The Contender Vol 15 No 4

WE HAVE ALREADY PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE DEALING WITH THE HUMANITY AND THE DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST, AND WE HAVE TESTIMONY THAT IT HAS ALREADY BEEN A GREAT BLESSING TO MANY PEOPLE BUT SOMEHOW I FEEL THAT WE CAN APPROACH THIS SUBJECT FROM A LITTLE DIFFERENT ANGLE AND OPEN UP A MUCH DEEPER REVELATION. I BELIEVE WE CAN TAKE VARIOUS SCRIPTURES, AND ALLOW THE HOLY GHOST TO PLACE THEM IN THEIR PROPER ORDER OF UNDERSTANDING TO THE POINT WHERE WE WILL GET RIGHT TO THE VERY HEART OF THIS GODHEAD REVELATION. IF THE ONENESS PENTECOST PEOPLE COULD HAVE SEEN WHAT I SEE HERE IN THESE SCRIPTURES, THEY COULD HAVE PRESENTED A ONE GOD REVELATION TO TRINITY PENTECOSTALS THAT MIGHT NOT HAVE SEEMED SO RIDICULOUS TO THEM. HOW-EVER WE DO REALIZE THAT ONLY THE SPIRIT OF GOD CAN OPEN UP THE SCRIPTURES TO OUR UNDERSTANDING, AND THAT IS DONE ONLY WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT. THEREFORE REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE MAY SEE, OR SAY, IN THIS HOUR OF TIME, I AM FULLY PERSUADED THAT GOD HAS BEEN RUNNING HIS REDEMPTION PROGRAM, AND THAT NOTHING OF ANY BENEFIT TO OUR SOUL’S SALVATION IS GIVEN TO US PREMATURELY. HE IS AL-WAYS RIGHT ON TIME, NEVER LATE, AND NEVER EARLY. THIS LAST DAY ELEMENT OF THE BRIDE OF CHRIST IS BEING DEALT WITH IN A WAY THAT NO OTHER AGE EVER HAS TO THIS POINT, AND IT IS ALL BEING DONE TO MOLD SOME PEOPLE INTO THE VERY IMAGE OF JESUS CHRIST, SO THAT WHEN HE COMES FOR THEM THEY WILL BE LIKE HIM. THERE WILL BE NO ONE GOING IN THE RAPTURE THAT IS STILL EXPECTING TO SEE THREE PERSONS IN HEAVEN, ALL THREE BEING CALLED GOD. BUT NATURALLY WE CANNOT GIVE ANYONE A REVELATION. ALL WE CAN DO IS LEAD THEM TO THE SCRIPTURES THAT REVELATION COMES THROUGH, AND THAT IS WHAT WE ARE ASKING GOD TO HELP US DO.

WE WERE JUST BARELY GETTING INTO THE PHILADELPHIA LETTER IN OUR THREE PART SERIES ON THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF ASIA WHEN HE RAN OUT OF SPACE, FOR PART 2. THEREFORE WE WILL START RIGHT OUT IN REVELATION 3:7, WHERE WE FIND JOHN WRITING TO THE SIXTH CHURCH OF THESE SEVEN CHURCHES. THIS WAS THE CHURCH THAT HAD CONDITIONS IN IT IN 96 A.D. THAT WOULD TYPE CONDITIONS IN THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN THE 6TH CHURCH AGE, THE AGE OF BROTHERLY LOVE. THIS, OF COURSE, WAS THE WESLEY AGE, AND THAT IS THE LAST ONE THAT HAS THE CHURCH AGE MESSENGER RECORDED IN HISTORY. BUT FOR THE LAODICEAN AGE WE DO NOT NEED HISTORY, FOR WE HAVE LIVING WITNESSES AS TO WHO THE CHURCH AGE MESSENGER WAS. THE MESSENGER HAS PASSED FROM THE SCENE, AND ENTERED INTO HIS REST, BUT THE AGE OF LAODICEA IS STILL RUNNING ITS COURSE, AND THE MESSAGE DELIVERED TO IT BY THE STAR MESSENGER WILLIAM MARRION BRANHAM, IS STILL RINGING LOUD AND CLEAR TO THOSE WHO HAVE EARS TO HEAR. WE DEALT WITH LUTHER’S AGE IN PART 2, BUT DID NOT READ THE PARABLE FROM MATTHEW 13:44, THAT PREVIEWED IT, SO WE WILL READ THAT ONE VERSE OF SCRIPTURE BEFORE ENTERING OUR STUDY OF THE PHILADELPHIA CHURCH, AND THE AGE IT TYPED. REMEMBER NOW, THE APPLICATION OF THIS PARABLE IS COMING RIGHT OUT OF THE DARK AGES, WHEN CATHOLICISM HAD SWALLOWED UP EVERY APOSTOLIC DOCTRINE TAUGHT BY THE EARLY CHURCH, AND HAD SUBSTITUTED THEIR MAN MADE DOCTRINES IN PLACE OF THEM.

REALIZING THAT THERE IS MUCH CONTROVERSY AMONG THE VARIOUS DIVISIONS OF RELIGIOUS BELIEFS ON THE SUBJECT OF DIVINE HEALING, AND REALIZING ALSO THAT THERE IS A BIBLE ANSWER THAT SHOULD SETTLE THE MINDS OF EVERY TRUE BELIEVER, I FEEL COMPELLED TO DEAL WITH THE SUBJECT, USING ALL THE FAMILIAR SCRIPTURES, AND SOME OTHERS THAT ARE SELDOM CONSIDERED, AND I PRAY THAT IN DOING SO, WE CAN ESTABLISH ONCE AND FOR ALL WHAT DIVINE HEALING IS, AND WHAT IT IS NOT. MOST OF THOSE WHO PREACH ON THIS SUBJECT, HAVE A FEW PET VERSES OF SCRIPTURE THEY ALWAYS USE, AND THEY NEVER BOTHER TO PRESENT THEM IN THE CONTEXT OF WHAT THE WRITER WAS ACTUALLY DEALING WITH, NOR DO THEY EVEN BOTHER TO PRESENT THE CONDITIONS THAT USUALLY ACCOMPANY SUCH PROVISIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, TAKE ISAIAH 53:5, WHERE IN A PROPHECY CONCERNING THE MESSIAH THAT ISRAEL LOOKED FOR, ONE OF HIS STATEMENTS WAS, “AND WITH HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED.” OVER 700 YEARS LATER WHEN THE APOSTLE PETER WAS DEALING WITH THE SUBJECT OF CHRISTIAN CONDUCT AND EXAMPLESHIP, HE USED ISAIAH’S TERMINOLOGY (1ST PET. 2:24) “BY WHOSE STRIPES YE WERE HEALED,” AND THAT HAS BECOME A KEY VERSE FOR ALL THOSE WHO PREACH DIVINE HEALING, BUT MY POINT IS, THEY LIFT IT OUT OF THE CONTEXT OF WHAT PETER WAS DEALING WITH. HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE EVER STUDIED THAT WHOLE CHAPTER WHEN YOU GO THERE TO READ THAT ONE VERSE? WOULD YOU SAY THAT PETER WAS PREACHING ON DIVINE HEALING? YOU WHO BELIEVE HE WAS, HAD BETTER GO BACK AND READ THAT WHOLE CHAPTER. FIND OUT WHAT PETER WAS REALLY ENDEAVORING TO GET ACROSS TO THOSE PREDESTINED SAINTS OF GOD.

BROTHERS ANS SISTERS: WE ARE TRULY A PRIVILEGED PEOPLE. TO BE LIVING IN THIS HOUR OF TIME, AND TO HAVE THIS PRECIOUS WORD OF GOD REVEALED TO US AS MUCH AS IT IS, IS SOMETHING THAT MONEY CANNOT BUY. WE ARE TRULY FEASTING UPON THE MANNA THAT CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN, AND THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD THAT WE COME IN CONTACT WITH EVERY DAY, THINK WE ARE CRAZY, BUT IF THIS IS A TRUE EXAMPLE OF BEING CRAZY, I WOULD SURE HATE TO BE SANE AGAIN. HALLELUJAH! HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD! IN HIS GREAT WISDOM AND FOREKNOWLEDGE, HE INSPIRED SAINTS OF OTHER AGES TO RECORD THE THINGS THAT WOULD COME TO PASS IN OUR AGE OF TIME, AND YET HAD IT COMPLETELY HIDDEN FROM THE GREAT SCHOLARS THAT HAVE SPENT SO MANY YEARS OF THEIR LIVES STUDYING IT FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THEOLOGY, THAT NONE OF THEM EVER RECEIVED A TRUE REVELATION OF IT. JUST TO USE A VERY NATURAL ILLUSTRATION TO EMPHASIZE A SPIRITUAL REALITY, LET ME SAY THIS, WHAT MAY BE GARBAGE TO SOME FOLKS, IS LIFE GIVING, AND LIFE SUSTAINING FOOD TO OTHERS. YOU HAVE SEEN LITTLE CHILDREN, AND EVEN MANY ADULTS, FILL A LARGE PLATE WITH FOOD, AND THEN JUST SIT WITH A FORK, OR A SPOON, AND WALLOW IT AROUND EATING ONLY A FEW BITES, AND THEN IT IS DUMPED INTO A GARBAGE CAN. BUT YOU LET SOME FELLOW COME ALONG THAT HAS HAD NOTHING TO EAT FOR A FEW DAYS, AND WHAT HE FINDS IN THAT GARBAGE CAN BECOMES A GREAT FEAST TO HIM. THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT YOUR GREAT SCHOLARS HAVE DONE WITH THE WORD OF GOD. THEY HAVE WRESTLED WITH IT, WALLOWED IT AROUND, PICKED OUT A FEW MAN PLEASING THEORIES, AND THEN DUMPED THE REST IN THEIR SPIRITUAL GARBAGE CAN. THEY HAD NO TASTE FOR THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IN WATER BAPTISM, NOR FOR THE ONENESS OF THE GODHEAD, NOR FOR PREDESTINATION, NOR FOR ETERNAL SECURITY OF THE TRUE BELIEVER, AND A GREAT PERCENTAGE OF THEM EVEN REJECT THE TRUTH OF THE NECESSITY OF RECEIVING THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST. BUT WE ARE LIVING IN AN HOUR WHEN TRUE BELIEVERS HAVE A CRAVING IN THEIR SOUL TO FEED UPON THIS HIDDEN MANNA, AND THEY DO NOT LOOK FOR A DOCTOR OF DIVINITY TO FEED IT TO THEM. GOD HAS AN ANOINTED MINISTRY OF APOSTLES, PROPHETS, EVANGELISTS, PASTORS AND TEACHERS TO DO THE FEEDING, AND THE ONLY DIPLOMA REQUIRED IS GIVEN BY THE HOLY GHOST. LET US KEEP THIS IN MIND NOW, AS WE CONTINUE OUR EXAMINATION OF THE LETTERS WRITTEN TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF ASIA BY THE HAND OF THE APOSTLE JOHN, WHO WAS IN EXILE ON THE ISLE OF PATMOS WHEN JESUS INSTRUCTED HIM TO DO SO.

SEVERAL TIMES THROUGH THE YEARS WE HAVE STARTED ON A SERIES OF MESSAGES, TO DEAL WITH ALL SEVEN CHURCHES OF REVELATION CHAPTERS 2 & 3, BUT FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, WE NEVER SEEMED TO BE ABLE TO COVER THEM ALL WITHOUT GETTING STOPPED. I HOPE TO BE ABLE TO GO THROUGH ALL 7 THIS TIME, AND LET THESE TAPED MESSAGES REPLACE ALL THE OTHERS WE NOW HAVE. FOR QUITE SOMETIME NOW, THE LORD HAS BEEN DEALING WITH ME CONCERNING THESE CHURCHES AND THE MANY BEAUTIFUL THINGS THAT ARE PORTRAYED BY THEM, THAT ACTUALLY AFFECT THE VERY HOUR OF TIME WE ARE NOW LIVING IN. NATURALLY WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE LIVING IN THE LATTER PART OF THE LAODICEAN CHURCH AGE THAT WAS PORTRAYED BY THE LITERAL CHURCH AT LAODICEA, DURING THE FIRST CENTURY OF CHRISTIANITY, AND CERTAINLY THERE ARE MANY THINGS TO BE SAID ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR SPIRIT THAT IS NOW RUNNING RAMPANT IN OUR DAY, BUT WE ARE GOING TO START WITH THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS, AND GO STRAIGHT THROUGH.

We ended part one of this message dealing with Jeremiah 8:22, where the Lord is figuratively speaking of the nation of Israel as though she is physically sick, and inquires of them, “Is there no balm in Gilead, is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?” That verse alone should be enough for us to realize that God is not against physicians and medicine, even if there were no other references available, but there are others, and we will get them into this message. Naturally God is dealing with the spiritual condition of the nation here, but He uses this natural example to make His point clear. In other words, If you were physically sick you would know what to do, you would get hold of some balm, (medicine) or even call in a physician, so why do you not take the same care for our spiritual health? You know what you should do, so why are you not doing it?

SINCE NO MAN KNOWS THE DAY NOR THE HOUR WHEN JESUS WILL COME AGAIN, LET US TAKE THE WORD OF GOD AND ESTABLISH THE SEASON THAT HE WILL COME IN. THE BIBLE GIVES US THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES THAT WE ARE TO LOOK FOR, IF WE WANT TO KNOW THE APPROXIMATE TIME, AND THAT IS WHAT WE ARE GOING TO CONCENTRATE ON IN THIS MESSAGE. DO YOU KNOW WHAT WORLD CONDITIONS WILL HAVE TO BE LIKE IN ORDER TO BE AS THEY WERE IN THE DAYS OF NOAH? AND OF LOT? DO YOU KNOW WHAT PAUL TOLD THE THESSALONIANS ABOUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN BEFORE THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH? WOULD YOU KNOW HOW TO RECOGNIZE THE ANTI-CHRIST THAT IS TO COME? ALSO, WHAT ABOUT ALL THE MIRACLES THAT WE ARE HEARING ABOUT FROM THE CHARISMATIC GROUPS? WE ARE GOING TO TAKE THE SCRIPTURES THEMSELVES AND ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS AND MORE. WE WANT TO SHOW HOW THE FIG TREE (ISRAEL) IDENTIFIES THE GENERATION THAT SHALL SEE THE COMING OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. THEREFORE I URGE YOU TO BEAR WITH ME THROUGH ALL OF THE SCRIPTURES THAT I FEEL IT IS NECESSARY TO USE. TEXT: MATTHEW 24:27-36

Rev. James Allen has broken away from his topic of Hell, and is looking at the the final perfection of church.