Proof of the Holy Ghost Baptism

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Good and bad performed the supernatural

The supernatural has always been a fascinating part of the Holy Ghost ministry.

Pentecostals regard it as the proof of their baptism with the Holy Ghost.

But there is one problem.

The power of God can fall on the righteous and the unrighteous.

EXODUS 7:10   And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.

:11   Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.

:12   For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.

Aaron won in the end, but it was a stunning example of supernatural power that enabled Jannes and Jambres, the sorcerers of Egypt, to also turn their rods into snakes. The bad magicians were also able to demonstrate the supernatural.

Then the Nile river was turned into blood.

Aaron used his rod to produce supernatural power as water turned to blood.

EXODUS 7:20   And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.

:21     And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

:22     And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said.

The bad magicians were able to duplicate thissupernatural act.

But all it did was to harden them in their unbelief.

The supernatural that God allowed them to do, had no beneficial effects on the unbelievers as it hardened them in their error. They really thought that they were something very important because they could produce supernatural events. Turning water to blood was supernatural and impressive but it brought forth death. Jesus turned water to wine. He used the supernatural to bring forth life. The water of the Word, under His influence, turned into the wine of the stimulation of revelation as the Bible mysteries were understood.

Then the magicians also performed the miracle of creating frogs.

EXODUS 8:6   And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

:7   And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.

Frogs are associated with an evil trinity of unclean (unscriptural) spirits.

Supernatural power can be manifest in support of the Trinity.

REVELATION 16:13   And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

A modern-day miracle is the coming together of the different churches thanks to their common belief in the Trinity. But they will end at Armageddon.

REVELATION 16:14    For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

But then the magicians reached their limit of the supernatural. They could go no further.

Only the Holy Ghost can understand the Bible mysteries

The lesson to be learned is that the unrighteous can perform the supernatural up to a certain limit. But they can never understand the revelation of the mysteries of God that are in the Bible.

Thus, understanding the mystery of God which requires us to return to the beliefs of the first church age is the real evidence of the Holy Ghost baptism.

Because that is the only way that we can prepare for the Coming of the Lord.

Consider how the Holy Spirit manifests Himself to people.

Knowledge means knowing the meaning of a Scripture verse.

Wisdom is the ability to link scattered Bible verses together in order to reveal a deeper pattern that runs through the Bible.

Knowledge and wisdom are the foundation for understanding the meaning of Bible statements and patterns.

This is God’s main concern for the end time believers.

DANIEL 12:8   And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?

Daniel, the great prophet, wanted desperately to understand.

DANIEL 12:9   And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

God’s great gift of understanding would only be poured out at the end.

DANIEL 12:10   Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand;

but the wise shall understand.

At the end the wise virgins of Matthew Chapter 25 will understand the Bible mysteries.

In other words, the wisdom to understand the meaning of the Scriptures is the final difference between the wise virgins and the foolish virgins who have been fooled by their church leaders.

I CORINTHIANS 12:7   But the manifestation of the Spirit

is given to every man to profit withal.

The Spirit manifests itself in a supernatural way in an individual’s life in order that the individual may profit or help everyone else in the Lord’s Bride. The Spirit does not want to make a reputation for the individual.

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;

By granting wisdom and knowledge to a person, God can use that person at the end time to guide others to the revealed truths of Scripture.

I CORINTHIANS 12:8   For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

Wisdom and knowledge are the most important way of God manifesting or showing Himself in an individual’s life at the end time.

DANIEL 12:10   Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried;

but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand;

but the wise shall understand.

But there is a limit to what the wicked can manifest of God’s Spirit. The wicked, like Jannes and Jambres, can also manifest some of the supernatural.

But the wicked cannot understand the Bible mysteries.

They will corrupt those deeper truths into something that is unscriptural.

We humans are very impressed by faith and the gifts of healing and miracles.

But theses are lower on God’s list. They are very impressive but they can be duplicated by the unrighteous. Thus, they are not proof of the individual being right with God.

I CORINTHIANS 12:9   To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

I CORINTHIANS 12:10   To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

Prophecy is great, but the unrighteous can also prophesy.

Balaam was a prophet but he corrupted the Jews at the feast of Baalpeor and thousands died.

NUMBERS 25:9   And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.

But he had also given a beautiful prophecy too.

NUMBERS 24:15   And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:

He was a bad man but God opened his eyes.

NUMBERS 24:16   He hath said,

which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty,

falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:

You cannot get much closer to the knowledge of God than what Balaam did.

NUMBERS 24:17   I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh:

there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel,

and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.

You cannot give a much better prophecy than this. Yet Balaam was a bad man, led astray by his lust for money.

Balaam even spoke to an angel one day. You cannot get much more spiritual than that. Even though Balaam was in the wrong.

JOSHUA 13:22   Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them.

But in the end God got the Jews to kill Balaam.

Despite being very talented in spiritual gifts, Balaam was an enemy of God who deceived 24000 Jews as he guided them to their untimely deaths.

How can that be possible?

The gifts of God fall on the just and the unjust

MATTHEW 5:45   That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven:

for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

God giveth His blessings to both the just and the unjust.

Caiaphas was the evil High Priest who condemned Jesus. Yet God allowed him to prophesy.

JOHN 11:51   And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he [Caiaphas] prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;

Tongues is a sign to unbelievers

Tongues is also a manifestation of the Spirit.

I CORINTHIANS 12:10   To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits;

to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

When tongues is mentioned it is immediately accompanied by the gift of interpretation.

These gifts have to “profit withal”, profit everyone.

But speaking in an unknown tongue cannot edify the listeners as they cannot understand what is being said.

So, if a person speaks in tongues in public,

then there must be someone present who can interpret the tongues.

I CORINTHIANS 14:23   If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?

The whole church speaking in unknown tongues is very off-putting. Just noise that cannot be understood.

I CORINTHIANS 14:22   Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe,

but to them that believe not:

but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.

Tongues is a sign to unbelievers. It is not a sign to believers.

Thus it cannot be a sign that a believer has received the Holy Ghost. Especially, as tongues is the least of the gifts of the Spirit.

I CORINTHIANS 14:22   … but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.

Prophecy does convince believers. Prophecy does not necessarily convince unbelievers as nobody listened to Noah in his days, until it was too late.

Thus, tongues with interpretation is equivalent to prophecy that can reveal the secrets of the heart or reveal future events.

That quality of a supernatural gift is of great value to the members of the Bride.

Prophecy means far more to the church than tongues.

I CORINTHIANS 14:1    Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

If you want spiritual gifts, give away money and possessions to the poor. Do not use spiritual gifts to get rich. But a great gift of the Spirit is the ability to prophesy.

I CORINTHIANS 14:2   For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.

Talking in tongues is a mystery that only God can understand. Thus, it has no value to the listeners.

I CORINTHIANS 14:3   But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

If you prophesy, people can understand you and gain benefit.

I CORINTHIANS 14:4   He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.

Talking in tongues only edifies self. So you should do that at home.

Prophecy edifies the church.

I CORINTHIANS 14:5   I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.

Tongues in public must have interpretation

Only when tongues is accompanied by interpretation does tongues edify the church, the wise virgins.

I CORINTHIANS 14:9    So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.

Speak in a language that is easy to understand, otherwise, you waste words that are empty and have no meaning.

I CORINTHIANS 14:11   Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.

We sound like barbarians when we speak publicly in unknown tongues. We cannot benefit each other if we cannot be understood.

I CORINTHIANS 14:12   Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.

If you want spiritual gifts, seek to edify the church.

Unknown tongues only edify yourself, nobody else.

I CORINTHIANS 14:13   Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.

If you want to use tongues in public then pray for the gift of interpretation.

I CORINTHIANS 14:14    For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.

If I pray in tongues, even I understand nothing. So, I should do this at home.

I CORINTHIANS 14:19   Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

In public, a few words that are understood are of far more benefit than thousands of words that are not understood.

If there is no interpreter in the church, then nobody must publicly speak in tongues.

I CORINTHIANS 14:28    But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.

Thus, speaking in an unknown tongue, without an interpreter, is not allowed in the church and is thus not really evidence of the Holy Ghost baptism.

God set apostles and prophets and teachers in the church.

I CORINTHIANS 12:28   And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

Apostles. Prophets. Teachers. That is God’s structure for the church.

No mention of pastors. Certainly, no pastor was ever put in charge of a New Testament church.

I CORINTHIANS 12:29   Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?

Not everyone has these ministries or gifts. Just some people.

I CORINTHIANS 12:30   Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

Not everyone has the gift of healing. Not everyone will speak in tongues. Not everyone will interpret tongues. Thus, none of these supernatural gifts is a proof of the Holy Ghost baptism because not everyone has them.

On the day of Pentecost, they did not speak in unknown tongues that were not understood. If they had, the Jews would have thought them to be mad or barbarians.

They spoke in tongues that were unknown to themselves, but they were known to the Jews from the various nations that they had come from. It is as if you found yourself taking in German when you know no German. Your friend was talking in Italian but knew no Italian. That is what puzzled and fascinated the crowds. You were talking in a language that you did not know, but those people were then able to understand you. There were at least 16 different languages being spoken. That was the miracle of tongues on the day of Pentecost. Not someone stammering away in a language that neither he nor anybody else understood.

The supernatural does not prove something.

Why not? Because people can have the gifts but not the Giver.

Two heathen soldiers were given the gift of a dream and the correct interpretation of the dream in order to tell Gideon to attack the enemy.

God’s supernatural can appear anywhere.

II THESSALONIANS 2:9   Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

Satan can also dabble in the supernatural. Missionaries report on heathens who are able to speak in tongues.

REVELATION 13:13   And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

:14     And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast;

Wonders and miracles easily fool people.

The foolish virgins in Matthew Chapter 25 are all saved Christians (clean women) who have been fooled. They have not stayed strictly Scriptural.

Satan is very clever and can fool the world and the churches with his clever schemes.

The supernatural gifts must stay Scriptural

Remember Balaaam, he was on the wrong path but still had access to supernatural experiences.

He tried to mix good an evil. He compromised with sin for the sake of money. So, did Judas.

MATTHEW 7:18   A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Good and bad cannot mix. The supernatural must be strictly within the limits of the Scriptures.

MATTHEW 7:19   Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

The foolish virgins are a mixture of Bible truth in some places and man-made church traditions in other places. This is not acceptable. One fly in the ointment corrupts the ointment.

We are not known by our gifts

MATTHEW 7:20   Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

We are known by our fruits. The fruit of the Spirit.

MATTHEW 7:21   Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

“Lord, Lord”. The repetition puts an emphasis on praising and exalting Jesus.

They love the Man Jesus, but they do not love the Word of God, the King James Bible.

JOHN 14:15   If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Our attitude to Jesus is revealed in our attitude towards the King James Bible.

We cannot love Jesus unless we regard the King James Version as the infallible and perfect Word of God.

The Bible reveals the thoughts of Jesus. We must love the thinking of God which he has revealed in our day as we learn to understand the Bible mysteries.

MATTHEW 7:22   Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

This is a very impressive list of achievements.

These people are high in the estimation of their church. They have supernatural gifts to prove their closeness to God, so they think. But there is only a small blot on their horizon. They cannot understand the revealed mysteries of Scripture. Thus, they are not wanted at the Wedding Feast.

MATTHEW 7:23   And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

All the miracles proved nothing if they did not understand the Bible.

They will be left behind when Jesus comes for His Bride.

They will perish in the horrors of great Tribulation.

The Holy Ghost baptism takes us to the Bible truth

We cannot rely on the supernatural to guarantee that God accepts us as His Bride.

What then is the safest route for us to follow?

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;

The main purpose of the Holy Spirit is to guide us into all truth. He will make us understand the King James Bible as God’s Will is His Testament.

A person who is Spirit filled will not speak of himself. We will turn our attention away from self towards others.

Who are these important others?

The first church age that the apostles established as the New Testament.

The wise virgins of Matthew Chapter 25 will understand the difference between the mysteries (plural) of God and the mystery (singular) of God.

It is a special gift of wisdom and knowledge that enables us to understand the mysteries of God that applied to the individuals in the different church ages.

LUKE 8:10   And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

I CORINTHIANS 4:1   Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

:2   Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

We must be faithful to the revealed mysteries of our day. Not faithful to the church that we happened to be in. Only the Holy Spirit can give us the insight needed to understand the mysteries (plural) of Scripture.

All of those revealed mysteries will guide us in a certain direction.

The revealed mysteries of God will restore us back to the first church age of the apostles.

This is the great mystery (singular) of God.

Jesus is the First and the Last.

The seed that  was planted in the first church age died in the Dark Ages and resurrected back to life until it is harvested. At the harvest the seed is reaped by being pulled off the dead plant. This only happens when the ripened seed is identical to the seed that was planted.

The last age has the same beliefs as the first church age.

The eagle-insight of the seventh church age will restore us back to the lion-truth of the first church age.

At the Coming of the Lord, the Bride is pulled off the world and taken to Heaven. The world and the foolish virgins go into great Tribulation.

The Holy Spirit needs to give us situational awareness.

Where are we today in terms of understanding our position in the revealed Bible?

Are we also heading in a direction that restores us back to the first church age.

Our position and our direction are critical.

If we can understand that sufficiently well, then that is our evidence that we have received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Because He comes to guide us into all truth.

REVELATION 10:7   But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

This is the mystery of God (singular).

It “should” be finished means something has gone wrong.

Most message-people who claim to follow brother Branham reasonably understand the mysteries of God (plural) that brother Branham revealed. The Godhead. The water baptism. The seven church ages. Serpent’s seed. The end time messenger. The 3.5 years of great Tribulation. The final return of the Gospel to the Jews. The early local churches were run by local elders. The perfection of the King James Bible. etc.

If we understand all those mysteries, how can we go wrong?

I CORINTHIANS 13:2   And though I have the gift of prophecy,

and understand all mysteries,

and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains,

and have not charity,

I am nothing.

We can oppose wrong doctrines but we should not dislike the people who hold those doctrines.

We must learn to condemn an unscriptural doctrine by quoting the Scriptures that contradict the doctrine.

But if we cannot find Scripture to condemn a doctrine then it does not help to criticize and condemn the person who believes the doctrine.

The Holy Ghost produced no tongues at times

LUKE 1:41   And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

:42     And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

Elizabeth and Mary both spoke Hebrew. Thus, there was no need for Elizabeth to speak in tongues.

LUKE 1:67   And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, …

Zacharias prophesied when he received the Holy Ghost. He did not speak in tongues.

LUKE 1:15  For he [John the Baptist] shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink;

and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.

It was impossible for John to speak when he received the Holy Ghost in his mother’s womb.

ACTS 4:31   And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together;

and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

The first church age needed the Holy Ghost to fill them so that they could speak the truth boldly.

The same applies in our last age when all the churches are forsaking the revealed Bible mysteries.

Only the Holy Ghost can enable us to find the truth and then be bold enough to speak from the King James Bible.

The modern churches tend to reject the King James Version.

Only the Holy Ghost can enable us to stand up and oppose the flood tide of church errors.

ACTS 8:17   Then laid they their hands on them [the Samaritans], and they received the Holy Ghost.

:18   And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,

The Samaritans were a mixture of Jews and Gentiles. They all spoke the same language. Thus, there was no need for tongues. Simeon saw that they had received the Holy Ghost. You do not see people speaking in tongues, you hear them.

At the conversion of Saul (who later became Paul) there were no tongues because Saul was Jewish and thus spoke Hebrew.

ACTS 9:17   And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me,

that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

ACTS 9:18   And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.

Receiving his sight had a double meaning as Saul also received a deep spiritual insight into the Scripture.

That was the main value of his Holy Ghost baptism as he had to establish a foundation for all seven church ages.

Tongues involved people from foreign nations

When Peter went to deal with the Gentiles, who spoke other languages, these Gentiles spoke in tongues which enabled the Jews to hear and understand what they were saying. For instance, some were Romans and would speak in Latin but the Jews heard them speak in Hebrew.

The gift of tongues enabled people of different language groups to understand each other. This did not involve speaking in an unknown tongue that nobody could understand.

ACTS 10:44   While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.

:45     And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.

:46     For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God.

Then answered Peter,…

The Jews were able to understand what the Gentiles were saying. They could hear them praising God.

When the disciples came to Iconium:

ACTS 13:52   And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.

They were filled with the Holy Ghost but there was no mention of tongues.

But there is a great joy when a deeper revelation of the Word is made known to you.

Wine represents the stimulation of revelation that is given by the Holy Ghost.

Ephesus was Gentile territory where they spoke different languages to the Jews.

So, when Paul baptized them:

ACTS 19:5     When they heard this,

they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

ACTS 19:6   And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

The Gentiles spoke in tongues that the Jews could understand because the Jews understood their prophecies.

Tongues together with interpretation is the equivalent of prophecy.

How the Holy Ghost ran the early church

ACTS 20:17   And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.

Paul called the elders from Ephesus to meet him in the city of Miletus.

He told the elders that they were the overseers of the local church of Ephesus and the elders, as a group, were responsible for feeding the church by doing the preaching and teaching.

ACTS 20:28   Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

Paul did not appoint one man to be in charge of the church of Ephesus, which was to be the foundation church of the first church age. This church was ruled by a group of elders.

Simon Peter also emphasized the need for a group of elders to be in charge of the church. As a group, the elders were all equals. There was not a priest, or reverend, or minister, or vicar, or pastor that was the head of the church. That structure of church leadership was invented long after the apostles had died.

I PETER 5:1   The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:

Peter did not emphasize his rank as an apostle. He greeted the elders as a fellow elder.

I PETER 5:2   Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

The elders must be in charge of the church as a group. They must not chase after money.

I PETER 5:3   Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

The elders must not think that they are elevated above the people, as that is a Nicolaitan spirit that God hates.

The correct attitude of people in the church towards each other is “Not above you, not below you, but always beside you”.

A church should be run by a group of elders who have no desire to dominate but just to teach what the Bible says. That is what a Spirit-filled church will look like.

Some corruptions of the Message

The followers of William Branham refer to his tape-recorded sermons as "The Message".

The Holy Ghost baptism that guides us to the truth will open our eyes and enable us to avoid unscriptural errors like the following.

The first mistake that people make when they have learned to understand the mysteries of God (plural) is the intense dislike they develop for people who disagree with them. That attitude cancels out the benefits of understanding the mysteries.

A second big mistake is to corrupt the mysteries that have been revealed by brother Branham.

We need the Holy Ghost baptism to protect us from the mysteries that got corrupted. Where brother Branham’s quotes are interpreted in a way that takes us away from Scripture.

The Holy Ghost baptism will make us agree with the first church age.

The first church age never believed the following errors of the modern message-followers:

A big mistake was elevating brother Branham to the Godhead by calling him the Son of man and claiming that he is infallible as the Voice of God.

The Voice of God is not promised in the New Testament.

Another mistake was to claim that the Seven Seals have been opened. Brother Branham, assisted by seven angels, revealed them. But he revealed that the Seventh Seal remains a total mystery as it refers to the Coming of the Lord. That is the biggest mystery in the universe.

The Seven Seals will be opened by Jesus alone when the Bride is in Heaven in Revelation Chapter 6.

Another mistake is to claim that the Angel of Revelation 10 has come down. The Angel will come down to perform the resurrection.

64-0119  SHALOM

When that Angel, of Revelation the 10th chapter, puts one foot on land and one on the sea, and a rainbow over His head, He swore, "time shall be no more." When that time comes, you'll rise up from among the dead. While the rest of them lay there, you'll go in.

A big mistake is to think that the Pastor is the head of the church.

The Pastor is not the head of the church. Elevating a holy man above the congregation is a Nicolaitan spirit. No Pastor was declared to be the head of any church in the New Testament. There is only one Scripture that refers to "pastors" in the New Testament. Thus he has no Scriptural authority to be in charge of the church.

A big mistake is to think that we can know the unwritten mysteries. The 7 Thunders, the  7th Seal, and the new name of Jesus.

We cannot know three unwritten mysteries:

The 7 Thunders were mentioned and then John was told not to write. That is a very special exception. We cannot know what God told John. Brother Branham says that Daniel also heard these 7 Thunders. (That is an interesting exercise to puzzle out).

The Seventh Seal was mentioned then hidden in silence. We cannot talk when God is silent. This refers to the biggest mystery in the Universe, the Coming of the Lord. We cannot know that, however hard we try.

The new name of the Lord will only apply when we are in new sinless bodies. The name of Jesus cleanses sin, so we will need the name of Jesus until our bodies change. Like a bride, once you have a new name then you never use the old name again. So the new name cannot be known until we are sinless in our new bodies.

All the names of God from the Old Testament like Jehovah and Elohim are never used in the New Testament because Matthew mentioned the new human name of God, Jesus. You cannot have the old and the new names at the same time.

The first church never tried to understand the seven Thunders that John did not write. They never tried to understand the Seventh Seal which is silence as it refers to the Coming of the Lord.

The disciples never asked the Lord when He was Coming. They only asked for a sign of His Coming.

MATTHEW 24:3   And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

The early church never claimed to know the new name of the Lord. That will only apply to the Bride when we are in new immortal bodies that are sinless. Until then, we need mercy and so does everyone else. Our task is to spread the news of God’s mercy. There is only mercy while God is on His mercy seat. Then His mercy applies to everyone.

The early church never believed that “mercy was over, except for the Bride.” There is no such Scripture.

It is wrong to claim that the “Shout” has happened.

The “shout” is the message that revealed the mysteries of Scripture from the King James Bible. Brother Branham revealed those mysteries but that will not help the living Bride until each individual is able to prove those mysteries from the Scripture for themselves.

One month before he died, and brother Branham was still looking for the “shout” in the future.

He was still waiting for the single Thunder when the First Seal opens.

1965-1127   I HAVE HEARD BUT NOW I SEE

Dear God, in this solemn moment, it's going to be a time like this when there really will be a clap of thunder someday,

and the Son of God shall descend from the heavens with a shout,

with the voice of the Archangel, and the trump of God, the dead in Christ shall rise.

The shout he was waiting for was the shout of the Bride who will finally learn how to understand the Bible.

62-1111   WHY I'M AGAINST ORGANIZED RELIGION

Notice, the 19th chapter is the next, "After these things." Did you notice here in the 19th chapter, "After these things"? Watch what? After what? After the Message of "Come out of her!" "After these things," watch,

"is the shout of the Bride saints,

with the Bridegroom, going to the Marriage of the Lamb."

In Matthew Chapter 25 the wise virgins had oil (the Holy Ghost baptism) which enabled them to have enough light to read and understand the written Bible.

DANIEL 12:10   … and none of the wicked shall understand;

but the wise shall understand.

The wise virgins had the oil of the Holy Ghost. Proof that they were wise was their ability to understand the written Bible.

It was not a group opinion. Each one had to understand for themselves.

That is why they could not help the foolish virgins. Each foolish virgin had to buy for themselves.

Pay the price and learn to stand on their own feet.

The Holy Ghost-filled Bride will focus on understanding the written Bible and thereby return to the beliefs of the first church age of the apostles. Only those people will be caught up to Heaven. The rest will be left behind to die in the horror of great Tribulation.