CIRCULAR LETTER. September 2009

“Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.” (1. Cor. 4:1).

Indeed, Paul chose his words well: “Let a man so account of us …” But what if almost everyone views us as self-appointed apostles and teachers? Even Paul had to experience it (2. Cor. 6:8); that, however, does not change a thing when it comes to a divine calling and commission. Regardless of what people thought or said, Paul continued by declaring, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

We have to look at the beginning of the time of grace in order to know what and how things must come to pass toward the end. The Word of God was directed unto John the Baptist (Lk. 3:2); he knew his calling and commission. He was the promised preparer of the way (Isa. 40:3; Mal. 3:1) sent by God, through whom all were to come to believe (Jn. 1:6-7). Peter also knew for what purpose the Lord had called (Mt. 4:18-20) and appointed him (Acts 15:7). The Lord even told him, “… I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven …” (Mt. 16:19). When he stood up on the day of Pentecost and preached repentance and the baptism in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, he defined the only valid pattern for the entire New Testament Church.

Paul received an audible calling from the resurrected Lord and likewise knew what his ministry was (Acts 9:15; Acts 22:6-21). That already becomes evident by the way he introduced himself in each of his Epistles. It was his task to present the whole counsel of God to the New Testament Church. He testified that, at his calling, he had heard the Voice of the Lord in his Hebrew mother tongue, which told him, “Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.” (Acts 26:17-18). Like anyone who has received a divine calling, he also knew what the Lord had designated unto him according to His plan of Salvation and carried it out as instructed.

The following is written of Noah: “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.” (Gen. 6:22). We can go through the entire Old Testament: Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Elijah, Elisha, David, Solomon, and all the others did exactly what the Lord directed them to do. Likewise, it is written of Moses that he, too, did everything “… according to all that the Lord commanded him, so did he.” (Ex. 40:16). Then the particulars are listed, which he complied with “… as the Lord commanded …” Furthermore, we are told of the collaboration between him as the commissioned prophet and the ones who were appointed to stand by his side: “According to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work. And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the Lord had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.” (Ex. 39:42-43). That is what real cooperation among true servants of God looks like even today!

On July 18, 1965, in the sermon “Doing God a service without it being His Will,” Brother Branham spoke about those who are under the impression that they are carrying out a ministry for the Lord, although they have not received a divine calling or commission. They are the actual obstacle in the Church and in the kingdom of God. Sadly, they do not adhere to the commands and requirements of God.

In Heb. 3:5-6 it states: “And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; but Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.”

In regard to Elijah, it is emphasized in particular: “And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.” (1. Ki. 18:36).

Brother Branham could refer to what he had been told by the heavenly messenger on May 7, 1946, and carried out the ministry as he had been commanded. Through his incomparable prophetic ministry, a chapter of the divine plan of Salvation designated for the end time came to fulfillment  (Mal. 4:5-6; Mt. 17:11; Mk. 9:12). These were the words which rang out from heaven at the Ohio River on June 11, 1933: “As John the Baptist was sent to forerun the first coming of Christ, so the message given to you will forerun the second coming of Christ.”

The Lord expects every true servant of God to carry out His commandments according to His instructions. Therefore, I am still traveling regularly into all the world and preach the Word, just as He told me 47 years ago: “I will send you to other cities to preach My Word.” God rewards the faithfulness, the faithfulness to the Word, the faithfulness to the commission. Also part of the commission is the distribution of the spiritual food as the continuation of the ministry that was entrusted unto Brother Branham.

The Lord Himself said in Mt. 24:45 in connection with the time before His Return as Bridegroom, “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?” This Word had to come to fulfillment as well. The spiritual food, the revealed Word, has to be given out. Hence, He expects all of the brothers who are now distributing the spiritual food in this last church age and by that are partaking in the direct commission to conscientiously adhere to it, to be in accordance with the revealed Word, and to cooperate harmoniously with one another. Only then can the unity of the believers and the complete restoration be achieved, which is necessary before the Lord Jesus can return (Acts 3:20-21).

However, if all things within the Church have to become as they were in the beginning, then this also applies to the ministries in the local church. Brothers have traveled to other countries without any commission to do so and have proclaimed their own versions, thereby creating a great chaos. At Antioch there were even prophets and teachers back then, but while they were conducting worship services, fasting and praying, the Holy Spirit said, “Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.” (Acts 13:2). That was Thus saith the Lord and God was with them. All of the brothers in the local churches should remain where they are, unless the Lord Himself pronounces a calling and commission.

In Mt. 11:7-19 Jesus spoke at length about the ministry of John the Baptist and asked, “But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.” (v. 9).  The Lord showed us the fulfillment of this ministry from Mal. 3:1 and said, “Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (v. 11). So he was more than a prophet, but not more than any other believer. All prophets announced the coming of the Messiah; the forerunner introduced Him and through his ministry built the bridge between what the prophets predicted in the Old Testament and the events reported in the New Testament (Lk. 16:16). John the Baptist announced the kingdom of heaven (Mt. 3), and the first believers entered the kingdom of heaven on the day of Pentecost through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Just as John the Baptist, as Peter and Paul, so was Brother Branham a human being like us, despite his exceptional ministry. We read the following about Elijah: “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” (Jas. 5:17-18). All men of God prayed, but not one of them was worshiped. Whoever makes more out of a man than he is – namely a human being – is beguiled by the spirit of deception. It was solely on account of the Word of God, which had come forth unto sanctified men, that they were called gods (Jn. 10:35-36), but they remained human and as men they shall die (Ps. 82:6-7). Until today it is only because the Word of God has been planted in us as the divine seed that we are born again and become the children of God; however, we remain ordinary, mortal human beings until we experience the transformation of our bodies (Phi. 3:21; Rom. 11; and others).