Circular Letter October 2013

“Jesus Christ the same, yesterday, today and for ever.” (Heb 13:8)

I wish to extend heartfelt greetings to all of you around the world with the following Scripture:

“The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away; but the Word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” (1 Pt 1:24-25)

In God’s Plan of Salvation with Israel and with the Church of the Gentiles, it is about the fulfillment of all the promises and the complete agreement between the Old and the New Testament. Joshua could testify: “There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.” (Jos 21:45). At the completion, we will be able to say the same (Rom 8:30).

True faith is anchored only in the promises of God. Abraham believed what God had promised him (Gen 18) and saw its fulfillment (Rom 4:17; Gal 3:8). The requirement was: “… that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” (Gen 18:19b). Promises are linked to the faith, and the fulfillment is tied to obedience. If there is no promise in the Word for something, then there can be no fulfillment.

The oath that God gave to Abraham in Gen 22:15-19 applies to us, the ones who have been addressed personally by the Lord through the Word and the Spirit and who believe the promises for this time: “For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.” God assumed responsibility for the fulfillment. “Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us …” (Heb 6:13-18). God is true; He has confirmed the irrevocability of His counsel with an oath and has forever let us know that He Himself watches over His Word and fulfills all of it.

As it was with Abraham, for the believers the true blessing is connected to the promises, the faith, and the obedience (Gen 22), and no one can be well-pleasing unto God without faith and obedience (Heb 11:6). “Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” (Jas 2:22). By the promises of the Word, which we believe, we are granted the privilege to partake in the divine nature, and only in this fashion can the seven spiritual virtues, which are embedded in the love of God, be revealed within us through the power of God (2 Pt 1:3-11). Only perfect love will enter there (1 Cor 13). “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” (Jn 13:34). “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” (Rom 13:10).

For the true believers, the concern is that we believe biblically, according to the Scripture; that we are baptized biblically in water by single immersion in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ: “When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 2:38-39; Acts 19:5-6); and that we are baptized biblically with the Holy Spirit. “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” (1 Cor 12:13). That is how it was in the Church at the beginning, and it is how it must be now, at the end. Only when we believe the promises of the Word will we actually experience them. Only then are we the children of promise (Gal 4:28).

This also applies to the sealing with the promised Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13) – which is an absolute prerequisite for the redemption of our bodies at the Return of Christ. Paul wrote: “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” (Rom 8:11).

Many are baptized and anointed by the Spirit, especially those from the Pentecostal movement, regardless of what they believe, teach, and practice, even the many false prophets and christs (Mt 7:21-24; Mt 24). For the true believers who are founded upon Christ, the promises, the anointing, and the seal of God belong together. “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.” (2 Cor 1:20-22).

The Apostle Paul addresses this important issue and contrasts the proclamation of the Word, namely the Word of truth, with the false teachings (2 Tim 2:15-18). Then comes the identification of the true Church: “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” (v. 19).

The Church of the living God is no house of lies. Paul wrote: “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” (1 Tim 3:15). Despite the many false teachings in churches and Christian assemblies, the Lord builds His Church, which forever remains the pillar and the foundation of the truth and bears the seal of God. Indeed, the Lord knows His Own, and His Own know Him. What He said remains valid until today, namely: “I will build my church …”

The spiritual rain falls upon all flesh (Heb 6:7-8) – but it all depends on the seed that was sown. “A seed shall serve him …” (Ps 22:30). Brother Branham said, “You can be spiritually baptized in the second realm and operate spiritual gifts without being born again in your soul.” “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” (1 Jn 3:9). Therefore, the emphasis in regard to the sealing must be on the seed of the Word. “The seed is the word of God.” (Lk 8:11). The sealing by the Spirit of God, which is the Spirit of truth (Jn 15:26), can only happen after we have consciously accepted the Word of truth, have believed it, and have had it revealed to us. “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise …” (Eph 1:13). There can be no sealing with the Spirit of God if the wrong seed has been sown by way of interpretations and false doctrines are being believed. Only the divine revelation of the Word shall be sealed in the true disciples. “Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.” (Isa 8:16). A doctrine that is not found in the Bible cannot be biblical by any means. With divine authority, the Apostle John wrote that no lie is of the truth (1 Jn 2:21). The lie has been Satan’s distortion of the truth ever since the Garden of Eden. God Alone is true, Who is only in His Word, but every man is a liar (Rom 3:4).

In connection with the promised Return of Christ, John wrote: “And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming (Return).” (1 Jn 2:28).

Commissioned by the Lord Himself, the apostle uncompromisingly came to the point: “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” And then he included all those who believe his testimony: “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” With reference to the proclamation, he wrote: “We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.” (1 Jn 4:1-6). This is straight talk, no self-presentation on his part; it is a divine challenge by a chosen messenger of God. The same applies even today when a commission has been given: Whosoever is sent by God will preach and teach only what the Word says, and all those who are of the seed of the Word and are born again by the Spirit will hear God’s Word.

 Thus saith our Lord:  “He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.” (Jn 8:47). That is how it was then; it is also how it is today. There have always been two groups: the ones who accepted and the others who rejected.

This was John’s testimony and it also applied to Paul and to Brother Branham, and only an individual who was of God heard, believed, and accepted it. It also applies to me and to all those who belong to the Bride of Christ in this time. There will always be both: First comes the one who sows the good seed, and then the one who sows the tares (Mt 13:24-41). Both are in existence: the Word and the interpretation, the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception – but bitter water will never flow from the same well as sweet water, and a fig tree will never bear olives (Jas 3:11-12). The fact remains that if God sends someone, then He can be sure that he will proclaim the Word that remains forever, as was Peter’s testimony (1 Pt 1:25). Whoever does not respect the truth of the Word and does not accept its validity is doomed to believe the lies of strong delusions under the influence of the spirit of deception (2 Ths 2:10-12).

The Apostle Paul addressed the true believers with these words: “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth …” (2 Ths 2:13). This reveals the true election of the ones who belong to the Bride Church: that they have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God (Eph 1:7) and sanctified by the Word of truth (Jn 17:17). Only those who are in the Word can be in the Will of God. “Thy will be done!” “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Heb 10:10).