BelieveTheSign

Love in the message

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Those that follow the message of William Branham are so fixated on the negative and on themselves, that they have effectively altered Jesus’ message of love into one of hate for those Christians that do not believe the message.

I luv WMB.jpg

The Bible has a very simple test as to whether a person is a Christian or not - Do they love? But what do we see in the message?

The clear test of the Biblical Christianity

Jesus said:

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.[1]
But I tell you who hear me: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who ill-treat you... If you love only the people who love you, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners do that! ...Love your enemies and do good to them; lend and expect nothing back. You will then have a great reward, and you will be children of the Most High God. For he is good to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful just as your Father is merciful.[2]

Paul states in 1 Corinthians 13 that

I may have the gift of inspired preaching; I may have all knowledge and understand all secrets; I may have all the faith needed to move mountains — but if I have no love, I am nothing. I may give away everything I have, and even give up my body to be burnt — but if I have no love, this does me no good. Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs; love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up; and its faith, hope, and patience never fail.[3]

And John tells us:

This is the clear difference between God’s children and the Devil’s children: all who do not do what is right or do not love others are not God’s children. ...My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action. ...There is no fear in love; perfect love drives out all fear. So then, love has not been made perfect in anyone who is afraid, because fear has to do with punishment.[4]

The Biblical message is clear:

  1. Christians do what is right and love others.
  2. Christian don't just love people that love them. They should show love to everyone as Christ did.
  3. Christians love those that hate them, they love their enemies.
  4. Christians are not to be ill-mannered or selfish or irritable.
  5. Christian love must be shown in action, and not just talk.
  6. If a Christian is afraid of God's punishment, it is because they do not understand the love of God.

What we see in the message

How is love displayed in message churches? While William Branham was all over the map on this issue, he did from time to time convey the message that Christians must display love but this is generally ignored by those in message churches and is rarely practiced.

Caring for the poor?

Paul told about his meeting with James, Peter and John in Jerusalem and said that:

...they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.  Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.[5]

However, the experience that we and many others have had with most message churches is that they are insular, self-focused and not interested in helping anyone that is not "one of them". In fact, we are aware of situations where members of a church wanted to do something to help the poor of their community and the response from the deacons was that the individual was "being carnal".

When disaster strikes in some part of the world, what we generally hear is - "Thank God no believers were hurt", rather than an outpouring of love for those that were hurt.

Reaction to questions?

When we started asking questions - honest sincere questions - about the message, we were met with shock.

Peter clearly tells us how to behave:

But set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you possess.  Yet do it with courtesy and respect...[6]

But when questions are asked, there is never any valid response. Instead, the person raising the questions often becomes the target of abuse, even if that person is the pastor, a song leader or a deacon. If you are just a member of the congregation, you can imagine how you will be treated.

Is this the love of God?

How are those that leave treated?

Most individuals that leave William Branham's message are not contacted after they leave by either the church leadership or those in the congregation. If those in the message really think that those who fall away from the message are lost, one has to wonder why there is generally no attempt to go after them. Didn’t Jesus talk about leaving the ninety-nine sheep grazing on the hillside to go and look for the lost sheep? One wonders what kind of Christians those in the message are when they don’t even make a half-hearted attempt to go after those that have left. Is that the mark of real Christianity?

What we and many others have experienced on leaving the message is a complete shunning and a total lack of love coming from those in the message. One is forced to conclude that many in the message are simply not Christians.

Love is corrective

Quotes of William Branham

...wherever you're from, we're all one in Christ Jesus, every one of us. God don't love one any more than He does the other one. He doesn't love me any more than He loves you. He doesn't love you any more than He loves me. So there we are; we're all one together in Christ Jesus. 23 And let's live like that. Let's live that every day before the world, and they'll see. That's the way you'll lift Jesus up to the world. Let others see Jesus in you. You're written epistles read of all men.[7]


Oh, if you'd only take God for your satisfying Portion, if you'd only change all that tommyrot into a worship of a God, how the Holy Spirit sweep over my soul, sweep over my soul… And the Church has got into the Laodicean Age just to beat a tambourine, or beat a piano up-and-down, jump and shout and act like the world all the time; when the love of God constrains us to do that which is right. Yes, no wonder we're getting nowhere. No wonder gifts can't come in the Church. God's got to have a foundation to put that Church on. He's got to have a Church to put those gifts in. He will never put it into a bunch of stuff like that. It is true. All different… "I'm a Presbyterian." "I'm Assembly." "I'm a Church of God." What's that?" Pot can't call kettle black. If you don't think… You belong to Christ, you got a love for the entire body of Christ whether he be Methodist, Presbyterian, Assemblies, or the Church of God, or whatever he may be.[8]


Jesus said, "This will all men know that you are My disciples, when you have…" when the Assemblies has love for the Oneness, and the Oneness has love for the Assemblies. When you have love one for another… Be right or wrong, and is long as the objective is wrong, the motive is wrong, rather, then you're wrong to begin with. Isn't that right? See, "Though I speak with tongue of men and angels, and have not charity, I'm not nothing yet." Because God is love; we know that.[9]


So when you surrender your complete being, then the Holy Spirit just pours through you, in these virtues, then you're a living tabernacle. Then people look out and say, "That's a man full of virtue, knowledge (he believes the Word), temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, full of the love of the Holy Ghost. See, there he is, walking around." What is it? A stature that unbelievers can look at and say, "There is a Christian. There is a man, or a woman, who knows what they're talking about. You never seen a kinder, sweeter, godlier person." You're sealed. A seal shows on both sides. Whether you're going or coming, you see the seal just the same. There you are. See? When a man or woman possess this, then the Capstone comes down and seals them into the Kingdom of God, which is the Holy Ghost.[10]


We're living in a time where the… Well, we're… Well, you just be real humble, be a Christian, and try to live for God, and live honest with your fellowman, and love those who don't love you. Don't try to—to make any… You see, you do, you only make it a mysterious something and mess the real program of God up. See? Yesterday afternoon something happened in my room that I—I'll never be able to—to leave it. You see? And so, you… And about two weeks ago something happened that'll never be able to, as long as I live on this earth, I—I'll never be able to get away from it. See?[11]


You'll love those who doesn't love you. That's really a good sign of Christianity: when you can, from your heart, love those who does not love you. Love the unloveable. 110 Jesus said, "If you just do favors for those that do favors for you, well, the publicans do the same thing." But, see, you must be kind to those who are unkind to you. Do good for those that would do evil to you. Always remember that. Keep that before you, that God is watching you. Remember, God was good to you when you were evil to Him. "While you were yet sinners, Christ died for you."[12]


For if you love those just who love you, as we shook one another's hands, as dearly beloved in the Lord, that's good, but can you also love the unlovable? That's the thinking man's Filter. That's the Spirit of Christ in you, loving those who don't love you, then you have the reward of God. But, now, if you do it as a duty, you still haven't got the thinking man… You're only up in the second cycle. But it's from your heart you really love him, then you're breathing through the thinking man's Filter. And It satisfies a holy man's taste, that you know, from your heart you forgive everybody, everything, no matter what taken place. Isn't He wonderful?[13]



Footnotes

  1. ↑ New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Jn 13:34–35.
  2. ↑ American Bible Society, The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation, 2nd ed. (New York: American Bible Society, 1992), Lk 6:27–36.
  3. ↑ American Bible Society, The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation, 2nd ed. (New York: American Bible Society, 1992), 1 Co 13:2–7.
  4. ↑ American Bible Society, The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation, 2nd ed. (New York: American Bible Society, 1992), 1 Jn 3:10, 18, 4:18.
  5. ↑ The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Ga 2:9–10.
  6. ↑ Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2005), 1 Pe 3:15–16.
  7. ↑ William Branham, 47-1123, The Children Of Israel, para. 22
  8. ↑ William Branham, 58-0228, Thy Loving Kindness, para. 33
  9. ↑ William Branham, 61-0425B, The Godhead Explained, para. 292
  10. ↑ William Branham, 62-1014M, The Stature Of A Perfect Man, para. 360
  11. ↑ William Branham, 63-0324M, Questions And Answers On The Seals, para. 15
  12. ↑ William Branham, 63-1114, Influence, para. 109
  13. ↑ William Branham, 65-0822E, A Thinking Man's Filter, para. 198


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