BIBLE BELIEVERS NEWSLETTER
Vol. 10
April 4, 2004
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What Is The "Message"?
(By: Stephen D. Wall)
We
have all heard the phrases used time and time again,
"Are you in the Message? Are
you a follower of the Message? Have
you accepted the Message? Are
you a believer of the Message?” There
are many more phrases used, but this is just a few to give you the idea of what
is being said.
Once
these people ask you these series of questions then they began to eye your
outward appearance from head to toe. They
search for the most unnoticeable flaw to try and see what place in the message
you fit. Is he serpent seed?
Is he a Deity believer? Is he
a Millennium or Return Ministry man? Is
he a Legalist? Is he a Grace man?
Is he a Anointed One of the end time?
Is he a Pentecost? Is he
this, is he that?
Never able to look at the man and see Christ,
but always finding flaws and faults.
Why is this Pharisee spirit so prevalent in the churches today?
Why is there so many split relationships under this banner we call the
message? Is it
because of that evil twin ‘Cain’ within our mist,
or could
it be a misconception or
false understanding on what is the Message ?
We
have heard so many quotes repeated time and time again from "spoken word
books", behind pulpits, until we don't even have a need to quote the Holy
scriptures from the Word of God any more. We
have heard experience after experience concerning Bro. Branham and his life
until we can't even begin to relate a simple Bible story
any more. We research and
re-research doctrines that the prophet taught, only to confuse the simple
teachings by not researching those doctrines through the Word of God.
Once these practices are set, we
began to take upon us the spirit of the Pharisees.
We then denominate our concept of the message upon our private
revelations, and build walls to protect that false concept.
That is when we began to ask the most popular question of all times,
"Are you in the Message" and or, “Is he in the
Message?” I now ask you,
"What Message are you speaking of?” The
Message of the Bible, or the Message you mustered up out of your years of
misconceptions?
Why
was Bro. Branham so serious every time he said, "GET BACK TO
THE WORD"? Could
it be he realize that the Word of
God, is the building block for every one that say they believed.
He even said, that building block we are speaking of,
became a "New Book" once he began to receive the revelation
that it taught.
It
doesn't amaze me to see the many different concepts of the message.
What amazes me is to see how blind so-called believers can be, regarding
what the Message is. The
Message isn't William M. Branham. The
Message isn't the fact that he is the End-Time Prophet.
The Message isn't the Spoken Word Books.
The Message isn't wearing long dresses and acting as if that is your
righteousness. The Message isn’t
your affiliation with other so called believers. The Message isn’t being able
to quote quotes.
The Message isn’t judging our brother or our sister by what we think we
know.
Apostle
Paul said of the Galatian church, "
I marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace
of Christ unto another gospel; which
is not another, but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the
gospel of Christ."(Gal.1:6-7). Satan
has crept in and diluted (perverted) the Gospel in this last age just as he did
in the first church age, and it has produced these misconceptions of this
glorious message, and the laity in
most cases will accept these false concepts under the guidelines of their own
confusion of what the message is.
Those
that hold the “truth in unrighteousness” are under the wrath of God.
Romans 1: 18-25 says, “For
the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.
Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them;
for God hath showed it unto them. For
the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen,
being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power,
and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither
were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart
was darkened. Professing themselves
to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God
into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed
beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore
God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own bodies
between themselves; Who changed the
truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the
Creator, who is blessed forever.” Amen.
By
teaching another gospel and by holding the truth in unrighteousness, the
foundation of what the message is has been perverted and diluted with false
teachings. It has corrupted the
minds of the laity with doubt and confusion to the point that they will condemn
truth and cast false judgments upon those that believe, saying, “they have not
the Holy Ghost, or they are not in the message, or they are foolish virgins!”
Through these false misconceptions the laity has been taught that the
Gifts are no longer in operation. That
ended at the close of Bro. Branham’s ministry, or they are to be put in the
back room and judged by two or three witnesses.
These people can’t accept that Bro. Branham had a purpose for bringing
order within his own church, so therefore they bring the gifts to a halt.
Many ministers refuse the operation of the gifts
for the fact that God might
reveal something hidden in their own lives.
The laity is also being taught that the rapture took place at
Then
we have those that refuse to believe Eph. 4: 11-13.
They believe that Bro. Branham is their pastor.
If they can’t accept correction
from the Word of God, the Bible, (and I must declare what book I’m referring
to since there are those that believe we no longer need the Bible since we have
spoken word books) what makes
them think they will receive correction
from God’s mouth piece, the prophet? This
group of people disobey the Bible and the principals proclaimed therein by
sending tithes and offerings to those whose ministry is conducted in the fashion
of a business, and they (businessmen) become prosperous in their own ways.
I
could go on and on with teachings of ANOTHER GOSPEL, WHICH IS NOT ANOTHER
but there be some that will trouble you, and would pervert the GOSPEL of CHRIST!
I must now declare unto you today my friend,
none of these things previously mentioned are the Message.
These things are nothing more than perverted confusion in the Church!
Therefore, if none of these
things are related to the Message, ,
then what is? Bro.
Branham taught that this last church age would pattern after the first church
age. So we can go all the way back
to the first church age and find out what the message is,
and find that it runs all the way through to the last church age.
It hasn’t changed and it never will.
Apostle
Paul in the first book of Corinthians declares what the message is.
I. Cor. 1: 17-31, “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the
gospel; not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of
none effect. For the preaching
of the cross is to them that perish
foolishness; but unto us which are saved
it is the power of God.
For it is written, I will
destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of
the prudent. Where is the wise?
Where is the scribe? Where is
the disputer of this world? Hath not
God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For
after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God
by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom;
(What do you require? What do you
seek?) but we preach CHRIST
CRUCIFIED! Unto the Jews a
stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of
God, and the wisdom of God. Because
the foolishness of God is wiser then men; and the weakness of God is stronger
than men. For ye see your calling,
brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many
noble, are called; but God hath
chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise;
and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things
which are mighty, and base things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and
things which are not, to bring to naught things that are;
that no flesh should glory in His presence.
But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and
righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption; that according as it is
written, He that glorieth, let him
glory in the Lord. Amen!
Chapter
two,
“ And I brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of
speech or of wisdom, (or some far out inconceivable
doctrine) declaring unto you the testimony of God.
For I determined not to know any
thing among you save Jesus Christ, and
Him crucified . And I
was with you in weakness and in fear, and in much trembling.
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s
wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power; that your
faith should not stand in the wisdom
of men, but in the power of God.”
Amen!
Here
we find Apostle Paul the first church age Messenger,
the one that stated, “If any man preach any other gospel unto you then
that ye have received, let him be accursed.” (Gal.1:9)
The one that also declare, “Be strong in the LORD and in the power of
His might.” (Eph.
Many
people during the days of Jesus had an opinion of who He was, but many did not
know who He was. Jesus Himself
came to His disciples saying, “Whom do men say that I the Son of man
am? And they said, some say that
thou art John the Baptist, some
Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
He saith unto them, But whom
say ye that I am? And Simon Peter
answered and said, Thou art the
Christ, the Son of the living God. And
Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed
art thou, Simon Bar-jona; for flesh
and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will
build My church; and the gates of
hell shall not prevail against it”. (Matt.
16: 13-18).
Upon
what “rock” is Christ speaking of? Is
it upon having a intellectual
knowledge of Him (or the Message of the hour)?
Is it upon someone’s private revelation that was mustered up out of a
few quotes, and therefore becomes
the bedding ground upon what they preach? Is it denying the gifts in the church
and the five fold ministry? I say
not . This “Rock” that
Christ is speaking of is, “Having
a Revelation of who He (Christ) is.” Until
you receive that revelation you can’t know what the Message is.
Christ was declaring that day to His disciples what the Message is,
and said, “ Upon this Rock
(the revelation of Who I Am) I will build “My
Church”. Anything out side of this
is not identified as His Church!
Who
is the ministry lifting up in this last day?
Who and what are many ministers preaching in this last day?
Bro. Branham’s ministry brought us into a greater light of
this “One” we are to be lifting up.
His ministry brought us into a greater understanding of those hidden
doctrines that were to cause the church to grow and be conformed into the image
of Christ. His ministry was to be a
example of what we are to be as members of the Bride of Christ.
His ministry was not accursed for it lined up with that of Apostle
Paul’s. What was his ministry?
There are many opinions of what it was, but according to the gospel it
was, “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever”!
What He was in Paul’s day, He is the same in our day.
That is why Bro. Branham boldly declared,
“GET BACK TO THE WORD” for
its only in the word you will find what the Message is, and your position in
this Message (which is Christ!)
The
ministry can go on preaching the doctrines of law which consist of, sisters let
your hair grow and wear dresses that drag the floor,
be silent and submissive. Quit
smoking, drinking, cussing,
and throw your televisions out the door. But, until you began to teach
Christ and Him crucified these doctrines will only get the outward appearance
under subjection. You will have no
victory in your life. You will
continually judge one another by your own superior
appearance within the flesh.
You will deny the simplicity of the gospel by trying to add and take from
it. You will not accept sound
doctrine and therefore refuse the gifts that God Himself has placed in the
church. Your church attendance will
be based upon the fact that it is Sunday and you have to go or the preacher will
nag you. Your spirit will not enter
into the worship service, for you find yourself under so many man made rules and
regulations that fear begins to set in. Is
this what the message is to become? Is this the message the prophet projected
during his ministry? I say not!
Apostle
Paul says in
This
in no way takes anything from Bro.
Branham and his ministry, But, it vindicates
it as being the absolute. For
he not only preached Christ and Him Crucified, but he manifested it in his every
day walk. Now is the time and day my
friend to do as the scripture bids, “Examine yourselves, whether you be
in the faith; prove your own selves.
Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you,
except you be reprobates? (II. Cor. 13:5) May
God bless you!
Please
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