William M. Branham Thoughts?

[Alive]

5 minutes ago, Starise said:

I understand Alive and I realize you come from an educationally disciplined background which I have respect for even though I don't know exactly what it was. You were simply trying to save me some grief. I get that and thanks. 

The dangerous thing about William Branham is that he led literally thousands of people during these huge meetings, many who were in fact said to be healed from various things. He had the support of many in the Pentecostal denomination. One reason I believe he was successful in leading so many people was because his healing ministry healed people.

What does this say about some large denominational bases who came out in support of him initially? What does this say about the gullibility of human nature? What does this tell us about what can happen in the future when someone shows up doing "signs and wonders". This one man was accepted by a very large contingent of Christians from various races and denominations. Was he preaching the real gospel or was he baiting people in by offering healing as a way to sell another false gospel? That last question is the scary one because this is what I am thinking he was up to.

Many folks are always willing to hear some new thing. Much of that is because of a lack of being 'satisfied' with where they are at and that comes from not being well grounded in the Truth. Not being well grounded, results in a lack of trust in the Lord, who He is and what He has accomplised for us.

When we know who He is and then who we are 'in Him'--what more do we need?

This seems so obvious---but is it?

[Starise]

10 minutes ago, Alive said:

Many folks are always willing to hear some new thing. Much of that is because of a lack of being 'satisfied' with where they are at and that comes from not being well grounded in the Truth. Not being well grounded, results in a lack of trust in the Lord, who He is and what He has accomplised for us.

When we know who He is and then who we are 'in Him'--what more do we need?

This seems so obvious---but is it?

I hear you here. Lots of people out there looking for the next big thing whatever it might be.

I wouldn't say I don't trust the Lord, I just want 100% of the message He has for me. I like to be kept abreast of world events and then maybe synthesize that with what He says in His word. Sometimes these thoughts come off more to me like * don't over analyze* it, don't over think it. Many times I come away with an "ah ha" moment where I can clearly see the falsehood that's going on and thank God for it. At the beginning of this post I new little of nothing about this man. Now I can say I do know about him and that among his followers and copycats are Oral Roberts and a few other well known televangelists. It's kinda scary to see where that rabbit trail leads, but also a relief to know I didn't drink any of the koolaide.

Edited July 27, 2021 by Starise

[Alive]

6 minutes ago, Starise said:

I hear you here. Lots of people out there looking for the next big thing whatever it might be.

I wouldn't say I don't trust the Lord, I just want 100% of the message He has for me. I like to be kept abreast of world events and then maybe synthesize that with what He says in His word. Sometimes these thoughts come off more to me like * don't over analyze* it, don't over think it. Many times I come away with an "ah ha" moment where I can clearly see the falsehood that's going on and thank God for it. At the beginning of this post I new little of nothing about this man. Now I can say I do know about him and that among his followers and copycats are Oral Roberts and a few other well known televangelists. It's kinda scary to see where that rabbit trail leads, but also a relief to know I didn't drink any of the koolaide.

To be clear--I wasn't suggesting that you were experiencing those things, brother.

I was meaning to convey one of the very real reasons some folks are drawn to such.

[Starise]

1 minute ago, Alive said:

To be clear--I wasn't suggesting that you were experiencing those things, brother.

I was meaning to convey one of the very real reasons some folks are drawn to such.

That's ok Alive. Who knows? I could have been heading down a tunnel and might have needed a brother to show me the light. It could have been me or anyone else sniffing down the wrong trail. I appreciate you guys at Worthy and your insights.

[Alive]

Just now, Starise said:

That's ok Alive. Who knows? I could have been heading down a tunnel and might have needed a brother to show me the light. It could have been me or anyone else sniffing down the wrong trail. I appreciate you guys at Worthy and your insights.

We are all of us in the same boat and we do indeed need one another. I need what Christ has wrought in you and you need what Christ has wrought in me.

The Body.

[Alive]

The following is a real thing!

Eph. 3:14 (NAS20S)   For this reason I bend my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, ¹⁶ that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner self, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to all the fullness of God.

Eph. 3:20 (NAS20S)    Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,     to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

[Selah7]

3 hours ago, Starise said:

Thank you @Selah7

 The end times were then at that time when Peter was addressing these people using that Joel scripture. How could it be any other way?  We always see the "end times" as later on, yet here we have a clear reference to something that happened long ago referred to as happening in the last days or end times.

So the day of Pentecost happened and some say it is ongoing at different times while others say it only happened once thus fulfilling the prophecies of Joel. What is your opinion? Let's examine the scriptures again-

If we say this has all already happened how do we explain the other events connected with the prophecy? Possibly this is a progressive prophecy that hasn't all been fulfilled. It isn't fulfilled until the "terrible day of the Lord" comes. Any other explanation needs to account for  a dark sun and a moon of blood. And what do we make of "blood, fire and pillars of smoke" ? Incidentally people have spotted pillars that look something like a tornado. I don't think they were made of smoke though. Only God will be behind these particular wonders, " I will shew wonders". This cancels out any similar man made things. Blood comes from inside the body. If this is literal it's very curious how He would do it as a wonder and how it would not involve a body, yet in other passages we have talk about 1/3 of the ocean tuning to blood. I don't doubt it will happen. How exactly I can't say. If you kill off ocean life there's bound to be blood. If people and or animals die in mass numbers blood will drain into the oceans. That's a whole lotta blood. Your emphasis on "remnant" is interesting.

 

Greetings again….  Perhaps the events on the day of Pentecost (the tongues that each man understood in his own language) were a foretaste of the power of the Holy Spirit that will happen again at the end of this age—the same Holy Spirit that will be speaking through the Elect whereby the whole world will hear what God has to say.  Many people at this time will come out of deception and turn to Jesus just as they did on the day of Pentecost.

 

[Selah7]

…
Mark 13:9-11

9 “But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them. 

10 And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.

11 But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak.  But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 

[Dennis1209]

3 hours ago, Starise said:

Thanks @Dennis1209 I see two trains of thought here. One says the new testament sets the precedent for any future expectation as it relates to people having visions or dreams from God since all of these things appear to be isolated to only a few select men. The other extreme says these events never let up from then until now.

 MacArthur appears to minimize these things in the NT . I think he further muddies the waters when he states the Joel prophecies will be carried out in greater number with regard to visions and prophecy at some time in the future during the "tribulation period" though Joel doesn't mention specifically a tribulation. I find this interesting because Peter himself mentioned it happening right then at the time he stated it was happening. This makes MacArthur's statements contradictory. I hear him saying it's doesn't happen much anymore but it's going to happen more later on. Wait a minute John M., a lot of it already happened. What makes him think it happened, it basically stops or comes to a slow halt and starts up again? I have no indication of this.

 

It's interesting that even from the time of the apostles [Peter & Paul disagreeing over the Gentile issue]; through the founding church fathers; through the dark ages; through the industrial age period; to today. Not even the best and brightest theological minds, men of God, have the same interpretation of most of the Bible. 

That's my scholarly thought of the day 

[Starise]

19 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

It's interesting that even from the time of the apostles [Peter & Paul disagreeing over the Gentile issue]; through the founding church fathers; through the dark ages; through the industrial age period; to today. Not even the best and brightest theological minds, men of God, have the same interpretation of most of the Bible. 

That's my scholarly thought of the day 

To be clear @Dennis1209 I had a few questions on MacArthur's logic on the subject which would need to be answered in order to determine if I agreed with him or not.

From what I could tell he seemed to be saying something that to me, just didn't add up. Might have been a misunderstanding I had about what he actually said.

Edited July 28, 2021 by Starise