The devaluation of Christ

One of the earmarks of a cult is the devaluation of Christ. Is this true of the Message?

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Did William Branham Minimize the Ministries of the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ?

As we examine this question, we return to our methodology for studying Scripture, Isaiah 28:10 (KJV):

For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; Line upon line, line upon line; Here a little, and there a little

Holy Spirit

Let’s look at the Ministry of the Holy Spirit first. To examine this ministry, we only need to look at what Jesus Christ Himself tells us about this subject in the Gospel of John:

John 14:15-16 (KJV) 15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever

John 14:25-26 (KJV)

25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

John 16:12-13 (KJV)

12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

So, Jesus tells us that there are three distinct attributes of the Holy Spirit that we find relevant to this discussion:

1. He will ABIDE WITH US FOR EVER;
2. He will TEACH US ALL THINGS;
3. He will GUIDE US INTO ALL TRUTH.

Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would arrive:

Acts 1:4-5 (KJV)

4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.

5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

And in fact, true to the promise of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit did arrive:

Acts 2:1-4

1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The DAY OF PENTECOST is the moment the Holy Spirit FELL upon the people, the disciples of Jesus, in the upper room.

The Apostle Peter tells the people in Jerusalem how they themselves shall receive the Holy Spirit:

Acts 2:37-38 (KJV)

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Peter here tells the people in Jerusalem the “FORMULA” for Salvation through Jesus Christ… it’s a simple formula:

1. REPENT, proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior;
2. BE BAPTIZED for the remission of our sins;
3. You SHALL RECEIVE the Holy Spirit.

While this seems very straight forward, there is often confusion about “additional requirements” for Salvation… things like, “believe in the message for your day,” or perhaps “believe in the messenger for your hour.”

I call these requirements “additional” because they clearly are not included in Peter’s discussion on the Day of Pentecost. And because they are not included in the discussion which Peter had with those present, we can IGNORE THEM as Scriptural requirements for Salvation.

So, let’s bring this discussion back to William Branham and the question of whether he minimized the Ministry of the Holy Spirit.

One month prior to his death, William Branham who told us over 400 times in his 1,205 sermons that he was a prophet of God, gave us this:

The Word that fell on the Day of Pentecost will not work this day. No, sir. That was for Pentecost. This is for the Bride, going Home of the Bride. We got something different.

Remember, let me tell you, THUS SAITH THE SPIRIT OF GOD that's on me, this is the last sign to the Gentile church before the rapture. THUS SAITH THE WORD OF GOD, THUS SAITH THE HOLY SPIRIT that speaks, that, knows the secret of the heart, THUS SAITH THE LORD, you are receiving your last call. Call Me fanatic if you wish to and blaspheme the Holy Ghost.

The trouble of it is, you Pentecostal people, you Baptists, you Methodists, you've failed to recognize your God-given privilege. Hear me. THUS SAITH THE LORD, you believe it with all your heart. He promised it in the last day. Hasn't been for two thousand years, because the Bible said it wouldn't be. But Jesus said... As it was in the days of Sodom, when that Angel come, turned His back to the tent, and asked for Sarah, and told what she said in the building... How many knows that? Jesus said, "As it was in the days of Sodom, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man." When? Just before Sodom burned. That's just before this world's going to burn. The whole unbelieving world will be--go into chaos and burn with fervent heat. We know that. And just before that time... Remember, THUS SAITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, this is your last sign. Write it in your Bible. And if something rises besides this, and greater than this, call me a false prophet. That's quite a statement. I watch what I say. I'm in contact with better than ten million people around the world (See?), so I have to say that; and I know I didn't say that myself.

Will all borned again believers go in the rapture? No, just the remnant, just the remnant, not all born again believers. The Bible said, “And the rest of the dead lived not for a thousand years,” and then they was raised and separated, the sheep from the goats. Not all borned again will go in the…according to Scripture.

No matter how much education, and how kind, how much you speak with tongues, how much kind, gentle, and everything you are; unless you accept that Word of the hour, when It’s manifested before you, you’re in the same predicament. That might sound crude, I don’t mean it that way, but it’s Truth. Just, just believe It, see.

Who then should we believe? Are we to believe William Branham, or are we to believe Scripture, the Very Word of God, even Jesus Christ Himself?

Why do we allow a church to place regulations, legalisms, and requirements upon us that might (and I say MIGHT) have been appropriate for an OLD COVENANT RELATIONSHIP, a relationship based on MOSAIC LAW, upon people who are SAVED BY GRACE, and enjoy the ONE-ON-ONE RELATIONSHIP, the NEW COVENANT RELATIONSHIP with God?

Paul tells us that we ARE NOT BOUND TO MOSAIC LAW:

Romans 7:1-4 (KJV)

1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?

2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.

3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

James even tells us if we restrict ourselves to JUST ONE of the regulations within the MOSAIC LAW, we are obligated to the ENTIRE MOSAIC LAW, ALL 613 REGULATIONS!

James 2:8-10 (KJV)

8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

And the Apostle Paul is keen to remind us, and exhort us in this manner:

Colossians 2:8-23 (KJV)

8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,

21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;

22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?

23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

Didn’t William Branham tells us he ONLY TAUGHT WHAT PAUL TAUGHT?

Summary

We can therefore say that William Branham minimized the Ministry of the Holy Spirit by telling us that the Holy Spirit was totally inadequate and insufficient for today when Jesus Christ tells us that the Holy Spirit will be with us FOREVER, will TEACH US ALL THINGS, and will LEAD US INTO ALL TRUTH.

William Branham goes so far as to tell us that he presents “SOMETHING DIFFERENT,” something MORE SUFFICIENT than the Holy Spirit, although I can only guess at what that might be.

And William Branham minimizes the Ministry of Jesus Christ Himself when Branham announces himself as THE PROPHET OF GOD a human intercessor in the caste of the OLD COVENANT RELATIONSHIP, without whose message you cannot participate in the rapture of the church, or even achieve salvation.

Branham conflates the requirements of the OLD COVENANT (the COVENANT OF DEATH, the COVENANT OF WORKS) for his followers and takes people away from the Perfect Sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, who ushered in a NEW COVENANT (the COVENANT OF GRACE), and restored back to God’s people the ONE-ON-ONE RELATIONSHIP. just like Adam and Eve shared with God. By staying within the OLD COVENANT, William Branham REJECTS the NEW COVENANT just as the Nation of Israel did while Jesus walked the earth.

Let me repeat again what the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy:

1 Timothy 6:3-5 (KJV)

3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;

4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,

5 :Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

“… FROM SUCH WITHDRAW THYSELF …”

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