A warning to those in the message
A warning to those who follow the message of William Branham
Video Transcript
In May 2012, I was asked to leave the message church I was attending because I was asking too many questions.
Not surprisingly, I felt hurt and alone. I needed to hear from God.
A few days later, I was in London, England on business. I had also been invited to attend the Alpha Leadership conference that was being held at the Royal Albert Hall.
As I found my seat, I introduced myself to those sitting next to me prior to the worship starting. There was a minister on my left from a denomination that I didn’t think had a proper understanding of the Gospel. The people on my right were from a different denomination that I viewed with equal disdain.
You see, In the message, I had come to understand that those in denominations were at best foolish virgins… they might be saved but they weren’t born again. They certainly didn’t have the truth. Denominational Christians were deceived.
As I was thinking this, the worship leader, Tim Hughes, started to sing a song that he had written…
- Here I am to worship
- 'Here I am to bow down
- 'Here I am to say that You're my God
- 'You're altogether lovely
- 'Altogether worthy
- 'Altogether wonderful to me
I closed my eyes and started to sing and worship the Lord. I am a worshipper. I led worship in our message church for three and a half decades. I clearly sensed the presence of the Lord. As a worship leader, I was also always concerned that those in the congregation were entering into worship. As I looked at those around me, they were also worshipping God with their hands in the air.
Those in the denominations that I looked down on in judgment had their hands raised and were worshipping Christ just as I was.
There have been several times in my life that God has spoken very clearly to me and this was one of them.
As I continued to worship, the Lord brought 1 Corinthians 11:29 vividly to my mind:
- For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.[1]
You have failed to discern my body… you have failed to recognize my church.
Those who were redeemed by the same blood that had redeemed me were worshipping next to me and I had failed to recognize them as part of the Lord’s body. The problem wasn’t those next to me. I was the problem. I was the one who lacked discernment. I had failed to recognize the body of the Lord… his church.
I was confronted by my own sin…
- Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another, you condemn yourself…[2]
I started to weep as I continued to worship.
Forgive my sin, Lord. Forgive me for failing to recognize and discern your body, your church. I repent. Help me to be open to your Holy Spirit and to walk in full obedience to your word. Help me to understand who your church is and to love them as you love them. I’m sorry, Lord. Help me to see the church as you see it.
And so I bring this warning to those in the message. If you partake of the Lord’s Table yet fail to recognize the body of Christ… those who are part of the church of Jesus Christ outside of the message… you are eating and drinking your own judgment. Please understand, I do not want weakness, sickness or death to be visited on anyone. But the warning in God’s word is clear.
Are there many weak and sick among you? Have some died?
Please examine yourself and submit to the Holy Spirit.
Footnotes