INTRODUCTION: CLOSELY EXAMINING LUKE 1:17, MATTHEW 17:10-13, ONE DISCOVERS JOHN THE BAPTIST FULFILLS THE FIRST PHASE OF MALACHI 4:5-6, WHO WILL FULFILL B-PART? WHAT IS MEANT BY ‘TURNING THE HEARTS OF CHILDREN TO THE FATHERS’? WHAT WAS THE MEANING OF THE ANGEL’S STATEMENT IN 1933 WHEN HE INSTRUCTED BRO. WILLIAM BRANHAM” AS JOHN THE BAPTIST FORERUN MY FIRST COMING YOUR MESSAGE WILL FORERUN MY SECOND COMING. WHAT WAS THE MESSAGE, DIVINE HEALING? HIMSELF? OR WAS IT GATHERING REVELATION OF THE WORD THAT HAD BEEN RESTORED THROUGH THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION TO TAKE AND PLACE TOGETHER IN ITS PROPER SETTING AND MAKE IT THE ONE MESSAGE IDENTICAL TO THAT OF THE APOSTLES?

Time has arrived that we should begin analyzing something of which we have heard much about in our hour. We call it “A message” and due to the condition of things going on which is disturbing many people I felt it compulsory to present a message which we shall subtitle WHAT IS THAT MESSAGE? How many would

agree with me that if there is a message it must be located somewhere within this Bible? There just isn’t another textbook in circulation from which you could get it. History reveals every conceivable attempt has been tried to destroy its precious truth, even to burning it. The Dark Ages witnessed Catholicism’s vicious attempt at destroying the Bible, telling the people they didn’t and couldn’t understand it. Yet, we must remember everything which God intended for mankind to know and understand still remains somewhere within this book. Still further, God will instruct man as to where in the Word it is located, won’t he? Because of the vital importance of this message, we shall attempt to make all our statements clear. Together let us enter into what I feel is the very beginning of a message (if there is a message). I only phrase it in this manner because of what is going on in the spiritual realm. For myself, there is no doubt, I know there is a message; furthermore, I shudder to think where each of us would be today had God not sent a message. I only state it in this message. I only state it in this manner because of what is going on and because of things that may sooner or later affect your own understanding as to what God has done in this hour, so once and for all with the scriptures let us settle in our minds exactly (1) what God has done, (2) if there is a message, what is it, (3) now that we have received the message what can we look forward to as we approach the end. Here I have no reference to the end as to how it is going to wind up, no. How God purposes to finish out the end of all things still remains strictly a mystery locked inside himself; however, if we know and recognize that something has been taught and explained in this religious world and through his grace have grasped it, receiving a clear understanding of what it is, insomuch that we felt it necessary to have adjusted our life by that teaching or message in which we are attempting, irregardless to what the end may be, we will be ready for it once the time arrives. If the devil can disturb you by placing within your mind a warped attitude of thinking toward the true revelation of the message which causes you to deviate from that which has already been delivered and explained. Then you, beloved, will certainly not be ready for the end which is coming up shortly. Using a familiar passage of scripture, II Cor. 5:17, we begin to lay our groundwork for a foundation to “What is the message.” “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation: To wit, (meaning to witness, to preach, propagate, proclaim, teach or instruct) that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation”. Let us examine more closely what Paul is saying as we begin the scriptural basis for our message. If this was a vindicated message delivered in our day and time we must discover on what scriptural basis of the gospel of Christ did it come and what it is. Turning back to another familiar scripture Malachi 4, let us familiarize and acquaint ourselves with the actual wording. “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great (great deals with the first advent) and dreadful (dreadful deals with the second advent) day of the Lord; And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, (John the Baptist fulfilled this portion, the first advent of Christ) and the heart of the children to their fathers (this portion of the 2 scripture deals with the second advent and we are in it) lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” Malachi 4:5-6. Where are we to apply this last phase which has been fully explained in the message mentioned above, turning the hearts of the children to the fathers? Apply it where it belongs, in our day and time of course, that is exactly when it has been fulfilled. Remember, if B part of Malachi 4:5-6 is that certain portion of scripture which is applicable for our day, then the message would of necessity have to be something which dealt with turning our hearts back to whatever our fathers represents here in this verse, would it not?

 NATURAL OR SPIRITUAL FATHERS

Friends, this could not have reference to my natural grandfathers, but are my spiritual fathers who are none other than Peter, Paul, James, John, etc. We hope to show these men are the spiritual apostolic fathers of the church for this grace age. The message of this hour was for that purpose to turn your hearts back to the true teaching of what they had originally taught; therefore, you can now better understand why we used II Cor. 5:17- 19 as our pivot point. Paul, one of these spiritual fathers, begins by saying “God hath committed or given unto us (them, that early ministry) the ministry of reconciliation. Notice this ministry was not given to the great denominations or organizations which were born much later through the Reformation Period, nor was it given to the Roman Catholic Church which received its birth after Nicea 325 A.D. But unto them, the apostles of Christ, was granted that ministry of reconciling lost mankind back to God, instructing man through the preaching of revealed truth how he may get back into a fellowship or relationship with God; back in fellowship where man could be on speaking terms with God. When you have reconciled something back that means you have reinstated it to a condition or position from which it has fallen and recall as sinners none are on speaking terms with the Almighty, as sinners you two could never get along. Furthermore, as a sinner you were completely unaware of the route to God (Romans 3:10-12) your totally depraved condition had blocked any possibility of knowing the true way of God. However, once God through his love and grace extends mercy unto us and we accept his offer he places us back on speaking terms with himself, where together we may have fellowship. Being now reconciled back unto him as we commune with him through that shed blood of the Lamb we have become his adopted children and may now know his will. Being fully aware of this marvelous grace so freely given to the repentant sinner why then should it be of a necessity that long before the Grace Age appeared (an age when men could personally know him as saviour and redeemer) should such a statement as Malachi 4:5-6 appear within the chronological order of his Holy word by his Holy prophets stating definitely it would be of a necessity to send that spirit of Elijah, not at the closing of the first church age, not at the closing of the Dark Ages as the Reformation bursted into bloom but when? At the closing of the Grace Age! Why did God foresee that it would be of necessity to send that spirit once again to do what was prophesied it would do? Had not God been fully aware or had foreseen the beginning to the end, certainly he would never have had any cause to place this statement in his word. Furthermore, without some reason to do so, he would have been dubious to place such a statement in the word simply figuring somewhere I might need this spirit, but really wasn’t sure. No sir, God does not operate in that manner. He knew all along why he must send that spirit of Elijah. So because of that foreknowledge (ability to see perfectly the beginning to the end of all matters) he could without reserve or fear place this in his word, stating that at that certain specific period of time he would be compelled by his love to once again send that spirit of Elijah, for what purpose? To turn the hearts of someone’s thinking.

NATURAL OR SPIRITUAL HEARTS, WHICH?

Turning hearts in Malachi 4:5-6 doesn’t mean to imply what happens from the results of sending that spirit would affect the literal organ of a heart, not in the least, but turning hearts refers to the spiritual heartbeat of that which vibrates life to your soul and what that heart is to the natural life as it pumps life to your physical being likewise in your soul that very source of true life, what is it? It is that revelatory factor that is planted in your soul keeping you alive spiritually, for without its function there is no spiritual life. Beloved, it takes that spirit of God within your soul to place that spiritual heartbeat precisely in line with the Word. Are you aware that all natural hearts basically are the same, having the same shape, etc? True, some hearts are larger than others concerning their activity, yet basically all hearts function exactly alike. God so designed the heart that each 3 artery, each vein comes out of the heart exactly the same location. Hearts where the artery or veins do go out some other location mean only one thing. Somewhere there is a malfunction in that heart. It certainly isn’t normal.

 TURNING HEARTS IS ADJUSTING THEM WHEREBY THEY SPEAK THE SAME

Each heart being the same in shape, same in design and functioning with the same motivation only signifies beloved that our gospel must also be understood exactly the same way. If so, it will beat the same sending that pure revelation of the word quickening in your soul (heart), positively causing everyone to speak the same thing and feelings and motives toward that blessed Word will be the same. Why? Because that same invigorating spiritual life within your soul would truly be the same as everyone else who is walking in the revelation of truth. Therefore, the statement in Malachi, to turn the hearts back, shows this message was designed to get into every believer’s heart and make the proper adjustment with the Word causing each one to speak and function the same insomuch if it were possible to actually remove the heart and lift it up where all could observe it we would discover what had happened in Malachi 4:5-6 was totally responsible for everyone in that hour believing alike and see that Word the same origin, the same revelated light of truth. Since these hearts are going to require some major adjustments (at that hour the hearts to be adjusted are not yet born), God, being fully aware that somewhere someone was going to get his program of grace off course, knew that it would be of necessity that this spirit of Elijah be sent in order that something be accomplished. Seeing this and being completely aware of this tragedy, had God not done something for each of us in this last day truth or message we would either still be out in the world or shut up in some carnal religious system heading straight for destruction, completely unaware that somewhere in past history things had gotten off course. Ignorant ourselves to the fact of what had really happened, we were convinced we were in his will doing what we were. Recall, while in thee carnal system we sincerely thought we were pleasing our God and doing his perfect will. Religiously speaking, each group had a different heartbeat toward the gospel as we embraced our own religious philosophy, accepting into our hearts inherited teachings of lies, me believing one way (heartbeat one way) perhaps you another. Whichever group you belonged to supported a different way of thinking; therefore, your heartbeat toward the Word was somewhat different from the next fellow’s.

ORIGINAL MESSAGE MAKES HEARTS BEAT AS ONE

Notice, these various individuals were predestined to hear the last day message of truth causing them to be the bride of Christ (or part of the true revelated church, Matt. 16:18), once they fully accepted the invitation of God through the message. Everyone must confess that at the time the invitation came to them their heartbeats toward the truth were by no means anywhere near the same, were they? However, once this message finishes its work within each heart getting all the heart adjustments back in proper perspective with the true word, according to Mal. 4:5-6 (B part) all the Predestinated hearts of the children will then be turned back into the original (teaching) or fathers of this grace age who in turn themselves were the children of the previous age of law which closed out giving way for the grace covenant to be introduced to Israel.

SERIOUSNESS OF ELIJAH’S MINISTRY

Beloved, we must realize the seriousness of Malachi’s prophecy. Are you aware there is only one message that can cause every heart to beat identically the same in respect to every Bible teaching or doctrine of the New Testament as taught by the apostolic fathers and it could only be accomplished by no other than the office work of this spirit of Elijah which God had promised to send at the close of the grace age to restore the hearts of the children back to those original teachings of the fathers? Think of it, every Protestant denomination and organization daughter including the mother of harlots, Rev. 17:5 herself (Roman Catholic Church) failed to do this very thing though they sincerely tried before going completely into error. Each group’s one hearts desire through every conceivable means possible was make the believers heart beat as one spiritually toward their message which they themselves felt was the original teachings of the apostles who did teach the true teachings Christ (God in the flesh) himself. 2 Cor. 5:19. However, as the scripture stated, this message delivered by the spirit to Elijah would accomplish what it had been sent to do; take hearts of children and turn them back to the fathers, hearts that had previously been beating contrary to the Word. This message would cause hearts to beat 4 the same toward the word. Our thinking, our actions, our motives which were every one different now because of this message begins to take on a new form and come in line with the fathers teachings. Yes, in our thinking we were all different. In fact, our entire structure and makeup was different because each of us carried our own motivation; therefore, it would have been totally impossible for God to have accepted out of all this conglomeration a Bride church for Himself whose heartbeat was in so many various ways toward his truth before that message came. Recall in his word how plain spoken he was when he stated what kind of church he would present unto himself, Eph. 5:17? One in which certainly there would be none of these former things of Babylon’s confusion found which was responsible for the heartbeat being so contrary to the Word itself. If he recorded for us in advance how there would not be any of these things found in Ephesians 5:27, surely him knowing how the truth would be substituted with error, he must have had something in mind which would correct certain individual’s thinking; therefore, bringing something beautiful out of that chaotic, religious mess which was responsible for such irregular heartbeats toward the Word so that at the end of the age there would be a people restored having their hearts affected and adjusted all the same, making all their hearts beat the same toward the Word thus fulfilling Ephesians 5:27.

MALACHI 4:5-6 IS NOT THE MESSAGE

At this point allow me to make two vital statements (1) It took the fulfilling of Malachi 4:5-6 to constitute or fulfill exactly what God prophesied would be done to change hearts entangled in error, (2) It must always be kept in the forefront of our minds that Malachi 4:5-6 is not the message brought by the messenger, it is only the means God used to deliver his message (his Word). Once the eternal God had delivered his Word to fulfill B part of Malachi 4:5-6 then does it become a time factor. I am aware across the earth at large many people though sincere in their motives, have become dull of proper thinking, that is thinking and believing Malachi 4:5-6 has become the sole essence of their teaching. These have forgotten what it was he, according to the prophecy of Malachi was actually pointing or restoring us back to.

 RESTORED BACK TO WHAT

What did he restore us back to? (1) Certainly not some denominational teaching. (2) Not unto himself, he was not the message only the messenger. If we were restored, what were we restored to? The hearts of children were turned back to something. What? The fathers (teaching). It is true you cannot see the message of Malachi 4:5-6 without seeing or accepting the object or instrument by which the message was brought forth any more beloved than you can by revelation see the apostolic gospel today without seeing who preached and proclaimed it. Furthermore, there will always be a deep love for that one who brought you more light in which to walk. So you could no more accept a message delivered to you from the hand of a Western Union messenger unless you were first convinced the individual delivering the message was actually from Western Union. Though once you accept him to be a bonafide messenger you do not mistake him for the message he delivered do you? Certainly not. I repeat, the messenger was not the message, but only that which carried the message. Likewise, you could no more accept the message delivered by him who held the office of Malachi 4:5-6 (B part) to be authentic and scriptural or as a message actually coming from the Father above designed to straighten out individuals thinking and getting their hearts in tune with the Word unless you can receive him as a Prophet messenger with God given credentials. Therefore, let us always bear in mind Malachi 4:5-6 was not the message delivered only the messenger who brought the message to turn the hearts of the children. True, you cannot separate the image from that which has been delivered, but to see the image without seeing what has been delivered and preached (that message turning hearts) only leaves one to talk and converse about the image without the true objective.

TWO MAJOR PURPOSES

Examining this message delivered by Malachi 4:5-6 more closely we discover two major purposes (1) to show forth that somewhere and somehow a true message from the original Fathers of the apostolic days had gotten off course, yet, it did not leave us standing there empty. (2) This message instructed us how to get back in tune with all the Word of revelated truth.

ORIGINATION OF ELIJAH’S MESSAGE

5 If this message which is to be delivered by the spirit of Elijah turning hearts around in their thinking is so important, where did it originate? What or where is its original beginning? Recall, it was a message of purpose. The message was to turn hearts of children to fathers and the fathers were the early apostolic leaders; therefore, the origination of Elijah’s message would then have had to be right out of the early church or apostolic period. That, beloved, is why you were referred to II Cor. 5:19-20. My intention is not trying to project something which might sound as though we had gone to seed on this one thing for I am aware that it is possible for someone to go to seed on one thing yet I would like to do down on record as saying, the structure of this message covers everything. Doctrinally, spiritually, morally or whatever else you may say. Because this message covers the entire structure of God’s word.

THAT FIRST MINISTRY

Temporarily, we must change our line of thought to begin showing why the spirit office of Elijah must be called in to bring such a message at the end of the age. Recall, this first ministry of reconciliation referred to in II Cor. 5:19-20 which stated that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, was according to Paul the theme of the gospel which spread rapidly throughout the heathen, Roman Empire. It was none other than the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ which God entrusted unto the apostolic age to proclaim and preach to a lost and dying world. That God was in Christ reconciling that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. Here was it’s origination. To begin this message from any other angle would only cause us to miss its original beginning. Bear in mind, the world in that hour was stooped in paganism and every Gentile nation carried his own idea of gods, although we are fully aware there was no life or salvation in his god or gods although the heathen thought so. Here was only one God which could produce the source of Eternal life and the apostles were teaching about him that God was none other than Jehovah, the true and living Lord God worshipped by Israel. Gentiles were void and destitute of this knowledge and for anyone to come among them teaching about some new religion which instructed them they shouldn’t drink, they shouldn’t do this or that and that without being personally acquainted with the God of this new religion they had no Eternal life.

EACH BELIEF ACQUAINTS YOU WITH SOME GOD

To believe in any religion or teaching you first must get acquainted with the God of that particular religion. Take for instance Buddha teaching a certain philosophy of life as he made his converts acquainted with the god of his theory. It is impossible to acquaint a man with a religious theory without acquainting him with the god of that religion. That god is the sole object of that worship in that theory or philosophy. So the whole purpose in any religious theory is to acquaint you with the god of that particular teaching, likewise, with the origination of the gospel of Christ. This gospel fully instructed lost mankind about the true and living God who he was, etc. He was none other than the one true and living God of Israel and that it was he who was manifested in a fleshly form, but for what purpose? To bear the sins and reproaches of mankind upon himself, to suffer and die at Calvary’s cross giving his life a ransom in our place, dying in our stead that through it all he might reconcile us back and put us back on talking terms with the one and only true Eternal God.

WHAT IS THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION

Recall, it was Paul (one of those Apostolic Fathers) in II Cor. 5:20 declaring this first ministry of reconciliation and started out by witnessing that God was in Christ reconciling the world back unto himself. I hope you would not think for a moment it is us humans doing the reconciling, Oh no. We have neither the power nor the authority to do the actual reconciliation. That early ministry only pointed to and represented him who was actually doing the reconciling, therefore the true biblical ministry serves only as the authority or reserves the right to tell others through teaching and preaching what God is seeking to do. Don’t ever think it begins with us, it does not, it begins with God and furthermore it ends with him Heb. 12:2. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of the faith.) Since they were to be reconciled back to this God of whom they personally had never heard about, it would be imperative that they receive certain teaching concerning him. Without teaching, we would not know what or who he is, then somewhere in the Holy Scriptures carries the answer to all these unanswered questions about him.

GOD, THE ONE SPIRIT

6 Beloved, it is basically important that we know whether he is a person or a spirit, whether he is 3 persons, 3 spirits, 2 persons or half dozen, just who and what is he? Is he approachable? Can I literally touch him, shake his hand and say good morning? Somehow we must become acquainted with him as to what He is (in His makeup). To know and understand what He is in his makeup one must first find out what he is: one, two or three. Once beloved we start into that you can go from scripture to scripture, for if it was God, as the scripture stated, who was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself and John the Baptist being the Prophet fulfilling A part of Malachi 4:5-6 (Luke 1:17) plainly stated no man hath seen God at anytime, when prophets and saints of old declared they had seen, heard and felt his presence, what meaneth the prophet John to declare no man hath seen God at anytime (John 1:18). John means no man hath ever seen God in the actual object of his visible being because he further clarifies his statement when he announced by revelation, God is Spirit. Wonderful, now we see God is Spirit and naturally our next thought is how many spirits of God are there? According to Paul, he was One Spirit, Ephesians 4:4. That makes him omnipresent, present everywhere yet with the visible naked eye no one can see him. With the natural hands he can not be touched and yet as Spirit he can be felt by human beings. How? Only if he so chooses to manifest Himself in that capacity. However, remember you are not acquainted with him on that basis, you are acquainted with Him on the basis that He is spirit. Jesus further verified this in John 4 when he announced God was Spirit and seeks such to worship Him in Spirit and Truth. You wouldn’t go around looking under rocks or knocking on doors asking God, are you in there? As Spirit, he is everywhere. As Spirit, you as a human can actually entertain Him in your heart, in your life or in your daily walk.

WHAT CAPACITY WAS GOD IN CHRIST

Once it had been revealed by one of those apostolic fathers, Apostle Paul, that God was in Christ we must understand in what capacity God was in Christ. Would that statement imply God had literally vacuumed or drained the universe of all his Spirit and solely placed all of himself in one small vessel of clay where he no longer would remain to be that omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent Spirit? Of course not. It only implies that God so chose to place his life and attributes in that earthly vessel of clay and in that vessel called Christ he was fully manifested, his life, his nature, his love, a full expression of all his attributes and once God accomplished that he set Christ before humanity saying, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased (to dwell in) Matt. 3:17. Often we have explained God in Christ in this manner. Take for instance the vast Pacific Ocean, dip a glass of water out of the Pacific Ocean, what will you have in your glass? The Pacific Ocean of course. In bulk form? Of course not, but whatever minerals lay in that ocean are right in the glass, salt, etc. The only difference is you don’t have the bulk of the Pacific Ocean in your glass, likewise was God in Christ (the vessel). Notice, one God has stated this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. You never hear of him working outside the office of that Sonship. Watch the Spirit of God as he channels himself through that vessel of flesh called Christ Jesus, the Lord; therefore, the flesh man (sonship office of God) could say it is not I that doeth the work (of this flesh) I only do what the Father shows or tells me to do. Here was a vessel so yielded, so dedicated, so submissive to the Father’s will that the Spirit Father could say to it, do this or do that and it would only do that and no more. His words were so wisely and masterfully spoken that he was able to say, the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life. Did he mean to imply every word and statement he ever spoke from his lips was life? Does this imply Christ could never have a conversation with his disciples concerning a beautiful flower or a horse while walking along the road without it being words of eternal life? Could he not say to his disciples, what a beautiful flower or isn’t that a fine looking animal? Are we to build eternal life off these types of conversations which he might have with his disciples? Not necessarily unless he was using that as an object to draw attention to a certain thing he was trying to instruct them so notice I am not saying Christ was never permitted to carry on any natural conversation. What I am saying is for him to have said, the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life, shows when speaking these words of life that it was not the will of the flesh causing him to speak, but it was the will of the Father the Spirit that was directing these words because in these words lay the will and purpose of God and the promise of eternal life. Yes, we can see as we leave the four gospels and turn to the book of Acts that from the revelation of Christ’s 7 words a powerful revelated church was born. At first, it only consisted of approximately 120 with the revelation of who and what God was yet before the day was over, 3,000 others shared in this revelation. With the revelation that God is one Spirit, Ephesians 4:4, creator of the universe and this same God was manifested in human form which bore the name Jesus who was Lord and Christ: this revelation now aflame in their soul sparked by the Holy Ghost in his visitation in the upper room this little band of believers began preaching. Christ was alive in their life. From the very beginning at Pentecost when salvation teaching spread from the lips of the apostles their revelation was God in Christ reconciling the world back unto himself. Follow that teaching as the 120 pass through the streets of Jerusalem fresh with an upper room experience with the Father. This flame of truth lit the darkened souls of 3,000 in their first meeting and 5,000 a few days later. From house to house they taught the revelation, God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. At Pentecost the disciples had been accused of finding new wine. Peter defends their strange actions by preaching the message referring them to the prophecy of Joel saying, before your eyes you are seeing that prophecy in the process of fulfillment. Three thousand Jews were quickly convicted in their hearts and brought to an understanding of what God was doing. Men and brethren, what must we do? Peter’s answer, repent and be baptized everyone of your, Acts 2:38.

BAPTISM MEANS BURYING

Some today would strongly argue saying, I don’t believe it necessary to be covered over with water, sprinkling would be just as effective. Yet this apostolic father said baptize, immerse, cover over. Furthermore, he said do it in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Others would say, show me anywhere in the Bible where it says be immersed. Since Nicea 325 A.D. strong theories of sprinkling and dipping a little water on the forehead in the name of the father, son and holy ghost have been most acceptable to the multitudes. No apostle of Christ taught that. See how badly your heart thinking needs to be turned back to that of the apostolic fathers and not in line with some denominational teaching somewhere. In the original Greek Baptisto or baptism means immersion, however once you turn to Romans 6:3-4, “Being buried” buried means (1) to be put under, (2) covered over. How very strange that some people are capable of taking off from one verse of scripture doing 90 miles an hour by a one-way street in the wrong direction ignoring all other scriptures which are warning signs to them, caution, one-way, one-way, but headlong, onward they go. That one verse of scripture being buried with him in baptism should be sufficient to any honest hearted person not to mention Acts 2:38 which plainly states “Repent and be baptized,” meaning to immerse, to put under or to be covered over. Beloved, in burying anything you always put it under all the way, and cover it over, hiding it away. Therefore, when Paul stated our sins are buried with him in baptism it refers to the sins which we have committed in this flesh, it doesn’t refer to the sin such as the original nature of sinning that can only be atoned for by the blood. The blood offering atones for that original sin (unbelief) which gave us an inherited nature to do those sins in the flesh. The watery grave washes the flesh (the body) or washes the sins, the deeds, those acts which we have committed in the body; therefore, blood makes an atonement for that inherited nature which we received, passed down through the genetic line. Peter said “Repent, be baptized in the name (of the 2nd person of the trinity?), not on your life, for Christ wasn’t the second person of the trinity nor was he the first person of the trinity, he was the fully manifested son of God. God was in Christ (II Cor. 5:19). Paul taught the Colossians that it pleased the Father that in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwell bodily, Col. 2:9, saying he (Christ) was the image of the invisible body, the image meaning the object, the tangible object an expression of an invisible God which no man up to this time had ever seen because he was spirit. Once this spirit God chose to manifest himself in flesh people could at last see his image. Because his tangible object stood here on earth, John was able to give this exuberant testimony: “We beheld his glory as the only begotten of the Father full of Grace and truth. We touched him (shook his hands) we handled him (word of life) not in a book form but handled, touched, saw, communicated and fellowshipped with the Word of life which was none other than God’s thoughts manifested in a human form. However (I John 1:1-2) he was the Word, the mind and the will of God living as a man motivated by the very eternal life of God. Therefore, when Peter stated something never to have been uttered in this world before, “Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for 8 the remission of your sins (remission of your sins) we discover that 3,000 precious souls had no argument with that and that day saw them added to the revelated church. Matt. 16:18 and Acts 2:41-47.

RECEIVING SPIRITS ASSURANCE OF OUR ACCEPTANCE

With the 3,000 converts received at Pentecost, salvation is now on its way. The Grace Age is in full swing. It is a salvation acceptable only to the sinner (which we all are). Reconciliation as Paul taught it in II Cor. 5:19- 20 is now in full operation; the gospel is being proclaimed far and wide acquainting sinners with this God who seeks to bring him back unto himself and places him (the sinner) on speaking terms through Jesus Christ who was God’s gateway to humanity. Christ still remains the only gateway to humanity. Christ still remains the only gateway to God for us. There is only one mediator between God and man that man is who? Some preacher, some church or religious leader, no, never. That mediator is Christ according to Paul (I Tim. 2:5) and if we accept Christ according to the scriptures as the only gateway we also as Peter said “(you) shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost”, Acts 2:38. That gift, promise or assurance of eternal life is God’s own life being imparted unto our spirits granting to our spirit a feeling or assurance that we have been reconciled back with him as we are assured that original sin (and sins) have been atoned for through the shed blood of Jesus Christ and having accepted his death we according to Acts 2:38 were buried with him in the likeness of his death that we might be raised with him in the likeness of eternal life. Having followed these simple steps the Spirit of God now comes in placing a seal upon us as an accepted work that we have obeyed God in this manner. (Acts 2:38).

PURPOSE OF THS SPIRIT

Now that the Holy Ghost is within us, what is the major purpose? Watch, he become our guide and teacher of all truth (John 16:13-14) to teach us how to live, to instruct us how to walk daily with God that we remain in that beautiful fellowship with him, as II Peter 3:18 says, “Whereby we grow in grace in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Are we to understand from this verse that salvation is only a growth into much knowledge? No, sir! Salvation is an absolute, complete (new) birth, as much as natural birth is in bringing forth of natural life at birth, yet never forget that baby must be fed, it must grow in the natural, even as we in our spiritual growth. Babies born into this world physically must eat, likewise being born into the family of God is a complete spiritual birth which also requires some eating causing that spiritual man inside to grow up in grace, otherwise we would simply remain here for a short time as a small infant who was never fed and would soon pass away which, by the way, does happen to many people.

GROWING IN GRACE REVEALS PLAN

Once we begin growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ we become better acquainted with this one God who was manifested in Christ. Growing in grace through the revelation of the Spirit begins to take us still deeper into his grace as he unfolds his plan and his purpose in doing all this. Unfolding that plan, it now becomes more clear why Jesus could make that profound statement in John 6:44. “No man can come to me except the father draw him.”

WHAT DID CHRIST MEAN?

Christ was saying, no man can truthfully accept me as his personal saviour except or until the Father gives him an individual, personal revelation that first he is a sinner and needs me. From a mental standpoint as historical acknowledgment of what we as Gentiles have been taught, we know he is the saviour of the world, but until it becomes a reality or a revelation to me it remains only a mental knowledge; however, once that becomes real through a revelation it begins to vibrate my thinking, my whole outlook about things becomes changed and then realize beyond any doubt we have no eternal life unless we come God’s provided way. No, it is not you suddenly deciding to join the church of your choice saying I will change my way and turn over a new leaf, stop lying and cheating and begin paying my bills; I’ll even empty the beer out of the icebox. Why? You aren’t a Christian. You might just as well join a lodge you would get about as far with God. You are only dressing yourself up in some age old philosophy of thinking. In the first place, you don’t even realize you are a sinner. Any sinner until he is saved is lost regardless what he does. He is in a worse predicament than a soggy matchstick bobbing around in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and remember not one human being can ever 9 come to Christ except the Father draw him, Jesus said. But thank God even more of his will was revealed as Christ continued. “And all that the Father gives me will come to me.” They will, that is positive. Note, Christ never said, all that the Father give to me will probably come or I think they will come, no, they will come to me. And all that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out, but I will raise him up again in the last day.

PREDESTINATION AND SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER IN ONE VERSE

Here we are seeing predestination and security of the believer as it was in his plan or from God’s point of view. Before time began, God knew you, saw you and desired you to have a place in his great program. Yes, God could have saved you, wound you up and set you in motion causing you to run and react as a robot, but he didn’t want that. A robot can only do what it is instructed. Never could it show forth any love on its part because it possesses no free will of its own. God wanted you to have a free will then he wanted your free will to be set in cooperation with his divine plan for your life. Beloved, I’m not living for God just because I have to. Isn’t it a shame when people merely go to church because they think they have too? They don’t want to go to hell so they force themselves to go to church. You are going there anyway if you don’t get a deep love in your heart for God. A person is in bad condition spiritually when the house of God means no more to them than that. Poor soul, you are on your way to the pit and no one can help or change your course. Nonsense, you don’t approach the dinner table with such an attitude, do you? You know better. No, you think of human life far more basic and important than merely that kind of attitude for eating, how much more should we consider the plan of God?

MAN’S FREE WILL EXPRESSED IN GOD’S PLAN

Remember, even though it was his own plan and he counseled with no one concerning it, yet it was your free will which determined the direction of many things which are in this plan. Always remember before anything was in existence God knew all about your free will, which route it would take, how strong and fervent it would be in accepting or opposing him, etc., and what you would do with the call of God. Therefore, Jesus beautifully capped it when he said, “And all that will come to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37-39) Notice, beloved, these who were seen coming to him will also connect or link with Matthew 24:13 and other scriptures where throughout the seven church periods these people are those seen enduring to the end who upon their own free will of choice would truly choose to walk with him. According to Jesus’ own statement, in no wise would these be cast out. Who were these? They were all the individuals of the grace age which the Father had given him before the foundation of the world. It was these for whom his blood truly atoned; however, you must understand God made his salvation program applicable to the entire world. God knew the world wouldn’t accept it; therefore, his invitation was to whosoever will let him come, knowing all along who would and would not come. Only a few out of the worlds multitude would come to fulfill Matthew 7:14. Those first apostles and fivefold ministry taught their converts that through foreknowledge God could observe everyone down through time, causing him to be able to say within himself, this one will be here and that one won’t, etc. As Bro. William Branham often stated that God, through that foreknowledge knew how many times a gnat would blink his eye in his lifetime. Because of that foreknowledge he was able to write his book. Knowing who would be lost and who would be saved he therefore chose the way to reconcile us back to himself (in Christ).

APOSTLES TAUGHT TRUTHS INTERLINKED-DENOMINATIONS DID NOT KNOW THAT

Who in the beginning taught such a teaching as this? Jesus our Lord instructed his chosen apostles who carried the message to the elect (the church) how this great omniscient mind of God which knew all things desired to be so instructed in their own life. The one thing the apostles knew that the denominations did not know coming out of the Dark Ages was that all truth is interlocking and formed the great salvation. That is the apostles did not teach these truths as separate doctrines which could stand alone but were merely the structural work of the true faith; therefore, when a believer in Apostolic days accepted the truth he never argued with it as denominational Christians have done saying I will accept this but I will not have that. How could he? It was all one interlocking revelation that had been revealed by the Holy Spirit consisting of many truths in one salvation, so into the faith structure or makeup of the true believer was planted into his heart all these glorious interlocking new apostolic teachings of Christ and not as a multitude of separate doctrines that he might reject 10 any amount he so chose and still declare he had the great salvation preached by the apostles. This is what denominations have done to the truth of God’s word. Protestantism and not apostolic fathers are responsible for the idea that lurks in the minds of people today; I don’t have to accept that part of the truth, I have my church. Truths as taught by the apostles interlocked into one continual revelation flooding the believers soul with light and life. Altogether and not separately, they showed forth the great program of God’s love and protection for those who through their own free will would come to him. Those apostles, teachers and writers of the early church period saw and taught these great truths which were placed into the framework of the true church exactly alike. Although they did not use the same wording nor the same personality to express it their pure revelation from God on his great program of love toward us was identically the same and apostolic ministers declared all the revelation in the same light of understanding. We today in this hour find such a thing hard to grasp that all the apostolic truths could be one continual interlinking revelation and since every truth has its own place in the great salvation, it could never stand alone and be considered salvation in the apostolic days as it has the last 450 years of denominationalism, for instance a young believer who has accepted Christ with a real hunger in his heart for more of God. His denomination has taught him to trust Jesus Christ (to them the 2nd person), God reveals to him predestination although his church does not teach this. He must then go elsewhere to get this. God now moves on him to receive the fulness of the Spirit. Yes, the revelation of it is in the earth today, but the poor soul must go from the ranks of one group into another to receive it. God now moves upon him to accept His name in water baptism. Again, he must leave his fellowship to find this teaching and the story continues until one cries out, oh God, is there not a message somewhere in the earth where your complete revelation of the apostolic word is taught, where one minister can instruct me in the entire plan of your salvation, without me having to go everywhere to find a part here and a part there? Is that you my friend? Then cheer up for God has restored such a message ministry as your heart cries for back into the earth today. The scripture teaches there will be a church that will embrace all the divine program of God’s Word; however, before that church could be presented to Christ the spirit of Elijah must fill his office work in turning the hearts of the children to the fathers.

ADDING TO YOUR FAITH

Peter’s epistle speaking to newborn babes in Christ said that after this great revelated faith had come our way we were to add certain things to it, II Pet. 1:5-8, virtue, knowledge, patience, temperance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. If these qualities which you are to cultivate abide in you, qualities you cultivate through God by his word you will never be unfruitful. Note, the Spirit freely gives you the revelation (faith) Acts 2:38 which is to be a product of your life, but you must do the adding of those other qualities. By your obedience you do the cultivating; living daily and bringing your will under submission to God. You cut out the weeds, you break up the hard fallow ground of your hearts so those qualities can grow. You do these things, it develops character, and is pleasing to God. It makes your nature and character what God wants and will provide you with a strong backbone to make a stand before God as a fruitful christian. God wants us to bear fruit does he not? Fruit in this sense means what? Not merely our good work, although that’s part of it, the good works on our part are only our acts in serving him; however, those particular fruits are an expression of an indwelling nature which is seeking to express itself out of our inner being, revealing that revelated life of Jesus Christ living within us. If these qualities be in you, Peter said, it makes you neither barren nor unfruitful in the divine nature of God, therefore it is said by Peter you shall never fall. Here beloved is shown how God takes the believer or elect who truly is in him by the revelation of his word. It places you on your toes in understanding the will of God in your life. Peter concludes the matter by saying, make your calling an election sure.

FLYWHEEL CHRISTIAN

The scripture says make your election and calling sure, yet some people enjoy getting on the band wagon trying to live off of someone else’s experience to get a free ride to glory. They seem to feel all God does is save them, set them in motion by winding them up where they go along for about 6 months then the process is to be repeated. These individuals remind me much of a little toy car I received as a present when I was a lad. 11 Remember those toys that you used to have to wind up in order to get them to run? The old wight system of a fly wheel was used inside the toy car. Once that fly wheel really gets to turning, provided it doesn’t miss a stroke, it will get faster and faster. Similar to such a system is the way some people evidently think salvation operates; to them we’re saved and somehow wound up or fired up and away we go. Oh, brother everything is fine until the momentum dies out and like the little toy there we sit (in the middle of the floor) waiting for someone to come along, wind us up or give us another shove. You’ve seen those little toys you must shove and shove to get the fly wheel humming and across the floor it would travel for a short period, yet once the momentum of the little wheel is gone, the vehicle is as dead as it was before it started, but hear me, God does not have a fly wheel in us he places in our soul a fervent faith through grace and what he did at Calvary, not a fly wheel to be wound ever so often. Jehovah seeks to feed into our souls a revelation which keeps our spiritual lives always on the move and as we yield ourselves to God allowing his spirit to work in us and instruct us, that is what keeps us going. Always remember, this scriptural truths which unfolded God’s plan for man as taught by his apostles incorporated the great salvation which altogether revealed how God had securely placed them in Christ, but to take anyone or two f these major truths and keep them apart from all the other revelated truths as taught by the apostles could not in itself or by itself be salvation as denominations had taught. That in itself would be very little security for the believer. Yes, I can see in God’s plan there is truly a marvelous security for the believer or elect but not merely for someone who is only in the doctrine. These truths, when all kept together according to the apostles revelation, made known more fully the plan of God for us. Placing all these truths together as they should be, I can see the predestinated plan of God furnished by his great foreknowledge and once these truths (referred to as predestination, security of believer, sanctification, baptism of holy Spirit, etc.) are fed into our minds by his Spirit it furnishes us with a greater understanding of his matchless overall plan for us, giving the true believer something to lay hold upon once Satan comes along.

TWO EXTREME SIDES

Two extreme sides have been produced in the church world from God’s one glorious truth of security for his believer. (1) You are saved only as long as you do right (apostolic salvation is by grace through faith, not of works, lest any man should boast, Eph. 2:8-9). (2) Others misunderstand the doctrine of the security of the believer in saying I am saved and can do anything; I will always be saved, God said so. Usually they quote John 6:37, 10:27-30 for the basis of their statement. No, you are mistaken! God never told you anything like this. He was speaking only to his elect of all ages who would never think of using the grace of God as an excuse for sin. People with that attitude undoubtedly have never known the grace of God and are only familiar with the carnal teaching of the church world. Sure, many took it to the extreme in both directions, yet we can’t blame the apostles with those two extreme positions for it was never intended that salvation be in the doctrine of this one thing alone. This revelation only revealed how securely God would hold his hand upon the elect. Error is responsible for the extreme position, not the revelation restored back through John Calvin. As the restored truth came forth back during the reformation, it was the extreme Armenian teaching responsible for the error of that truth. The Bible plainly declares that we are to live a holy and clean life. If God demands a fruitful nature to come forth from inside our vessel then he is also going to demand that which carried that fruitful nature to also be presented unto him as a vessel set apart for the glory of God, Rom. 12:1-2.

GLORIFY GOD IN YOUR BODY

How does one glorify God in his body? Many scriptures have been left by those apostolic fathers showing all believers how to present and conduct themselves in this world. To mention one, be not conformed to (the things of) the world, but be ye transformed meaning turn away from the things of worldly living and unto a godly life. That is the way we are to present our bodies. With the other scriptures showing how we are to present ourselves it goes to show if a holy nature dwells within it will seek an outlet to express itself to the outside. These teachings of holy, righteous living were taught by the apostles and early ministry while they continued to teach the predestinated plan of God which encompassed the security of the true believer or elect. Paul, even one who was born out of due season, taught by revelation identically the same revelation to the early gentile christians. (Galations 1:23).

REVELATION AND THE FIRST 300 YEARS

Although pagan Rome killed out some forty thousand believers in less than 300 years, this masterful revelation of God in Christ reconciling the world unto himself continued to spread without too great an opposition up until approximately the Third Century, shortly before the Nicea Council (called by the Roman Emperor Constantine) which produced the birth of a carnal church that would bring the believers into a Dark Age period and be responsible for murdering 68 million who would not agree with their teachings. Passing from the apostolic age called Ephesus 55 A.D. – 170 A.D., down through the next two periods: Smyrna 170-312 A.D. and Pergamos 312-606 A.D., we come into the darkest period of world history referred to as the Dark Ages, a period of time referred to by the Lord Jesus in the fourth parable of Matthew 13:33 as a woman took and hid leaven in three measures of meal which coincides perfectly with the Fourth Church Age, Thyatira 606-1520 when Jezebel so ruled the religious world. Rev. 2:20, Satan through this ruling church whose powerful foundation was built at Nicea 325 A.D. was responsible for taking all the apostolic true bread of life and substituting a false bread which he fed the world for a thousand years.

SATAN’S SCARECROW USED TO DESTROY FIRST TRUTH

That which the Apostle Paul had clearly declared to the gentiles they had been reconciled back unto, II Cor. 5:19, do you not know that was the first truth at which Satan struck? Satan was steadily on the rise after the death of the faithful ministers who had set personally at the feet of the apostles. Polycarp and Irenius were men in such number. Satan could only rise as erroneous teachings triumphed over truth. For 300years the Godhead had remained a mystery to the carnal mind yet many scholars had attempted to explain it though not as the apostles had instructed their converts. One such teacher who had made a tremendous dent into the religious world and had sent missionaries out to spread his teaching was a man by the name of Arius. His doctrine which was referred to as Arianism still taught that God was in Christ but that Christ was totally divine. Making Jesus totally divine left no room for his human side at all, that part which was man. Friends, it is impossible to test the divine, you can only test the human side of Christ. But to Arius this side of Christ was also divine and this was the scarecrow satan used to frighten all religious groups into coming together at Nicea where he could establish the trinity doctrine stating God was three distinct persons and creating of a church from these doctrines with a beast nature who devoured during the Dark Ages 68 million people. It was on a conference table 325 A.D. that a perverted revelation of God who was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself was made into three separate persons. The Apostles taught God as one Spirit was in Christ. Ephesians 4:4-5. The race to destroy all other apostolic teachings by this church with the beast nature born on a conference table at Nicea was on. Next, they were to strike at holy living (causing followers to do penance paying for wrong living). Now that holy living has been brought to a halt, no more true revelation will be received so satan in turn begins feeding them his own revelation. Slowly, the true understanding of the divine revelated will of God which included his truths such as predestination, security of the believer, sanctification, baptism of Holy Ghost, scriptural mode of water baptism, etc., became lost among the carnal creeds of men. Having now drifted far into the dark ages, true (revelation) faith in God, as to who he is, is lost. Those basic truths involving true salvation are now lost. God having withdrawn the fullness of his great spirit, history records in that dark age period (500 to 1,500 A.D.) people were no longer acquainted with the true baptism of the Holy Ghost which provided enough backbone for those apostolic christians to face the lions dens and slaughter pits of pagan Rome. Even when boycotted, it seems those early christians could live just as victorious for God in a jail as they could at home. However, in this modern age, everything is push button, high speed controlled automobiles, planes, etc. Every modern convenience is available to man, yet there isn’t enough get up and go to hardly make it. Truth, it makes me stop and think when I recall how Bro. William Branham said it will be so few. Yet, don’t set numbers. Christ himself said so few would find it. Matthew 7:14. When the pressure really comes multitudes will say I just can’t take it. I just can’t take it. Brother, if we can’t take it now what are we going to do if time would tarry 4 or so more years? Recall, once God’s spirit began withdrawing after all holy ghost revelation had been rejected for creeds of this carnal church during that dark hour which had completely lost sight of God that poor believer could not longer stand with that real assurance as to what he was in God the 13 church now had him doing penance for his sins and etc. since he was no longer able to know or hear of the deep experience of those early christian’s who received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Going into some of the darkest of the dark ages (10th through the 14th centuries) when the devil begins grinding away with his old creeds, into the church comes mass, penance, etc. Important positions were even created in the church and sold to the highest bidder along with every other money making ritual Satan could think to invent. Every kind of ritual was being pumped into that persons thinking including infant baptism for salvation, even creed supposing to be the apostles creed yet they never had one. How could they since it was created long after their death. Beloved, you can rest assured the apostles would never make up a creed contrary to the word of God. If they ever had a creed it would have been Acts 2:38, certainly not, we believe in the holy trinity, we believe in the communion of saints. What that false church should say is we believe in the communion of the dead, since they don’t believe you can be a saint until after you are dead. Show me in the word where they ever said a thing such as what’s in that apostle’s creed. They were the ones who made that part of the New Testament, if there was such a thing as the apostle’s creed you would read it and see it in the structure of that which had already been written. So it was when they entered into the darkest of the Dark Ages every basic teaching of scriptural truths had long ago vanished, every basic teaching that early church had was gone. The last thing to be completely lost or wiped out was their faith in God. My Bible teaches that we are saved by grace through (revealed) faith, but these poor people had long ago forgotten that. All revelatory capacity had been shoved aside. Remember, revealed faith is not something you read in a book (not even the Bible) and say, Lord, I believe you. No, no. It is true you can read John 3:16 how God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but shall have everlasting life, you might read that and sincerely believe it in your mind yet until the Spirit brings it and quickens it to you it means nothing, then inside us something happens. Oh my, he gave his life for me. Yes, God revelates that to you and now your faith is set in motion to believe and accept that. Oh, how pitiful and to think about 1,000 years before this Nicea was called, a trinity doctrine was formed and forced on all believers of that hour and now look at that same group perhaps 1,000 years later and now every spark of faith in God had been wiped out. As they have lost all their faith in God, the final doctrine of that system began to teach was there is no salvation outside the Roman Catholic Church. People stood in fear of being excommunicated from the only source of salvation (their church). The apostles taught salvation was in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now the church says no salvation outside the church. Where was faith in God? It was not to be found. For hundreds of years souls belonging to the Roman church were nothing more than prisoners to that system. Breaking ranks with that church meant excommunication. The individual was taught his soul would spend an endless eternity in a hell. Souls were taught not the true apostolic doctrine of Christ but that the head of that church has the power to excommunicate and pronounce all kinds of penalties such fear pressured the people, keeping them in line with whatever doctrine the church might decide to invent. On and on, deeper and deeper into demonistic darkness this system plunged dragging the souls of Europe with it. Think of it seriously. Ow is God going to get a church out of that kind of teaching which had drifted far, far from what the early one taught? What can he do? Since the final thing Satan hammered away at in the minds of the people during the Dark Ages was faith in God then right on the end of that came his masterpiece the infallibility of the pope. With this, Satan has now chronologically reset all of his carnal doctrines in the place of every trace of apostolic truth and successfully built a mighty platform for his church structure to rule the world (started at Nicea and led to this). Now that all Satan’s gospel is successfully planted into his church, it has been substituted for Christ’s gospel though deceptively it goes under Christ’s name. Last of all Satan has made the head of the church infallible. Can you not see the whip that he would crack over the people of Europe? They have lost every trace of faith, they have even lost their approach to God as well as any knowledge of what kind of God he is, one, two or three. They have lost the true mode of baptism (Nicea took care of that). They have lost the true way to approach God (by revelation); therefore, the way to approach God had to first be restored if man could ever find his way back to the fulness of that apostolic revelated gospel. FIRST RESTORED TRUTH 1500 A.D. 14 Around 1515 A.D., God makes his move to restore his first truth. A monk climbing stairs to kiss the feet of a dead statute in search of salvation heard the void of God, his name was Martin Luther. The voice said, Martin Luther, the just shall live by faith. God took Luther and dealt Satan and his system such a deadly blow or wound it has taken the head of the beast over 450 years to ever begin to recover. Luther stood with this revelation burning in his heart in the face of dangerous perils and ridicule yet countless thousands of Germans rallied around him with a hearty amen. Haven been slaves to this system for so long not only thousands upon thousands of Germans but people from all over Europe began to rally behind Luther’s Reformation. For so long they had eagerly awaited for someone to arise and open an escape door to let them out. Faith in God did the trick. Think of it, one simple revelated lost truth of the apostle’s teaching restored turned the tide and in 1520 the Reformation was on. (Notice just as Satan had finally placed all his major doctrines into his church, God removes one from his ranks and upsets his apple cart and the beast of Revelation received a spiritual deadly wound on his 7th and 8th head (which is the same) with his military wound to follow later. Did he die? No. Revelation said he recovered and all the world wondered after him (Rev. 13:3.).

NO TEACHING ON GODLY LIVING IN FIRST PART OF REFORMATION

It is very important that we note during the first part of the Reformation (200 years) nothing is stressed concerning holy living. Some still drank their beer, many still lived according to certain ways of the world, but at least one thing has happened their faith in God has been restored. Armed with this restored truth at least they can tell the Pope to jump in the creek for now they know salvation is not in his teaching but in the Bible which is now being turned off on a new invention called the printing press. Recall, for centuries the peoples of Europe have been shut up in this darkened system and with no word of God to comfort them naturally when they departed spiritual Babylon they automatically carried out many ancient carnal creeds to which they had been accustomed yet within their thinking God had managed to get certain ones on the outside of the gates of Rome where he would be able to reveal to them more of his will.

ANOTHER LOST TRUTH RESTORED

Later, John Calvin came forth with another lost truth taught by the early church called the security of the believer. Notice, having a growing revelation of faith in God gives one something to seriously to think about, doesn’t it? Hunger for spiritual truth drives leaders of this Reformation into digging and searching in this new found field of faith, discovered by Luther. Through faith God revealed to Calvin a special nugget as he was digging in the field (of faith), security of the believer and not long after that John Knox another eager man of great hunger dug out predestination. More and more God was widening the field of faith as men continued to dig for lost truth (treasures). Digging for treasure and valuable things is the very expression of Jesus in parables five and six in Matt. 13 where in parable form he is explaining how in the fifth and sixth church age man would be busy digging among rubbish of false doctrines and coming up with precious truths such as gold and pearl (Matthew 13:45-46). Although God has widened the field of faith in which men are still digging none have yet come up with anything dealing with a holy, clean life although more and more truth is rediscovered. No Reformation leader has said throw away your beer, clean up your lives, stop your worldly living, etc. Recall, at this point they knew no better but God will bring them out into the light of all things before he finished his program. Not until after 1700 is God ready to restore his lost truth on holy living. Already God has given them much to think about.

EMPHASIS ON HOLY LIVING – 1700

Time has now come for John Wesley and the birth of Methodism which would carry his restored truth to enter God’s program. Wesley, an Englishman, went deeper into the grace of God than any other Reformation leader and came up with a Pearl when he stated “we not only believe the just shall live by faith but according to what God has revealed to us, without peace and holiness no man shall see the Lord.” So, from England came John Wesley who began teaching and emphasizing holiness of life through sanctification of the spirit. This was taught to every individual who believed the gospel having accepted Jesus Christ as his personal saviour, saying you can only be accepted in the congregation of the righteous now on the proof of the manner of your life. How you actually live now becomes important in the hour of the Reformation. Believers must live a holy and clean 15 life, sanctified unto the Lord, set apart for the Glory of God. Recall the period of time before (Sardis Rev. 3:1). A person could sit in the congregation as a legal member and do things which under the Philadelphia or Methodist Age he was not permitted to do as Wesley’s teaching taught sanctification and holy living. According to the old Methodist discipline you must now throw away your beer, tobacco, gambling and other such things. Wesley taught these things did not belong to a person professing holiness in the Lord. He had taken the church or believers further outside the gates of Babylon than any other Reformation leader of this hour. Notice, as God is bringing his people out deeper into the river of his word he is washing and cleansing their lives. Men and women were required to dress right, talk right and live right in order that they should come out alright.

GIFTS RESTORED – 1900

Slowly but steadily the believer is moving up the line to the full apostolic doctrine. As the dawn of the 20th Century approached, God was ready to restore his spirit in a fuller measure by restoration of his gifts, yet remember up until this hour everyone remained Trinitarians, another doctrine Rome was responsible for in 325 A.D. The hour in his restoration program had reached the door when his gifts of the spirit were to be restored to his body, accompanied by the mighty manifestations of power. Around the 20th Century, people began receiving experiences in the spirit that they had not previously been accustomed to. For the first time in perhaps over 1500 years men will once again walk in the spirit and not simply walk in a mental understanding of what is taking place. God begins restoring the baptism or outpouring of the Holy Ghost of gentile believers as never before. Other things having been restored. But emphasis is now placed on divine healing, speaking in tongues, prophesying, etc. These spiritual manifestations are nothing more than attributes of God’s power now freely being expressed in his church.

EACH GROUP ACCEPT ONLY A PART OF APOSTOLIC TRUTH

This is the sad picture as God had restored much truth and much light over the past few hundred years of the Reformation, because of denominational teaching concerning their own particular part of the restored truth, each one got so wrapped up in what they had they failed to keep their hearts open to the spirit of God for still more truth to come therefore no organized group accepted all the revelation that had previously been introduced by the Spirit through the Reformation or that which was to follow. For example, Wesley’s group who, for some reason, leaned strictly to the Armenian line of teaching could not accept Calvin’s revelation of the security of the believer. Yet, both Calvin and Wesley’s teachings were scriptural. Then what about Knox’s revelation, predestination, how many groups embraced his truth? Only his own, yet every group should have. Although these apostolic truths were now restored, because of denominational walls people are still not able to embrace the full and complete revelation that has been graciously restored since the day of Luther, although it is true most all Reformation groups that eventually turned into dead denominations. Rev. 3:1 accept Luther’s revelation of the just shall live by faith yet some of the other vital teachings which were taught in the Apostolic faith, restored by the same Spirit, they would have nothing to do with, therefore I would like to insert something here for those who have an ear to hear the Spirit, you may already see why it be of a necessity that God would send that spirit of Elijah completing the verses of Malachi 4:5-6 upon the gentiles to restore a people who had already previously received a part of the apostolic gospel. We must embrace all of the truths. Although God has been kind enough to restore a certain portion of his truth up until the hour of Wesley, around 1700 and restoration of the gifts of the spirit in 1900, who had been the receiver? Everyone goes to church and rejoices over what he has received personally which has come from his own denomination. Yet there are people in those groups crying for a deeper walk. These are always the ones that God is able to interest in more of his truth or his next move which must always be given outside the ranks of denominational religion. The spirit of Elijah must come and gather up all these revelated truths preached by the early fathers and present them to the children of some hour and say walk ye therein if you desire to be in the Bride of Christ. Each movement that had experienced any part of the grace of God, though only receiving a small portion of this great program, received a fantastic growth. Up until the 20th Century one man could be pointed out as being responsible or instrumental in receiving and pushing certain restored truths, yet as the Holy Ghost is being poured out upon 16 Trinitarian denominational people at the turn of the century no one individual can be singled out of a mass of people as being responsible for the major outpouring of the spirit upon his people. It is only the Holy Ghost visitation himself. No individual could say, let all begin to seek God, time has come to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the spirit. True, many sincere, dedicated, hungry hearted men of the Wesleyan movement were instrumental but no certain one can be given credit for this part of restored truth. No one man received the initial revelation that the time had come for the outpouring of the spirit on the church, God simply created a deeper hunger in the hearts of those who sought him, mainly from the ranks of those who believed Wesley’s doctrine of sanctification and filled it. Around the turn of the 20th century a lull had settled over the church and people who began to feel it sought God for more of him. All over the world little groups of people banded together and began to pray as never before as this hunger increased in their life (they who hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled (Matt. 5:6). God in his own sovereign way began to drop a manifestation of his spirit in speaking in tongues and other gifts upon the people. Naturally, these receiving these experiences though, this is the same thing that happened at Pentecost. It is absolutely a fact, it was the same thing that happened at Pentecost yet we must ask ourselves, in what measure was it (like Pentecost)? Recall, what fell on the day of Pentecost was also a revelatory Spirit enlightening the people and teaching the people something, but during these early years of the 20th century thousands upon thousands of hungry hearted denominational people were brought into this newfound experience of speaking in tongues, etc. These people walked with God, dedicating their lives afresh and anew unto him as they walked amongst great persecution and ridicule to spread this truth among other denominations. Odds were against this group, for around 1913 the hour had arrived for God to begin testing their initial evidence doctrine which had declared tongues to be the initial evidence of the Holy Ghost, saying tongues is the only way anyone may know they have the Holy Ghost. Out of this Holy Ghost camp, around 1913 God presented a revelation to test this doctrine. Recall, until this hour all people were of a trinitarian belief but now is about to explode a revelation that will divide the religious world into two camps: those who believe that God is a trinity of three persons and those who discover that God, this one Spirit was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself.

ONE GOD REVELATION SPLITS PENTECOST

Around 1913-14 trinitarian Pentecostals everywhere were busy spreading their newfound Holy Ghost revelation when suddenly various ones began to be awakened to the fact that Act 2:38 was the correct mode of apostolic baptism. This mighty revelatory spirit received sometime around 1906 was speaking to them saying, will you take my name; will you be baptized in my name? So sovereign was the inner voice of the revelatory spirit they had receiving many turned to the scriptures to search as to the true application of water baptism of the early church. Why? If the early church were trinitarians as they all were, why did the apostles not baptize according to the trinity mode of baptism which since around 325 A.D. churches had done. At last light sprang on one God, one faith and one baptism, etc. Ephesians 4:4-6. Living clean before the Lord with hearts open for leadership had led to the rediscovery that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not three persons. The two revelations are inseparable, no one can believe in one God and be baptized into the trinity teaching as does the Catholic Church (unless you be a Roman believer), yet if you be an apostolic Bible believer, you can’t. 1913-14 were severe testing years for the Pentecostal people for here stood a Bible apostolic rediscovered truth and only a few short years before this the Pentecostals had accepted an initial evidence doctrine stating the only way to know you had received the Holy Spirit was by speaking in tongues. God wasted no time in testing their doctrine. Had tongues been the initial evidence as they believed then all the Pentecostal groups should have received the new revelation instead of branding it as being from the devil though reading it from the Bible. This starling revelation led to the fact that Jesus was not the second person of the trinity but he was none other than God himself manifested in flesh according to II Cor. 5:19. The revelation was pure but as always Satan wasted no time to enter the picture and muddy the water where he could hinder as many as possible from entering the revelation as the one God people were being forced to leave the fellowship of the trinity believers who held on to the antique hand-me-down idea of Nicea (God was three separate and distinct persons). With Pentecost divided into two fields, trinity and oneness, began a battle where even today no armistice has been 17 signed. Though both groups speak in tongues and both declare it is the initial evidence of the Holy Spirit, it should be an eye opener to someone. From the trinity side came your Assemblies, Pentecostal Holiness, Pentecostal Church of God, Free Pentecostals and multitudes of other Pentecostal trinity groups who embraced the old Nicea hand-me-down antique doctrine. With the revelation of one God came the oneness group. Jesus Name groups of every description sprang out being rejected by their former brethren. The entire Holy Ghost move being so young and then being caught up in the gap of this thinking, the oneness feared their revelation would be snuffed out. Many returned to the trinity side after being forced from fellowship while others held on and God was with them. From tents, brush arbors and rented buildings the Jesus Name revelation of the one God manifested in the flesh man named Jesus Christ and baptism in his name as the correct way, was shouted and echoed through the land. Acts 2:38. Satan wasted no time in blocking the great growth of this revelation by inserting extreme positions and ideas which frightened away on looking trinitarian people. Soon it was pushed to the dangerous position of Jesus Only, other extremes became Pentecostal Adventism, still others spiritualized Communion saying we take it no more. Both sides testified to having the Holy Ghost yet can you imagine the Holy Ghost the Spirit of Truth teaching such error? Today as men look with disgust upon this religious mess of all groups, that Satan has successfully muddied the water by throwing extreme positions around restored truths and building denominational walls about it keeping it separated from other revealed truth that had come into the world since the Dark Ages through the Reformation are now saying, disgustedly what is the use, I’ll simply pull out of it all, go home and live and do the best I can and you do what you want to. Beloved, God’s word will not back up such a position as that anymore than it will back up harlot systems position of religion. Have you noticed through the Word there is no promise of hope from God that he would ever send a revival and straighten out one of these great harlot systems of Babylon confusion. No, as a matter of fact he plainly shows this shall all form up the one world church and later become the image of the beast, but thank God he promised over 2,600 years ago that he would send something that would straighten out some individuals thinking (who are in these groups) and from what was done would turn the hearts of the children of that age back to the fathers (or teachings of the early fathers).

MINISTRY OF THE SPIRIT OF ELIJAH

Look friends, the Dark Ages stamped out all the revelation by destroying believers who would walk therein until by the 10th and 11th century the world has gone into total darkness. Around the 15th century, God began his Reformation program which lasted approximately 450 years at which time in a small measure here and there God revealed back his apostolic program for the endtime people to walk in. Although Catholicism hating the truth did everything in its power to stamp it out, and they succeeded, yet look at what Protestantism did. Protestantism harlot daughters that cried for the relief from anguish burdens of traditions imposed upon them by this system did as bad as their mother of religion in the fact they, having the privilege to accept all of this God given truth, simply ignored, rejected turned up their nose and branded as false everything that God revealed which their own particular movement had not accepted thereby placing a period at the end of their creed declared there is no more revelation from the Spirit. (To prove they will do worse than the mother of harlots look at what they become during the tribulation period when they make an image to the beast saying no man can buy or sell except he have that mark in his forehead or in his right hand. No, God has not promised to save one of these movements out of their dilemma; however, he has promised the Spirit of Elijah would rescue a people who walk in the restored message fully, who shall be his bride people while the other part move headlong heady and high minded into the tribulation forming the image of the beast. People who are set in their ways can no more be turned than you could instruct a hound dog that by moving his front feet he would fly. The ministry of the spirit of Elijah is, as always, a restoring spirit. I ask you one simple question, What did the late William Marrion Branham of Jeffersonville, Indiana, who multitudes believe to be the Prophet Messenger of this Laodicean Age, Revelation 3:14, 10:7 and the fulfillment of Malachi 4:5-6 not do that the spirit of Elijah restoring the hearts of the children to the fathers should have done? That is precisely what he did as we shall show his message delivered was to restore only a people bound in organized religious ideas. Since this article deals exclusively with him bringing a restoring message and in order to pull the emphasis back into the proper 18 setting of the people’s mind as to what this man was actually sent to do. We do not intend to discuss his gifted miracle ministry through which six people were raised from the dead and tens of thousands were healed of incurable diseases around the world through his spoken word and visions; we are not going to comment about angels which constantly visited him nor are we going to dwell upon his Godly life which was so Christlike and powerful in the Holy Spirit that even years before he came into the fulness of his office he was noted around the world of having the greatest prophetic gift ministry of discernment and knowing the secrets of the hearts this world had ever seen since the days of Jesus Christ himself. We are not going to speak upon the unusual vindicated photographs wherein cameras were able by the permission of the Holy Spirit to catch the presence of the Lord in the various pictures taken with him; we are not even going to speak upon those who were not able to stay in line with the true revelated message he delivered because of seeing the greatness of God’s power in his own humble Christlike life thinking him to be something more than what he actually was; we are not going to elaborate upon the baptism service in June 1933 where he was baptizing 500 in the name of Jesus Christ when the Holy Spirit came down in the presence of many frightened and startled people announcing his commission saying, “as John the Baptist was sent to forerun my first coming, your message shall forerun my second coming”.

HE CAME WITH A MESSAGE WHAT IS THE MESSAGE?

The baptism we will not discuss. The commission we shall. The angel of the Lord in 1933 in the presence of multitudes instructed Bro. William Branham his message would forerun the second coming of Christ. Seeing there is only one faith, Ephesians 4:4, one message in the New Testament Bible which is the true Apostolic one God salvation, what then is that message of his to be? Many confuse this calling with the fact they felt his unusual gift ministry was to be carried to the world to heal the sick. True, God sent his ministry to heal the sick and forerun a healing wave which swept the religious world for approximately ten years when other men, seeing the power of God in his life, feeling they too could do the same, went to the field to begin casting out devils and healing the sick also. For approximately ten years, 1946-1956, this mighty continuous healing, miracle salvation Holy Ghost revival swept great throngs of denominational organized religious people out of their particular movements as they witnessed far greater things in tents and auditoriums across the land; however, as this ministry of healing and miracles in great mass throngs began to subside while others in the healing ministry restored to trickery and deceit only to be finally pushed completely out of the true program of God, God’s prophet messenger whom he had sent to fulfill Malachi 4:5-6, being now well known, gathered together all those who wanted to continue on with God walking in the deeper truths of the Lord began to preach to them more and more of the pure unadulterated Word of God as it was revealed to him.

HE BROUGHT A MESSAGE – WHAT WAS IT?

Studying carefully the teachings of the apostles of Jesus Christ you will soon discover that the message of William Branham was identical to that of the apostles for as he often stated I fear for any minister who preaches any gospel contrary to that of the apostles since God declared if even an angel from heaven come preaching any other gospel let him be accursed, Galatians 1:6-8. Beloved, it was impossible to sit in a congregation where this man preached and ministered, who had been sent to forerun Jesus’ second coming with a message fulfilling Malachi 4:5-6, preaching unto a people whose faith had been influenced by every kind of teaching of religious systems without seeing in every message proclaimed that God was speaking unto every listening heart that their faith must be turned back toward God through the route of the revelation of his word. Yes, it was more than simply some faith we must have, he told us it would have to be a faith that pleased God. According to this prophet we must embrace the overall understanding of God’s Word. Recall the apostolic truth had been restored by the Holy Spirit over the past 450 years, but who was walking in the full apostolic gospel of Christ? Who was even walking in one-half or three-fourths of the apostolic gospel or even one-fourth? Not one group of people anywhere on earth embraced that full message of truth although God had restored it. What had happened? As Luther received the just shall live by faith, people swarmed around that (restored truth) revelation, later to only build an organization cutting it off from the rest of the religious world. Calvin came 19 with security of the believer, a people swarmed around this and the same procedure was followed; it too was cut off from the others. Later God revealed predestination and it was swallowed up through the same procedure. Sanctification by the Holy Spirit and clean holy living was Wesley’s revelation. It also was a part of the apostolic gospel which later became Methodism through the same procedure. The restoration of the gifts of the spirit, what previous denomination embraced them? A short time later when one God revelation and baptism in the name of Jesus Christ was revealed before it like all the other, had false teaching attached to its purity. Notice none of this was brand new revelation for it had been taught in the days of the apostles and believed for over 300 years. True, it was restored truth or new revelation to the individual groups only, though not in the sense that it had never been taught before, for it had. For 300 years, people had lived and obeyed the apostolic gospel before Satan used his scarecrow Arianism to draw the Council of Nicea together. Later we shall show where this prophet did bring forth some fresh revelation to the bride, fresh revelation that had not been delivered since the days of John on the Isle of Patmos. John’s revelation on the Isle of Patmos was the last fresh revelation until this century, but first let us briefly examine the message he brought to turn hearts of the children to the fathers. Examining this message we find it is the identical message preached by the early church. Will this message produce the same kind of church? This endtime restored church according to the prophet must be a church full of the real spiritual gifts of God. According to this prophet, God will never speak to the church until it comes back to the articles and principles that Christ laid down and it is not dominated by some emotional or some denomination to pull it this or that way. It will have to come back to believing in miracles, believing in signs, believing in the Holy Ghost, baptizing in the name of Jesus Christ and all these things will have to come back to that or God will never speak to them. According to the prophet fulfilling Malachi 4:5-6 in a message entitled The Name of Jesus, Page 40 he stated, until the church gets back in this position God will not even speak to them.

HOW IS THIS CHURCH (CHILDREN) TO BE RESTORED TO THE FATHERS?

Note the uniqueness of the man’s ministry. It was fulfilling an Old Testament prophet office (or prophecy). Amos declared the Word of the Lord comes to the prophets, not in the sense of five fold ministry prophet as declared in the New Testament. No man has ever come from the Gentile ranks of religion who could reach back into all carnal organized religious groups over the past 450 years and lift from it the pure revelation of Knox, Calvin, Wesley, Pentecost and Jesus Name, taking all that true restored revelation without error, without fanaticism, without any extreme position and placing all of these truths which had already been restored, placing them into one message that could never be organized or denominated. Beloved, this should show why the spirit of Elijah had to come at the close of the grace age after, not before or in between. His work was taking all the restored truths and placing them in one message, making them interlock to show forth the great plan of God and say, Church walk ye therein, that is Thus saith the Lord. In other words, he took these restored truths and placed them back in their proper perspective position and authority, however, if you do not have the real true genuine Holy Ghost, that revelatory spirit in your soul, you will never be able to see this. That prophet took all of these restored truths coming down through Protestantism, placed or fitted them right back in the revealed Word or message as they should be and zeroed our faith right in toward God through the revelation of that Word. Must say without the real, genuine Holy Ghost no one could ever see what he was actually doing. You would only sit there and follow him with a mental attitude for awhile; however, sooner or later something would be said (which God would permit) that would only tend to feed some seducing spirit lurking in the souls of people just waiting its opportunity to express itself and away into error it would go. Why think it strange God would use a man to restore the hearts of the children to the fathers who in that office could take all the restored truths, place them in one message and say, Look, your forefathers preached this too, they believed it and taught it; you must not only believe that part which you have received through your own particular movement restored through some Reformation leader, but you must embrace the full apostolic truth, so after he took all the pure revelation which is life from around the carnal teachings and extreme positions, placed them in one setting and said if you would have eternal life, eat ye all of it. (All the restored revelation) Why think it strange God would use a man after all, were not the Reformation leaders men also who brought these truths in 20 the Reformation to begin with.

NEW REVELATION

For the very first time since the days of the Apostle John on the isle of Patmos do we see new revelation actually being given to the body of Christ, that is new revelation that at no time in the history of the gentile church had ever been given until 1963 when that prophet by divine revelation broke into the Seven Seals under the direction of the Holy Spirit. No, Bro. William Branham did not restore the just shall live by faith, Luther did that. He did not restore the security of the believer, Calvin did that. He did not restore predestination, Knox did that. He did not restore a holy life by sanctification through the Spirit, Wesley did that. He did not restore the gifts of the Spirit, the revelation of one God or Jesus name water baptism, but what he did no other man had done, he took all these truths which came mostly from trinity groups and placed them properly within a one God message saying, Children if you would be obedient to God, you must walk in all these restored truths which have been despised through the many years because every one of them came out of the apostles gospel which is the great salvation for which Christ died. So, again I ask you, what did this man not do that the spirit of Elijah would do once he appeared to turn the hearts of the children back to the fathers? Truly, William Branham brought the message to turn the hearts at the endtime back to the fathers, thus fulfilling Malachi 4:5-6. Beloved, this is the only message in the earth today that carries life because all those revealed truths were life. If you will come in line with it, it alone can restore your heart back completely in line with all the teachings of the apostolic fathers!