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The Status of Message Believers: Difference between revisions
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Those that say such things are in danger of condemning themselves, as Jesus said that “''God will judge you in the same way as you judge others, and he will apply to you the same rules you apply to others''.” (Matt 7:2 GNT) | Those that say such things are in danger of condemning themselves, as Jesus said that “''God will judge you in the same way as you judge others, and he will apply to you the same rules you apply to others''.” (Matt 7:2 GNT) | ||
But the question has also been asked – what do you think of those in the message? | Additionally, we have had old friends convey to us that they no longer want to have anything do with us in the future. | ||
But the question has also been asked – '''what do you think of those in the message?''' | |||
=Some Message Believers are Christians= | =Some Message Believers are Christians= | ||
Having spent many years in the message ourselves as Christians, there is no question that we believe that there are many people in the message that are sincere Christians. However, there are also those who have not truly accepted Christ’s sacrifice but rather are resting on William Branham’s message for their salvation. There is salvation only in Jesus Christ, there is no salvation in the message. | Having spent many years in the message ourselves as Christians, there is no question that we believe that there are many people in the message that are sincere Christians. There are those that have left the message that do not believe that anyone in the message can or should be considered a Christian, but we take the strongest exception to such a judgmental view. | ||
:''“Do not judge others, so that God will not judge you, 2for God will judge you in the same way as you judge others, and he will apply to you the same rules you apply to others.''<ref>American Bible Society, The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation, 2nd ed., Mt 7:1–2 (New York: American Bible Society, 1992).<ref> | |||
However, there are also those who have not truly accepted Christ’s sacrifice but rather are resting on William Branham’s message for their salvation. There is salvation only in Jesus Christ, there is no salvation in the message. | |||
The | We have talked to a number of people who were raised in message churches and had no concept of the true message of salvation through the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary. | ||
===How Can I Become A Christian? | |||
Jesus said that to enter the kingdom of heaven a person must be "born again" (John 3:3). This consists of an act of the heart in believing in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. When we were born into the world physically, we were born spiritually dead, and therefore we need a spiritual birth. The spiritual birth involves two facets. | |||
The first is to realize that we cannot make it on our own. We are sinners who need help. What is a sinner? A sinner is someone who is separated from God, has chosen to go his own way and cannot get back to God on his own because of his sin. | |||
Sin can be simply characterized as our own self-centered pride and selfishness. More specifically, sin is the violation of a holy God’s standard of righteousness. | |||
Thus, we must own up to the fact that we need a Savior, someone who will accomplish all that God requires. The only person ever to do this was Jesus Christ. He lived the only life that was acceptable to God. | |||
He died as a substitute on the cross for our sins, because we have no chance of pleasing God on our own merit. Thus the initial step is to realize that we all have sinned, broken God’s law and deserve judgment as a result. The Bible says, "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23, KJV). | |||
Once a person sees his hopeless condition and realizes that Jesus Christ offers an answer, the next step is to receive that offer personally, for "the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23, KJV). When a person receives Christ as his Savior by accepting God’s gift, at that moment he becomes born again. | |||
It is so easy a child can do it, but it is hard because we first have to realize that we cannot do it on our own. Jesus said to enter the kingdom of heaven, a person must be willing to humble himself as a child, and only then will God receive him (Matthew 18:3). | |||
How about you? Have you done this? Have you been born again? If you wish to do it, we offer this prayer that you might pray: "Lord Jesus, I know that I’m a sinner; I realize that I can’t make it on my own. Thank You for dying for me. Right at this moment, the best way I know how, I trust You as my Savior and Lord, in Jesus’ name. Amen." | |||
If you prayed sincerely to God, then you have become a Christian! We would encourage you to write to the address at the front of this book for help in your new life. | |||
One thing which is important to note, though, is that it is not the reciting of the above words which makes the difference. There is nothing magical in them; anyone can repeat a sentence. It is the attitude of your heart and your desire when you pray and trust Christ that makes the difference.<ref>Josh McDowell and Don Douglas Stewart, Answers to Tough Questions (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1993).</ref> | |||
=The Many Problems with Wiliam Branham's message= | =The Many Problems with Wiliam Branham's message= | ||
The comments below simply reflect some of the main obstacles that people will face in balancing Christianity with their belief in William Branham's role, policies, prophecies and doctrines. | |||
==Heretical Teaching== | ==Heretical Teaching== | ||
Some | Some message churches teach a distorted, heretical, view of basic truths that most would assume have to be believed properly in order to be a Christian. | ||
For example, '''is it possible for a person to be saved if they do not believe that Jesus Christ was God in flesh''' (Matthew 1:23)? Certain followers of [[Vaylism|Lee Vayle]] hold to a heretical view of the Godhead – that Jesus Christ was not deity. Such doctrinal beliefs are against the plain teaching of scripture (John 20:28), and therefore put those who believe such teachings at risk of missing the basic tenets of the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Apostles. | |||
[[File:MessageWarning.jpg|500px|thumb|right|450px]] | [[File:MessageWarning.jpg|500px|thumb|right|450px]] | ||
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==Lukewarmness== | ==Lukewarmness== | ||
Many message believers condemn denominational and non-denominational churches on the basis that those congregations are lukewarm. However, message congregations can also fall within the same classification as lukewarm. The message of Revelation 3:16 is crystal clear when the Lord states “''because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am going to spit you out of my mouth''.” The peril of being lukewarm is the same, whether in relation to a message church or a non-message church! | Many message believers condemn denominational and non-denominational churches on the basis that those congregations are lukewarm. However, message congregations can also fall within the same classification as lukewarm. The message of Revelation 3:16 is crystal clear when the Lord states “''because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am going to spit you out of my mouth''.” The peril of being lukewarm is the same, whether in relation to a message church or a non-message church! | ||
As Francis Chan puts it: | |||
:''Do not assume you are good soil. | |||
:''I think most American churchgoers are the soil that chokes the seed because of all the thorns. Thorns are anything that distracts us from God. When we want God and a bunch of other stuff, then that means we have thorns in our soil. A relationship with God simply cannot grow when money, sins, activities, favorite sports teams, addictions, or commitments are piled on top of it.<ref>Francis Chan, Crazy Love (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2008).</ref> | |||
==Legalism== | ==Legalism== | ||
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A man named Simon thought that he could buy the Holy Spirit with money. It appears that some message believers are trying to buy the Holy Spirit by public demonstrations of their own righteousness. | A man named Simon thought that he could buy the Holy Spirit with money. It appears that some message believers are trying to buy the Holy Spirit by public demonstrations of their own righteousness. | ||
:''But if the ministry that produced death—carved in letters on stone tablets10—came with glory, so that the Israelites11 could not keep their eyes fixed on the face of Moses because of the glory of his face12 (a glory13 which was made ineffective),14 3:8 how much more glorious will the ministry of the Spirit be?<ref>Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible, 2 Co 3:7–8 (Biblical Studies Press, 2006).</ref> | |||
Paul clearly states that the ten commandments, written in tablets of stone, represented the ministry of death. Paul also was clear that Jesus did not redeem us from the curse of sin but from the curse of the law: | |||
:''Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, zCursed is every one that ahangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham bmight come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.<ref>The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ga 3:13–14 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009).</ref> | |||
==Lack of Love== | ==Lack of Love== | ||
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In short, William Branham's message is not healthy. You can eat junk food, but if that becomes your diet you will eventually experience side effects. A Christian will have a healthier spiritual life outside of a faulty belief system, and that is what William Branham taught – a view of the scriptures and reality that is seriously flawed. | In short, William Branham's message is not healthy. You can eat junk food, but if that becomes your diet you will eventually experience side effects. A Christian will have a healthier spiritual life outside of a faulty belief system, and that is what William Branham taught – a view of the scriptures and reality that is seriously flawed. | ||
=References= | |||
<References/> | |||
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