Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, dear Friends,
This is Brother Frank speaking to you from the International Mission Center in Krefeld, Germany. It’s always a privilege for me to share with you God’s precious and holy Word. We do speak about the Plan of Salvation and, for instance, touching almost every time on the subject of the Return of Christ, of the message of the hour, about the restoration, about coming back to the Lord, to His Word, to all the true Bible teachings, realising that the day of grace is coming to an end and the promised Return of our Lord is imminent.
Today I think about a few chapters in the Hebrews. Beloved, every chapter, every verse has so much in it, especially in reference to our salvation. And this is really the main purpose of our preaching: to bring people to the Lord, to the knowledge and experience of salvation. And then, of course, if you read in Hebrews, chapter 4, it says here in verse 7, “Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, Today, today, after so long a time, as it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts.” It’s so very important that we don’t harden our hearts during the day of salvation, when the message of God is being addressed to us.
And, Beloved, I have to say it over and again: We are now living very, very close to the Return of Christ, and for the last time the true Word of God, the true apostolic teachings, the true experiences we can have with our Lord, salvation, full salvation, repentance, conversion, the new birth, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and then sanctification in the Truth, as our Lord said in John 17:17, “Sanctify them in the truth; thy Word is the truth.” The same term “today” that is used addressing us, “Today, if you hear His voice, don’t harden your hearts.”, is the same as found in Hebrews 5 about our Lord, “Thou art my Son; today have I begotten thee.” (verse 5).
Beloved, we have to say it: We are now living in the time of grace, in the time of salvation. But this time is coming to an end. Then we understand from the Scriptures about our salvation the assurance God gave unto us that in Christ, in Christ we are reconciled and through the sacrifice on the cross of Calvary our sins were forgiven. Everything that was written against us was done away with, and the blood speaks for us right today and until we shall meet the Lord.
Then again the promises are being emphasised in Hebrews, chapter 6, from verse 13, “For when God made the promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself.” Imagine for one moment: to put an oath, to swear by Himself! Abraham knew, “Whatever God says, that’s the way it’s going to be. It has to happen according to the Word of God.” But so that Abraham would receive more assurance God swore by Himself. Beloved, this is something very great. What assurance do we have in the Word of God, in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour! But, Friends, make sure that you don’t trust in any church, in any religion. Be sure you trust in the Lord who brought us salvation!
And here we also read further in verse 15, “And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.” It is the same with us. We need patience and faith to endure until we receive the promises God gave unto us. And then verse 17, I would say is not only most impressive but just speaks so loud with divine assurance, “Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath …” What an assurance, Jesus is mine! What an assurance that all the promises of God are Yea and Amen! No one and nothing will ever prevent God to accomplish whatever He promised.
Then, Beloved, I like to go on to chapter 8, speaking about the covenant. Chapter 8, verse 10. And, Beloved, here we are told that God would put His laws, His Words into our hearts during the New Covenant. And, Beloved, we believe with all our heart that in Christ the New Covenant was made according to Matthew 26, from verse 26, “This the covenant in my blood that is shed for many”, for those who accept Christ as their personal Saviour. The others bypass. They don’t avail themselves of salvation; they bypass God’s gift, and not recognising God’s Plan of Salvation.
Now, in Hebrews, chapter 9, we are told from verse 11, that Christ as high priest went into the Holiest of holies with His own blood. And, Beloved, that’s very, very precious. We are not redeemed with gold and silver but by the precious blood of the Lamb of God that was shed on the cross of Calvary.
Beloved, we also have the responsibility to share with you the promises of God for this day. I cannot have a single sermon without mentioning the promises for our day. God gave me the greatest privilege a man can have on the face of the earth. When in 1948 I dedicated my life to the Lord, received Christ as my personal Saviour, and then also having the experience of receiving the Holy Spirit, and from that time I am preaching, I am serving the Lord. So I look back to many, many years following Christ, sharing the precious Word of God with a few millions around the earth. I just returned from a trip to four countries in West Africa, and Friends, I was impressed seeing multitudes from four to ten thousand people in a single gathering. And I was surprised, especially in the largest meeting in Abidjan, Ivory Coast: I asked before finishing the sermon, whether all these brothers and sisters were already baptised according to the apostolic pattern in the precious Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And, Friends, the thousands of hands went up in the air! And when I look back, even in the African countries I have ministered for almost 40 years, just sowing the seed of the Word of God, and then experiencing that the seed has come up and precious souls were saved and brought into the Kingdom of God. And not only believing but obeying, obeying the Scripture!
Like our Lord said in Mark 16:16, that if we believe and are baptised then we shall be saved. How can somebody contradict that statement and say it’s enough if we believe? Friends, let us face reality. Obedience belongs to those who believe. If you believe, you obey. If you don’t believe, you don’t obey. You can claim to believe, but your own life testifies louder than your words whether you do or not.
And I have to say it again: God used William Branham in our time. From 1933 to 1965 this man of God was used as no man was used in the 6,000 years of the history of mankind. We all know, Moses was a man of God to whom the Lord spoke face to face. He saw the Pillar of Fire coming down, and all the people saw the glory of God, heard the voice of the Almighty right out of the fire. And, beloved Friends, there was a ministry in our day that could be compared with the one our Lord had in His day. And Brother Branham refered to it almost every time he prayed for the sick that, as our Lord in His humanity, as a prophet in His ministry he saw in a vision what was to take place. And then he spoke it and it happened. He could tell Nathaniel in John, chapter 1, “Before Philip called you I have seen you under the tree.” He could tell Simon, when his brother Andrew brought him to Christ, “Thy name is Simon, and thy father’s name is Jonah.” Our Lord could tell the woman at the well about her life. And she said, “We know, when the Messiah cometh He will tell us all things. But who are you?” And our Lord said, “I am He that speaks to you.”
Beloved Brothers and Sisters, dear Friends, why do I mention this? Please understand. And I don’t think I am a fanatic. If I am, forgive me, and may God forgive me also. But I just have to say it. We are not playing religion, we have to understand the last sign before the Return of Christ. Our Lord said in Matthew 24 especially what would take place before the Return of Christ would be: Many false prophets, many false christs would appear on the scene and deceive many. So, who is a true prophet? Who is anointed with the Holy Spirit in reality? And, Friends, then we have to go back to apostolic times and teachings to know precisely what the New Testament Church experienced from the day of Pentecost, how the supernatural power was manifested in the Body of Christ, how all the spiritual gifts and all the offices and ministries in the Body of Christ would function, how the true teachings of the apostles about the Godhead, about water baptism, about the Lord’s Supper, how all these teachings are as a document given to us in the Holy Scriptures.
And, Beloved, now I have to say it: since the late forties, since 1949 I have been acquainted with the last great move of God that was started in 1946 after Brother Branham received the confirmation of his call on May 7th, 1946, when the supernatural being explained to Brother Branham that the same ministry that our Lord had when walking on the face of the earth and then to the Jews and Samaritans, the same ministry of the Son of man would repeat now. And, Brothers and Sisters, I was an eyewitness and earwitness for ten years. I knew Brother Branham, I knew his ministry and even more I know the purpose according to the Plan of Salvation that was connected to that supernatural ministry in our time.
Everyone of the world renowned evangelists will tell you that it was William Branham who was used of God to spearhead the last healing revival which spread across the earth. But they would not inform you about the purpose connected to that mighty salvation and healing revival. The purpose certainly was not to put many, many different evangelists rising on the scene and building their own kingdoms within the Kingdom of God, making or giving the impression that they are the men of the hour. The purpose was to bring God’s people back to Christ, to follow Christ in the footsteps of the apostles who had the teachings of Christ!
The teachings of Christ and the teachings of the apostles are in 100 % agreement. Like, for instance, when our Lord said in the Great Commission to baptise the people into the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, they obeyed and had the revelation that God revealed Himself in the one redemptive New Testament Covenant Name of the Lord Jesus Christ! And therefore the baptism from the day of Pentecost took place in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And this Brother Branham emphasised and made the statement that we have to go back to the apostolic teaching and practices.
Beloved, let me say this also before closing: The last message and the first message must be the same! The last sermon and the first sermon must agree! The last baptism and the first baptism must be the same! Everything must be restored. And let me say that again: There is no sense in talking about the signs of the time, about the second Coming of Christ, about Israel being gathered in the promised land, if we ourselves miss the day of God’s visitation. If we miss the promised Word for our day, we miss what God is doing right now!
And therefore, Brothers and Sisters, it is my prayer: Please bow your knees before God Almighty and let Him speak to your heart. Ask Him, “Dear Lord, what are your promises for this time, so that we can be ready for your Return?” May God bless you. And I am planning to spend eternity with you. And I am sure, if you are sanctified in the Word of God, in the will of God, we together shall make it by the grace of God, being obedient, following in the pattern of the Holy Scriptures set forth right from the day of Pentecost. Come back to the Lord and follow in obedience step by step according to the pattern left to us right in this holy Book! Today if you hear His voice, don’t harden your heart. May God have spoken to you in Jesus’ holy Name. Amen.