Entering into the 21st Century, into a new millennium, I cannot help but realize that we are indeed closer to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. This new millennium surely belongs to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. No matter what the skeptics say, our Lord will surely come to rule and reign.
Many Bible believers who are prophetic students of the Word are looking for the return of the Lord. The month of October 2005 seems to be a significant month. In relation to the Coming of the Lord some have dreams and visions about that particular month. Is October 2005 the beginning of the end of the Babylonian system? Is it the countdown to the diffusions and chaos of the Babylonian political system, the Babylonian economic system, the Babylonian military system and the Babylonian religious system? Will all these systems "break up" and "break down" to where they will push Israel to a brink for a great war? Yes, Israel was gathered together from these "four winds” (cf. Matt.24:31) which had driven them about the earth for hundreds of years after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. These same four forces would be released for the Battle of Armageddon (cf. Rev.7:1).
THE WINDS OF CHANGE
Prophetic signs are everywhere. We see them in the skies above. We see them upon the earth. With each passing day the atmosphere and the earth are travailing, shaking and rolling, twisting and turning, and ever changing because they are being greatly polluted and poisoned by the corrupt man. Animals and birds are harboring diseases as mankind commercially breeds them in filthy confined spaces. Mankind is closer to building a world of chaos and inevitable self-destruction. We are seeing it in the making today as mankind gets further and further away from believing in the True and Living God of the Bible and moving towards a science that falsely teaches man’s ancestor is the ape or that life has no intelligent design and was purely by chance.
To a great majority of sinners and unbelievers of God's Holy Word, the world will continue on. They believe that living conditions will improve and, perhaps, get better and better until a state of utopia is reached. This will be achieved as the nations work together to build a better world. Many believe that mankind will live longer with a growing knowledge of sciences and technologies and the know-how to use them to improve the quality of life.
Knowledge is power and is even "worshipped" by man. This is clearly seen when man is able now to clone body parts and perhaps another of his own kind. He can now "create". Man is liken to "god". God then is no longer needed, He is put aside. Once again the "tree of knowledge of good and evil" (perverted knowledge) has been breached to a place where man no longer wants to accept that he is like God, knowing both good and evil (cf. Gen.3:22) but wants to be equal with God (cf. Isa.14:13-14).
However, unbeknownst to sinners, this world of ours will not be allowed to continue the way it's heading. The ways of man may look right but it's a way of death. It will lead to complete destruction of all lives because Satan will drive mankind to that end. But for the sake of God's elect, God will not allow it. His grace and mercy will provide a way to eternal life. He'll stop it and bring in an Age of Righteousness. Read Matthew 24.
The political world is unstable. Many nations are being shaken. There is unrest among the politicians, the political parties and the citizens. Riots, lootings and killings are commonplace. The politicians are blaming each other and the people are blaming the politicians. They are blaming each other as the "diseases" of the nations. But behind all these are every religious politician's ideology — what he/she believes is the only answer to the problems. In their frustration to stop the "diseases", the military might have to be employed. And that leads to war. And the Middle East is the powder keg that will ignite a Third World War which will bring an end to two super powers of the world — the American and the Russian. Surely the September 11, 2001 attack on America by religious Islamic fanatics, who hate Israel and all who are friends of Israel, has taken the world closer to the brink of that war.
Then there is the financial system that just does not make sense. Yet it seems to works "perfectly". The financiers and the capitalists are stretching the system here and there, ever so often. But the bubble has to burst! It's just a matter of time. And when it does, chaos will set in. And it will bring in that spirit of the old Roman Empire as when the Babylonian system collapsed.
Satan is the god of this evil world. He is bent on destroying this inhabited earth, the things which belong to God, by creating a world of deceptions and sins. He is a great deceiver. He deceives not only the sinners but also the religious people, especially the Christians.
Why the Christians?
Simply because they are known as God's people. Certainly, not all Christians are Christian but Satan knows one when he sees one. Though he loves religious people, Satan just hates the idea of people obeying the Holy Word of God. It is in Christianity that Satan is causing the most trouble and confusion. For some 1950 years, there have been wars fought over the Word of God within the family of God. Many were tortured and killed while others were spurned and hated. And the family just continues to split up. No other religious faith is so divided, segmented and fragmented than the Christian faith that it is estimated that there are some 33,000 different groups existing today.
What went wrong?
Basically, it is the work of Satan upon certain types of religious people. Paul wrote of it in his two epistles to Timothy. In 2 Timothy 2 (and 1 Timothy 1), he spoke of certain ministers and believers within the church who walked in odious and detestable ways as they strived for positions and recognitions. These men were "lawless", so to speak. They were questioning and quarreling over words and misinterpreting doctrines. Such men were destroying the faith of those who were hearing them. They were cunning and crafty men with deceitful scheming notions. Similar men such as these have existed since and have brought about the many factions within the family of God. It was certainly no easy task for Timothy when he was given this admonition by Paul: "In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will" (2 Tim.2:25-26). I wonder how many of such ministers and believers was Timothy able to rescue from the hands of Satan, if any.
SHAKING
Today, there is an abundant crop of deceitful men, false prophets and teachers. Moving about freely within the Christian churches, they preach and teach heresies and even accuse each others of teaching false doctrines. This is especially so within the Pentecostal and the Charismatic churches. The reason is traced to the hype on the teaching that a Christian is Holy Spirit baptized and has the Holy Spirit only when he speaks in tongues. With this emphasis on glossolalia (gift of speaking in tongues) and also on the other charismata (gifts of the Holy Spirit), Pentecostals and Charismatics have a tendency to puff themselves up as being more spiritual than others. On the other hand the Evangelical and Fundamentalist churches, because of their orthodox traditions, do not have such situation in their midst though they do have false preachers and teachers. They pride themselves to be Biblically sound in their interpretation of the Word and religiously hold to their church creeds and tenets of faith unflaggingly. However, with the prevailing wind of Ecumenism sweeping around the world and with Charismaticism being much embraced by even the Evangelical and Fundamentalist churches with open arms, no denomination is spared from Satan's deception to bind them together as tares.
"See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying,
Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:"
(Heb.12:25-28)
Yes, the Almighty God will once more shake the earth and with it He will also shake the heavens (cf. Hag.2:6). When He does that He will bring in the Age of Regeneration. But even now the world is feeling the shaking coming. The "four winds" of Revelation 7, which are the four forces of the religious, military, financial and political systems, are being held back by the angelic beings to prevent them from breaking forth into a world war. These "four winds" are shaking more forcefully and more frequently everyday. And when their full forces are released by the angels, they will bring about a world war that will lead to the Battle of Armageddon.
Everything which is shaken will be removed. The things which will not be shaken are the things of God. Truly, out of this shaking – all the confusions, chaos and distresses – will rise up a people. Such is the true Church of the Living God which is born out of the Word. Such is the Kingdom of God. It is a people pulled out of the world by the hand of the Almighty God and made to stand in His Word. They are predestinated to life. The Anointed Word is the solid foundation of the Church which was laid even before the foundation of this world. Therefore, when God speaks, let us hear.
The Faith of Jesus Christ
"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."
(Gal.2:16-21)
Have you ever considered your FAITH — what it is? Have you a revelation from God concerning the Faith of Jesus Christ?
Most Christians will confess that there is one God and that they believe in Jesus Christ. Well, the devil also believes that there is one God and that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he trembles. To many religious "Christians" it seems that salvation is gotten by just a mere simple confession such as this: "I believe in one God, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that the Holy Bible is God’s Word". However, Scripture shows otherwise. It goes beyond mere confession and into the heart (cf. Rom.10:9). There needs to be a true repentance as much as there is a true confession (cf. Acts 2:38). To believe in Jesus Christ is the same as to have faith in Jesus Christ. It is a complete trust in what he had done on Calvary for a propitiation for the sin of mankind. But few understand the Faith of Jesus Christ whose faith in the Father is what brought us eternal life.
It is one thing when you "have faith in Jesus Christ" but another when you "have the faith of Jesus Christ". Similarly, it is one thing to "have faith in God" and another to "have the faith of God". To "have faith in" a person is to trust in the words of that person. You rely on his words, believing that whatever he said or promised he would back it up.
On the other hand, for you to "have the faith of a person" you need to have a revelation of that person’s inheritance, be it a gift or a legacy.
Paul taught the saints in Galatia that the observation of the law does not justify the believers. It is the FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST that justifies even as they believe in Jesus Christ. But what is "the faith of Jesus Christ" even as we "have faith in Jesus Christ" ?
This is what the Bible tells us:
"Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God."
(Heb.10:7)
Jesus knew His purpose as to His existence (Jhn.14:6). He knew God’s plan (Jhn.3:16; 10:10). He knew His calling (Jhn.18:37). He knew Who He was (Psa.2:7) and what He was to become (Psa.110:1 cf.Heb.1:5,13). He had the revelation, He had the faith of what the Heavenly Father promised Him. And He faithfully carried out His mission to receive His inheritance.
If we can catch this revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, we can then see why Christ did what He did. Jesus had the faith in the Promise of the Father. He knew God keeps His Own Word and will not fail in what He had promised. He had the revelation of His Father’s Word. So He did the Will of the Father and He obtained the inheritance, an inheritance that He gave to each and everyone of His siblings — us, who are sons and daughters of the Living God!
"The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints."
(Eph.1:18)
"Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:
Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they."
(Heb.1:3-4 cf. Phil.2:9-11)
Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, has obtained an excellent NAME which is above every name in heaven and on earth. It is in this NAME that our salvation is founded and ordained of God even before the world began. The Kingdom of God revolves around this NAME, a name by which all knees shall bow.
The Name of God is placed in His Word of Life, the only chosen place of worship where the saints of God can truly feast in the revelation of the Word (cf. Jhn.1:1,14; Luk.1:31; Jhn.20:31; Deut.16:2-6). And if we are born again of the Word and have His Name, we will be able to catch the revelation of "the faith of Jesus Christ". It is His faith that provides us a Way to the Father. He is the Truth and is also the Life, therefore can you see that it is not our faith as it is His Faith that saves us because there is a true life behind the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ?
THE ROCK
"And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.
Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.
And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen."
(Exo.33:12-23)
The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob called Moses to lead the children of Israel to the Promised Land. Moses was promised the Presence of the Lord to lead them. In his interceding for Israel, Moses requested the Lord to let him see the Glory that was leading the people. He was sincere to state the facts that the Lord had known him by name and had found grace in His sight. Oh, Moses had a desire to see the GLORY (the FACE) of Yahweh, but Yahweh would not allow it. No one could see the Almighty face to face and live. However, the Lord would allow His goodness to pass before Moses (for He had known him by name and had found grace in the eyes of the Lord). Oh, saints of God, does not our Heavenly Father know us by name too, and calls us to His grace?
Now, Yahweh provided a way for Moses to have a glimpse of Him as He passed him by. He provided a place for Moses such that Moses stood upon a rock and was safely cleaved as He passed by. My, oh my! Saints of God, Moses was not standing on and safely cleaved in just a literal rock but he was more importantly standing on a spiritual ROCK and safely cleaved in IT. What an experience Moses must have had as he found himself cleaved in the ROCK in the very Presence of Almighty God as He passed him by. What a revelation he must have had to be caught up into the spiritual dimension if but to catch a glimpse of the back of God.
This particular ROCK had been with the children of Israel in their exodus from Egypt and throughout their wandering in the wilderness (1 Cor.10:4) and beyond. This ROCK is none other than CHRIST. CHRIST is not JESUS. IT is the ANOINTING, the REVELATION that flows from YAHWEH, revealing HIMSELF. (Read Acts 7:55-56.)
Here’s an experience of another man of God, Elijah:
"And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?
And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice."
(1 Kgs.19:9-12)
Oh, poor Elijah, how zealous he was for the Lord God of Israel, so zealous that he, at that point in time, cowered in fear and hid himself in a cave from the wicked Queen Jezebel. How was it that he got to such a state that he became so down and out in the warfare? Nevertheless the Lord came along and called out to him, "Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD". Amen. That must have been quite a rebuke. Did Elijah, all of a sudden, forgot that God was not in both the physical and the carnal? Have we all not at one time or another come to that same stage?
Beloved, God is in the spiritual. What man may say and do against you is useless for they cannot touch you when you stand on the ROCK. God could simply rip them all apart and bring them to naught if He so wills it. That’s the truth. But in all situations God is still in control. Conversely, what a thrilling experience it must have been for Elijah when God sent an earthquake, a strong wind and a fire that shook and shattered everything around him except where he stood. Of course, for Elijah was standing on solid ROCK. What a revelation when God spoke to him in a still small voice.
Saints, God was not in displays of power and the big things that Elijah had witnessed. Truly God is not in signs, wonders and miracles. He is in His own Word revealing Himself ever so gently and quietly, away from all the dins that delight only the senses of carnal men and women. Signs, wonders and miracles are ways to draw the attention of people to hearken to the still small voice of the Living God.
"O the healings and the miracles! O the prophet and the pillar of fire!" Beloved, stop all your ‘ohs’ and ‘ahs’ and ‘wows’ and go stand very still on the mountain of the Lord. That’s where the Lord will speak and will reveal Himself. In Him alone is life. Amen. "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psa.46:10a).
THE CHRIST
When the disciples of Jesus were asked a question by the Master: "Whom say ye that I am?" Peter stood up and said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." Peter’s confession did not come to him because he was a Jew nor because he was a disciple of Jesus. Flesh and blood had nothing to do with him having, or gaining, that knowledge. It was a knowledge that came to him by an anointing from the Heavenly Father. It was God’s grace given unto him. The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ gave Peter that revelation — a revelation that was to be THE ROCK by which Jesus Christ would build His Church. Read Matthew 16:15-19.
Our Lord Jesus is the One Who builds the Church but the CHRIST is the ROCK by which He cleaves and stabilizes His elect. Without the CHRIST, Jesus could not do it. You see, Peter could not have known Who Jesus was IF GOD DID NOT PLACE him upon the ROCK – an ANOINTING that flowed from the Spirit of the Father. The moment he stood on that ROCK, Peter saw the Presence of the Lord and called out, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God!"
It takes a revelation from God to recognize that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Like Peter, we, as saints of God, should receive the same to see that part of God that is turned to the world — the Christ that is in Jesus, the very Logos of God made manifest in flesh. "God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." (Acts 2:36)
"Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?
She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place.
From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.
Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she."
(Job 39:27-30)
The eagle stands upon a crag on a high mountain side. She has such great confidence in that rock as she stands upon it. It is a strong place indeed. From there she has a wonderful view and vantage point and she is able to see her prey, her "fresh carcass", clearly and she gets to feed upon it. Amen.
"Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock." Thank God for the ROCK, a solid Rock, that’s by His right hand side. Like the eagle, true worshippers can also have confidence in that ROCK of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is on that solid ROCK that our salvation is secured as our Lord cleaves us in His great love. In this ROCK we get to draw near to the Father. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (Jhn.14:6). Hallelujah! With that blessing, as we stand upon the ROCK, we get to see things that are still far off but approaching. We also get to see the "fresh manna" spread before us for which we are to dine. Amen.
CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH
"The Book of Revelation" is THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST. There is but only one revelation of Jesus Christ. It is this – HIS – revelation that He received from the Father that He then showed to St. John for the Church. This was part and parcel of the ONE FAITH that Jesus had of the Father’s Word concerning Him.
Again, Jesus had but ONE REVELATION, only one. His recognizing the Father’s Word concerning Him – of God’s Plan and Purpose in His Life – is what brought us salvation. With salvation imparted to those of us who believe, we can then begin to see what the Father has in store for us in Christ Jesus. We can begin to understand what lies ahead of us as to the eternal purpose of the Almighty God. And therefore, with that revelation in heart, we can and shall be steadfast in the FAITH of our Lord Jesus Christ – contending for the FAITH that was once delivered to the saints – as we face the many false gospels and false christs in this end time. False gospels, such as "The Gospel of Judas", "The Gospel of Philip", "The Gospel of Thomas", "The Gospel of Mary Magdalene" and many others which were written hundreds of years ago by Gnostic men are now surfacing to shake the foundation of the faith of Church goers and true worshippers of Yahweh. With such false gospels available several fiction writers are making millions of dollars by spinning dozens of "credible" stories around these gospels with that of the Bible. Mixing fact with fiction was a clever tactic of the devil himself, one that started way back in the Garden of Eden. Books such as "Holy Blood, Holy Grail", "The Templar Revelation", "Rosslyn: Guardian of the Secrets of the Holy Grail", "The Messianic Legacy", and "The Da Vinci Code" to name a few, are creating a stir around the world. There are tales of men in search of the "Holy Grail" in which Jesus was supposed to have married Mary Magdalene and fathered a royal bloodline of descendants. Movies are made and commentaries are written about them. Yet many foolish readers, among them Christians, even accept the accounts in these books as facts. They even use them to question and challenge the validity and authority of the Inspired Holy Bible as well as the Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Beloved, if we are not born again, having the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, we surely would not be able to truly contend for the FAITH that was once delivered to the saints (of old). True faith is not blind faith. True faith sees and understands reality. There is no superstitious grasping of the unknown as many religious people are doing because they are not born again of the Spirit of the Living God. Because all men are born sinners and have a perverted nature they cannot understand the spiritual things. They have no spiritual light and thus they live in great darkness and are easily deceived, not just by others but by themselves. Such are the mind of the writers of these books who seek to darken the Light of the Living God by blurring the Truth concerning Jesus Christ and His real purpose in life.
MYSTERY RELIGION
After the great deluge in the days of Noah, the three sons of Noah began to repopulate the earth. It was God’s intention to spread the people all over the earth. But in the Plain of Shinar, Nimrod and his father, Cush, had their own plan. They created a religion of their own. They began to build a great tower that would reach as high as it possibly could. This was to have an influence upon the people should they migrate far away. From a far distance away they would be able to behold the great tower that symbolized the prowess and greatness of Nimrod and his religion. History tells us that Nimrod married his own mother, Semiramis, after his father died and he became a powerful king. He was like a god-king to his people. Not long after Nimrod’s death (he was killed by someone), Nimrod’s mother, Semiramis, indoctrinated the people that Nimrod actually resurrected and ascended to the sun and was now to be called Baal, the sun-god.
Semiramis had created a Mystery Religion. She taught that Baal was on earth in the form of a flame, whether candle or lamp, when used in worship. Because she was the mother of Nimrod, she set herself up as a goddess. That begins the Mystery Religion of mother and son worship. Semiramis even claimed that she was immaculately conceived. She was Queen of Heaven and Mother of God. She came to earth in a moon egg. She was also called Ishtar or Easter. She claimed that she was pregnant by Baal and birth a son called Tammuz (who loved rabbits) and that upon his death, he too resurrected and went to be with his father, the sun-god.
After God confounded the tongue of the people at the Tower of Babel, this Mystery Religion continued down through the centuries of time. It grew and changed into different models as it branched off into the different nations of the world where paganism thrived. Mystery Religion blossomed in the great empires of the Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medo-Persians, Grecians and Romans. When the Pagan Roman Empire gave way to the Holy Roman Empire, Mystery Religion slipped right into the Roman Church. And it is still here in this present day. Not only that, if you will notice, this Mystery Religion has spawned daughters. The Sacred Scripture makes it clear and called her "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH".
Mystery Religion is a MEGA RELIGION. Hence, it is called "Mystery, Babylon THE GREAT". The spirit of ecumenism under the World Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches have taken a strong hold on almost every organized church on the surface of this earth like an octopus holding its preys by the suction cups of its tentacles. Though there are organized churches that are not under the grip of the WCC and the NCC, nevertheless many are under the spell of the spirit of Mystery Religion without even knowing it. Their man-made traditional forms of worship and fellowship are sometimes appalling. And there are those who would be so cultic as to go against God’s authority on the deifying of men. This is even so among the Endtime Message movement where we see many churches deifying the prophet, William Branham, by proclaiming his oral words to be as Absolute as the Bible is Absolute and anyone who believes not every word he uttered is accursed.
In one African nation, back in the 1990s, it was made known to me how some Branhamites have called the BIBLE a "BUSH". Not understanding the meaning of the term, I was then told that they (the Branhamites) do not read the Bible because they find it difficult to understand what they read and therefore they likened it to a man having a difficult time looking for something in a bush. Hence, they called the Bible "a bush" and taught that believers need no longer look for Truth in the "BUSH" as they now have the LIGHT of the message books of Bro. Branham.
Consider these words of wise Job:
"If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;
And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:
This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above."
(Job 31:26-28)
How many believers have, by their foolish contradictory utterances and/or actions, denied the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, of whom they have confessed to be the Only One worthy of worship, honour, glory, praise and homage?
Now judge for yourself if the Branhamites have not committed an iniquity of the sort worthy of judgment. Have they not uttered words in homage to God’s prophet, William Branham, that he is THE ABSOLUTE or/and INFALLIABLE just as the Roman Catholics do in homage to their Pope? Have they not put his oral words above that of the INBREATHED WORD (Sacred Scripture) of the Almighty? Have they not claimed (oh, some would not openly but in secrecy) that Branham made no mistake whatsoever in his speech regardless of where he stood to speak, at or off the pulpit? Have they not paid homage that his words are sacred and above the Bible?
If you confess in the affirmative to any one of these, you have been enticed by lying spirits. You are deceived into idolatry. You have entered into Mystery Religion.
I have a Christian friend who once embraced this Endtime message of William Branham. Somehow he had gathered certain negative information and soon he left to join a Presbyterian Church. In one discussion with me, he told me that he was hounded by the elders of the Presbyterian Church. They wanted him to register his name in the church “Registry of Membership” book stating that he have had received much blessings from the church and thereby ought to contribute to it. However, he replied to the elders that he would not do that as he did not believe in their embracing a Holy Trinity of God.
Well, suffice to say that this friend of mine is still in the Presbyterian Church though not regarded as a member. Of course, not knowingly, by identifying himself with that denomination he has committed idolatry, and even though he does not hold to the teaching of a Holy Trinity he has paid homage to the creed and dogma of that church. Such identification is no different from that of the Roman Catholics who pay their due respect to Roman dogmas and even their pope. Why do people who confess faith in the God of the Bible pay homage to a created thing or a creature? It is idolatry. This is Mystery Religion.
The Word is clear that God calls for total separation from unbelief. We are told of the sins of Mystery Babylon that it is full to the brim and God waits to destroy her, and that the saints are warned to flee from her — "Come out of her, My people!" The Holy City New Jerusalem of the Living God is not built next to Mystery Babylon. But we see many believers are building their dwelling places next door to the Great Harlot. They are blind and foolish, and without knowledge and vision. Truly, the Lord has said, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" (Hos.4:6a) and "where there is no vision, the people perish", "where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint" (Prov.29:18a). "Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry" (1 Cor.10:14). Flee! Flee!
ABOMINATION
In the Lord’s dealing with His disciples, He warned them of the coming abomination – "the abomination that causes desolation" – that would stand in the holy place, that when it should happen they were to flee. Read Matthew 24:15-18. Yes, beloved, any sort of an abomination that would stand in the place of God could only cause desolation of the holy place of God. Any man or any doctrine, just about anything that’s an abomination, that would try to stand in God’s sanctuary should be dealt with fast because it has no place in the midst of God’s holy people. God does not tolerate it. (Cf. Ezek.6:11-14.) Should the abomination stand strong in the midst of God’s people, then should the saints flee far away from it to stand with Christ and be safely cleaved by the ROCK. We are not told to fight the abomination but to flee to the ROCK or face the soon coming wrath of God.
Once again, hearken to the words of the Apostle Paul: "Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry" (1 Cor.10:14). Yes, flee, flee! Flee from those so-called "men of God" who speak like fools, who are arrogant and full of deceit in their mouth, who subtly wave a spell to have you pay homage to a certain notable servant of God and bind you to a curse of revering that servant above his Master. That’s an abomination to flee from. Nothing should stand in the place of God except the Christ — "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30). "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6).
Are not what we witness today very much the same as it was in the Israel of old as spoken by the prophet Jeremiah?
"Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.
Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken."
(Jer. 6:15-17)
Surely just as calamity came upon Jerusalem, so will it come upon the many believers today who have committed the abomination of worshipping God’s prophet. If only they will return to stand on the ROCK and not be moved from where they can see the glory of the Lord Himself.
"If you will return, O Israel," says the LORD, "return to Me; and if you will put away your abominations out of My sight, then you shall not be moved.
And you shall swear, 'The LORD lives,' in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; the nations shall bless themselves in Him, and in Him they shall glory."
(Jer.4:1-2 NKJV).
Saints, many are missing the ROCK. They are missing IT because they do not have the Holy Spirit to guide them. They may say they have but the evidence does not show it. The Holy Spirit would only take His vessel to His own Water and fill IT because God dwells in His own Word.
"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."
(Jhn.14:26)"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." (Jhn.16:13)
Beloved, are you filled with the Holy Spirit? Are you led by the Spirit of the Lord? Do you have a revelation?
OPINIONS OF MEN
We Bible believers are a people more privileged than the chosen nation of Israel living under the Law age who were given only the Law and the Prophets to guide them. But we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit of the Living Christ to guide and lead us beside the anointed ministries of Christ, yet many are not using the gift of the Spirit, so to speak. Because of this, many become prey to the deception of deceitful preachers who have but only opinions of what they think constitutes the Truth without saying what the Sacred Scripture says. Besides many Christians are carnal and are easily swayed by the words of sweet and charming opinionated preachers. Or, that they are themselves are opinionated and fall victims to the wiles of Satan and are then deceived.
If one is cleaved in the ROCK, his focus is on the ROCK and nothing else matters. However, we see the same spirit which befell Israel and even in Paul’s days, falls upon many believers today.
"But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart.
Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."
(2 Cor.3:15-18)
As much as they would claim "the prophet" and read his messages, the veil of darkness is still upon their heart. They receive no spiritual light. It is the veil of the traditions of the elders, elders in whose hands the believers have put their faith in simply because the elders have projected themselves to be the authority on the life of "the prophet" and his messages. Such traditions are based upon the opinions of men who claim to have an in-depth knowledge of the messages of "the prophet". God is not in anyone’s opinion, especially one that chains a believer to a lie. It is not what we think and what we say; it is what God thinks and what God says that matters.
Saints, the Spirit of God does not chain a believer to a prophet of God nor does He chain you to the prophet’s words except where it’s a THUS SAITH THE LORD. The Holy Spirit chains you to His own Word, Word that was spoken even before the foundation of the world and which is revealed only in the ROCK. The Word cannot be changed. If you think that is not true, read 1 Kings Chapter 13. It is the account of a man of God who was called to carry out a mission for the Lord in which he was also given very specific instructions to "eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest" (v.9). However, his respect for an old prophet got the better of him and he paid with his life. This ought to tell us something — that no matter how senior a prophet maybe, if what he said shows even a hint of contradiction, we have better check it out with the Original Word that we have. Truly, we need to respect God's servants, but in doing so we certainly cannot go beyond the Original Word of God. We cannot violate the THUS SAITH THE LORD of the Holy Scripture. The man of God did not for a moment consider that the old prophet might be lying to him, or that God might be testing him. Did he consider the Original Word that God had given him? Well, who would ever thought such sweet words could be deceptive: "I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water" (v.18). However, after the deception came the revelation of a THUS SAITH THE LORD to the man of God. "And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back: And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee, But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcass shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers" (vv.20-22).
This statement of Paul may not mean much to many believers — "Yea, let God be true, but every man a liar" (Rom.3:4a). However, God’s Word stands sure. He does not change His Mind about His Word. But He has a way to test our faithfulness to Him — where we stand when it comes to His Original Word. In the case of the man of God, God had used the old prophet to test him. If the man of God had been standing on the ROCK, he would have said to the old prophet (when the old prophet came to tell him supposedly of what an angel had said to him), "Yea, let God be true, but every man a liar" and flatly refused the offer of the old prophet.
Some 20 years ago, a believing sister prophesied that my wife would conceive a third child. Immediately in front of the congregation I called her and rebuked her for speaking a lie. How do I know that it was a lie? Simply because the Lord had given me a revelation before I was even married that I would have but two children, the firstborn a son and the second a daughter. If the Lord would change His Mind, would not He come and reveal it to me? Exactly, He would for God’s Original Word stands sure.
The opinions of preachers have become the "traditions" that have chained many believers to the words of "the prophet" of God instead of to the Word that is the THUS SAITH THE LORD. But the hour is come and every man’s lie will be exposed. So, stand you now on the ROCK where in you are cleaved in the revelation of God’s Eternal Glory. Amen.
"My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely."
(Songs 2:14)
“On Christ the solid rock I stand.
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.”
