back to Christ. Paul tells us,
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one
another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with
thankfulness in your hearts to God." (Colossians 3:16)
As Christians, we should take the words of Paul as a warning:
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit,
according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world,
and not according to Christ. (Colossians 2:8)
It will be very easy for us to know if we have been held captive by folly.
Solomon, in all his wisdom, knew that lovers of folly love isolation. We
should heed the words of Solomon and avoid being isolated from the rest of
our Christian brothers and sisters, learning more about God's Word.
Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all
sound judgment. (Proverbs 18:1)
Once we realize that the denomination has tried to keep us bound by lack of
understanding, we should rejoice in the words of John:
And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:32)
After being set free, Solomon tells us to focus on learning:
Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge.
(Proverbs 23:12)
When the Children of Israel crossed over Jordan, they were instructed to set
up a monument, a reminder forever of where they had come from. If anyone
should ask what the monument was for, they would be reminded that they
had crossed over.
We, too, should be reminded that we no longer live in folly. Our monument is
not of stone, because our battle is not with earthly struggles. Our monument
is in the form of information, and should be preserved forever.
Let
information fight false information.
For those whose children were trained in folly, let them ever remember the
nonsensical "Did You Know" with our monument: Did You Know - Pinterest
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For the adults, who were trapped into the folly of unscriptural teachings, let
them ever remember the contradictions and unscriptural teachings of "the
prophet" with our monument: William Marrion Branham vs. The Bible Pinterest
For those who believed the many fictional stories, prophecies invented
without full information of the past event, visions that failed, and twisted
scriptures, let them ever remember that God's Word is the only Truth with
our monument: Seek The Truth - Scribd
Let the Word of God stand and every man be found a liar.
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Not by Will of the Flesh

John 1:1 tells us there is nothing we can do by our own will to become a child
of God, it is by Grace alone.
John 1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God." John, speaking of Jesus Christ, said that in the
beginning He (Christ) was with God. All things were made through Christ,
and without Him, there was not a single thing that was made.
In Christ was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the
darkness, and the darkness has no power over the light.
John was sent from God as a witness, one who would tell others about the
Light. He bore witness so that all might believe through him. The scripture
is very clear not to elevate men, remaining in humility before God: John was
not the light, just a witness.
The true Light, the One who gives Light to everyone was coming into the
world. Though the world was made through Him, they did not know Him! He
came to His own, and they did not receive Him! But those who did receive
Him and believed in His Name, he gave them the blessing of becoming the
children of God!
John says that they did not become children of God by their bloodlines. They
did not become children of God by their will of the flesh. They became
children of God by His Grace!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we thankful that God sent His
Son to die for us, so that we could be saved by His Grace by believing in His
Name? Or do we instead try to earn our salvation by our own will?
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That First Step of the Journey Is the Most Important!

Though I'm not on the mailing list, Voice of God Recordings decided to send
us a copy of their "Catch The Vision" "Defend the Prophet" edition. I assume
they expect a defensive and insulting response, however as a Christian I feel
a strong burden to help lead people to the Truth rather than engage in a
battle of wits.
I actually respect their including our family in the list of those receiving the
publication without any form of donation as is required by most. Most of all I
respect their attempt to stand for what they believe in rather than back away
silently into a dark corner. A wise songwriter once wrote, "You've got to
stand for something or you'll fall for anything."
Actually, I was a little excited upon receiving it. Having spent the last several
months researching the Bible, words of William Branham, ancient history,
different translations of scriptures, and ancient cultures, I expected there to
be some new information to add to the pieces of the puzzle.
I'd really hoped the pages from Branham's "little book of prophecy" would
have been included, listing the 6 (or 7) visions of 1933. Or pictures of the
boxes containing the thousands of testimonies of healings that were sent to
Branham's headquarters. It would have been nice to have seen any of the
thousands of newspaper articles describing the "great commission" as
Branham baptized the 50 (or 500, 5000, 10000, etc) on the Ohio river.
Instead, it seems to be the first step of the journey to Christ -- for which I
respect them for. A good bit of the publication was debating whether or not
the Bible was infallible or contradicted itself, which should be the starting
point for every Christian on their journey to Christ. In fact, many of the
Christians I have grown to know and love in other churches made that part of
the journey during high school, and came to the same conclusions that Voice
of God Recordings did.
I agree with this conclusion, and stand behind the Word of God (The Bible)
100%. There is no contradiction in the Word of God, and there is no error.
Once the beginner Christian starts to learn the history of the Bible Cannon,
translations, and how they were passed down from generation to generation,
it is easy to see how God Himself protected His Word throughout the ages. I
stand behind them in their journey and commend them for making that first
step towards the Goal.
They also listed several good facts in their articles about the visions and
"spiritual events" that William Branham claimed to experience. This also is a
good, solid step in the journey, and they got most of their facts correct while
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listing the things they could not prove. Yes, they left out some important
facts, like Branham's statement that he was going to Houston, TX first during
the cloud event, that records are kept for out-of-season hunting passes for
that year and none were given, or that Branham combines two events into
one later in his sermons, but the facts they included were very close to
truthful.
The bridge article was well done, and I found their comparison to the bridges
in other states very interesting. I wish they would have mentioned the fact
that the Municipal Bridge was constructed using a much safer, state-of-theart technique that is still used today across the country, or that the same
number of men died on a bridge next to it before Branham was born, but I'm
sure that there were space requirements for the publication.
They did not mention the prophecy of Los Angeles sinking before Billy Paul
was an "old man," the India vision Branham admitted to have failed, the
dates for the Church Ages that matched Clarence Larkin's "Dispensational
Truth," or Columba who was not alive during his church age. I would have
liked to see many of those things, but I guess we will need to wait for the
next edition.
The only thing I really took offense with would be the statements about the
websites that are now pointing others to Christ instead of elevating a man,
but because the publication was done in a respectful way I feel that the
same respect should be given to Voice of God Recordings.
All in all, I can honestly say that they made a good attempt at trying to hold
as many people as they possibly can before the truth spreads. In business,
any good businessman will tell you that you do whatever it takes to keep
your customers, and they have done exactly that.
I'm just glad that I'm serving a God who gave us the Truth of His Word, and
that the Bible never fails. I'm very glad they are taking the first step of their
journey in seeking out the Truth in the Bible, and pray that they continue in
their journey into mature, faithful Christians!
Seek the Truth! It's in the Bible!
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Paul's Hierarchy Of Gifts

In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul gives the hierarchy of importance for spiritual gifts,
from apostle all the way down to healing and tongues. Apostles, or
missionaries, was considered to be greater even than a prophet.
The word "apostle" comes from the Greek word apstolos, meaning "one
who is sent away", from ? ("stello", "send") + ? (apo, "away from").
The literal meaning in English is therefore an "emissary", from the Latin mitto
("send") and ex ("from").
The general meaning of the word is translated into Latin as 'missio', and from
this word we get 'missionary.' The Friberg Greek Lexicon gives the definition
as one who is sent on a mission, a commissioned representative of a
congregation, a messenger for God, a person who has the special task of
founding and establishing churches. This was a spiritual gift according to
Paul.
Starting at verse 28, Paul gives the hierarchy:
God has appointed in the church first apostles,
second prophets,
third teachers,
then miracles,
then gifts of healing,
helping,
administrating,
and various kinds of tongues.
Paul goes on to say that not everyone has the same gift. He asks, "Are all
apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all
possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?"
Having one gift does not imply that a person has all of the spiritual gifts.
Paul describes the body of Christ as having many members, and all working
together to form the Spiritual Body of Christ.
Then, Paul tells us that none of these gifts are worth a single thing without
love. The greatest gift that God has given us is love.
Paul goes on to tell us in Chapter 13 that without love we are nothing.
He says, "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I
am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I haveprophetic powers, and
understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to
remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have,
and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing."
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Paul tells us how to know if we have love. Love is patient and kind; love does
not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way;
it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices
with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things.
Love is the most enduring gift that God has given us. Paul describes it as
everlasting, love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for
tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in
part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will
pass away.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we strive for the greatest gift?
Do we strive for love, one for the other?
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God's Rest
Hebrews 4 tells us the true blessing of God's rest.
Paul says that the promise of entering God's rest still stands, but we should
fear for those that have failed to enter into it. The Good News, the Gospel of
Jesus Christ, came to us just as it came to them, but they were not united by
faith with those who listened. We believed in Christ, and have entered into
God's rest.
Since some have not found God's rest, and some who received the Gospel
failed to enter into it because of their disobedience, God appoints another
day for them to receive it. There is more work to be done in their lives.
If Joshua had given the Children of Israel rest, God would not have spoken of
another day of rest in the future. Therefore, there remains a day of rest for
the people of God, for those who have entered God's rest has also rested
from his works as God has rested from His.
We should strive to enter into that rest, so that no one falls and fail to enter
into it. The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged
sword, piercing through the inside of man to divide soul and spirit. The Word
of God is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart, and not a
single creature is hidden from His sight. All are naked before God, and
exposed to the eyes of the One that we must give an account.
Paul gives us the outline of how to enter into that rest.
Since we now have a Great High Priest who has past through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God, we should hold fast to our confession that Jesus is
Lord. Any man that we elevate to the status of being our high priest is
unable to sympathize with our weaknesses. But Jesus Christ, who in every
respect was tempted as we are today, lived without sin.
Because of Jesus Christ, our High Priest, we can take confidence in Him and
draw near to the Throne of Grace. Through Christ, we may receive mercy
and find grace to help us in our times of need.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we choose Jesus Christ as our
High Priest? Or do we choose a man? Have we entered into God's rest?
Have we forgot where we came from, forgetting to help others into the rest
that God has offered? Do we hide our rest on a shelf somewhere, not telling
others of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
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The Magic of Eighty Percent

William Branham loved statistics - and he didn't care if they were correct or
not. It held audiences captivated by his "special insight."
His favorite percentage was "eighty." When in doubt, "eighty" will fit most
every situation.
Here are some examples of Branham's statistical analysis, broken into
categories:
The Eighty Percent Suffering Mental Problems
Feeling the pressure when nervous people come to this platform, there's a
least, right now in this building, eighty percent of what's setting here is
nervous, afflicted with nervous trouble. (53-0509)
There's just about eighty percent of that congregation got your trouble. You
want me to show you? How many in this building suffers with nervous
trouble, just a nervous condition, raise up your hands, all around,
everywhere. See? (53-1106)
Just about eighty percent of this audience is got your trouble. You're nervous,
upset. (53-1206E)
About eighty percent of this audience is suffering with the same thing. It's
just coming from all out there. Let me show you. Turn your face this a way.
How many out there is suffering with nervousness? (54-0220)
How many of you--of you out there, that's suffering with a nervous condition,
raise your hands. I just want to show you. Pretty near eighty percent of the
audience. (58-0510)
There's eighty percent of this audience suffering with the same thing you
are. You've got a nervous condition, very, very bad. (59-0419E)
Come lady. There's about eighty percent of this audience suffering with the
same thing, lady. Let me show you. All you out there that's plagued with
nervousness, raise up your hand, everybody. (61-0318)
Say, "Brother Branham, I'm bothered with nervousness." Oh, there is about
eighty percent of you with that. (64-0207)
The Mentally Unstable from Arizona
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They made an analysis throughout Arizona, where I live, of all the schools.
They gave the children, unknowingly to them, a mental test. And guess
what? Including high schools and--and grammar schools, there was eighty
percent of the children suffering with mental deficiency. (65-0424)
I told you the other day, they were taking an analysis there of the schools in
Arizona where I live, and eighty percent of the children in school is mentally
retarded. (65-0425)
Eighty percent of the children in Arizona schools are suffering with mental
deficiency, sixty-seven percent of them was by looking at television. (650911)
Sick Headcount
Now, in the meetings, there's somewhat about seventy to eighty percent
that passes through the prayer line, you here, that's healed within the space
of ninety days, are well. (48-0304 )
Oh, my. Eighty percent of the people are sick now. (50-0110)
Babies of Smoking Mothers
Statistics shows by doctors, I believe, that eighty percent of the women that
has children that smoke cigarettes, if they'd raise their baby like they should,
to the breast, in eighteen months it dies. (50-0200)
It's nicotine poisoning will kill the baby 'fore it's eighteen months old. Eighty
percent of them die. (50-0813E)
And they claim that eighty percent of the women that has their babies today
can't raise them as mothers ought to. (51-0415A)
Doctors' statistics prove that eighty percent of the children if they're breast
raised children, die when they're eighteen months age with nicotine poison
(51-0722A)
When I get statistics from the government, shows that eighty percent of the
babies that's born has to be raised on cows milk. (53-1108A)
Eighty percent of the mothers that give birth to babies in this United States,
cigarette smoking mothers, they can't raise their babies as they should to
their breasts; they have to give them the bottle because they take nicotine
poison and never reach eighteen months of age. (57-0727)
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I've got a statistics that shows that, I believe it's about eighty percent of
cigarette smoking mothers, has to raise their babies on bottles. (59-0412A)
I get statistics from the government. It says that eighty percent of the
mothers that smoke cigarettes has to put their babies on cows' milk if they
smoke. (60-0724)
So today when a woman smokes cigarettes, statistics shows that her baby
dies, eighty percent of them within eighteen months from nicotine poison.
(61-0226)
Healing Accuracy
You'll find out that at least sixty to eighty percent of every sick person in this
building will be healed in the next hour. (50-0405)
I'm expecting God to heal at least sixty or eighty percent of the people in
here tonight, perfectly well before this service is over. (50-0405)
You just let seventy or eighty percent of what I pray for tonight be back
tomorrow night testifying it's--of a results that's happened to them, I'll go
forward in faith, Lord, believing that I am moving according to Your will. (510503)
And I'll say this with all my heart, that at least eighty percent of them were
healed 'fore they even got to where I was at. (62-0722)
Doubters
But I say that eighty percent of the people that comes to the platform,
doesn't know what faith is. (51-0729E)
I find that about eighty percent of the people that say they believe possess
hope instead of faith. (52-0725)
If we had the whole world gathered tonight and Christ was to come here and
perform, there'd be at least eighty percent of them go away and say, "I don't
believe it." (56-0406)
No, I'm speaking of the general public (See?), all around, like Chicago in
whole, we'd say, or--or Durban, South Africa, in whole (See?), something like
that, or Mexico City in whole. Well, they will respond to it eighty percent
more than they will in America. (56-0408A)
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That's the reason about eighty percent or ninety percent of the converts that
comes in a revival is gone before six months is gone, is because they only
have an intellectual conception. (56-0614)
Jesus was 80% Like ME!
Eighty percent of His ministry was Divine healing. (50-0822)
Eighty percent of His ministry was on the miraculous side, showing the
people that the supernatural God was working in human flesh. (50-0822)
Jesus Christ, about eighty percent of His ministry was on Divine healing. (530610)
About ninety--eighty percent of Jesus Christ's meetings were all Divine
healing meetings. (54-0228A)
About eighty percent of His ministry was praying for the sick. (55-0220E)
If you'll notice about eighty percent of Jesus' ministry was Divine healing, but
Divine healing is like the bait that's on the hook. (55-0604)
Christ used about eighty percent of His ministry on Divine healing to--and
drawed His crowds together and showed His--declared His Messiahship and
then called them to repentance. (57-0804A)
But we believe that Jesus Christ's ministry, eighty-six percent of it was Divine
healing. (59-1220M)
The prayer line was probably passing by Jesus, and He was praying for them
and laying hands on them. (As about eighty-six percent of His ministry, you
know, was praying for the sick.) (60-0109)
And about eighty-six percent of His ministry was in Divine healing. (610205E)
Now, a great percent of our Lord's ministry about eighty percent of it or
better, I think it was--it's estimated about eighty percent of His ministry was
Divine healing. (61-0215)
And always, Jesus, I believe, in His ministry, about eighty percent of it, was
on Divine healing. (62-0704)
Now, Divine healing is not all the Message. Jesus put, I think they claimed,
about eighty percent of His ministry was on Divine healing. (63-1112)
697
Or Was He?
If Jesus talked so much, eighty percent of His time on the second coming,
then it behooves us to listen to see what He said would take place. (60-0303)
Who does the healing?
The prayer card is nothing, just simply to get the anointing started among
the people, 'cause eighty percent of you here has never been to one of the
meetings before. (58-0612)
That does something that a--a person, when they get a prayer card, they're
just about, I suppose eighty percent healed right then, as soon as they can
hold that card in their hand, just something to touch. (59-0404)
So you know you give a person a prayer card he's eighty percent healed
right then. (59-1126)
Unbelieving Protestants
Not only that, but a survey showed that eighty-five percent of the Protestant
preachers of the United States claim that the virgin birth was a fake. (520900)
I said this last night, I say it again tonight, "That woman knowed more about
God, than eighty percent of our American preachers." (58-0510)
I believe it's eighty-something percent of the so-called Christians don't
believe in the physical return of Jesus. (61-0414)
Eighty percent of the Protestant churches deny the virgin birth. (64-0119)
As most of our Protestant churches today, I think it's sixty-eight or eighty-six
percent of them, in a survey, denied believing. (64-0122)
Body Water Mass
You are eighty-something percent of water and petroleum, anyhow, and
you've got to take these sources in, to keep you alive. (65-0919)
Eighty percent of your body's made of water. (56-0715)
Frowning
You know, I was reading here sometime ago, where it taken eighty percent
more muscles to frown than it does to smile. (58-0209A)
698
They tell me that it takes eighty percent more muscles to frown than it does
to laugh. (55-0227A)
Divine Healers vs. Medicine
They opened up the churches to what they called the healers, and about
eighty percent more people was healed than medicine ever healed in
England. (60-1125)
England they turned "the healers" (they called them) loose to all the
hospitals, and there was eighty percent more healing done by Divine healing
than medical cures had performed. (61-0117)
Random 80%
It's a disgrace how that all such things as we have and our world in it's
condition today is eighty percent of it come right out of Hollywood, and yet
that's the example of the world. (53-1130)
Now, how many people in here ever dreamed a dream? Let's see your hands.
Well, at least eighty or ninety percent of you. (53-1206E)
Now, perhaps eighty percent or ninety percent of the audience tonight would
be Christians. (54-0228E)
But the Pentecostal people, with respect and knowing that probably eighty
percent of this crowd is Pentecostal... (56-0614 )
I want to say this just in the way, did you know that eighty-seven percent of
all alcoholic beverages comes from Louisville, Kentucky, that's--that's drank
in the United States (56-0923)
It's an eighty percent difference, tonight, than what it has been any night.
(57-0612)
About eighty percent of the crowd here is wanting to be prayed for. (580207)
Or you find one place in the entire Bible where anybody was ever baptized in
the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the way eighty percent of you
has been baptized. (58-0927)
Perhaps, maybe, I would say, eighty percent of those that are setting in this
building tonight raised their hands for requests. (59-1217)
699
He went right to the pens and showed all the juvenile cases that's been
across the nation, and eighty percent of them or better come out of the
aristocratic neighborhoods: smart, shrewd. (60-1113)
Why, He lived right there in Palestine all of His life nearly, and I'd say eighty
percent of the people never knowed He was there. (61-0117)
'Cause the biggest part of our church, I guess, eighty percent of them are
you people. (61-0808)
And then, about eighty percent of those that went to church, didn't know
why they went. (63-0114)
And I'll certainly be glad, about eighty percent of our congregation around
here in Chicago is usually Norwegians or Swedes, and--and they're really
lovely people. (63-0804E)
So, last Sunday, as I was going into the Blue Boar Cafeteria in Louisville,
where I think about eighty percent of this congregation gathers on Sunday
afternoon, to eat, who did I see coming down the street? (63-0825M)
He said, "Did He raise from the dead?" Said, "You've had two thousand years
to prove it, and eighty percent of the world has never heard about it." He
said, "Let Mohammed raise from the dead, and the whole world will know, it
in twenty-four hours." (64-0621)
With the yellow cobra you got about eighty percent to die and about twenty
percent to live; a mamba, you have no percent. (64-0830E)
700
Another Helper, The Spirit of Truth

After Jesus told his disciples that he would be going away, in John 14 He told
them not to worry for He was going to the Father. Jesus said that He would
ask the Father to send another Helper, which He called the Spirit of Truth.
Jesus said that the world could not receive the Spirit of Truth, because the
world cannot see Him and does not know Him. But Jesus said that we would
know Him, because He would dwell within us.
Jesus said that He would not leave us as orphans; He would return. The
world would not see Him for a little while, but we will see Him. Because He
lives, we also will live.
"In that day," Jesus told His disciples, "You will know that I am in My Father,
and you are in Me, and I am in you. Those that hold fast to my Words and
keeps them, they are the ones who love me."
Jesus said that whoever loves Jesus will be loved by the Father. And to him
that will love Jesus, He will manifest Himself to Him.
Judas (not Iscariot) asked, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to
us and not to the world?"
Jesus answered, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep my Word, and my Father
will love him." Jesus said that He and the Father will come to the one who
keeps the Word and make their home with him. But he said whoever does
not keep His Word does not love Him. And he said that the Word that they
heard was not His, but the Father who sent Him.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we keep the Words of Jesus? Do
we realize that the Words of Jesus are the Father's? Do we have the Spirit of
Truth, or have we fallen under some other spirit?
701
I Have Overcome The World

John 16 tells us that we have overcome the world in Christ Jesus.
Jesus said that he had been speaking in figures of speech, but the time was
coming when he would no longer use figures of speech. Instead, he would
tell us plainly about the Father.
In that day, we will ask in the name of Jesus, and He did not say that He
would ask the Father on our behalf -- for the Father Himself loves us, because
we have loved Jesus, and because we believe that Jesus came from God.
Jesus said that He came from the Father to come into the world, and now He
was leaving the world and going to the Father.
The disciples said, "Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative
speech! Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to
question you; this is why we believe that you came from God."
Jesus asked them, "Do you now believe?" He said the time had come when
they would be scattered, each to his own home and will leave Him alone. Yet
He would not be alone, for the Father is with Him.
He said that he told them these things so that they may have peace in Christ
Jesus. The world brings tribulation, but we have no reason to worry. He said,
"I have overcome the world."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we overcome the world with
Christ? Do we require the doctrines of man to know more about Christ, or do
we realize that Jesus said he would speak to us plainly about the Father?
Have we overcome the world by mysteries with a man, or have we overcame
with the power in Christ and the Father?
702
The Dinosaurs
I'm still on a journey untangling the truth from the false teaching, weighing
each and every teaching we were raised with against the Bible and actual
fact. I place emphasis on "actual fact", because if there is any question that
something we've been taught is incorrect, I find that large gaping holes are
shot through it by actual fact. I may not always be correct, but at least do my
best to provide an answer.
At the same time, Branham's teachings are not the only false teachings in
the world of Christianity. It has been said that Christianity is the number 1
cause of atheists, and I don't doubt it. Having watched those who leave the
mess-age run like the plague when they learn that their entire spiritual world
was a myth, I can understand why.
For me, there never was a chance to leave the Christianity and turn away
from God. Since a small child, God was a friend when I needed one, a
comfort when I was discouraged, a help in time of trouble, and always there
for me whenever I needed Him. When I ask God for help, there has always
been such an incredible response.
In my mind, the biggest false teaching we had was that the words of the King
James Version of the Bible were exactly 100% perfect Word of God. In my
false understanding of God, each word written in the King James Version was
equal to God, because "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was
with God and the Word was God." Frankly, I believe this teaching shared by
several Christians around the world might be the exact teaching that turns
people away from God.
To make each literal word revered would put the power of God into the hands
of the translators. Not just the translators, but the archaeologists who find
the scrolls, the interpreters who understand the ancient language, the
historians who add culture to the language, and the men of old who passed
the Word of God down through the ages from generation to generation.
When you put the hands of man into the Word of God, there are going to be
problems.
The 1611 version of the King James Bible was full of error. Sometimes I ask
myself, how many were turned away from God when the first error was
found? Also, there were a limited number of scrolls available when the first
translation was made. Once several more scrolls were found, and portions of
the text were deemed false, how many more turned away from God? In my
mind, the Word of God is perfect. Yet, it is limited to our understanding.
703
The second-worst false teaching that we were given was that the world of
science is contrary to God. We were taught that science can't prove God, and
that science was constantly working against God. This was absolutely the lie
of the devil to hold us from using science and fact to disprove each of the
false prophecies given by William Branham.
My journey out of the mess-age started with science, but not like many
would expect. There are many scientists who do not believe in God, likely for
the reasons mentioned above. There are many scientists who would try to
disprove God, and many who would introduce theories without fact to do so.
My journey with science began with the unexplained. My opinion is that
where science has no explanation, God is involved. If you cannot see God in
the unexplained, then you are not looking very hard.
Ancient archaeology has uncovered so many amazing things from the
ancient world that are simply astounding. If you take away the carbon dating
research from the artifacts, you will find that they prove the Bible in more
ways than you can possibly imagine. An ancient language found in several
continents proves a single language before the tower of Babel. Flood erosion
in several continents proves the story of Noah. Thousands of chariot wheels
in the Red Sea prove the story of the Exodus, and the list can go on and on.
Yet, we have a scientific fact that disproves the bible, or so we think: carbon
dating. In the world of Christianity today, there are many who brush the
dinosaurs aside, because they do not fit within the timeline of creation they
have been taught. The artifacts found inside of pyramids around the world
are ignored because they date up to twenty thousand years.
Why? Because we are taught that God created the heavens and the earth in
seven days - which is correct.
Logically speaking, day is the time period in which light covers the face of
the earth. Night is when the sun is on the other side of the earth, and
darkness covers the face of the earth.
Let's review Genesis:
Quote:
The Creation of the World, Genesis 1:1-5
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was
without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the
Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. And God saw that the
light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called
704
the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and
there was morning, the first day.
If we read this passage without all of the other passages in creation
describing how God created each element during that particular day, we
would have no reason to believe that the entire heavens and earth were
created in a single day. "Day" did not occur until God finally created a light in
the heavens. The "first day" was when there was an evening and a morning.
The evening turned into night, and the morning turned into the first day.
Nowhere in this passage describes the creation of the heavens and the earth
being the first "day," the day came after the heavens and the earth was
created. It came after God created the earth where darkness covered the
face of the deep. The first "day" came after creating the heavens and the
earth!
Prosauropods found in Madagascar are the oldest dinosaurs found, about 230
million years old. In Argentina, an Eoraptor was uncovered that is about 228
million years old.
Around the world, archaeologists are uncovering an overwhelming number of
artifacts that pre-date the creation of man. Many of these artifacts even
seem man-made, and yet pre-date Adam and Eve. How can this be?
Every continent also has legends of giant "men" that roamed the land,
passed down from generation to generation or inscribed on cave drawings,
hieroglyphs, or ancient texts. The Bible even has the story of Goliath, who
was the Philistine giant.
Recently, archaeologists have uncovered bones from a race different from
mankind. The skull is significantly larger than that of a man, and the bone
structure suggests a height of seven to eight feet tall. The skulls are
elongated, not having the same construction as that of a man and not having
the same separation for the plates at the top of the skull.
At the same time, we find pyramids constructed with stones of up to thirty
tons. Granite blocks lathed as though they were butter. Masks made for the
head of a man almost twice the size of a normal man. Some of these
artifacts pre-date Adam.
Among the artifacts found are miniature pyramids, having an "all seeing eye"
at the top like we have on our dollar bills. The Knights Templar was not the
first to introduce the "all seeing eye" into the world; this was also known as
the "Eye of Ra" in sun god worship.
705
How can we scripturally support another race of beings along with mankind
upon the face of the earth? How can we scripturally support artifacts predating Adam? How can we scripturally support dinosaurs, which are millions
of years old?
By removing pre-conceived notion based on misunderstood scripture.
If the first "day" came after the creation of the heavens and the earth, we
should humble our pride and accept the fact that we were wrong! Even if we
taught something that was wrong, how much worse is it to continue teaching
it if we are leading more people away from God by continuing a false
teaching?
The Bible also talks of Lucifer's "congregation".
Quote:
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou
cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said
in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the
stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides
of the north:
Isaiah 14
Many of these artifacts support this statement. Several of the pyramids
constructed, even the Great Pyramid of Giza, are placed in position to match
Orion's Belt. On the artifacts found, several of the miniature artifacts have
stones or markings that match the position of Orion's Belt. Many pagan
religions include worship of the stars. Lucifer, at one time, tried to exalt his
throne above the stars.
But where was his congregation? With hundreds of pyramids around the
world, most of which positioning themselves to the summer and winter
solstice, and almost all including some form of worship towards Orion's belt,
it is easy to see where Lucifer's congregation was.
We do not have all the answers, that's for sure. Everything in this research
article may be proven false one day.
But the intention is to show how preconceived notion and prideful authority
over the unknown leads to turning people away from God. When facts stack
up against our religious teachings, our first inclination is to back in a corner
and prepare for a fight. Many times the person with the question is not
looking for a fight - he is looking for an answer.
Does it not make more sense to give an answer? Does it not make more
sense to humble our pride and give an answer along with instruction that we
may not be correct in our answer?
706
Should we blindly ignore the dinosaurs that existed millions of years ago just
to hold onto our preconceived notion, or should we re-examine our teaching
to make sure we are not misleading others?
707
The Deceivers of the Harvest

Throughout time, many deceptive men have risen, claiming that their
following was the "elect group" that would be taken away before the Great
and Terrible Day of the Lord. Proclaiming that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was
for a small, superior group of people, these deceivers isolate their following
from other Christians. In Matthew 13, Jesus explained to His disciples that
this was not the case.
In the "Parable of the Weeds," Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven could
be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but weeds were
sewn into the field by his enemy as he slept. As the plants began to rise,
and the wheat began to bear grain, the weeds also appeared.
His servants asked if the master wanted them to gather the weeds early, but
the master was concerned more about the wheat than he was the weeds.
The master told his servants to let them both grow together until the time of
the harvest.
During the harvest, he said that he would tell the reapers to gather the
weeds first, not the wheat. He said that he would tell the reapers to gather
the weeds and bind them into bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat
into his barn.
When the crowd had left, Jesus explained to His disciples that the one who
sows the good seed is the Son of Man, Jesus Christ. The field is the world,
and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. He said that the weeds are
the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them was the devil
himself.
Jesus said that the harvest was the end of the age, and the reapers are
angels. The weeds, which were gathered first, were burned with fire, just as
those of the evil one would be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will
send his angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all causes of sin and
all of the unjust, throwing them into the fiery furnace.
But, Jesus gave us this assurance: the righteous will shine like the sun in the
kingdom of their Father.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we think that we are of some
'elite' or 'elect' group that will bypass the harvest? Do our leaders think that
Jesus did not know the order of events in his own kingdom? Are we the
weeds that will be burned, or are we the wheat that will one day shine like
the sun in the kingdom of our Father?
708
Buy The Free Books!!!

It has been said by some preachers and even posted by a argumentative
person on our Facebook page that we started this site for monetary gain,
which would be humorous were you to compare our combined total incomes
for any year against one year of theirs. Nothing could be more opposite from
the truth.
We want you to download the free books, like thousands of people already
have. But unfortunately, not everyone has access to the internet. Others
simply like to read either a hardcopy or on their preferred digital devices.
For this reason, we offer the books on the Kindle store for digital readers and
in Amazon books for those who prefer hardcopies. Neither of these
marketplaces offer free books except during special promotions, which we
have signed up for as often as Amazon will allow.
So there is no question in anyone's mind behind our motives, and so that all
can openly see that we do this only to spread the Truth as far and as wide
and as quickly as possible, we've taken screenshots of the pricing pages for a
Kindle book and a Amazon paperback.
Kindle
The Kindle store allows a minimum price of $.99 per digital book. We have
set the pricing in other countries to automatically adjust itself based on the
current currency rates to maintain the minimum cost. This does produce a
very small royalty, which is applied to our hosting fees for the web servers.
To date, the royalties collected have not yet reached .0001% of the hosting
fees, which means expenses still remain greater than profit.
Amazon paperback pricing is based on the number of pages, the size of the
file, the colors and images in the file, and other factors. Prices vary based on
printing cost, and we have chosen the minimum in each category, which
gives us $0.00 royalties.
709
The Gospel is the Only Sound Doctrine!

In 1 Timothy 6, Paul gives warning about those who do not teach sound
doctrine and stray from the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Paul's letter to Timothy warns him to not only teach, but to urge the warning:
"If anyone teaches a doctrine and does not agree with the sound Words of
our Lord Jesus Christ, and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is
puffed up with conceit and understands nothing."
Paul says that those who stray from the Gospel of Jesus Christ have an
unhealthy craving for controversy and a craving for argument. This produces
envy of others, dissension among the faith, slander against your brothers,
evil suspicions against others, and constant friction among a people who are
already depraved in mind.
Paul says that these people are among are deprived of the Truth, imagining
that godliness is a means of gain. He stressed contentment, saying that
godliness with contentment is great gain. We brought nothing into the world,
and we can take nothing out of it. If we have food and clothing, that is all we
need to be content.
He said that those who desire to be rich will fall into temptation. They will
fall into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that throw people
into ruin and destruction. The love of money -- not money, but the love of
money is the root of all evil. Because of the craving for money, some have
wandered away from the true faith and hurt themselves in many ways.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Is the Gospel of Jesus Christ our
foundation, or have we accepted some other gospel? Do we listen to stories
about hunting trips, or do we listen to teachings of godliness? Have we
feasted our minds on the words of men with unhealthy cravings for
controversy among the churches, or have we feasted on the Gospel, which
brings Christians together in harmony?
710
Vessels of Wood and Clay

2 Timothy 2 gives us the disposition of a true and faithful servant of Jesus
Christ. Being God's servant does not require a perfect life or require a great
name. It does not require answers to all of life's questions or hidden
mysteries. It requires peace and love.
Paul tells Timothy to remind them and charge them not to quarrel about
words, quarreling does no good. Quarreling only ruins the hearers. Instead,
there is a better way:
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by God. Be a
worker with no need to be ashamed by rightly handling the Word of Truth.
Paul said that irreverent babble will only lead people into more and more
ungodliness. He said that irreverent babble would spread like gangrene, and
gave examples of just that.
We don't have to be the perfect vessel to be used by God. In a great and
magnificent house, there are not only vessels of gold and silver. There are
also vessels of wood and clay, some for honorable use and some for
dishonorable. If anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will
be a vessel for honorable use. Even the man that was once dishonorable can
be set apart as holy and useful for the Master.
We were very passionate in our youth. Paul said to flee from these passions,
and instead pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace. Join with those
who call on the Lord with a pure heart by pursuing these things. Avoid
foolish, ignorant controversies, because they only breed more quarreling.
Paul said the Lord's servants must not be quarrelsome. God's servants are
kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, and correcting those
against him with gentleness.
Through gentle, loving responses, God may grant them repentance by being
led to knowledge of the Truth.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we try to lead others to the truth
with argument, or with peace and patience? Do we feast on hidden
mysteries and extra-biblical words that lead to quarreling, or do we feast on
God's Word only? Do we try to force others with the passion of our youth, or
have we matured into more excellent servants for Christ? Are we a good
vessel worthy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or are we a broken vessel that is
of no use until mended?
711
712
Paul's Message
2 Corinthians 5 implores us to persuade others for Christ and not the
doctrines of man. Paul tells us what the "Message" was that God had given
him to preach.
Paul says that he did not commend himself so that they might boast about
him and lift him up on a platform above other men, he did so to give them
answer to those who would try to instigate their boasting about outward
appearance. He said that these that boasted about outward appearance did
not boast about what is in the heart.
He said that if he seemed beside himself, it was for God, but if he was in his
right mind, it was for them. The Love of Christ controls us. Paul had come to
the conclusion that if One had died for us, then all had died! Christ died for
all so that those who still remain alive no longer live for themselves but for
Him. He died for their sake, and was raised.
Paul said that he no longer regarded or respected any person according to
the flesh. The man we see is dead. Even Christ was regarded according to
the flesh, because He came into this world under the Law. Yet we do not
regard Christ according to the flesh.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. The old man has
passed away and the new one has come. In Christ, God was reconciling the
world to Himself, not counting any of the trespasses according to the flesh.
He entrusted to us the Message of reconciliation.
With this Message, we are ambassadors for Christ. God makes His appeal
through us. Paul implored us on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God. For
each and every one of us, God made Christ to become sin, though he knew
no sin. He did this so that we might become the righteousness of God.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we regard others according to
how weak they are in the flesh? Do we consider ourselves better than
sinners, or even other Christians who do not dress and act like we do? Are
we boasting in the flesh? Do we follow Paul's Message of Reconciliation,
which taught us not to consider the flesh but to look to the inward man? Or
have we fallen for some new message that strayed from Paul's Message of
Reconciliation?
713
Living Stones of a Spiritual House

After Peter described the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News that Christ
had came, died for their sins, and rose again, Peter told them the way to
continue in preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ in 1 Peter 2.
He did not instruct the people to be combative for their beliefs, Peter
instructed them to put away malice. He did not tell them to go forth
proclaiming spiritual events that did not happen, Peter told them to put away
all deceit and hypocrisy.
Peter said that we should put away all envy and slander, treating each other
with humility and respect. He said that we were like newborn infants, and
should be longing for spiritual milk which helps us grow up into salvation.
Peter said that if we have tasted the goodness of God, we would continue
spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ, not some other teaching.
We are to be like living stones that are the walls of a spiritual house. Each
one of us are to be like the holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God. How do we do that? Peter says through Jesus Christ.
There is only one way to salvation, and that is through Jesus Christ. Peter
reminds us that scriptures foretold of Christ, saying, "Behold, I am laying in
Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in
Him will not be put to shame."
We are not called to be blind sheep, led astray by deceit and hypocrisy. We
are now part of the royal priesthood. We are a holy nation, God's own
people.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we followed Peter's advice?
Do we consider ourselves part of the royal priesthood, or do we blindly
accept strange teachings as scriptural truth? In these last days, when men
will rise that say their teachings are the way of Christ, do we follow like
sheep led to the slaughter, or do we put on the whole armor of God by
comparing those teachings with the Word? Are we preaching the Gospel of
Jesus Christ, or are we preaching some other gospel?
714
Condemnation of Those Who Do Not Love Truth

In 2 Thessalonians 2, Paul warns about those who do not love the Truth and
would rather continue in believing what is false.
He said that it had to be that way for the Lord Jesus Christ to return. He
asked the following not to be quickly shaken any spirit or any words spoken
by man, so that they hold fast to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and ignore any
other gospel.
Paul said that the great and terrible day of the Lord will not come unless
rebellion against God comes first. In the midst of that rebellion the son of
destruction will be revealed. Paul says that the lawless one comes by the
activity of Satan with false signs and wonders, and we should be ready.
There will be many that will worship this man or this spirit that will influence
men. Paul says that the lawless one will exalt himself against every so-called
god or object of worship, replacing God in the temple and proclaiming
himself to be God.
In Paul's time, he says that the lawless one was being restrained, and would
be revealed in his time. But the mystery of lawlessness was already at work
among them. The one restraining the lawlessness spirit would continue to
do so until the time it would be revealed.
Paul said to watch closely for the false signs and wonders,
deception for those who were already perishing. He said
they refused to love the Truth and be saved by the Truth.
sends a strong delusion, so they may believe what is false.
of condemning those who did not believe the Truth.
they were wicked

this was because
He said that God
This is God's way
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Has the spirit of lawlessness already

been revealed? Do we see the false signs and wonders? Do we see the
deception, and the blinded people? Do we have people worshiping prophets
with false signs and wonders and even praying in their name? Do we have
people praying in the names of the sons of the false prophets? Do we see
their eyes blinded to the Truth insomuch that they would rather continue
believing what is false? Are we named among the wicked who refused Truth,
those that God sent us a strong delusion to condemn? Or are we named
among the righteous who seek the Truth?
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I Am the Least Among You

In Ephesians 3, Paul uplifts the church by lowering himself before them.
Though he had great spiritual gifts, he did not tell them how great his powers
were. He did not come before them with statements of how the Word of God
only came to the powerful, or tell of the mighty things God had done through
him. Doing so would have been counter-productive to God's plan of pouring
out His Spirit upon all flesh.
Paul said, "I am the very least of all the saints."
He told them that he wished that every one of them had the full power of
Christ within them, and that they would charge forward with the Gospel of
Jesus Christ.
Paul said that for the sake of the Gospel, he bowed his knees before the
Father. He asked the Father of every family in heaven and earth to
strengthen them with the power through His Holy Spirit. He prayed that God
would pour out His Spirit according to His riches in Glory.
He did not want them founded in mysteries, prophesies, or hidden truths.
Paul asked that they be rooted and grounded in love. Paul wanted them to
know this love of Christ intimately so that they could be filled with all the
fullness of God.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Where is our foundation? Do we
have love for all, from the lowest sinner to the most faithful saint? Do we
follow after men who teach great ones among us, or do we follow Paul who
lifted up each name under heaven for themselves?
Have we been
strengthened in Christ and His Word, or have we been strengthened in
something else?
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We Must Persevere with Faith, Prayer, and Love!

Jude 1 encourages us to persevere.
Jude reminds the church that the apostles had warned them that there would
be scoffers who would not focus on the Gospel of Jesus Christ that they
received. Not having the Holy Spirit, these men would try to divide the
church with their own ungodly passions.
Jude says that the way we must conquer these ungodly men was with faith,
prayer, and love. While the doctrines of men may cause divisions, faith in
Jesus Christ combined with prayer and love can bring men together! Jude
says to keep ourselves steadfast in the love of Jesus Christ, continually
waiting for His mercy.
He says that this combination of faith, prayer, and love is the way that leads
to eternal life! We should have mercy and patience with those who do not
fully believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, saving them from hell fires with
faith, prayer, and love.
Jude says to "snatch them out of the fire" with love if you can. Others, save
them by fear of what sin brings. Jude compares it to hating the
chiton, or the underneath garment that touches the flesh. Just like wretched
rags, our sin is filthy and deserving of death. But Christ offers salvation
through His Blood which is sufficient for all!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we heed Jude's advice to
continue in faith, prayer, and love? Do we love people into the Gospel of
Jesus Christ, or do we try to badger them into the faith by condemnation? Or
are we the ones who have accepted some other gospel, and causing the
divisions? Does our prayer and faith lie fully in Jesus Christ, which produces
love, or do we mistakenly think that to get to Christ you must go through
some other man -- which produces divisions? Are we the ones snatching
others out of the fire, or are we the ones desperately needing to be
snatched?
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Free from The Law, Bound by The Gospel

In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul makes the proclamation that we are free from the
law, but bound by the Gospel. A Christian does not forfeit his rights, as some
modern-day pastors and evangelists proclaim.
He asks them: "Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus?"
Paul reminded them that among men, he truly could have been considered
great. But instead of desiring to boast of himself, Paul lifted up others so
that they could help spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
To those who wanted to abstain from eating or drinking meats or drinks
forbidden by the law, he asked them: "Do we not have the right to eat and
drink?" To those who stumbled upon the laws concerning marriage and
divorce, he asked them: "Do we not have the right to take along a believing
wife?"
Workers of the Gospel are not to be bound by the laws of man, and are free
from the Mosaic law while under the New Covenant. They are not to be
burdened down into submission, but are to rejoice in the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. Paul asked them, "Who serves as a soldier at his own expense?"
Paul, however, forfeited his right so that others might be made free. He said
that he surrendered his rights, enduring the burdens rather than put any
obstacle in the way of quickly spreading the Gospel.
He said that for the Jews, he becomes a Jew in order to win the Jews over to
Christ. To those burdened under the law, he became as one under the law.
But, he was very clear that he was not under that same law, saying: "though
not being myself under the law." Paul said that his goal in placing himself
under these laws was to win those under the law.
To those outside the law, Paul becomes as one outside the law. To the weak,
he became weak so that he might win the weak. He became all things to win
all people. By becoming like the people he tried to win over to Christ, Paul
tried to save the lost for the sake of the Gospel and share the blessings.
Paul used the example of the race. All runners run, but only one receives the
prize. We should run like the runners, as though we were the one who would
win the prize! Every athlete exercises self-control in all things to receive
their prize, which is a winner's wreath that will fade away. But we go after a
prize that will never perish.
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Paul said that he did not run aimlessly in his journey towards the goal. He
had reasons for placing himself under the law to win those bound by it, or
becoming weak to win others who were weak. Paul was a perfect example of
how a Christian should strive to help others in their journey to Christ.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves how our race is run. Do we become
weak to help the struggling, or do we think that we are somehow better than
them? Do we sit with the sinners as Christ did, or do we separate ourselves
from them as though they were diseased? Do we bound ourselves by law to
help others who have been falsely taught law, or are we the ones needing
rescued? Or, have we simply given up in life's race, sitting on the ground
watching the other runners go by?
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The Royal Law

James 2 tells us about the "royal law."
James tells us not to show partiality among people and to consider all people
in equality. If one comes dressed in fine clothes, we should give the same
respect to the finely dressed person as we do the one in filthy rags.
He gives examples to how we can easily make distinctions among ourselves
and inwardly judge others with evil thoughts. James says that God has
chosen the poor to be rich in faith and heirs to the kingdom, those who love
God.
James rebuked the people who did not consider the poor as equal. He
reminded them that the rich are the ones who oppress and drag the poor
into courts of law. Moreover, the rich are typically the ones who blaspheme
the Name of Christ.
James said that the "royal law" according to the Scripture was: "You shall love
your neighbor as yourself." If we fulfill this, we are doing well.
He gives special wisdom to those who judge people by the law. James says
that if you show partiality towards the rich, you are committing sin and
judged by the same law as the transgressors of the law.
He says that if you keep the entire law, but fail in one point, you become
accountable for it. Therefore, we should speak and act as those who are
judged under the law of liberty, or freedom. No longer bound by the law of
the curse.
If we judge others without mercy, then our judgment is also without mercy.
James says that "Mercy triumphs over judgment."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we show mercy and equality? Do
we uplift both men and women, race or nationality, rich or poor? Are we
upholding the "royal law?"
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Scatter The Seed

In Acts 14 at Iconium, Paul is living example to why Jesus gave the parable of
the planter and the seed.
Iconium was mixed with both Jews and Gentiles. It was a city of the Hittites
in days gone by, later becoming part of the Persian empire until Darius III
was defeated by Alexander the Great. It was recognized by both Yahweh and
pagan legend. Iconium was believed to be the first city to rise after the
Great Flood confirming the scriptures, while pagan legend claimed the city
was the site of Perseus who defeated Gorgon Medusa and her wig of snakes
and turned villagers to stone with her gaze.
Paul and Barnabas went into the Jewish synagogue first, and persuaded a
great number of both Jews and Greeks into the faith. The seed was planted.
But there were unbelieving Jews who did not accept Jesus as the redeemer of
the new covenant. The Mosaic Law would not permit the Jews to associate
with the "unclean" Gentiles or their way of life.
These unbelieving Jews did not rise up against Paul and Barnabas -- they
stirred up the Gentiles in such a way that the Gentiles did their work for
them. They "poisoned their minds" against the brothers and sisters of the
faith.
Paul and Barnabas decided to fix this. They remained a very long time,
speaking boldly for the Lord, bearing witness to the word of His Grace. They
even did many signs and wonders by their hands before the people in order
to persuade them back into the faith.
But the people were still divided. Some sided with the Jews and some with
the apostles. The division became so strong that an attempt was made to
stone them by both the Jews and the Gentiles. Finally, Paul and Barnabas
left.
But the seed was planted.
Sometimes, as Christians, we think that we need to be the ones to water the
seed. When we speak to others about Christ, we feel that we have to nurture
them into the faith, bombarding them with our ideas and doctrines rather
than just the simple Gospel of Jesus Christ. The seed.
God does the watering, and God provides the Sonlight. All that is needed is
for us to plant the seed, to tell them that Jesus Christ came and fulfilled the
law. How he died for our sins and our salvation, and rose again so that we
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might rise with Him. All we need to tell them is the simple Gospel, and how
that faith in Jesus Christ grants us salvation by God's unmerited favor with
us.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we plant the seed and let God do
the nurturing? Or do we take the seed back out of God's hands, trying to
forcefully make it grow. Do we shine florescent lights of the doctrines of men
upon the seed trying to force the first sprout, or do we let God provide His
Sonlight to carefully grow the seed? Are we responsible for delaying some
seeds that are not growing?
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Those Who Proclaim the Gospel Without Sincerity

Philippians 1 tells us how not everyone who proclaims the Gospel of Jesus
Christ does so because they believe it, but God has His hand in everything to
ensure His children are led of the Spirit.
Paul said that the trials he faced during his imprisonment had been
instrumental in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So instrumental that it
had in fact been spread throughout the entire imperial guard and to many,
many more people.
The best part is that through his imprisonment, others were no longer afraid
to speak the Word of Truth. They could now boldly proclaim the Gospel
without fear.
Not all were sincere, however. Paul said that some indeed preached Christ
out of envy and rivalry. They proclaimed Christ out of selfish ambition, not
sincerely but with other motives. Some even did it out of spite, trying to
create a rise out of the people and cause more affliction to Paul in his
imprisonment.
But he said there were also those who proclaimed the Gospel out of love,
truly hoping, believing, and knowing that the Love of Christ would save the
lost. Those people knew that Paul was put into his position for the defense of
the Gospel.
Paul was not at all concerned about the people who spread the Gospel with ill
intent or with selfish motives. Though their hearts were not in the right
place, all was working according to God's perfect plan. Paul said, "In every
way, whether or in pretense or in Truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I
rejoice."
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we spreading the Gospel of Jesus
Christ, or some other gospel? Do we think that all men who spread the
Gospel are sincere? Do we even follow some of these insincere men who
have selfish motives rather than following the Christ that they proclaim?
Have we followed their selfish intent instead of following the One that leads
us to Salvation? Is it time to start following Christ?
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Gentiles Were Saved by Grace Not Law

Acts 11 teaches us how the Gentiles were saved by Grace, not Law.
The apostles and brothers in Christ of Judea got word that Peter had saved
many of the Gentiles, who eagerly accepted the Word of God. Peter went to
Jerusalem to speak to these brothers.
When he arrived, he was criticized by the brothers, who reminded Peter of
the Mosaic Law that was broken by his fellowship with the Gentiles. But
Peter had word directly from God, which confirmed him to be just according
to a vision.
Mosaic law held that no child of God should eat unclean meat, from the birds
of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. But the voice in the vision told Peter to
eat!
Peter replied to the voice of the Lord that nothing unclean had ever touched
his mouth, and refused. But God reminded Peter that he was no longer
under the Mosaic Law. He said, "What God has made clean, do not call
common."
This happened three times before Peter by vision, and immediately three
Gentiles arrived at his house. As Peter began to speak to them, the Holy
Spirit fell upon them just as it did at the beginning of the spreading of the
Gospel.
The Mosaic Law was a works-righteous justification, one that no man could
uphold. Time after time, the Bible reminds us how men would rise, men
would fall, and that no man is worthy without Jesus Christ.
The Law focused upon the outward man, but the inward man is sinful by
nature since Adam's fall. The outward man could never be pure without
Christ.
Peter remembered the Word of the Lord: "John baptized with water, but you
will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." Before Christ was resurrected and the
New Covenant came into effect, the outward man needed cleansed to be
pure. Man was offered forgiveness through physical sacrifice, from the order
of priesthood through a physical bloodline of the Levites.
Christ was from the order of Melchisedec, and is a High Priest in spirit, not in
the physical. Our justification is spiritual, not physical. The outward things
will never save us; we will never be holy by the physical things that we do.
We are made pure by the Spirit, through faith in Jesus Christ.
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Peter asked them, "If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us
when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in
God's way?
When the brothers in Christ heard that God had offered salvation to the
Gentiles, they fell silent. They all glorified God, saying, Then to the Gentiles
also God has granted repentance that leads to life.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we still focus on the Law that
Paul called the "Law of sin and death?" Do we think that we can earn our
salvation by the outward rules our leaders try to enforce? Would we even
believe a man claiming to be a prophet who taught that each old covenant
was still in effect? Have we forgotten the simple Gospel of Jesus Christ,
wherein all souls can be saved by Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ?
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Contaminating The Wine

In Mark 12, Jesus teaches us in parable how we are to spread the Gospel of
Jesus Christ to others, not keeping it to ourselves as though it is a hidden
mystery or a priceless gem hidden in a locker.
Speaking in Parable, Jesus tells the story of the tenants. The master planted
a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the winepress, built living
quarters, and leased the plantation to tenants while he left for another
country. The master expected his winery to produce.
When the season came to reap the benefits of his plantation, he sent his
servant to the tenants to get some of the fruit. But the tenants beat him and
sent him away empty-handed.
Again, he sent another servant, and they struck him on the head.
treated him so shamefully that he left without the fruit.
They
Others were sent by the master, one after another, all experiencing the same
fate. The master had one left who had not been sent, his son.
The master sent his son to them, saying to himself, "They will respect my
son." But the tenants did not. They planned against the son, saying "This is
the heir, let's kill him!"
Jesus asked the people, "What will the owner of the vineyard do?" He said
that the owner would certainly come and destroy those tenants, giving the
vineyard to others.
Jesus was speaking of Himself. In the Old Testament, God sent man after
man to the Children of Israel, trying to lead them in a way that would
produce His fruit: a people that would Worship Him. Yet, each time they fell
into idolatry.
Finally, God sent His Only Son to the people. He was also despised and
rejected, and turned away from the Master's vineyard. Just as the tenants in
the parable plotted against the master's son, the Scribes and the Pharisees
plotted against the Savior.
History repeats itself time and again. In the day and age we live in, those
sent by God may not be crucified physically, they are despised and rejected
by many. The fruits of the Spirit are not being produced, because the Gospel
of Jesus Christ is tucked away in a corner for the "chosen few." While God
wants the Gospel of Jesus Christ to spread far and wide, many today spread
some other gospel.
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As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we worthy tenants? Have we

produced the fruits of the Spirit that God is looking for? Do we tell others
that Christ's blood is sufficient for all, or do we contaminate that blood by
telling others they must also know a prophet to earn salvation? Have we
contaminated the Master's Wine by contaminating the Gospel of Jesus Christ
with the doctrines of men?
Hidden from The Wise and the Prudent

Luke 10 tells us that there is power in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Jesus appointed seventy-two brothers and sisters to spread the Good News
that the Father had sent his Son. Two-by-two, they were instructed to go into
every town that Jesus Himself was about to go, and announce his coming.
He told them that the harvest was plentiful, but the workers were few. As
they went, they prayed that the Lord of the harvest would send out laborers
into His harvest.
Just as Malachi prophesied in Malachi 4, Jesus described the great and
terrible day that was at hand. He told the seventy-two that the kingdom of
God was at hand, and they were the ones to eagerly go forth. Like the
"calves of the stall" Malachi prophesied about, these seventy-two were going
forth to tread down the wicked. Jesus told them if they were not received,
they were to shake the dust from their feet and condemn the entire city. He
told them that it would be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.
When the seventy-two returned, they were very excited. They said, "Even
the demons are subject to us in Your Name!"
Jesus told them that when they went forth, He saw Satan fall from heaven
like lightening, cast down to the earth. Isaiah also prophesied of this day,
when he said, "How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the
morning! how are you cut down to the ground, who did weaken the nations!"
Though there was power in the Gospel, Jesus did not want them to fall
worship to the power they had access to. He told them, "Do not rejoice in
this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are
written in heaven."
Immediately afterwards, Jesus thanked the Father for hiding these things
from the wise and understanding, and revealing them to the children that
would learn. All power in heaven had been handed over to Christ by the
Father.
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He told the seventy-two that many prophets and kings had desired to see the
mighty things that they had just witnessed. They had just fulfilled the
scriptures of old.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we realize that there is power in
the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Do we try to spread some other gospel, thinking
there is power in the doctrines of man? Do we believe some prophet who
thinks he alone has power over the demons, when Christ gave us the same
power through His Holy Spirit? Do we believe some prophet who twists
Malachi 4 to predict a different age, making this great event in the Gospel of
Jesus Christ of none effect?
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Fully Embracing the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Zechariah 10 foretells of the restoration for Judah and Israel.
Zechariah says that all we need do is ask when we are in need, and God will
provide. He says to ask for rain from the Lord in the season of rain, and the
God who makes the storm clouds will give showers of rain to everyone for
the vegetation in the field.
Idols have no power to provide, Zechariah says. They utter complete
nonsense and their diviners see lies. They tell false visions and give empty
consolation. The people that follow these false religions wander like sheep,
afflicted for lack of a shepherd.
God's wrath is kindled, but not against the followers. God's anger is against
the leaders. Zechariah says that it is the leaders that will be punished, not
the flock. God's anger is against the shepherds, but God cares for His flock.
Zechariah foretold of the coming of Christ. He said that from Judah will come
the cornerstone. He will be the tent peg, the secure anchor holding the tent
against the raging storm. He will be the battle bow, fighting the opposing
enemy. Those with Christ will be like mighty men in battle, trampling their
foe in the mud of the streets, because God is with them. They shall put the
enemy to shame.
Through Zechariah, God says that he will strengthen the house of Judah and
save the house of Joseph. He will bring them back to Him, because he has
compassion on them. He is their God, and He will answer them. Ephraim
will become like a mighty warrior, and their hearts will be glad as if they had
been filled with wine. Their children will see it and be glad, and their hearts
will rejoice in the Lord.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we rejoice in the Savior that was
sent? Do we embrace His power to trample the enemy, exposing the lies of
the false visions and lies of the diviners? Or do we wander like sheep,
afflicted by lack of a shepherd? Have we fully embraced the Gospel of Jesus
Christ?
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A Different Gospel
Isaiah 11 foretells the coming Messiah, in a chapter that many are familiar
with. Often we forget the fine details of this prophecy.
Isaiah says that a "shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his
roots shall bear fruit," the Son of David.
He says that the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom
and understanding. Christ came with more wisdom than Solomon in all his
glory, knowing all things.
Isaiah says that he also has the Spirit of counsel and might. The Father gave
Christ the authority over all things, able to judge the hearts of men.
Also, Isaiah says that Christ came with the Spirit of knowledge and the fear
of the Lord, and His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. It was obvious
that Christ came with the authority from the Father, but we must remember
that he also "feared" the father. Not earthly fear that causes insecurity, but
royal fear and respect as a subject fears their king.
Isaiah says that Christ judges by the heart. He does not judge by what His
eyes see, or make His decisions by what His ears hear, Christ judges with
righteousness. The meek of the earth are judged by his righteousness, and
the wicked are slaughtered simply by the breath of His lips. Righteousness
and faithfulness are the belts of his waste and loins, and these two together
are the way in which we are judged.
Most forgotten from this passage are the fruits of the spirit, which Isaiah
compares to the animal kingdom. We must remember that in prophecy,
symbols are used to make the picture clearer for us in its due time.
He says that the wolf will dwell with the lamb. The Gospel of Jesus Christ will
cause the scavengers to be at peace with the innocent.
Isaiah says that the leopard will lie down with the young goat, describing
how the Gospel of Jesus Christ will cause the predator and the prey to be at
peace with each other.
Also, the cow and the bear with both graze together, and the lion will eat
straw like an ox. Though the bear and the lion are vicious animals, feeding
on the weaker animals, they no longer desire their past way of life. They
graze at peace with the cattle and the oxen.
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The Gospel is the reason they are all at peace. The Gospel of Jesus Christ not
only changes the inward man, it gives them peace and assurance. They
have comfort and protection by the Savior.
Isaiah writes that "the nursing child will play over the hole of the cobra, and
the weaned child shall put his head on the adder's den. They shall not hurt
or destroy in all my holy mountain." The Christian, secure in the Gospel of
Jesus Christ, has no fear for they are protected by God Himself. In fact, they
are as infant children, knowing no fear. The nursing child has no knowledge
of the dangers of the cobra, yet the cobra does not strike. God protects his
people with innocent security.
But the greatest and most forgotten passage in this chapter is this: "For the
earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."
Sometimes as Christians, we forget what God wants us to do when we
receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many man have risen through the
influence of Satan, telling us to separate ourselves and protect our "little
secret" of the Gospel, but God wants us to spread it far and wide. There is
no hidden mystery in Christ, Christ Himself was the mystery fulfilled. Now
that we are part of the Body of Christ, our instruction is to tell others!
Spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to as many people as we can reach!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: When is the last time we told
someone about the Gospel of Jesus Christ? The greatest Event in the life of a
Christian, the Good News that Christ came to live the perfect life that we
could not, suffered and died for our sins to give us salvation, died and rose
again so that we could rise with Him? Are we spreading this Gospel, or are
we spreading a different gospel?
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Once Enlightened
I've been studying recently on enlightenment -- not what we typically
associate with Buddhism or Hinduism, but Christian enlightenment.
Quote:
Therefore, let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to
maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and
of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of
hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will
do if God permits. For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once
been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the
Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers
of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to
repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own
harm and holding him up to contempt. For land that has drunk the rain that
often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is
cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it
is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.
Hebrews
I have growing concern for the ministers in this message, and just don't see
any way that things will turn favorable. My concern is that the disfellowship
of even their own, from church to church, will not only continue to bear
thorns and thistles, but will lead to a path that the scriptures say has an "end
that is to be burned."
Some of those ministers came out of Gospel-based Bible-founded churches.
Were they once enlightened and crucified the Son of God again?
Everything I read in the scriptures points fingers against those that turn back
to works-righteous faith, and I don't see anything under the New Covenant to
support the doctrines that have been produced.
Thoughts?
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The Tree That Bears No Fruit

Mark 11 tells us the story of the fig tree that Jesus Cursed. This is a story
that confuses many, wondering why the Bible would mention Jesus cursing a
tree. Reading the chapter in context, we find that the story of the tree fits
like a glove around the greater story.
As Jesus passes by the tree, He found that the tree had many leaves. So
much, in fact, that He could see the leaves from a distance and travelled
towards it. Jesus, the Creator who knew all things, went towards a tree with
no fruit! He knew there was not a single growth of fruit on the tree before he
even noticed the tree from a distance!
As He and the disciples approached the tree and found no fruit to be
hanging, Jesus cursed the tree saying, "May no one ever eat fruit from you
again."
After this, they came into Jerusalem and entered the temple. Jesus violently
drove the money changers and those who bought and sold from the temple,
overturning the money changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons to
the humble for their sacrificial offering. He exclaimed that "My house shall
be called a house of prayer!"
The next morning, Jesus and the disciples went by the fig tree, and found it
to be withered away to its roots. Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig
tree you cursed has withered!"
Jesus replied, "Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this
mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his
heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for
him. Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have
received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if
you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven
may forgive you your trespasses."
Our faith is not a blind faith that has aimless ambition, and moving a
mountain with no purpose for the Glory of God will never line up with faith in
the Creator who can move the mountain for us. There is a reason the fig tree
was cursed, and a reason that Jesus gave this response.
As the doctrines of man turn religious faith away from God, it may produce
many branches and many leaves, but no fruit. The fig tree was no different
than the money changers who made profit on the faithful, selling them
greatly over-priced pigeons for their sacrificial offering. Their hearts and
minds had turned from God, and produced no fruit.
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At the same time, the faithful were blinded to the evil souls of those in
power. They felt as though the over-priced pigeons had spiritual application,
and were eager to spend their hard-earned wages to the money changers
rather than bringing their own sacrificial offering.
Jesus gave by example to the disciples the fact that they had the power to
discern good and evil. Their faith could overthrow the powers of evil that
distract men from the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and though it seemed like a
mountain before them, it would be nothing more than a speck of dust in their
paths.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves if we see the spiritual application of
this story. When we see churches spreading that bear no fruit, moneychangers making profit off of cardboard boxes of idolatry, followers eager to
spend hundreds of dollars on disks and books filled with the doctrines of men
rather than the Word of God, is it not time to say to this mountain, "Be thou
removed?" There is no need for a Redeemer to charge the temples and
overthrow the tables, the Holy Spirit now dwells within us! All we need is
faith, and organizations founded on false prophecy and fictional childhood
stories will crumble at our feet!
734
Power in The Name of Jesus

Mark 9 shows us the power that is in the Name of Jesus.
When the disciples were unable to heal a boy with an evil spirit, a great
crowd surrounded them to see if Jesus would perform a miracle. The scribes
began arguing, and Jesus asked what the argument was about.
The father of the child told Jesus about the boy, and how the disciples were
not able. Jesus rebuked the crowd, saying, "O faithless generation, how long
am I able to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to
me!"
Just the sight of Jesus made the spirit start convulsing in the child. Jesus
asked the father how long the boy had been afflicted, and the father replied
that the child had suffered from childhood. He asked Jesus if there was any
way that He could help.
Jesus responded in amazement: "If you can!"
things were possible for one who believes.
Jesus told the man that all
Immediately, the father of the child cried out, "I believe!

unbelief!"
Help thou my
Jesus rebuked the spirit, and commanded it to leave the child never to return
into him again. The child began convulsing violently, and then lay still as
though he were dead. Jesus took him by the hand, lifted him up, and the
child arose.
Afterwards, the disciples discussed the event with Jesus in private. They
asked why they were not able to cast the spirit out. Jesus replied that the
spirit, which had taken strong hold in the child for many years, could only be
driven out by prayer. The hold was so strong that only God had the power to
release the spirit and free the child.
Later, the disciples found that someone else in the city was casting out
demons in the Name of Jesus. They tried to stop him, because he was not a
follower of Christ. Though the man was an unbeliever, just the Name of
Jesus was so powerful that the demons fled.
Jesus responded that they should not stop him from fighting against the
demons. Though the man was not a Christian, he was attacking the enemy.
Jesus said that the one who is not against us is for us.
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The scriptures consistently speak of the power that is in the Name of Jesus.
His Name is so powerful that even those who do not believe can use His
Name and do mighty works. The Bible continually gives examples showing
the power, and then giving the warning. Not everyone using that power has
the same intentions.
Matthew 7 gives the warning that not everyone that proclaims that Jesus is
Lord and does mighty miracles in His Name will enter the kingdom of
heaven. Jesus warned the people of false prophets, saying they were
ravenous wolves in sheeps' clothing.
He did not say we would immediately recognize a false prophet. Jesus
warned that we would only know them by the fruits they produced. Every
tree bears fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
Jesus said that when these false prophets come face to face with judgment,
and asked the, "Did we not prophesy in your Name, cast out demons in your
Name, and do mighty works in your Name?"
Their fate is clear. Jesus said that these wolves in sheeps' clothing would be
condemned. He will declare to them, "Depart from me, I never knew you."
They were workers of lawlessness.
By the same token, those who keep God's Word will be like a wise man who
built his house on a rock. Though the rain falls, the floods come, and the
winds blow, the house that is built on the Rock of God's Word will stand
secure.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we built our house on the Rock
of God's Word, or have we built our house on the sinking sand of a false
prophet? Though he could heal thousands by the Name of Jesus, have we
considered the fact that none of his prophecy came to pass? Though the
false prophet came forward crying, "Lord, Lord," and taught doctrines
contrary to God's Word, do we stand with the contradiction, or do we choose
the Word over the false prophet? Have we chosen the power that is in the
Name of Jesus, or the weakness that is in the name of the prophet?
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Spiritual Discernment
While seeking the Truth, many are afraid to judge for themselves. 1
Corinthians 2 gives us assurance that the Holy Spirit guides us in our
judgments.
Paul says that among the mature, wisdom was given. It was not wisdom that
can be taught in schools, nor a wisdom that kings or monarchs obtain with
great power, for that wisdom fades away. Paul said that the wisdom
imparted from God was a wisdom that God Himself decreed before the ages
for our glory.
He said that if the rulers of his age only understood this wisdom of God, they
would not have crucified Christ. This hidden mystery was Christ Himself.
God reveals to us through His Holy Spirit. The Spirit searches everything,
even the depths of the mystery of God. Paul asked: "Who knows a person's
thoughts except the spirit of that person that is within him?" He said the
same could be said of God; no one could comprehend the thoughts of God
except the Spirit of God.
Paul said that our knowledge and wisdom comes from the Spirit, and we can
understand freely what God wants us to understand. This gift is not passed
from one another through the teachings of man, but only from the Holy
Spirit. The Holy Spirit within us can interpret the spiritual Truths from those
who are spiritual.
To those that have ears to hear, here is wisdom:
Paul said that the natural person does not accept the things told to him by
the Spirit of God, and considers them to be folly. He is not able to
understand these things, because they are only discerned by the spirit.
The spiritual person, however judges all things. Paul did not say that we are
to refrain from judgment of the doctrines of men. While the bible says not to
judge others, Paul makes it very clear that we are the judge of the spiritual
things, discerning right from wrong.
At the same time, Paul said that the spiritual person judges all things, but he
himself is judged by no one. Who among him has the mind of Christ to
instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ, and we rightly discern the
Truth from the deception.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we filled with the Spirit that
examines the doctrines of men to make sure they line up with the Word of
737
Truth? Does the spirit within us give us discernment, or does it give us

blindness? Do we believe a false prophet who claimed "discernment" was
mind reading or fortune telling? Or do we have spiritual discernment that
judges that false prophet by his teaching and his failed prophecy?
738
The Un-Lifted Veil

2 Corinthians 3 tells us that we have a veil covering us from seeing the Truth,
one that only Christ can lift.
Paul was surprised at the church, once again turning back to the law. He
asked them they thought he needed to write them another letter of
recommendation.
He said we need no recommendation.
We ourselves are a letter of
recommendation, a testimony to Christ that is written on your hearts. It is
displayed and read by all. Our letter is not written on stone tablets as was
the law for Moses, our letter is on tablets of human hearts.
We should have confidence through Christ toward God. Paul said that we
could never be sufficient in ourselves to claim anything, but our confidence
and sufficiency comes from God. He has made each one of us sufficient to
be ministers of a new covenant.
Paul said that our new covenant was not by letter of the law. Our covenant is
of the Spirit. The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
He called the Mosaic Law the "ministry of death." It was carved on letters of
stone, yet came with such glory that the Israelites could not look at the face
of Moses. The glory in the ministry of condemnation extended to the body of
Moses.
Paul asked, "How much more glory will the ministry of the Spirit have?" The
Mosaic Law, which one had glory, and now has no glory at all, has faded
away. The new glory in the new covenant surpasses it. He said that the
Mosaic Law was brought to an end with glory, and the new covenant now has
a permanent glory.
Paul said that there were some who read the old covenant who are still
blinded. Their minds are hardened. But when a person turns to the Lord
Jesus Christ, that veil is removed.
Once removed, the Spirit of the Lord brings freedom. We all stand united
with an unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord. We are transformed
into the same image, from one degree of glory to another. Paul said this was
the blessing that comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we let the doctrines of men take
away our glory? Do we let those with hardened minds lead us back into the
old covenant of death when Paul preached a new covenant of life and
739
freedom in Christ? Do we listen to a false prophet who claimed that the

Mosaic Law was still in effect, when Paul said that it had been replaced with
the new covenant? Has our veil been lifted?
740
The Burden of the Truth

In Luke 14, Jesus tells us the cost of discipleship.
Jesus gave an example of a builder. Those who build towers carefully plan
the construction. They count the cost carefully to make sure they do not
start a tower that cannot be completed. Otherwise, the builder stands a
great chance of laying a foundation that he is not able to finish, and he would
be a mockery.
He gave another example of a king preparing for battle with another king in
war. The king will make sure he is able to gather enough able-bodied men
for war before rising against an army of twenty-thousand. At the same time,
the king prepares for peace by sending a delegation to the opposing army.
Discipleship will cost you everything. A true disciple of Christ will be willing
to give up everything to follow Christ. Jesus said that if you are unwilling to
hate your own father, mother, or wife, you cannot be a disciple. If do not
hate your own life, you cannot be a disciple.
He gave words of wisdom: "Whoever does not bear his own cross and come
after me cannot be my disciple."
Crucifixion was a horrific fate, one of unbearable pain and agony. To suffer
crucifixion was to suffer the worst fate known to mankind in that day, but
Jesus gave example of a worse fate: to suffer crucifixion willingly.
It is easy for us to say that we are His disciples, especially in this modern age
of comfort and security. But how many of us would be willing to be his
disciple in the camps of the Taliban? How many would be willing to stand in
Mecca to proclaim Jesus Christ, passing out Bibles? How many would be
willing to leave their own mother and father, wife and children, knowing that
they would die a torturous death?
In our modern society, we cannot fathom the hardship to be a disciple of
Christ in a time of persecution. But sometimes I wonder if we would even
take the first step.
Having known the Truth, how many pastors were not afraid to tell it? How
many pastors would forfeit the security of their congregation to tell them
that not a single prophecy was vindicated by success? How many who
learned that the supernatural events had technological explanation were not
afraid to forfeit their fine dining? How many who knew childhood stories
were fictional, healing claims were exaggerated, or that prophetic claims
741
came from magazine articles were brave enough to tell their congregations
the Truth?
Worse, how many pastors have come and gone who found the false prophet
to stray from the Word of God, and sided with the false prophet to maintain
their popularity? How many chose the Lord's side, and how many chose the
false prophet's side?
In Luke 12, Jesus Christ said He did not come to cause peace, but division.
He did not mean division among the body of Christ as the false prophet
claimed, but spiritual division between the Word of God and those who stand
against it.
When you first learned that the Bible did not match the prophet's doctrines,
which side did you choose? Did you choose to stand with Christ? Or did you
choose to stand against Him?
742
The Humble Servant of Greatness

Mark 10 tells us that what we consider to be prestige or greatness in this
world is the opposite to Christ.
James and John asked Jesus if they could sit at His right hand and his left in
the kingdom of heaven. But Jesus told them that they did not understand
what they were asking of Him. The seats they asked for were already taken.
Jesus said that it was not His place to grant their request. To sit at His right
and or left was for those whom it was prepared.
When the ten heard this conversation, they began to become angry towards
James and John. Jesus called His disciples to Him, and explained. He said
that what we consider as rulers, great ones who exercise authority over us,
are not considered to be so in the kingdom of heaven. It was the opposite.
Jesus said that if we desire to be great, then we must become a servant. The
one who is the greatest must become a slave to all. For even the Son of Man
came not to be served, but to serve. He gave His own life as a ransom for
many.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Who do we consider to be great
among us? Do we place our esteem on men because of their family name,
or because we have made them our authority? Do we revere them because
they have a gift? Or because they have travelled the world through support
of their followers? Would Christ also choose them as the greatest, or would
He choose a humble servant in the church? Which would He consider to be
the greatest? The one to whom the lifestyle is provided for, or the ones that
humbly give to provide that lifestyle?
743
Measuring Our Blessings

In Zechariah 2, God tells Zechariah of the blessings that are about to come.
Though God's wrath had been against Jerusalem for their idolatry, God told
Zechariah that it would not always be so. They were the apple of His eye,
His children. As a father loves his wayward child, God loves His children with
undying love.
By vision, Zechariah saw a man on his way to measure Jerusalem. Zechariah
asked him where he was going, and the angel came forward with another
angel to meet him. The second angel told the first, "Quickly! Say to the
young man that Jerusalem will be inhabited as villages without walls,
because of the great number of people and livestock within. And I will be to
her a wall of fire all around, declares Yahweh, and I will be the glory in her
midst."
Zechariah witnessed the Father preparing His Son for His coming, and His
Son, the Master Builder, was measuring the coming glory. God had spread
Israel to the four winds but would be calling them all back to Jerusalem. All
the nations that plundered Israel would become plunder for their servants,
the children that were the apple of God's eye.
God told Israel to rejoice and be glad, because He was coming to dwell in
their midst. Many nations would become God's children in that day, and He
would dwell in their midst. All would know that the Lord of Hosts had sent
the Master Builder to Jerusalem, God's chosen people.
The angel said, "Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for he has roused
Himself from His holy dwelling!"
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we rejoicing that God sent His
Son to make His dwelling place within our hearts? Do we consecrate our
lives to Him, the One who made our bodies into the temple? Do we rejoice
that His Son came, or do we rejoice because some other religious person has
come? Have we made our temples wholly consecrated to God, or have we
polluted it with the doctrines of men?
744
HELP! I'M BALDING! AND IT'S NOT MY FAULT!

This topic came up in one of the private forums, but is worthy of discussion
on here as well.
William Branham gave a crazy story of the reason for his baldness -- one that
I wondered about even when I was brainwashed.
Quote:
I was young, too. And I... And losing my hair as a young man, putting carbolic
acid on it, a barber did, and took it all out when I was just a boy; and it's
been always a kind of a thing to me, that I--I--I get a cold so quick, because
that my scalp's still soft, you know, and the roots of the hair is still there, but
it was burnt by carbolic acid, and the hair can never grow.
--63-0322
To the uneducated, this sounds like an awful fate. To a person who has
learned that practically every word that proceeds out of the mouth of 'the
prophet' is hogwash, it's comical that carbolic acid is a chemical used in
mouthwash. ...or mouth spray, rather, Chloraseptic. It is the active ingredient
of this and other anti-bacterial washes.
Carbolic acid is a light acid that only irritates the skin -- and then only after
repeated usage in large amounts. WMB would have practically had to dunk
his head in it for several hours to get inflamed, not just a casual spill.
It also is easily subdued with application of liquid -- even water. Just wash it
away.
745
The Greatest Birthday Known to Mankind

Matthew 1 gives the story of the greatest birthday known to mankind, the
greatest Gift that God has given us: His only Son.
Matthew tells that Mary, the mother of Jesus, found out that she was going to
have a child. The child was not from union with any man, this Child was from
the Holy Spirit.
When Joseph learned of the child, and knowing that it was not his own, loved
Mary too much to put her to shame. He decided to divorce her quietly, not
condemning her publicly. Yet Joseph was afraid to keep her as his wife
having a son that was not his.
As this decision weighed heavy on his mind, an angel of the Lord appeared to
him in a dream. The angel told him not to fear. The child that was conceived
within Mary was from the Holy Spirit.
The angel told Joseph that her son would be called Jesus. He would save His
people from their sins. All that Joseph feared had been foretold in scriptures,
"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his
name Immanuel (God with us).
When Joseph woke from his sleep, he did as the angel commanded. Joseph
and Mary witnessed the birth of Jesus Christ, God who came down with us.
Mary's son was also the Son of God.
As Christians, we should celebrate this day with rejoicing! This is not a day
that should be hindered by the doctrines of men, this is a holiday dedicated
to the remembrance of Christ. Christmas is a time of giving, just as God
gave His only Son to us. Remember the Reason for the day, and enjoy your
time with family and friends!
746
Ahhh, The Imagination of a Two-Year-Old

Believe The Sign's Facebook page asked a question that uncovered a huge
fallacy with the bridge.
Quote:
William Branham's bridge vision does not match with recorded history. Some
people have told us that this is because he saw the vision as a child, and he
didn't remember things exactly when he retold the story years later.
Blaming the problems with the Bridge vision on the passing of time is an
uncomfortable argument for two reasons. First, it does not stay with the
tapes. Second, it brings into question the accuracy of all of William
Branham's visions that occurred before the tape recordings started.
For example, William Branham said that the bridge vision occurred two
weeks after a voice spoke to him from a tree. If the facts of the bridge vision
distorted over time, how do you know that the instruction of the "voice from
the tree" didn't also distort over time?
Here are both stories told together:
"At the age of about seven years old, I was packing water one day from a
well. And I passed by a tree. I was weeping. I didn't want to pack the water. I
wanted to go fishing with the rest of the children. But when I heard
something in the tree, like the roaring of a wind, I looked up. I seen nothing
but just a place in the tree about that big around, roaring around...and none
of the rest of the leaves were shaking. And I heard a voice of a Man up there,
said, "Don't never drink. Don't drink, and don't never smoke, or defile
yourself with women, for there is a work for you to do when you get older."
Oh, I was scared. I dropped my bucket, and I ran to the house, screaming.
And I jumped in my mother's arms. And she... I said there's a Man in that
tree. They went down to look: nobody there. They called the doctor, and he
said I was just nervous. I said--I said, "No, I seen, and I heard him speak."
And I never would go by that tree. A little later on, about two weeks later I
was playing marbles with my brother, and I felt something come to me. We
lived up on a hill, and the river was below us: a wilderness around. And I saw
a bridge come up out of the wilderness. And it started across the river.
Sixteen men dropped off in--into the water and perished. And I seen a big
sign, it said "twenty-two years." I run in and told my mother.
(My Life Story, Zurich, Switzerland, June 26, 1955)
Solomon said, "The simple believes every word: but the prudent man looks
well where he is going." Proverbs 14:15
--BelieveTheSign Facebook Page
747
Many people are familiar with WMB's statements about the tree. Never drink,
never smoke. Later chewing tobacco was added. How he'd move to New
Albany.
Census records show WMB moving to New Albany before age three. That
would place this vision coming to him at age two according to this quote
combined with census records:
Quote:
"And then, coming down through there, came a Voice. Now, remember,
friends, this Bible lays open before me when I say this. Now, whether it come
from the bird, from the tree, I was just a laddie boy, and didn't know. I cannot
say. God knows. I do not. But a Voice spoke to me, that *****I was going to
live near a city called New Albany. And about a year from then******, or less
than a year, my father came to Indiana, and we've lived within four miles
now, and I've been raised within four miles of New Albany, Indiana." -- 520713A
If you had a two-year-old son that prophesied about a bridge that fell, would
you believe him? When you found out he got the wrong bridge, would you
still believe him? When you found out it was for a bridge that was built
before he was born, would you still believe him? ....a countless number did!
748
QUICK! SATAN'S DOWN! ...Let's lift him up again!

To the Bible reader that is unfamiliar with all the scriptures, the book of
Revelation is difficult to understand. It is hidden by a lock, one that is opened
by the book of Isaiah, Zechariah, Ezekiel, and Daniel -- as well as other
scriptures throughout the Bible.
Leaders of cult followings use this to their advantage, taking passages and
changing their meanings to represent something besides the vision that John
saw. One example of this is Revelation 12.
In an article "Birth of the Nation," published March 1, 1925 by the
Watchtower (Jehovah's Witnesses), Revelation 12 was reinterpreted. Satan
being cast down to the earth applied to 1914 onwards. Though objections
were raised by the editorial committee, others such as William Branham
would take their views and run with them.
All who subscribe to the reinterpreted scripture believe that Satan's being
cast down from heaven applied to the end times, and that "When the Church
goes up, Satan comes down." (Branham, 63-0318). They also believe that
the Archangel, Michael, is none other than Jesus Christ.
Revelation 12 describes the great battle in heaven. Michael and his angels
were fighting against the dragon, and this dragon was the ancient serpent:
none other than Satan himself. He was the deceiver of the whole world, yet
he and his angels were thrown down to earth.
A loud voice in heaven cried out, "Now salvation and the power and the
kingdom of our God and the authority of Christ have come, for the accuser of
our brothers has been thrown down! He has been conquered by the blood of
the Lamb and the word of their testimony, for they loved not their own lives
even unto death!"
John writes that the heavens should now rejoice, and all that dwell within.
But woe unto the earth and sea, for the devil has come down with great
wrath. He knows that his time is short.
The scripture describes a woman, giving birth to children, and the dragon
that was cast down became furious. He made war on her offspring, which
John calls "those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the
testimony of Jesus."
The key to unlocking this passage is Luke 10. Luke describes the birth of the
offspring, the Church, the universal Bride of Christ. when the seventy-two
749
went out to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Luke describes them as
overflowing with amazement.
Luke 17-20 says, "The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the
demons are subject to us in your name!'" Jesus replied, "I saw Satan fall like
lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on
serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing
shall hurt you."
As humans, we try to apply our time and space to the Kingdom of Heaven,
and it confuses us when Jesus and the disciples say, "The kingdom of heaven
is at hand." Truly, the kingdom of heaven was at hand, and Jesus told the
seventy-two that Satan had been cast down to earth. Just as John wrote in
Revelation 12, Christ was soon to be placed into authority, given all power
and salvation. His blood, the blood of the Lamb, the eternal sacrifice was
about to be applied to the alter for our sins. Satan now stands defeated,
powerless before us. We are now more than conquerors through Christ Jesus,
because His blood covers all.
Quote:
Now, notice, at the end time--at the end of the church ages, now, he is
called--he and his children are called the antichrist, 'cause anything that's
against Christ is antichrist. And anything that's against the Word is against
Christ, 'cause Christ is the Word. Now, he's antichrist.
Then in Revelations 12:7-9, when Satan is cast out, the accuser... You want to
put that down, 'cause I want to read it; we haven't got time now, 'cause it's
twent--fifteen till ten. See?
But in Revelations 12:7-9, Satan the spirit, the devil, which is up there now,
accuser of our brethren, all right; the Church is taken up, and Satan is cast
out. When the Church goes up, Satan comes down. Then Satan incarnates
himself in the antichrist and is called the beast.
63-0318 THE.FIRST.SEAL
Quote:
Now, let's turn, Revelations 12. Let's just read this just a little bit 'cause we-we'll have time to do it. And let's read Revelations the--the 12th chapter and
the 13th verse.
And the same hour there was a great earthquake... (No, I got the--I got the
wrong place, the 13th)
And when the dragon saw that he was cast out into the earth, he persecuted
the woman which brought forth the man child. Now, you see, he was cast out
of the earth and becomes incarnate. As the antichrist spirit become incarnate
into a man, that man changes from one thing to another, from an antichrist
spirit to a false prophet, and then the beast comes into him.
63-0321 THE.FOURTH.SEAL
750
Quote:
Oh, my. Do you see that? In there--Not the Bride, isn't going to be out here
laboring in the vineyards. No, sir. She's the Bride. She's the Queen to the
King. It's the others that labor out there, the nation, not the Bride. Amen.
All right, notice these messengers now... These messengers of the
Revelations 12, these two prophets, they're going to preach, "The Kingdom is
at hand." See? The Kingdom of heaven's to be set up. The time, last three
and one-half years of Daniel's seventieth week promised to the Jews, His
people...
63-0323 THE.SIXTH.SEAL
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we applied the Sacrifice? Has

our faith been placed on Jesus Christ, or do we believe salvation comes
through Christ along with another human? Do we hold to the testimony of
Jesus, which is the Word, or do we hold to the doctrines of men? Do we stand
with the scriptures, which say Satan is now cast down, powerless? Or do we
hold to the teachings of the Watchtower and William Branham, who claim
Satan is still in power? Are we actually trying to lift Satan back up through
the doctrines of men?
751
Trying to Lift Satan Back Up When He's Down

To the Bible reader that is unfamiliar with all the scriptures, the book of
Revelation is difficult to understand. It is hidden by a lock, one that is
opened by the book of Isaiah, Zechariah, Ezekiel, and Daniel -- as well as
other scriptures throughout the Bible.
Leaders of cult followings use this to their advantage, taking passages and
changing their meanings to represent something besides the vision that John
saw. One example of this is Revelation 12.
In an article "Birth of the Nation," published March 1, 1925 by the
Watchtower (Jehovah's Witnesses), Revelation 12 was reinterpreted. Satan
being cast down to the earth applied to 1914 onwards. Though objections
were raised by the editorial committee, others such as William Branham
would take their views and run with them.
All who subscribe to the reinterpreted scripture believe that Satan's being
cast down from heaven applied to the end times, and that "When the Church
goes up, Satan comes down." (Branham, 63-0318). They also believe that
the Archangel, Michael, is none other than Jesus Christ.
Revelation 12 describes the great battle in heaven. Michael and his angels
were fighting against the dragon, and this dragon was the ancient serpent:
none other than Satan himself. He was the deceiver of the whole world, yet
he and his angels were thrown down to earth.
A loud voice in heaven cried out, "Now salvation and the power and the
kingdom of our God and the authority of Christ have come, for the accuser of
our brothers has been thrown down! He has been conquered by the blood of
the Lamb and the word of their testimony, for they loved not their own lives
even unto death!"
John writes that the heavens should now rejoice, and all that dwell within.
But woe unto the earth and sea, for the devil has come down with great
wrath. He knows that his time is short.
The scripture describes a woman, giving birth to children, and the dragon
that was cast down became furious. He made war on her offspring, which
John calls "those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the
testimony of Jesus."
The key to unlocking this passage is Luke 10. Luke describes the birth of the
offspring, the Church, the universal Bride of Christ. when the seventy-two
752
went out to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Luke describes them as
overflowing with amazement.
Luke 17-20 says, "The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the
demons are subject to us in your name!'" Jesus replied, "I saw Satan fall like
lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on
serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing
shall hurt you."
As humans, we try to apply our time and space to the Kingdom of Heaven,
and it confuses us when Jesus and the disciples say, "The kingdom of heaven
is at hand." Truly, the kingdom of heaven was at hand, and Jesus told the
seventy-two that Satan had been cast down to earth. Just as John wrote in
Revelation 12, Christ was soon to be placed into authority, given all power
and salvation. His blood, the blood of the Lamb, the eternal sacrifice was
about to be applied to the alter for our sins. Satan now stands defeated,
powerless before us. We are now more than conquerors through Christ
Jesus, because His blood covers all.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we applied the Sacrifice? Has
our faith been placed on Jesus Christ, or do we believe salvation comes
through Christ along with another human? Do we hold to the testimony of
Jesus, which is the Word, or do we hold to the doctrines of men? Do we
stand with the scriptures, which say Satan is now cast down, powerless? Or
do we hold to the teachings of the Watchtower and William Branham, who
claim Satan is still in power? Are we actually trying to lift Satan back up
through the doctrines of men?
753
Pride and The Serpent

Ezekiel 28 teaches us the sin of pride, and tells us exactly where it comes
from.
In the example of the prince of Tyre, we find pride that had fully consumed a
man. Rulers of the pagan ancient world presented themselves as gods
before their people, demanding worship from their subjects and instilling fear
into their hearts to submission. The prince of Tyre was no exception. Not
only did he present himself as a god, he had convinced even himself that he
was a god -- insomuch that he started to say it aloud.
The prince of Tyre sat in the "seat of the gods," the city of Tyre. It is said that
he believed that he was Poseidon, ruler of the seas. Ezekiel condemned the
prince, reminding him that he was just a mortal man and not a god.
The prince was full of wisdom. Ezekiel said that he had more wisdom than
Daniel, but he used his wisdom for selfish reasons. His wisdom was used to
accumulate great wealth and power through the trade port city of Tyre.
While Daniel used his wisdom for God, the prince used wisdom to build one
of the most powerful trade routes of the ancient world. But he became filled
with pride in doing so.
Ezekiel condemned the prince of Tyre for his pride. Because he had made his
heart like the heart of a god, the One True God spoke through Ezekiel to
foretell of his coming demise. God would send the most ruthless of the
nations against Tyre, and their swords would cut through the prince's
wisdom. Ezekiel asked, "Will you still say 'I am a god' in the presence of
those who kill you?'"
The Word of the Lord came again to Ezekiel, telling him to speak out against
the evil that had consumed him. This time, God focused on the heart of the
matter: the "evil one" that had deceived the king.
Directly to the king of Tyre, Ezekiel said that he was the serpent from the
Garden of Eden, Satan himself. He was adorned with precious stones,
making himself beautiful, from the garden.
God reminded Satan that he was created to be a guardian cherub. He was
beautiful because God created him to be so, and placed him on the holy
mountain of God. Adorned with beautiful stones, Satan walked among the
stones of fire.
Satan was blameless before God from the day he was created, but one day
unrighteousness was found within. Just as the king of Tyre was exalted
754
because of the abundance of trade through the port city, Satan was
consumed by the abundance of his trade. Satan became filled with violence,
and he sinned.
God cast Satan from the holy mountain of God, driving him from the midst of
the stones of fire. Satan had became filled with pride because of his beauty,
and he corrupted his wisdom for the sake of his splendor.
As Ezekiel condemned the prince of Tyre, he then condemned Satan himself,
the evil that consumed the king. He foretold of the day when Satan would be
no more forever.
Ezekiel said that Satan would be cast down to the ground, and exposed
before kings. Their eyes would see Satan for who he is, and see the iniquity
that filled him. Satan would be consumed by fire, and lie as ashes on the
earth for all to see. All who once knew Satan would stand appalled at his
ashes, and Satan would come to his dreadful end. He would be no more
forever.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we let our pride consume us?
Do we think ourselves better than other Christians? How many follow the
doctrines from Jeffersonville that other Christians who are "kind to the bride"
will be our servants? How many pray in the name of Joseph, making him a
god like the king of Tyre? How many focus on the "hidden wisdom" and the
"mysteries" rather than the Word of God? If God were to come down in our
midst today, would he speak through us against this evil, or would we be the
ones He sent men to condemn?
755
The Evening Light of Destruction

Zechariah 14 tells about the "Evening Light," God's reminder that there will
be light at the end of the tunnel after the time of destruction.
Many songs have been written about the "Evening Light", such as "It shall be
light about the evening time, the path to glory we shall surely find," and
many churches have sprung up around the world calling themselves
"Evening Light Fellowship" or "Evening Light Church".
Even cult leaders have risen, claiming that they are the "Evening Light
Messenger." William Branham, for instance, claimed Zechariah 14:7 applied
to his ministry. Charles Taze Russell claimed it applied to his ministry in a
publication called "Jehovah's Footstool Made Glorious." John Alexander Dowie
called his city "Zion," applying it to his ministry and trying to move the
location of Armageddon.
The strange part about this is that if they knew what they were saying, they
would quickly change the name and rip the pages from the songbooks.
Zechariah describes a day that is coming, one when the spoil will be divided
before our very eyes. God will gather all the nations against Israel to battle,
and the city of Jerusalem will be taken. Within Jerusalem, the houses will be
plundered and the women will be raped. Half of the city will be exiled, but
the other half will remain in the city. Though cult leaders have applied the
"Evening Light" to their ministry, many have been dead and gone without
witnessing even the first verse of Zechariah 14 during their life span.
Zechariah 14:3-4 describes how God will come on the scene. Once the city is
taken, God Himself will fight against the nations that rose up against Israel.
Zechariah says that God's feet will stand upon the Mount of Olives to the
east of Jerusalem, and the mount itself will be split in half from east to west.
Half of the Mount will move northward, and the other half will move
southward.
It is evident that cult leaders, pastors, and evangelists who applied
Zechariah 14:7 to their ministry have not fully read the scriptures before
choosing the name. God has not shown Himself on the Mount of Olives, and
the mount itself has not been split in two.
When Mount Olives is split, Zechariah describes how Jerusalem will flee into
the valley that is created. That valley will reach all the way into a place
Zechariah describes as "Azal." The people will flee quickly as they fled from
the great earthquakes in the day of Uzziah, king of Judah.
756
Once they've fled and the city of Jerusalem is emptied, God's power and
might will be displayed before all mankind. Zechariah says that after this,
"The Lord my God will come and all the holy ones with Him."
Finally, we come to Zechariah 14:7, which cult leaders apply to their ministry.
But Zechariah does not describe this as an "age," or as a "time" or as any
span of days, this is a single day that is unique. There will be no light, no
cold, no frost. Neither day nor night will be present on the Earth.
But Zechariah gives hope in time of trouble. Though the entire earth will
tremble in fear having seen God come down to earth, the mountains split,
the sun refusing to shine, and the temperature warming, Zechariah says not
to worry: It shall be light at the evening time.
The rest of Zechariah 14 describes God's vengeance on those that rose
against Israel. Just as we find that none of the events prior to Zechariah 14:7
have happened before the ministries of the cult leaders, we also find that
none of the events afterward have happened since their death.
Water does not flow from Jerusalem, half going to the eastern sea and the
other half flowing to the western sea. Summer will grow cold like winter. God
will be King over all the earth. The land will be flattened, from Geba about 5
1/2 miles north of Jerusalem to Rimmon about 13 miles south of the West
Bank. Jerusalem will be under God's protection.
Plagues will strike all who raged war against Jerusalem. Their flesh will rot
while they stand on their feet. Panic will strike these nations to the point that
they will all join together to help each other. Even Judah, which is now the
southern part of Israel itself, will fight at Jerusalem. All of the surrounding
nations will fall to plague, and every animal from least to greatest will be
infected.
Anyone who survives these plagues will be turned to God. One year later,
they will go to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts, the Almighty
God. They will travel to participate in the "Feast of Booths," or "Feast of
Tabernacles," which is a holiday September through October celebrating with
meals that have been storied up for the celebration. The survivors will come
looking for food.
Those who do not celebrate will not have food. There will be no rain on the
surrounding nations, and famine will strike. The plague will strike harshly as
punishment, and those who do not travel to Jerusalem to celebrate will
endure the plague.
The celebration that takes place will be fully dedicated to God. On the bells
of horses, on the pots and bowls, and everywhere to be seen will be
757
inscribed "Holy unto the Lord." All who join in the celebration can eat of the
meat in the pots, and there will be no trade required to participate. Everyone
may come and eat freely in the celebration of God!
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we an "Evening Light" follower?
Have we followed some strange evening light that is not described in the
Bible? Is it possible we have been following Satan, who disguises himself as a
bright light? Or are we looking to the great day when the Lord will come sit
on the Mount of Olives and place himself upon the throne? Are we looking for
the events before and after Zechariah 14:7, or have we been blinded to see
only the single verse?
758
The Seventh Angel Messenger That Lied

Continuing yesterday's thoughts about the "Evening Light" of Zechariah 14,
today we will examine Revelation 10-11, which is also used by many cult
leaders to promote themselves as the "end time messenger."
Revelation 10 gives a mystery. To the bible reader who avoids the book of
Revelation for the level of study required to connect it to all of the other
pertaining Bible scriptures, it is a great mystery. Seemingly one that God
gives little clues about.
But to the person who is constantly reading the Word, there are several clues
that are very evident. In fact, they are in the very next chapter of
Revelation.
John writes that a mighty angel came down, wrapped in a cloud with a
rainbow over his head. His face was like the sun and his legs like pillars of
fire. In his hand was a scroll.
The angel stood with one foot on the sea and one foot on the land, and when
he spoke, seven thunders sounded. John knew what the seven thunders
uttered, but a voice from the heavens told John not to write. The mystery
was sealed up.
Then comes the verse that cult leaders use, pointing to themselves,
Revelation 10:7: "But in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the
seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to
his servants the prophets."
The voice from the heavens told John to eat the scroll, and he did. It tasted
as sweet as honey, but made his stomach very bitter.
At the end of Revelation 10, there is a verse that seems to be missed by the
followers of the cult leaders who use this chapter of Revelation. The voice
from the heavens spoke again, and told John that he must prophecy again
about many peoples and nations, which is described in the next chapter,
Revelation 11.
Revelation 11 describes the same events that are described in Zechariah 14,
but adds additional details.
Also, it confirms the prophecy given by
Zechariah. At the same time, it gives more clues to the prophecy given in
Revelation 10 about the "seventh messenger," which seem not to be studied
by these cult leaders proclaiming to be the seventh messenger.
759
Just as Zechariah saw in a vision, God comes down to His throne before the
seventh messenger sounds the trumpet. John takes this thought into greater
detail, because he was giving a measuring staff to measure the temple that
God would sit in.
John is told to measure the inside of the temple, but not the courts outside.
Just as Zechariah wrote, John describes a great battle that would take place,
one that would last for forty-two months. The outside of the temple, the
courtyard, would be trampled.
Next, John adds another detail: the two witnesses. These two witnesses will
prophesy for 1,260 days before the seventh messenger sounds his trumpet,
all the while protected by God Himself. John is told that these are the two
olive trees, the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. If
anyone should harm them, they would be utterly destroyed. Fire pours out of
their mouth!
These two witnesses have power from God. They have the power to shut the
sky, explaining the famine described in Zechariah. During their days of
prophesying, they will shut the sky so that no rain will fall on the nations
surrounding Israel. The plagues that Zechariah describe are confirmed by
John, but amplified by the two witnesses. They have the power to turn the
waters into blood and strike the earth with every kind of plague -- as often as
they desire.
Next, still before the seventh messenger sounds his trumpet, we see the
beast. When the two witnesses have finished their testimony, the beast rises
from the bottomless pit. He makes war on the two witnesses, and kills them.
Their bodies lie in the streets of the city where the Lord was crucified. For
three and a half days, people from all nations will gaze at their dead bodies,
refusing to let them be buried. The world will rejoice because of the death of
these two prophets, because the plagues have ended and the two witnesses,
the two prophets of God are dead.
But not for long.
Still before the seventh messenger sounds his trumpets, these two prophets
will be given the breath of life by Almighty God. They stand to their feet
once more, and the earth trembles in fear because of the power and
resurrection from God in these two witnesses. As their enemies watch, a
voice from the heavens call them, and they rise to heaven in a cloud.
Next, and still before the seventh messenger sounds his trumpet, a great
earthquake takes place. A tenth of the city of Jerusalem is to fall, and seven
thousand people will be killed by the earthquake. It will be such a terrible
760
catastrophe that the rest of the city will be terrified of these events and give
glory to God in heaven.
Finally, after all of these events, none of which that have happened yet, we
find John describing the next event that cult leaders proclaim points to
themselves: The seventh messenger and his trumpet. Their announcement
is something special, something described by both Zechariah and by John in
their visions, the great event we all have been looking for: The day that
Christ reigns as king.
When the seventh angel sounds his trumpet, the kingdom of this world
becomes the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. He shall reign forever as king
of this world, and will sit on the throne in the temple that John measured.
The dead will be judged, the reward will come for His servants both small
and great, and the destroyers of the earth will themselves be destroyed. The
ark of the covenant will once again be seen in the temple, and it will be an
awesome sight. Flashes of lightning will be seen, rumblings of the earth will
be felt, and thunders will be heard. As it sits down, an earthquake will shake
the earth and heavy hail will fall.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Has the seventh angel sounded the
trumpet? Do we see God sitting on His throne? Have we seen two witnesses
strike the earth with plagues? Have we seen their dead bodies lying in the
streets where our Lord was crucified? Have we seen them rise again and
ride a cloud of Glory into heaven? Have we witnessed famine in the nations
that surround Israel, so much that they cry out unto the One True God for
mercy?
After the death of these false messengers, proclaiming to be the seventh
angel, have we seen God judging the earth? Have we been given our
reward? Or have we listened to a false leader who purposefully tried to
position himself into great power using twisted scriptures?
761
William Marrion Branham - The Holy Daily Horoscope

Want to know why Branham changes his numbers and his dates? Want to see
why the wild-crazy statistics, like "80% of children in Arizona schools are
mentally deficient?" ...it all makes sense once you realize that there is a
pattern to the craziness!
...
Many have wondered in amazement at the numbers William Branham used not only how they do not match from sermon-to-sermon, but how inaccurate
they are used in his application of the number itself. Even his own birthdate
does not match by his own accounts!
Quotes from Branham such as "Eighty percent of babies born to smoking
mothers die," or "Eighty percent of children in Arizona schools suffer a
mental deficiency," or "there were five hundred ushers in the auditorium"
shock the followers at first, and then excuses are made to support the
inaccurate quote.
At the same time, strange teachings are woven through his sermons, such as
"the first Bible was the Zodiac," or how the name-numerology of the names
"Ricky" and "Elvis" are evil. All the while, Branham seems to be picking and
choosing a "verse" as his "context" for the sermon instead of an entire
chapter to gain the actual context from scripture. How could a man who
teaches Christ, some wonder, teach numerology from ancient pagan Hindu
and Buddhist religions?
The answer is simple: William Branham was born under a sign. He even told
us so.
762
The Dead Bodies Lay, There Will the Eagles Gather

We continue our study of the "Evening Light" with Luke 17, specifically the
description that Jesus Himself gave of the Gospel of the Kingdom, which is
the Good News of the coming Kingdom of God.
In combination with the scriptures we've already examined in Zechariah 14
and Revelation 10, we find that Luke 17 is also twisted by cult leaders to
point the text to their own ministry. Rather than elevate Christ in His coming
Glory by proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, they proclaim that their own
ministry is the "gospel of the kingdom," by pointing these scriptures to their
own 'message'.
In The Early Writings of Charles Taze Russell, Charles Taze Russell, founder of
the Jehovah's Witnesses claims that Luke 17 was mistranslated. In an article
entitled, "Wherein Did We Err", he describes the actual "kingdom of heaven"
timeline which coincides with his own ministry. William Branham applied Luke
17:30 to his own ministry over thirty times in 1965 alone. In fact, if we
examine all of the men claiming to be the "end time messenger" who gave a
date prediction of the end of days, we find most of them applied the
"Kingdom of Heaven Gospel" to their own ministry.
In scriptures, we find that the Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of
God would come, but the reply Jesus gave confused them. While He was
standing in their midst, He said that the "kingdom of God is not coming in
ways that can be observed," and that it "is in the midst of you."
Alone to his disciples, he gives a fuller description. Jesus told His disciples
that the day would come when you would want to see one of the "days" of
the Son of Man [Jesus], but would not see it. Jesus was telling his disciples
that people would one day rise and try to predict the "day" of His coming.
These men would lead you astray with this desire to see one of the days.
Jesus said that they will say to you, "Look there," or "Look here! Do not go
out and follow them. As Jesus said in other scriptures, no man knows the day
nor the hour.
Then, Jesus gives clear description of what events to look for. They match
John's description in Revelation 10 exactly. Jesus said to look for lightening
that flashes and lights up the sky from one side of the other. This is what it
will be like when the Son of Man comes.
Jesus reminds them that they are not in the generation of the Kingdom of
God. He told his disciples that he would suffer many things and be rejected
by this [their] generation.
763
Jesus then speaks of the dreadful events that Zechariah describe. He warned
them that the time would catch people unawares, many would be
celebrating just as it was in the days of Noah when they were taken by
surprise. John writes in Revelation 10 that there would be a great celebration
at the killing of the two witnesses. Jesus said it was also like the days of Lot,
when they were celebrating and building. Fire and sulfur caught them
unaware.
But Jesus gives a good hint: "Remember Lot's wife." He reminded His
disciples that Lot's wife paused to look back, and that was her demise. She
was turned into a pillar of salt because she did not flee with decisiveness.
Jesus said, "let the one on the housetop not go inside to gather his goods
when he flees. Let the one who is in the field not turn back to his own house
when he flees.
Jesus confirms Zechariah's description of half the city of Jerusalem
destroyed. Jesus said there would be two women grinding at the mill, one
taken and the other left. Two will be sleeping in their beds, the one taken and
the other left.
His disciples asked him where these people, half of the city of Jerusalem,
would be taken. Jesus gave them clear description of what would happen to
them: Where the corpse is, the vultures will gather.
Some translations describe this is where the "carcass" is, the "eagles" will
gather, and cult leaders take this verse out of context to point to their own
ministry. If they realized that it was speaking of where the dead bodies will
go after Armageddon, how that the eagles, vultures, and other birds of prey
would be feeding on the dead, they would surely change their doctrine.
...unless their doctrine is simply that: feeding upon the dead.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Has Luke 17 pointed to the ministry
of any single cult leader from the beginning of time until today? Do we see
half of the city of Jerusalem destroyed? Have we seen vultures feeding upon
the dead corpses of those who did not flee? Have we even seen an event
within Jerusalem strong enough to make the citizens desire to flee? Have we
been listening to a different "kingdom of heaven" gospel than Jesus taught?
Are we even looking for the real "Kingdom of Heaven?" Or do we plan to be
left behind?
764
Where The Dead Bodies Lay, There Will the Eagles Gather
We continue our study of the "Evening Light" with Luke 17, specifically the
description that Jesus Himself gave of the Gospel of the Kingdom, which is
the Good News of the coming Kingdom of God.
In combination with the scriptures we've already examined in Zechariah 14
and Revelation 10, we find that Luke 17 is also twisted by cult leaders to
point the text to their own ministry. Rather than elevate Christ in His coming
Glory by proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, they proclaim that their own
ministry is the "gospel of the kingdom," by pointing these scriptures to their
own 'message'.
In The Early Writings of Charles Taze Russell, Charles Taze Russell, founder of
the Jehovah's Witnesses claims that Luke 17 was mistranslated. In an article
entitled, "Wherein Did We Err", he describes the actual "kingdom of heaven"
timeline which coincides with his own ministry. William Branham applied
Luke 17:30 to his own ministry over thirty times in 1965 alone. In fact, if we
examine all of the men claiming to be the "end time messenger" who gave a
date prediction of the end of days, we find most of them applied the
"Kingdom of Heaven Gospel" to their own ministry.
In scriptures, we find that the Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of
God would come, but the reply Jesus gave confused them. While He was
standing in their midst, He said that the "kingdom of God is not coming in
ways that can be observed," and that it "is in the midst of you."
Alone to his disciples, he gives a fuller description. Jesus told His disciples
that the day would come when you would want to see one of the "days" of
the Son of Man [Jesus], but would not see it. Jesus was telling his disciples
that people would one day rise and try to predict the "day" of His coming.
These men would lead you astray with this desire to see one of the days.
Jesus said that they will say to you, "Look there," or "Look here! Do not go
out and follow them. As Jesus said in other scriptures, no man knows the day
nor the hour.
Then, Jesus gives clear description of what events to look for. They match
John's description in Revelation 10 exactly. Jesus said to look for lightening
that flashes and lights up the sky from one side of the other. This is what it
will be like when the Son of Man comes.
Jesus reminds them that they are not in the generation of the Kingdom of
God. He told his disciples that he would suffer many things and be rejected
by this [their] generation.
765
Jesus then speaks of the dreadful events that Zechariah describe. He

warned them that the time would catch people unawares, many would be
celebrating just as it was in the days of Noah when they were taken by
surprise. John writes in Revelation 10 that there would be a great celebration
at the killing of the two witnesses. Jesus said it was also like the days of Lot,
when they were celebrating and building. Fire and sulfur caught them
unaware.
But Jesus gives a good hint: "Remember Lot's wife." He reminded His
disciples that Lot's wife paused to look back, and that was her demise. She
was turned into a pillar of salt because she did not flee with decisiveness.
Jesus said, "let the one on the housetop not go inside to gather his goods
when he flees. Let the one who is in the field not turn back to his own house
when he flees.
Jesus confirms Zechariah's description of half the city of Jerusalem
destroyed. Jesus said there would be two women grinding at the mill, one
taken and the other left. Two will be sleeping in their beds, the one taken
and the other left.
His disciples asked him where these people, half of the city of Jerusalem,
would be taken. Jesus gave them clear description of what would happen to
them: Where the corpse is, the vultures will gather.
Some translations describe this is where the "carcass" is, the "eagles" will
gather, and cult leaders take this verse out of context to point to their own
ministry. If they realized that it was speaking of where the dead bodies will
go after Armageddon, how that the eagles, vultures, and other birds of prey
would be feeding on the dead, they would surely change their doctrine.
...unless their doctrine is simply that: feeding upon the dead.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Has Luke 17 pointed to the ministry
of any single cult leader from the beginning of time until today? Do we see
half of the city of Jerusalem destroyed? Have we seen vultures feeding upon
the dead corpses of those who did not flee? Have we even seen an event
within Jerusalem strong enough to make the citizens desire to flee? Have we
been listening to a different "kingdom of heaven" gospel than Jesus taught?
Are we even looking for the real "Kingdom of Heaven?" Or do we plan to be
left behind?
766

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THE 2012 ARTICLES

The Intersection of Jim Jones and William Branham....................................203

About This Book

Signs of the Time

Vindication of a True Prophet

An interesting article makes us fear it less; most of us have already been

Deceive The Very Elect If Possible

The Large Body of Christ

casting out a member of the Body of Christ because they do

Greatest Gift is Love

Hymenaeus and Alexander

Culture and Custom of the Jews

Baptism Required for the Holy Ghost?

others to raise them up to a place of worship, or do they quickly tell them to

I Was Not Disobedient

Accept the Gift of Grace by Faith in Jesus Christ

Repentance Leads to Salvation

Said the Clay to the Potter

Do Our Actions Deny God?

Preach a Sermon Through Your Actions

As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Do we serve the new High Priest,

Receive Chastening with Joy

the blessing, but instead he was rejected. He found no place of repentance,

Faith Comes by Hearing the Word of God

Bringing the Hearts Back to the Fathers

Gifts and Callings Are Without Repentance

To him all things

As Christians, we should ask ourselves: do we cast away those that live

How an Angel Came to Me

The Root of All Evil

The Second Resurrection Before the Resurrection

Wives should submit themselves to their

husbands, as the Lord wants us to

Speaking in Tongues Movement

The Correct Way to Have Faith

The Visions, Discernment, Healings, Prophecies

Those Blessed FBI Agents

Two Visitations from the Angel

A Pardon Not Accepted

Commentary on Biddle v. Petrovich (1927):

Faith Without Actions

Back to the Original Faith

Marilyn Monroe Vision of a Heart Attack

Pillar of Fire Deemed Supernatural by the FBI

WMB's Big Lie: Paralyzed from Faking Sickness

Do not Judge Others

When he was finished teaching, everyone was astonished. He spoke with

Latter Rain and Healing

What is the Message?

Love That Attracts Sinners

Really? You're Pulling My Leg!!!

Smoking Man's Filter

He felt so condemned by this sermon that he found himself asking

Blameless Before Others

Bro. Branham Won't Be in the Kingdom of the Lord??

2) Nancy Branham, WMB's great-great grandmother bore Lewis Branham,

Judas Iscariot in Heaven with Us?

I said, "Just a minute, nurse." We knew her real well.

Branham Taught the Trinity?

Brother Jim Jones

As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Are we so humble that we would tell

Wisdom Through Knowledge