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| The '''Message''' or the '''Message of the Hour''' is how followers of William Branham refer to his teachings. It is also how they refer to themselves generally as a movement. If you are "'''in the message'''" then you consider yourself a true follower of William Branham and a true follower of God. | | The '''Message''' or the '''Message of the Hour''' is how followers of William Branham refer to his teachings. It is also how they refer to themselves generally as a movement. If you are "'''in the message'''" then you consider yourself a true follower of William Branham and a true follower of God. |
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| =The real status of followers of William Branham=
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| Later in this article, we will look at what message believers think of themselves. But the question is what is their actual status? '''Are message believers special? Are they the true Bride of Christ? Or are they members of a cult?'''
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| =Is the message a cult?=
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| Some people refer to the followers of William Branham as "Branhamites" or members of the Branham cult. But are they?
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| ==What is a cult?==
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| A “cult” has been defined as a religious group founded by and built upon the teachings of a religious leader whose authority is viewed as being equal to or greater than the Bible and whose teachings are in opposition to the doctrines of biblical and historic Christianity.
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| The crucial part of the above definition of the word cult is, “whose authority is viewed as being equal to or greater than the Bible.” '''The founder of the cult is viewed as being a “prophet”''' or “prophetess” of God. '''Since he or she is the “voice of God,” the person’s teachings are authoritative.''' Thus the cult is based solely upon the religious authority of the founder. Everything depends on the validity of that authority.
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| The '''issue of religious authority''' is the most basic problem one encounters when witnessing to a cultist. While the child of God looks to the Scriptures as the ultimate standard by which to decide religious truth, '''the cultist looks to his leader to decide the truth for him'''. As long as the Christian and the cultist are looking to different religious authorities, there is no common ground between them where they can begin.<ref>Robert A. Morey, How to Answer a Mormon: Practical Guidelines for What to Expect and What to Reply When the Mormons Come to Your Door (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 1983), 12–13.</ref>
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| Cults either ignore the Bible altogether, or they say, ‘Ah yes, the Bible gives us the truth, but if you really want to understand the Bible, you must interpret it in the light of this revelation which has come to us’. In speaking thus, of course, they resemble Roman Catholicism which also claims this extra authority, this extra understanding, this further revelation. And in practice, whatever lip-service they may pay to the Scriptures, the real authority is this other... this extra... this new... this direct revelation that has been given.<ref>David Martyn Lloyd-Jones, The Christian Warfare: An Exposition of Ephesians 6:10–13 (Edinburgh; Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1976), 128.</ref>
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| ===William Branham's message > the Bible===
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| It is clear that some followers of William Branham believe that he was Jesus Christ. Many followers of William Branham put his sermons above that of the Bible because they believe that he was infallible. These groups would include most of the followers of Joseph Branham.
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| But some message believers say:
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| :''...I have never put Brother Branham's teachings above the Bible! He told us that the Bible is our absolute and that is what I believe.
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| While such people may think that they place the Bible above William Branham's teaching, this is in fact not the case. In fact, the opposite is true. William Branham's message ALWAYS trumps the Bible. '''Why? Because here is what they actually believe:'''
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| #William Branham was '''one of the greatest prophets of all time''', if not the greatest. Exactly how great he was may vary between message believers '''BUT''', at the very least, they will state that William Branham was one of the seven church age messengers and, therefore, at least the equal of Paul the Apostle. In addition, they generally believe that his ministry as the [[Revelation 10:7|Seventh Angel]] puts him in a league '''above all the other church age messengers'''.
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| #As the seventh angel, '''William Branham could not make any significant doctrinal errors''' because the purpose of his ministry was to reveal all of the hidden mysteries of God. As a result of this, '''a message believer does not have the option of disagreeing with William Branham''', except possibly in respect of a relatively few, small issues.
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| #To the extent that you can prove that William Branham did make a significant error, they believe that '''God corrected him before he died'''. This has resulted in the doctrine of [[Progressive Revelation]], which basically states that if William Branham taught different things about a subject, one should rely on his last teaching on the issue.
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| #Message believers hold that '''the only true evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is believing the Word for your hour'''. This refers specifically to '''the teachings of William Branham'''. As a result, if you think that William Branham's message has any significant errors, to a message believer this proves that you don't have the Holy Spirit. But '''if you believe what William Branham taught, then you have the baptism of the Holy Spirit.'''
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| #We have heard message believers state on many occasions that "'''''the message is Jesus Christ'''''". This statement in and of itself is '''puts William Branham's message above the Bible'''.
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| #That William Branham's teachings are above that of the Bible in the eyes of his followers is clear. If presented with a clear teaching in the Bible that disagrees with William Branham, they will '''always accept William Branham's teaching''' and never that of the Bible.
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| So the answer is '''"YES", the followers of William Branham hold his teachings above that of the Bible'''.
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| ====Examples of the Bible taking a back seat to William Branham====
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| In a [[Was William Branham a racist?|well known racist diatribe, Donny Reagan, the pastor of Happy Valley Church of Jesus Christ, stated publicly in a sermon that if Moses was alive today, he would have to follow William Branham's message]]. This comment clearly shows that Donny Reagan holds William Branham's message as superseding the Bible. He specifically makes this comment in respect of William Branham's teaching that biracial marriages are contrary to God's plan.
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| But what does the Bible say about biracial marriages?
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| :''Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman.<ref>Numbers 12:1</ref>
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| A Cushite is from Cush, a region south of Ethiopia, where the people are known for their black skin. We know this because of Jeremiah 13:23: "Can the Ethiopian [the same Hebrew word translated "Cushite" in Numbers 12:1] change his skin or the leopard his spots?""
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| In response to Miriam’s criticism, God does not get angry at Moses; he gets angry at Miriam. Then God strikes Miriam with leprosy. Why? Consider this possibility. In God’s anger at Miriam, Moses’ sister, God says in effect, "You like being light-skinned Miriam? I’ll make you light-skinned." So we read, "When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow" (Num. 12:10)
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| God says not a critical word against Moses for marrying a black Cushite woman.
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| So according to the Bible, there is no proscription on biracial marriages. William Branham preached against them. Donny Reagan's comments thus prove that he holds William Branham's message as a higher authority than the Bible.
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| The following video is a look at interracial marriages from a Biblical perspective by John Piper:
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| <mediaplayer width='800' height='600'>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq0Mg8QOXlM</mediaplayer>
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| ===The message is in addition to the Bible===
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| '''Conclusion: The message is something in addition to the Bible'''
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| :''If you believe the message of the Bible, '''and the present Message of the day''', a vindication of It; the reason you are sitting here, because you were predestinated to set here. You wouldn't have been here, otherwise; you would have been on the street, maybe drunk, some of you; and some of you out here and running around with some other man's wife; and you women out, married, and running around with some other women's husband, or something like that. See, but you were predestinated to be here. See, you can't help it. You have a Father, He is God, and you were a seed.<ref>POWER.OF.TRANSFORMATION_ PRESCOTT.AZ 65-1031M</ref>
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| ===Are William Branham's teaching in opposition to Biblical Christianity?===
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| [[The Status of Message Believers|We believe that some message believers are Christians]]. This is because some message churches do believe in and teach the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ as the only means for the forgiveness of sins. However, that does not mean that the message represents true or restored Christianity.
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| To the extent that William Branham preached doctrines that agreed with the Bible, his teachings are acceptable. However, he did disagree with true Biblical Christianity in a number of significant areas.
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| Many of these false doctrines actually were solely designed to point to himself as being God's supreme prophet for the end time:
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| *[[Matthew 17:11]]
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| *[[The Fulfillment of Malachi 4:5]]
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| *[[Enoch and Noah#The Seventh from Adam|Enoch being the seventh from Adam]]
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| *[[Reading between the lines]]
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| *[[Prophets that ministered at the same time|God only deals with one prophet at a time]]
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| *[[The Importance of a Seven-Lettered Name]]
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| Other doctrines were simply incorrect if a person reads the Bible in an honest fashion:
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| *[[The Serpent's Seed]]
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| *[[Michael the Archangel]]
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| *His [[Lazy Theology]]
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| *[[Enoch and Noah|Enoch was a type of the wise virgin, and Noah was a type of the foolish virgin]]
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| *[[Illegitimate children]] cannot be part of the rapture.
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| *[[Christians that were required to believe Satanic doctrine]]
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| *[[Marriage and Divorce|If your wife cuts her hair, you can divorce her]].
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| *[[Marriage and Divorce|A man can remarry after divorce but a woman can't]]
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| *[[Destruction of Los Angeles|Capernaum is under the sea]]
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| *[[Twisted Theology#Don't Weep|John never wept because there was no one worthy to open the book]]- he was weeping for joy.
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| *[[Three holy words]] of the Bible
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| *His reasons for rejecting of [[Eternal Sonship]]
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| *The difference in meaning of [[Q&A on the Godhead#Eternal vs. Everlasting|Eternal vs. Everlasting]]
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| Finally, William Branham's teaching on the Godhead were very strange:
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| *In some ways, his teachings were most similar to those of [[The Godhead#The Tabernacle of the Body|Emmanual Swedenborg]]
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| *In some of his teachings, his view of the Godhead seems to be a form of [[Oneness|modalistic monarchianism]]. As a result, many message churches effectively espouse the "oneness" view of the Godhead.
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| *But some of his teaching also leans toward an [[Dynamic Monarchianism|Adoptionist]] view of the Godhead. Followers of [[Vaylism|Lee Vayle's]] have essentially espoused this view (which some refer to derisively as the '''"Twinity"''' doctrine).
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| Again the answer is '''"YES", William Branham's teachings contain significant Biblical errors.'''
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| As a result of the above, '''it is clear that "message believers" are members of a cult.'''
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| =Is the "Bride" a special category of Christian?=
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| William Branham was not the only one in our age to use the parables of Jesus to split the Church into various groups, such as the bride, the friends of the bridegroom, the virgins, the guests, and the servants. Many exclusive groups do this to make themselves feel special. But this is pressing the analogy too far. We must be careful that we do not become like Nicodemus when he pressed the analogy of birth too far by asking how we could go back into our mothers’ wombs and be born again (John 3:4).
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| Another common teaching, which was also espoused by William Branham, is that the Rapture will be limited to a special group of “overcomers” (the Bride), and that the main body of the Church will be left behind to go through the Tribulation or to go up in later raptures. If we examine what the Bible has to say about overcomers, however, we see that only those who overcome will eat from the tree of life, they will not be hurt by the second death or the lake of fire, and will not have their names blotted out of the Book of Life (Rev 2:7, 11; 3:5).
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| To overcome means to conquer, to win. If we do not win, we lose. These verses in the Book of Revelation indicate that those who do not overcome lose out forever.
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| Who then are the overcomers? I John 5:4 tells us, “''This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith''.” All the born-again believer has to do to overcome is to believe (be an obedient believer and keep on believing) that Jesus is the Son of God. Then God gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor 15:57). He makes us winners.<ref>William W. Menzies, Bible Doctrines: A Pentecostal Perspective, ed. Stanley M. Horton (Springfield, MO: Logion Press, 1993), 218–219.</ref>
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| John declares:
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| #Those who have been born of God do not sin.(1 John 3:9)
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| #We know that those who are born of God do not sin. (1 John 5:18)
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| #No one who abides in him sins. (1 John 3:6)
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| #Everyone who does what is right is righteous. (1 John 3:7)
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| #Everyone who commits sin is a child of the devil. (1 John 3:8), and
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| #All who do not do what is right are not from God. (1 John 3:10).
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| Some have suggested that John refers to an elite group of Christians who have reached a special status in which they no longer sin. But the text does not restrict godly living to a special group of Christians but rather claims that all believers without exception — anyone born of God — do not sin. Hence, a spiritual elite cannot be in view here. <ref>Thomas R. Schreiner, New Testament Theology: Magnifying God in Christ (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008), 567.</ref>
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| ==What William Branham taught==
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| William Branham taught that all denominational churches were false and that only by following William Branham would a person be truly in the church:
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| :''The church natural, that's in Sodom. But remember, '''there was one church spiritual, that wasn't in that denominational outfit''', either. Called-out group, '''and they received a message, also, and a messenger'''. And what was it? Discerning the thoughts that was in the heart. God always proves His Word.<ref>PROVING.HIS.WORD LA.CA 65-0426</ref>
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| :''I want to ask you something. In all of the ages, since the church first began, they have never had a messenger to them that his name ended with h-a-m, till now, G-r-a-h-a-m. Right. Down there, calling them out, Oral Roberts, and a Billy Graham, see, h-a-m. There's been Moody, Sankey, Finney, Wesley, Billy Sunday, all them, see, international church like that, world church!...?... There's never been one ending to h-a-m till right now, and that's Billy Graham. See? And that's '''six letters, G-r-a-h-a-m''', six, meaning... Man was born, created on the sixth day. Six is man's number. '''There he is, to the church natural'''.
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| :''Abraham was '''A-b-r-a-h-a-m, seven letters'''. See? Look at the setting of today, and look what's taking place. Abraham had seen many signs and wonders, and everything that God had done. So has the Church. You've received the Holy Ghost, spoke in tongues, done all these signs and wonders. But you're promised, "As it was then, so shall it be again." "It shall be Light in the evening time." Jesus Christ, the same; same Son will appear again on the scene, in His Church, and will do the same thing that He did then, showing that He is the Word made manifest. See? Knowing the secret that's in the heart, revealing and doing the things that He is supposed to do. That's exactly the Word of God.<ref>CHRIST.IS.IDENTIFIED.THE.SAME.IN.ALL.GENERATIONS TAMPA.FL 64-0415</ref>
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| :''And then the church natural is just a bunch of people in denominations, that joined. It's no more... I don't even no more call it "church." I don't like to refer to it. I like to refer to it as a "lodge," Methodist lodge, Baptist lodge, Pentecostal lodge. But the Church is the borned-again that's in Christ Jesus, that's new creatures. And so we still see that, that God keeps His Word.<ref>DOES.GOD.CHANGE.HIS.MIND LA.CA 65-0427</ref>
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| =What do followers of William Branham think that the message is?= | | =What do followers of William Branham think that the message is?= |
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| '''In the end, the "message" is simply a collection of William Branham's sermons and therefore, his teachings. It is not Jesus Christ, it is not the Word of God. The message is William Branham's take on the Bible and it is filled with error.''' | | '''In the end, the "message" is simply a collection of William Branham's sermons and therefore, his teachings. It is not Jesus Christ, it is not the Word of God. The message is William Branham's take on the Bible and it is filled with error.''' |
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| ==What do message believers actually believe?==
| | =What do message believers actually believe?= |
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| #They believe William Branham is the one who introduced them to Jesus Christ. | | #They believe William Branham is the one who introduced them to Jesus Christ. |
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| #They believe that every prophecy William Branham gave was 100% accurate and not one has ever failed. | | #They believe that every prophecy William Branham gave was 100% accurate and not one has ever failed. |
| #They believe that you could never look into the eyes of William Branham and tell a lie. | | #They believe that you could never look into the eyes of William Branham and tell a lie. |
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| | =Is the "Bride" a special category of Christian?= |
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| | William Branham was not the only one in our age to use the parables of Jesus to split the Church into various groups, such as the bride, the friends of the bridegroom, the virgins, the guests, and the servants. Many exclusive groups do this to make themselves feel special. But this is pressing the analogy too far. We must be careful that we do not become like Nicodemus when he pressed the analogy of birth too far by asking how we could go back into our mothers’ wombs and be born again (John 3:4). |
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| | Another common teaching, which was also espoused by William Branham, is that the Rapture will be limited to a special group of “overcomers” (the Bride), and that the main body of the Church will be left behind to go through the Tribulation or to go up in later raptures. If we examine what the Bible has to say about overcomers, however, we see that only those who overcome will eat from the tree of life, they will not be hurt by the second death or the lake of fire, and will not have their names blotted out of the Book of Life (Rev 2:7, 11; 3:5). |
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| | To overcome means to conquer, to win. If we do not win, we lose. These verses in the Book of Revelation indicate that those who do not overcome lose out forever. |
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| | Who then are the overcomers? I John 5:4 tells us, “''This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith''.” All the born-again believer has to do to overcome is to believe (be an obedient believer and keep on believing) that Jesus is the Son of God. Then God gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor 15:57). He makes us winners.<ref>William W. Menzies, Bible Doctrines: A Pentecostal Perspective, ed. Stanley M. Horton (Springfield, MO: Logion Press, 1993), 218–219.</ref> |
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| | John declares: |
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| | #Those who have been born of God do not sin.(1 John 3:9) |
| | #We know that those who are born of God do not sin. (1 John 5:18) |
| | #No one who abides in him sins. (1 John 3:6) |
| | #Everyone who does what is right is righteous. (1 John 3:7) |
| | #Everyone who commits sin is a child of the devil. (1 John 3:8), and |
| | #All who do not do what is right are not from God. (1 John 3:10). |
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| | Some have suggested that John refers to an elite group of Christians who have reached a special status in which they no longer sin. But the text does not restrict godly living to a special group of Christians but rather claims that all believers without exception — anyone born of God — do not sin. Hence, a spiritual elite cannot be in view here. <ref>Thomas R. Schreiner, New Testament Theology: Magnifying God in Christ (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008), 567.</ref> |
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| | ==What William Branham taught== |
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| | William Branham taught that all denominational churches were false and that only by following William Branham would a person be truly in the church: |
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| | :''The church natural, that's in Sodom. But remember, '''there was one church spiritual, that wasn't in that denominational outfit''', either. Called-out group, '''and they received a message, also, and a messenger'''. And what was it? Discerning the thoughts that was in the heart. God always proves His Word.<ref>PROVING.HIS.WORD LA.CA 65-0426</ref> |
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| | :''I want to ask you something. In all of the ages, since the church first began, they have never had a messenger to them that his name ended with h-a-m, till now, G-r-a-h-a-m. Right. Down there, calling them out, Oral Roberts, and a Billy Graham, see, h-a-m. There's been Moody, Sankey, Finney, Wesley, Billy Sunday, all them, see, international church like that, world church!...?... There's never been one ending to h-a-m till right now, and that's Billy Graham. See? And that's '''six letters, G-r-a-h-a-m''', six, meaning... Man was born, created on the sixth day. Six is man's number. '''There he is, to the church natural'''. |
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| | :''Abraham was '''A-b-r-a-h-a-m, seven letters'''. See? Look at the setting of today, and look what's taking place. Abraham had seen many signs and wonders, and everything that God had done. So has the Church. You've received the Holy Ghost, spoke in tongues, done all these signs and wonders. But you're promised, "As it was then, so shall it be again." "It shall be Light in the evening time." Jesus Christ, the same; same Son will appear again on the scene, in His Church, and will do the same thing that He did then, showing that He is the Word made manifest. See? Knowing the secret that's in the heart, revealing and doing the things that He is supposed to do. That's exactly the Word of God.<ref>CHRIST.IS.IDENTIFIED.THE.SAME.IN.ALL.GENERATIONS TAMPA.FL 64-0415</ref> |
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| | :''And then the church natural is just a bunch of people in denominations, that joined. It's no more... I don't even no more call it "church." I don't like to refer to it. I like to refer to it as a "lodge," Methodist lodge, Baptist lodge, Pentecostal lodge. But the Church is the borned-again that's in Christ Jesus, that's new creatures. And so we still see that, that God keeps His Word.<ref>DOES.GOD.CHANGE.HIS.MIND LA.CA 65-0427</ref> |
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| =References= | | =References= |