Discover What Christ is doing today for his Church!
While it is true that God is no longer adding to the canon of Scripture and all truth that God desires us to know as Christians is in the Bible, it is also true that since the Church fell away from the original doctrine of the apostles God is continuously restoring the Church back to the pure Gospel. God is continually revealing to His people what is already written in Scripture.
It started with John Hus, John Wycliffe, Martin Luther and on down the line. While each of these leaders sent from God had a glorious truth to proclaim it was not all that Christ was seeking to accomplish. He continued to work as the years went by, each leader anointed by the Spirt and sent for a specific purpose. So in our generation has there been a leader sent from the Lord to gather together all these truths. William Branham went forth with mighty signs and wonders showing that he was a teacher sent from God.
It started with John Hus, John Wycliffe, Martin Luther and on down the line. While each of these leaders sent from God had a glorious truth to proclaim it was not all that Christ was seeking to accomplish. He continued to work as the years went by, each leader anointed by the Spirt and sent for a specific purpose. So in our generation has there been a leader sent from the Lord to gather together all these truths. William Branham went forth with mighty signs and wonders showing that he was a teacher sent from God.
The Present Truth
Discover what God is doing today to prepare His Church for the Rapture.
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So then what is the message?
William Branham lived from 1909 to 1965. He had many supernatural experiences throughout his lifetime leading to his calling and ministry. Click on the name above to learn more specifics about the mighty signs and miracles God did through him.
This is not about that specifically, it's about the restoration of the Church to the doctrine of the apostles.
Malachi 4:5-6 says this, "Behold, I will send unto you Elijah the prophet before the great and dreadful day of the Lord and he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers' lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."
Now, first of all, understand that this is a two fold prophecy with a fulfillment in two specific prophets. First, John the Baptist and second William Branham.
To prove this lets read Luke 1:17, "And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
Here we see John is to "turn the hearts of the fathers to the children." That is all it says, it does not complete the prophecy of Malachi. So someone else is going to fulfill the last part of the prophecy.
John fulfilled the prophecy by being the link to the changing dispensations. He was called to turn peoples hearts from the doctrine of the Jewish "fathers" to the apostolic "children". He went before Jesus the Christ as a forerunner to his coming and turned their faith off of the traditional doctrines on to the true faith of Israel in the coming Messiah.
Then the next part of the verse does the opposite. It turns the heart of the children to their fathers. Here we see the children whose hearts were turned away from the doctrine of their fathers. There was a restoration needed just as in the days of John the Baptist.
So William Branham came and turned "the hearts of the children (of God) to their (apostolic) fathers." His ministry has turned the Church back to the original faith and doctrine of the apostolic fathers.
Of the course the objection tends to come up, "why have I not heard of this?" There's a very good reason for that, but first let's explore the times when Jesus Christ was here ministering on earth. First of all, was he rejected? Yes, he most certainly was, only the minority of simple people who were not religious authorities accepted him. Second, who were the people that hated him so much that they sought to kill him? Again, it was the religious authorities who were in power and were afraid of losing their power and control over the people.
Search through the Scriptures and find us any prophets who were totally accepted and applauded by the "orthodox" church, synagogue or temple leaders. Of course they were not readily accepted because their ministry came as a rebuke to those in power.
Is it any different in this day? No, it's not. William Branham came with a strange ministry to most people. He did not join with any organization or group. He heavily criticized them and was in turn rejected by them, but that did not stop God from accomplishing his purpose through that ministry.
Now, William Branham has been dead for 40 years and people MOST people refuse to accept his ministry. Things have not changed, but there are a few who receive the benefits of what God has revealed to us.
The focus should not be on the man, but on what Christ Jesus accomplished in this day. You can look throughout this Squidoo lens and find a few links here that will get you to some websites that will give you more details on the teachings and works of William Branham. Also, make sure to watch the video below to see God in action.
Remember, the man is just a means for God to accomplish his purpose.
This is not about that specifically, it's about the restoration of the Church to the doctrine of the apostles.
Malachi 4:5-6 says this, "Behold, I will send unto you Elijah the prophet before the great and dreadful day of the Lord and he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers' lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."
Now, first of all, understand that this is a two fold prophecy with a fulfillment in two specific prophets. First, John the Baptist and second William Branham.
To prove this lets read Luke 1:17, "And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
Here we see John is to "turn the hearts of the fathers to the children." That is all it says, it does not complete the prophecy of Malachi. So someone else is going to fulfill the last part of the prophecy.
John fulfilled the prophecy by being the link to the changing dispensations. He was called to turn peoples hearts from the doctrine of the Jewish "fathers" to the apostolic "children". He went before Jesus the Christ as a forerunner to his coming and turned their faith off of the traditional doctrines on to the true faith of Israel in the coming Messiah.
Then the next part of the verse does the opposite. It turns the heart of the children to their fathers. Here we see the children whose hearts were turned away from the doctrine of their fathers. There was a restoration needed just as in the days of John the Baptist.
So William Branham came and turned "the hearts of the children (of God) to their (apostolic) fathers." His ministry has turned the Church back to the original faith and doctrine of the apostolic fathers.
Of the course the objection tends to come up, "why have I not heard of this?" There's a very good reason for that, but first let's explore the times when Jesus Christ was here ministering on earth. First of all, was he rejected? Yes, he most certainly was, only the minority of simple people who were not religious authorities accepted him. Second, who were the people that hated him so much that they sought to kill him? Again, it was the religious authorities who were in power and were afraid of losing their power and control over the people.
Search through the Scriptures and find us any prophets who were totally accepted and applauded by the "orthodox" church, synagogue or temple leaders. Of course they were not readily accepted because their ministry came as a rebuke to those in power.
Is it any different in this day? No, it's not. William Branham came with a strange ministry to most people. He did not join with any organization or group. He heavily criticized them and was in turn rejected by them, but that did not stop God from accomplishing his purpose through that ministry.
Now, William Branham has been dead for 40 years and people MOST people refuse to accept his ministry. Things have not changed, but there are a few who receive the benefits of what God has revealed to us.
The focus should not be on the man, but on what Christ Jesus accomplished in this day. You can look throughout this Squidoo lens and find a few links here that will get you to some websites that will give you more details on the teachings and works of William Branham. Also, make sure to watch the video below to see God in action.
Remember, the man is just a means for God to accomplish his purpose.
The Holy Spirit Is Not A Separate Person From The Father
Neither is the Spirit an Impersonal Force
The word spirit in Hebrew is ruach and in Greek it is pneuma and both of them mean 'wind.' These words are neither masculine or feminine. They are neuter terms. That means that they refer to the Spirit as an it or what not a who. Read Numbers 11:17. However, contrary to some positions, the Spirit is most assuredly NOT an impersonal force.
I would like to define what wind is first off. Wind is the movement of air. Let's break down just how the air moves. Wind is caused by energy from the sun heating parts of the earth unevenly. The warmer air is lighter because when something is warm it's particles spread out. The cool air is denser which makes the warm air rise and the cool air replaces it. This is called the process of convection and it is what causes wind on the earth. To break it down again, wind is the movement of air caused by an energy called heat. Wind is a force that we can feel and are certain that it is blowing. However, it is invisible to our eyes.
How can we apply this to the Spirit of God? The Spirit is a force or energy that we cannot see, but when the Spirit works we can certainly know that it is working. John 3:8 "The wind (Grk. Pneuma for Spirit) bloweth where it listeth (desires or pleases), and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit."
The Spirit also imparts eternal life to those who receive it. So the Spirit is life. John 6:63 "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." The word quickeneth means to make alive or to vitalize. So the Spirit is LIFE and POWER. It is the LIFE and POWER of God himself.
Let's further the argument that the Holy Spirit is the power of God. Luke 1:35 uses Spirit and Power interchangeably. Luk 1:35 "And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." Some might say, 'you make the Spirit a mere creature or agent and less than God.' This statement is made in complete ignorance. Trinitarians resort to this kind of argument when they are brought into a corner and have nowhere to go. To answer this charge I say this; God is a Spirit, that is what he is made up of. He is intangible, invisible and is life and power itself. The Spirit is the LIFE FORCE of God and is God himself. In John 3:8 the Spirit is likened unto wind and wind is the movement of air (invisible to the eye) caused by energy. The Holy Spirit is God himself in and among his people.
What about the scriptures where the Spirit is said to proceed from the Father? The Spirit of God is not a different person any more than your own human spirit is a different person than yourself. God is not limited to a personal body and can dwell in all places at once if he so desires. So if you had an omnipresent Spirit you can cause it to proceed from yourself to accomplish various purposes.
Jesus made this statement to his disciples "I will not le ave you alone I will come to you" and in John 16:13 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." The word he and himself (though they are good translations) is not in the original text as a separate word. Many use this to say 'aha see the Spirit of God is a separate person from the Father and the Son.' However he and him are used based upon the object we are speaking about and the pneuma of God is not a he as though the Spirit is distinct from God our Father, rather the Spirit is an it (it's what God is). God is a Spirit and he will send his Spirit to lead us into all truth and it will not speak of itself. The Spirit testifies of Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ testifies of the Father. If you study John 14 through 16 you will see that Jesus and the Father send the Spirit, the Spirit proceeds from the Father, the Spirit is Jesus coming to his disciples and the Spirit takes of the things (his words, works and name) of Jesus (all he has is of the Father) and gives it unto us. In Ephesians 4:6 we learn that our God and Father is in us and in Col. 1:27 we find out that it is Christ in us. So, how do we reconcile all these different thoughts? God is in us, Christ is in us, the Father sends the Spirit, the Son sends the Spirit, the Spirit speaks not of itself and God is Spirit.
We have to start with the point that God is a Spirit that inhabits eternity and he is not limited by time and space. He can be in all places at once. The one mediator between God and men is the perfect MAN Christ Jesus. He IS limited by space because he is a man. He dwells in heaven and is our High Priest and Mediator who sits upon the Father's throne. Redemption and salvation can only take place IN and THROUGH Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Kinsman-Redeemer. He willingly gave himself up as a sacrifice for our sins, he offered himself up through the eternal Spirit unto God. Now, he is our mediator, high priest and advocate. We come unto God through his Son. So when the Holy Spirit (it's God's life and power (life force)) does work among us it is always done through the work of Jesus Christ. The Spirit will testify of the Lord Jesus Christ and his work on the cross because that is God's means of saving a man or woman. Rom 8:9 "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Here is the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ are used interchangeably. This tells us that God and Christ are one in the work of redemption that is going on now. God's Spirit comes to us and is available to us through the work of Christ. So the eternal Spirit that is God is also the Spirit of his Son for there is but ONE Spirit not two and not three. This is why Jesus said, Joh 14:23 "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." So the omnipresent Spirit (God who is our Heavenly Father) comes to us in the work and through the person of the man Christ Jesus, God's only begotten Son. The oneness of God and his Son is not some esoteric, mystical or philosophical unity (one God in three persons), but rather God working out his plan for redeeming mankind from sin and degradation. And he fulfills that plan in and through the person of his Son.
I would like to define what wind is first off. Wind is the movement of air. Let's break down just how the air moves. Wind is caused by energy from the sun heating parts of the earth unevenly. The warmer air is lighter because when something is warm it's particles spread out. The cool air is denser which makes the warm air rise and the cool air replaces it. This is called the process of convection and it is what causes wind on the earth. To break it down again, wind is the movement of air caused by an energy called heat. Wind is a force that we can feel and are certain that it is blowing. However, it is invisible to our eyes.
How can we apply this to the Spirit of God? The Spirit is a force or energy that we cannot see, but when the Spirit works we can certainly know that it is working. John 3:8 "The wind (Grk. Pneuma for Spirit) bloweth where it listeth (desires or pleases), and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit."
The Spirit also imparts eternal life to those who receive it. So the Spirit is life. John 6:63 "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." The word quickeneth means to make alive or to vitalize. So the Spirit is LIFE and POWER. It is the LIFE and POWER of God himself.
Let's further the argument that the Holy Spirit is the power of God. Luke 1:35 uses Spirit and Power interchangeably. Luk 1:35 "And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." Some might say, 'you make the Spirit a mere creature or agent and less than God.' This statement is made in complete ignorance. Trinitarians resort to this kind of argument when they are brought into a corner and have nowhere to go. To answer this charge I say this; God is a Spirit, that is what he is made up of. He is intangible, invisible and is life and power itself. The Spirit is the LIFE FORCE of God and is God himself. In John 3:8 the Spirit is likened unto wind and wind is the movement of air (invisible to the eye) caused by energy. The Holy Spirit is God himself in and among his people.
What about the scriptures where the Spirit is said to proceed from the Father? The Spirit of God is not a different person any more than your own human spirit is a different person than yourself. God is not limited to a personal body and can dwell in all places at once if he so desires. So if you had an omnipresent Spirit you can cause it to proceed from yourself to accomplish various purposes.
Jesus made this statement to his disciples "I will not le ave you alone I will come to you" and in John 16:13 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." The word he and himself (though they are good translations) is not in the original text as a separate word. Many use this to say 'aha see the Spirit of God is a separate person from the Father and the Son.' However he and him are used based upon the object we are speaking about and the pneuma of God is not a he as though the Spirit is distinct from God our Father, rather the Spirit is an it (it's what God is). God is a Spirit and he will send his Spirit to lead us into all truth and it will not speak of itself. The Spirit testifies of Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ testifies of the Father. If you study John 14 through 16 you will see that Jesus and the Father send the Spirit, the Spirit proceeds from the Father, the Spirit is Jesus coming to his disciples and the Spirit takes of the things (his words, works and name) of Jesus (all he has is of the Father) and gives it unto us. In Ephesians 4:6 we learn that our God and Father is in us and in Col. 1:27 we find out that it is Christ in us. So, how do we reconcile all these different thoughts? God is in us, Christ is in us, the Father sends the Spirit, the Son sends the Spirit, the Spirit speaks not of itself and God is Spirit.
We have to start with the point that God is a Spirit that inhabits eternity and he is not limited by time and space. He can be in all places at once. The one mediator between God and men is the perfect MAN Christ Jesus. He IS limited by space because he is a man. He dwells in heaven and is our High Priest and Mediator who sits upon the Father's throne. Redemption and salvation can only take place IN and THROUGH Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Kinsman-Redeemer. He willingly gave himself up as a sacrifice for our sins, he offered himself up through the eternal Spirit unto God. Now, he is our mediator, high priest and advocate. We come unto God through his Son. So when the Holy Spirit (it's God's life and power (life force)) does work among us it is always done through the work of Jesus Christ. The Spirit will testify of the Lord Jesus Christ and his work on the cross because that is God's means of saving a man or woman. Rom 8:9 "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Here is the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ are used interchangeably. This tells us that God and Christ are one in the work of redemption that is going on now. God's Spirit comes to us and is available to us through the work of Christ. So the eternal Spirit that is God is also the Spirit of his Son for there is but ONE Spirit not two and not three. This is why Jesus said, Joh 14:23 "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." So the omnipresent Spirit (God who is our Heavenly Father) comes to us in the work and through the person of the man Christ Jesus, God's only begotten Son. The oneness of God and his Son is not some esoteric, mystical or philosophical unity (one God in three persons), but rather God working out his plan for redeeming mankind from sin and degradation. And he fulfills that plan in and through the person of his Son.
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by JasonDeMars
I am from Hopkins, MN. I've lived here all my life...I am married and we have a little baby on the way! Can't wait...lots to do around the house these... (more)
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