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Love in the message: Difference between revisions
→The clear test of the Biblical Christianity
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=The clear test of the Biblical Christianity= | =The clear test of the Biblical Christianity= | ||
Jesus said | Jesus said in John 13:34-35: | ||
:''But I tell you who hear me: | :''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.'''<ref>New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Jn 13:34–35.</ref> | ||
and he went on to say in Luke 6:27–36: | |||
:''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.<ref>American Bible Society, The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation, 2nd ed. (New York: American Bible Society, 1992), Lk 6:27–36.</ref>'' | |||
Paul states in 1 Corinthians 13 that | Paul states in 1 Corinthians 13 that | ||
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:''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.<ref>American Bible Society, The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation, 2nd ed. (New York: American Bible Society, 1992), 1 Co 13:2–7.</ref> | :''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.<ref>American Bible Society, The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation, 2nd ed. (New York: American Bible Society, 1992), 1 Co 13:2–7.</ref> | ||
And John tells us: | And John tells us in 1 John 3:10, 18, and 4:18: | ||
:''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.<ref>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.</ref> | :''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.<ref>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.</ref> | ||
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=What we see in the message= | =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. | |||
When we started asking questions | ==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.<ref>The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Ga 2:9–10.</ref> | |||
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: | Peter clearly tells us how to behave: | ||
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==How are those that leave treated?== | ==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. | 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= | =Quotes of William Branham= | ||