That they be one

That they all may be one-John 17:21

The promise of Rev.10:7 and Malachi 4:5-6b is the ministry of an end time messenger who would recieve the anointing like Elijah of old to restore the apostolic faith. William Marrion Branham is suppernaturally vindicated and proven to fulfill this ministry. This ministry was promised to "finish the mystery of God" and "restore all things" for the Rapture of His Church. Jesus testified the vast majority of people always rejected God's prophets, or misinterpreted their Message. Those associated with the Message Brother Branham brought are no exception. They reiterate his words by quoting the "letter" of the Spoken Word books, as those in previous times quoted the letter of prophets before him, without understanding what the Spirit was saying through them. This is why we have different groups in the message today. When matters of doctrine arise, instead of searching the Scriptures, as the Bible instructs (II Timothy 3:16), people typically respond "I'm going to stay with what the prophet said!" Few perceive the God he preached. Had they truly heard what the prophet had to say then their hearts would have been restored to the faith of the Pentecostal fathers (Malachi 4:5-6)

So many preachers of this last day Message are so preoccupied with the words and speech of William Branham and trying so desperately to be "in the message," that they have lost sight of the foundation of our faith as laid out in the scriptures, "which are able to make you wise unto salvation" (II Timothy 3:15). The baptism of the Holy Ghost, Christ dwelling in you in the Form of the Holy Spirit, is the Seal of God's promise to you that He will return for you. The evidence that you have the Holy Spirit is that you believe God's Word, the Bible. For if Christ does dwell within you, you cannot deny what He wrote in His Gospel, the Scriptures. But these preachers have not had their hearts turned back to the truth in the Gospel of Christ. Instead, they repeat only words and speeches, not perceiving the Message of Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever. Confusion and uncertainty follow them, as it is written in Job 38:2:
"Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

ONLY THE ELECTS HEARS THE LOGOS
The New Testament, as you know, was originally written in Greek. The Greek language is far more precise than the English language, with more words giving finer distinctions in meaning. Take for example, the word "love." Two Greek words: 'agape' and "Phileo" are both translated "love," however they have entirely different meanings. The Greek "parousia," a present participle meaning "arrival and subsequent presence" is translated "come," as in the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; "erchomai," also means to come but is used only in the present and imperfect tenses. Debate and confusion arise where these two different Greek words are translated by one English word. Now if you were to look up the word "word" in the Greek, you would find that there are two words for "word." One is Logos and the other is Rhema, both are translated "word." It is interesting to look in a concordance at the different scriptures in which the word "word" is used.

The word Rhema means "that which is spoken; what is uttered in speech or writing. Rhema is what is uttered in speech. When Jesus was brought before Pilate and they were making all manner of accusations: "Jesus answered him to never a word (Rhema) insomuch that the governor marveled greatly" (Matthew 27:14)."These words (Rhema—utterance, speech, what is spoken; the spoken word) spoke Jesus in the treasury as He taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on Him for His hour was not yet come-John 8:20)

Now, Logos is an expression of thought: a concept, an idea, the reasoning behind the Rhema. Galatians 5:14 says: "For all the Law is fulfilled in one word (Logos—concept, thought, or idea), even in this; you shall love your neighbor as yourself." In John 5:24 Jesus says, "Verily, verily I say unto you, He who hears My Word (Logos), and believes on Him that sent Me, has everlasting Life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." And in John 8:43, "Why do you not understand My speech? Even because you cannot hear My Word (Logos)."

This next example is Acts.10:44, And "While Peter yet spoke these words (Rhema), the Holy Ghost fell on all those who heard the Word (Logos)." They did not ALL got the Holy Ghost. They all heard his speech, his Rhema, the spoken words, but only those who caught the Logos, (the concept or idea behind what he had said) received the Holy Ghost.

We can hear a man preach, listen to his tapes, and read books. We can all hear speech or read words, as Cornelius' household listened to Peter. But we've got to catch the Logos, or thought behind what is spoken or written. Many believers today are saying, "we'll say just what the prophet said, or quote the Scriptures." Beware! You can quote a prophet, the Bible, or any other book word- for-word, and still not say what the speaker or author has said. When Jesus was brought before Pilate, the high priests wanted to find some reason for putting Him to death and needed an accusation to bring against Him, but could find no witnesses. At last, there came two false witnesses. One said, "This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days" (Matthew 26:61). The man had heard Jesus' speech, but did not catch the thought behind what Jesus had said. He wasn't talking about the Temple in Jerusalem: Jesus was talking about His own body—"Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19). This witness had heard Jesus' Rhema but had not heard the Logos.

Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, to know the ways of the Lord. He was a Pharisee, yet he knew that Jesus was a man sent from God. Jesus told him, "Except a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Nicodemus did not understand: "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit" (John 3:4-6). Nicodemus heard the Rhema, the words Jesus spoke. But he didn't catch the thought or Logos behind what He had said. The Bible says, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says" (Revelation 2:7). ". . . For the letter (Rhema) kills, but the Spirit gives Life" (II Corinthians 3:6). The Spirit has to reveal to you the thought or concept behind what is being said.

Suppose each of us is to go out preaching repentance and baptism in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ-Acts.2; 38. Now, one of us might go to America and be speaking in English language. You might be using an illustration of some type to emphasize their need be baptized in Jesus Name. Another person might be peaching here in Aliade—and use different words and illustrations in Tiv Language. Still another might serve in another place and use different words, different illustrations, and different scriptures. But no matter how we went about it, each is presenting the same concept—that which is found in Acts 2:38. Why, it's like chicken: you can boil it, you can fry it, you can stew it, or you can grill it, no matter how you cook it, it's still chicken! The situation is much the same with us Christians as we learn the things of God. Whether we hear a preacher, listen to tapes or read Brother Branham's sermons, we must get the thought behind what is spoken or written. And we can't "say what the prophet said," unless we have the Logos behind what he was saying.

Now we know that "God watches over His Word."—He watches over the Logos. Theologians today are unsure what language Jesus actually spoke. For the moment let's presume He spoke Galilean, the language of the common people. After His death and resurrection, the apostles wrote what He said, as well as things that happened, and they wrote it in Greek. After a century, it was translated into English. It's a wonder anyone knows what original the story was. You can tell someone a story and let them pass it on. By the time it returns, it's often a different story altogether. But "God watches over His Word:" He watches over the Logos. Those who hear English, Greek or Galilean who were predestinated caught the same thought and as came forth when Jesus preached it two thousand years ago.

Revelation 22:18-19 says we cannot add or take away one Word from Scripture—the "word" here is Logos. You cannot add a single thought, because the Bible is the complete revelation of Jesus Christ. You can add one Rhema or utterance: there are many words written in italics to indicate they are not in the original, and have been added to make grammatical sense. Words are sometimes added because there's no English equivalent. The Bible is God's thoughts, or Logos, expressed in writing (Rhema); and although the various translations use different words we cannot add one Logos. Unless the Holy Ghost reveals it personally, we can never get the Logos in the first place.

The Bible says, "All should be taught of God." Now you're either taught of God, or you're not taught at all. You can go to college or Bible school to learn many different things, but you cannot go to school to learn God. You either learn from Him or you don't know Him at all. I Corinthians 2:9-16:says,
"As is written, eye has no seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love Him. But God has revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teach, but which the Holy Ghost teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ."
We don't know what another person is thinking. He can say one thing and think another. Only the spirit within the person knows what he is thinking. Likewise, no man can know what God thinks, but the Spirit of God. When the Spirit of God indwells us in the Form of the Holy Ghost, you have the mind of Christ, and understand His thoughts.

I John 2:20-27 says: "But you have an unction from the Holy One, and you know all things." The unction is the Holy Ghost. "But the anointing which you have received of Him abides in you, and you need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, you shall abide in Him." Though a man preaches the Gospel, the Holy Ghost must take what was said and reveal the thought behind it. The revealed Word is the Logos, the concept made known to you. That puts all preachers on the same level. God is neither helped nor hindered by our vocabulary, or eloquent speech. Paul said, "I came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God." Regardless of our words, God takes what is said, and reveals the thought behind them by His Spirit. Otherwise we could never hear it. We have to get the Logos of God. We can receive nothing unless it is given from above.

THOUGH THERE MAY BE DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT ARGUE, BUT THE ELECTS ARE ONE

Our Lord Jesus prayed in John 17:21, "that they all may be one; as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that You have sent Me." On the day of Pentecost that prayer was answered! God sent the Holy Ghost, Which is Himself, "and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:4), making the oneness between God and man! Jesus Christ comes into the believer, by the baptism of the Holy Ghost, doing the same works as when He was yet with them.

Jesus said, "My sheep hear my Voice." Because those listening all heard His Rhema did not mean they were "His sheep." One day, Jesus asked His disciples, "Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, some say that you are John the Baptist; some, Elias; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." They all had different ideas who Jesus was. Then He said to them, "But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus replied, Blessed are you Simon bar-Jona: for flesh and blood has not revealed it to you, but My Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 16:13-17). No matter how well a man can preach, or express himself, Christ is building His Church on the rock of God revealing the Logos personally to you. We all hear different concepts and different ideas, but those who hear the Logos from God, hear the same thing.! Paul asked, "Is Christ divided?" The Corinthians knew more than many in this day because THEY KNEW He is not divided. By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body. And if we are baptized into the Body and His Spirit dwells in us, we will hear His voice and be hearers and doers of His Word (James 1:22). Everyone with the Holy Ghost will hear the same thing.

After Paul was converted on the Damascus Road, he didn't go to Jerusalem to confer with men, but spent three years in the desert where God could reveal His Word or Logos without human influence. When Paul met with the apostles in Jerusalem, they all had the same revelation. Those with ears to hear believe alike by the same Logos; there is one God, and everyone who has the Holy Ghost receives the same Logos or concept.

Many people have variety of "requirements" to be in the rapture. Some say, we're trying to make the rapture. But God's only requirement to be in the rapture is that we are sealed with Holy Ghost. If we are sealed by the Holy Ghost, we are sealed unto the day of redemption. Only the elect can be born again. When we're sealed we're a finished work and He has to take you. Once we've been sealed, we obey His Word: not so we might be accepted—we are already accepted and we want to please Him. Law says if we do certain things, we'll be accepted; Grace says because we are accepted, we desire to do the things which please Him.

These "requirements for making the rapture" come about because so many of the preachers in the circle of this Message preach in the negative. They use what we call reverse psychology. For example, if I said to you, "Listen, brother, in order for you to go in the rapture you've got to have rapturing faith." I would be implying that you don't have it. I could get up and say, "If you're going in the rapture you've got to have power. You've got to have the resurrection power in you." I would be implying that you don't have the power. I might tell you, "If you're going in the rapture you've got to have perfect love. You've got to have the love of God—Agape love—in you." What I'd be doing is implying that you don't have it. And that would be destroying your faith.

Brethren are uncertain because they lack a clear revelation. The "rapture" is a revelation, a process of coming into oneness or agreement with God by putting on the mind of Christ. This began with the revelation of the Seven Seals in 1963 which gave us the perfect interpretation of the Word. THIS is that which is perfect. It has done away denominational part Word and is calling Christ's Bride into the fullness of the Word, for the manifestation of the sons of God. The rapture is the separation described in Luke 17:22-36, II Thessalonians 2:1, and Revelation 18:4.

Faith, which is a clear understanding of the Word, is still the separator, knowing the Logos, rather than the Rhema. The rapture is the second Coming of the Lord, we would all agree on that. The Greek word for "Coming" is "parousia," which refers to "the arrival and subsequent Presence" of the Word as the Son of Man, not to His millennial Coming as Son of David. The second Coming is "as a thief in the night," so it is a mystery. It is also "universal," and not His second physical Coming when He returns as Son of David with the saints of all Ages for a thousand years of peace.

According to the Rhema, the "parousia" or second Coming is the Logos of the fullness of the Word—Christ, incarnating His Bride by the baptism of the Holy Ghost, or new birth, separating His people from the churches through faith in the fullness of the Word. Luke 17:34-37, "there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left: Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other one left. And the Disciples said unto Him, where to Lord? And Jesus said unto them. Wheresoever the Body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together." He did not say, "To the Wedding Supper." This is the rapture, not the translation, spiritually catching up the living Bride in the revelation of the fullness of the Word, which brings Her into Oneness with the Father, and under preeminence for the manifestation of the sons of God.

People say, "You've got to have the resurrection power in you." Or "You've got to have perfect love. You've got to have the love of God, Agape love, in you." If you have the Logos of the Word God is fulfilling today, you have the resurrection power in you already. Paul spoke of it in the first chapter of Ephesians. "Agape," is God's own love for you confirmed by your new birth. The "love of God" is Jesus Christ, the hope of glory which enters into you by the Spiritual Marriage Union of the Bride and Christ. What the Holy Spirit has joined together: neither death, nor life, nor angels, or principalities, or powers, nor things present, or things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Faith is a revelation. If you have a clear revelation of the present Truth and can see that part of the Word coming to pass in your life that is the evidence of your new birth. The love of God is in you, and you are already in the rapture. You don't have to prove it to anyone: you can't, because they'd have to receive the Logos from God before they could understand. If the same Spirit which rose up Jesus Christ from the dead dwells in you, it will quicken your mortal body to every Word, and the Life of Christ will be on display.

If you're truly born again, there is not one thing you need do to be in the rapture, or Jesus Christ died in vain. Don't be provoked by carnal folk who challenge you to prove you have 'agape' by fleshly comparison with the charitable works of the world church system. If after the first and second admonition they cannot receive the faith, just walk away from them.

Adolph Hitler once said, "If you repeat something often enough, people will believe it." He was [not commending deception but referring to the subterfuge of the Jews' Weimar Republic], and he was right. The best way to paralyze faith is to let men persuade you you've got to get this, do that, or you'll never make it. The old devil will always tell you what you lack, but he'll never tell you how to get it. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." Men who imply you don't have it without proving their point in God's Word, are sowing doubt. And if there is no faith in the church of Jesus Christ, it must be the fault of the preacher—he must not be preaching the Word. If you need to have love to go in the rapture, there's only one way to ever get that love—the love of God is shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Ghost. If you have the Holy Ghost, you have perfect love.

Preaching in the negative destroys faith. Brother Branham talked about the time when the angel appeared to him and said, "If you can get the people to believe, nothing will stand in the way of your prayers." in his meetings, he would testify to what the Lord has done. He would generate faith. The people saw and heard God do great and wonderful works. POSITIVE! They would think, "He's no respecter of persons, what he has done for others, surely He will do for me." He would then challenge their faith by saying, "I challenge you. If the Lord will reveal what your problem is, will you believe He will grant you the desire of your heart?" What preachers should do is to challenge people to have faith in God.

SOTIFICATED PREACHING IS NOT WISDOM
Wisdom is taking the mysterious and deep things of God and making them so simple a fool can understand them. But foolishness is taking the simplicity of the Gospel and making it so complicated nobody knows what's being said. After Brother Branham had finished preaching the "Seals" and the "Church Ages," and all those different revelations, they were so plain and simple; we wondered how we'd missed them all these years. THAT WAS WISDOM!

On the other hand, many preachers (in the message) make the message so deep and difficult for the lay people to understand and are embarrassed to say, "they didn't understand," because someone else might think they are not very spiritual. These preachers take the simplicity of God's Word and presented it with such complex terminology. THAT IS FOOLISHNESS! That kind of preaching breeds doubt and confusion, "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints" (I Corinthians 14:33).

We see so many different interpretations of the Word. Even among those who listen to Brother Branham's tapes and read his sermons, there are different opinions as to what was actually said. Many are saying we've got to get together. They are saying that we've got to get unity. THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN. The Body of Christ is ALREADY one through the baptism of the Holy Ghost and they all hear His voice. Those that have been sealed with the Holy Ghost will hear the Logos—and they are already "one".

Paul told the early churches "heresy" must come (I Corinthians 11:19). In Greek, heresy means "sects." Different groups and ideas MUST come. Why? So that so those who are approved of God might be made manifest. Groups will continue to multiply. However, the elect cannot be fooled: they have unity in Christ, the Word (Logos), and will not be confused by different ideas that come along! The non-elect are and will continue to be confused by those God has risen up to bring confusion.

Think for a moment: if the devil wanted to deceive you, what do you think he would do? If he told you to go and rob or swear, or commit adultery, you'd know right away that was Satan. But when the devil comes, he's usually 99%—almost 100% right! What he says is mostly truth. In Matthew 16:6-12, Jesus said, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees"—meaning their doctrine. Leaven is likened to corrupt doctrine; a little sin eventually affects the whole lump. It takes just a small amount; it would almost deceive the very elected, if that were possible.

People often say, "Brother, are you in the Message?" And they all have different ideas what the "Message" is. It's not whether you're in the Message, or the Message is in you—that isn't the point. The question is, "Are you in Christ?" If you're in Christ you have the baptism of the Holy Ghost; you've heard His Logos, which is understanding the Message. Many believe the Message and can quote it by page and paragraph. Only the elect can receive the Holy Ghost; they hear His voice and will not be confused.

We hear it said so often, "the evidence of the Holy Ghost is to receive the Word for our day"—to believe the Logos of God revealed in our day. Everyone who heard Brother Branham preach, however, didn't hear the same Logos. There were many logos' of men, but there is only one Logos of God—and not everyone heard the Logos of God. One man gets up and says, "I believe Brother Branham was a prophet. I believe the 'Church Age' Message. I believe the 'Seals'. I believe that the cloud appeared. I believe all this. Then, over there you have another brother who says, "I believe Brother Branham was a prophet. I believe the 'Seven Church Ages' Message. I believe . . . etc., etc., etc. But I don't agree with the first brother. I see it this way." Somewhere else there is another brother. He says, "Hold on. Brothers—I love you and all that, but you're both wrong. I believe Brother Branham was a prophet (remember the devil believes too! He knows the Message better than you). I believe this, that and the other. . . But you're both wrong. This is the way it is. . ." Then people stop and say, "Wait a minute, who is right? They're either all wrong, or one is right and the others are wrong. How do I know who's right and who's wrong?" And how do you know if what I am saying is right? You can't know unless the Lord shows you.

There are so many different ideas; so many have the Rhema without the Logos—the letter without the Spirit. Many were in Brother Branham's meetings, but only the elect heard it right. Brother Branham did not have a formal education. But although his grammar may have been limited, the elect heard God's Logos. God was not restricted by his choice of words. Education is an accumulation of knowledge without faith. It’s incredibly in this day of specialization and high technology, to see God chose an unlearned man to reveal His mystery of His Word This proves God does not require our intellectual accomplishments. Either we get it from Him, or we don't get it at all.

How do we know, then, who is right? How do we even know if Brother Branham preached the truth? "Well," you say, "there were signs and wonders." How do you KNOW there were signs and wonders? Were you there when that cloud appeared? Did you see all those things happen? How do you know? You say, "The signs and wonders prove what he preached was truth." Many have signs and wonders—and not all preached the truth! Back in the sixties, it was Oral Roberts. Then, there was Kathryn Kuhlman. People would come into her services, just to see what she had to say, and they'd be healed. Others had signs and wonders also. Signs and wonders are not proof Brother Branham preached the truth.

According to the Scriptures, Aaron had a breastplate, called the Urim and Thummim. The breastplate hung in the temple, its twelve stones are said to be the birthstones of the Patriarchs. If a man had a vision, a dream or a revelation, he would tell it before the Urim and Thummim. If it was of the Holy Ghost, a Light or rainbow would flash, vindicating it as truth. However, if the Light did not appear—then it was wrong.

The Bible is our Urim and Thummim; every revelation is already within its pages. The word for "revelation" means to "unveil" or "uncover." Brother Branham's Message is the "revealed Word" which finished the mystery of God, veiled under symbols in the Apocalypse, or the Revelation of Jesus Christ, uncovering Jesus Christ, the Logos of God. The prophet simply preached the Logos veiled in the Rhema. Brother Branham proved each Seal by Matthew 24. They may have been hidden, but they were already there. As we listened to him preach those Seals, the same thing happened to us, as happened on the Emmaus road—the Lord drew nigh and opened our understanding. Beginning with Moses and the prophets, He drew back the veil and uncovered the Logos, just as "the Message" does. These things were always there.

How come there are so many divisions—so many different concepts and ideas? It is because some believers are making the Rhema of Brother Branham's Message rather than the Bible their Urim and Thrummim. Not comparing it with Scripture to find the Logos, they've veiled Jesus Christ once again in the Rhema of the Message.

Years ago there was a ministers' meeting. Now ministers meeting always murder the truth. Sahindrint council was a ministers meeting, the council of Nicaea in Rome was a ministers meeting. The gospel is open to whoever wants to hear it. But these preachers got together and said. "Let's, all gather together, discuss our differences of opinion, try to work them out and get some kind of unity." And so they met at Spoken Word Publications. They said, "each one will have the opportunity to express his thoughts or opinions on the Message, but you have to use the books of Brother Branham's Message. You cannot use the Scriptures." They threw out the Urim and Thummim—the Bible! And they argued back and forth and never came to any conclusions. In fact, they were more confused at the end of the meetings than they had been when they first came together.

Everyone in this so-called "last-day Message" has a choice to make and will make that choice in many cases, unconsciously. They must decide what is going to be their absolute or final authority when it comes to the things of God. Most people in the circle of this Message are saying that William Branham and his Message are the supreme authority, making the Message superior to the Scriptures. The devil's got them! OUR ABSOLUTE HAS GOT TO BE JESUS CHRIST AND THE LOGOS THAT'S IN THE BIBLE.

There is only one thing that is infallible. "Infallible" means something that can never fail. Jesus said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away but My Logos shall not pass away" (Matthew 24:35). We can only know the truth by applying the Word test—the Bible test.

The Bible is God's thoughts (Logos) put in written form (Rhema). Everyone who's been born again is filled with the Holy Ghost, which is the Spirit of Christ expressing Himself through the believer by manifesting the Logos for his day. We act like Him and do as He would do, because the Holy Spirit expresses the nature of Christ through our faith.

The Bible says that in the last days there will be a famine—not for food or water, but for the hearing of the Word. In this day and age, the Gospel is being preached more than it was at any other point in history: Christian stations preach the Gospel over radio and television. It is recorded on cassette, and printed as literature. The famine, you see, is not for the preaching of the Rhema, but for hearing the Logos. Only the elected can hear His Logos, and because the non-elect are offended it cannot often be shared.

When you listen to Brother Branham or some preacher, you hear his Rhema. Jesus said, "Why do you not understand My Rhema? Even because you cannot hear My Logos." They all heard His Rhema, but we must have the Holy Ghost to understand the Logos. The Holy Ghost reveals to us the thought behind the words. It says in Mark 16:19-20:
"So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, He was received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God (meaning absolute authority). And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the Logos. . . (not Rhema) . . . with signs following".
The Lord confirms the Logos! He stands behind His Word.

We talk about vindication—the vindicated prophet. We say Brother Branham was a vindicated prophet. God confirmed the Gift He gave the man through the signs and wonders that followed him. In Ephesians 4:7-8:
"But to everyone is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he said when He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men".
Now, the MAN is not the Gift. The OFFICE of the man is the Gift of Christ. When God vindicates His prophets, He is confirming to others the Office of prophet, or the Gift of Christ that is in the man. God did not vindicate the words of the man, William Branham. He vindicated His Own Words (Logos) expressed through the prophet.

How do we distinguish between Brother Branham's words, and the Word of the Lord? When a prophet pronounces something in the Name of the Lord, or says something is THUS SAITH THE LORD, he is saying the thought was not His own, but God expressing Himself through his lips. Our test, or Urim and Thummim is the Bible. Anything a genuine prophet speaks in the Name of the Lord, must line up with the Bible, then it is THUS SAITH THE LORD. If what a man says does not line up with the BIBLE, it is just the words of the man. A genuine prophet will NEVER fail the Word test.

In his sermon, "He Cares, Do You Care?" on July 21, 1963, Brother Branham cautioned "be careful what you're listening to. See? There's so much of it that it's just the human side. . ." God uses human substance to bring forth a divine Message, we must discern what the Spirit is saying (Logos) through the words (Rhema) of the man (". . . the human side. . .")

"The Word," or Jesus Christ in the Form of the Holy Ghost, comes to every believer, or we couldn't be a believer! That's what makes you one with the Word—a Word believer or Word Bride. But we receive It SECONDARILY, for "The Word is FIRST revealed to the prophet."

Amos 3:7 says, "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he reveals His secret unto his servants the prophets." Before God can bring judgment or destruction, He reveals His counsel or plan to His prophets in advance as a warning to the people, providing an escape to those who hear and obey.

Brother Branham was a prophet, and he had open visions. Open vision is the sovereignty of God over which Brother Branham had no control. When Brother Branham had a vision it was the sovereignty of God. He could say, "Your name is so-and-so, you live here, etc.," and it never failed, because it was the grace of God. Visions come under a certain anointing; preaching requires another anointing. They are two different operations or manifestations of the Holy Spirit. How many times after preaching, did we hear Brother Branham say, "I'm going from one anointing into another, and the people don't understand what that's like." Then he would wait for that change of anointing.

The Bible says Balaam was a prophet. Balak wanted him to curse Israel, but as a prophet of God, he could not do it! He got up to prophesy evil but he prophesied good, because the Gift or Office of prophecy was the sovereignty of God. He couldn't help himself! So in order to gain Balak's reward, He taught them error when he preached. Like modern preachers who know there is no such thing as a Trinity or baptism in three Titles, but for the sake of denominational reward, will twist the Rhema and cause the congregations to believe the lie. As a prophet, Balaam could not prophesy to curse Israel; but as a preacher he could teach contrary to the Word and bring the people into idolatry by departing from Exodus 34:14-16, ". . . you shall worship no other God etc." This illustrates that the gift of a prophet is a separate manifestation of the Spirit distinct from the operation of a Gift to teach. They are not the same thing. Balaam was a prophet; his prophetic Gift was the sovereignty of God over which he had no control.

When Brother Branham received a revelation, or Logos, it was up to him to faithfully preach what God had revealed. The same is true of your pastor; when the Lord reveals something, or uncovers the Logos, he's responsible to preach it to the best of his ability. The Holy Ghost takes what he is saying and reveals to you the thought behind it. We must be careful not to look to the man—we have to look to the Gift that God gave to the man.

The Bride of Christ will not be deceived. She hears His Logos and knows how to apply the Urim and Thummim, or Word, proving everything that is preached from Genesis to Revelation, which is the complete revelation of Jesus Christ. If it's in the Word it was always there: we must not add one idea, thought, or concept to what lies within its pages.

The apostles were anointed of God. Paul was ordained of God to write the New Testament, and lay the foundation or basis upon which our faith rests. "Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." It's already there and always has been. Through the Dark Ages the faithful were martyred and the faith was lost, but the foundation was always there. In the last days, God sent a messenger to restore us back to the original foundation. Malachi 4:5-6 says the spirit of Elijah would turn the heart of the children back to the faith of their Pentecostal fathers.

It says He'll "turn their HEARTS." In Greek as in Hebrew, the word "heart" signifies the seat of intellect—the mind, purpose, intention, knowledge, understanding and insight of a person. Malachi 4 is to RESTORE our understanding or knowledge, to agreement with the faith of the Pentecostal fathers. After Brother Branham had finished preaching, we looked up our Bible and knew what Paul had been talking about, we knew what Peter had been saying, and what John meant, because we were turned back in our understanding and intellect to the faith of the apostolic fathers.

Now brother, if you've never been turned back in your heart—no matter how well you know the Message and profess to believe, you've missed it. We must have the same faith they had in the beginning. Paul said, "If our Gospel be hid, it is hid from those who are lost . . . other foundation can no man lay." It was already there when Brother Branham came. God's messenger was not sent to deliver a new gospel, but to RESTORE our faith to the original foundation laid in the early church.

The Bible says in the last days there will come a great falling away, people will not endure sound doctrine, and shall turn away from the truth and be turned to fables. There was no apostasy during the Dark Ages. Churches did not meekly accept dogma; the saints were faithful unto death at the hands of Rome. In order for you to apostatize you must have something to fall away from. Lutherans could not fall away in their Age, they weren't restored back. Methodists couldn't fall away in their Age, they were not restored. But at the end of the Pentecostal Age, God sent a prophet and "finished the mystery of God," to restore His people back to the faith of the fathers. They did run well, but the Pentecostal denominations and those of other Ages, all rejected the messenger and His Message, fulfilling Revelation 3:20; the Gentile churches end in apostasy.

The "falling away" or apostasy could not take place until first the faith was restored back to its original foundation. God permits it, all who will fall away, will fall away. It's also happening today in "Message" circles. Only those with the Seal of God will remain steadfast. If you have the Holy Ghost within you, you will believe the Word, and that will hold you. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. The Message is, "Come out of Babylon and be filled with the Spirit!"

We talk of the Message. Just what is the Message?
The Message is Spiritual LIGHT, faith, or revelation of the Word on which Christ said He would build His Church. Zechariah 14 describes how the denominational Ages culminate in apostasy: "And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Light shall not be clear, nor dark: But it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at the evening time it shall be Light".

Proverbs 4:18: "But the path of the just is the shining Light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day." After the centuries of Dark Ages, the people saw Light. When Luther preached "the just shall live by faith," the Light began to shine. Wesley followed with sanctification and that Light grew brighter. Pentecost, with the baptism of the Holy Ghost shone more of the same Light, "a Light to lighten the Gentiles." The Holy Spirit working through Brother Branham caused that Light to shine brighter still. Today as in every Age, the Message is Jesus, the Light of the world. As in every Age its greatest enemies are those who claim to be the household of faith but who are impersonating the glare of an Age gone by, NOT walking in the Light Jesus is manifesting.

Judas Iscariot was chosen by the Lord Jesus Himself as one of the twelve apostles Jesus sent forth saying, "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand: heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, etc." Judas was thought to be "in the Message," for his day, but he betrayed the Word and never made it to Pentecost!

Dear Christian, "He that is of God hears God's Words" (John 8:47). "And ALL Your children shall be taught of God" (Isaiah 54:13): being ONE WITH THE WORD proves whether you are of God and Spirit-filled. No other criterion. It's Christ the Logos in you that is your hope of glory.