Happy Lunar New Year

Brothers and Sisters, Friends and Family, may I take this moment in this article to wish you a joyous and blessed Chinese Lunar New Year as we see China, the Bamboo Curtain putting forth her full display of celebrations of wellness and contentment in work, family and society. This they claimed is the year of the Golden Horse and the Hong Kong Fengshui master said, they must display the colour green, to complement the golden horse.

Today's China is a very different one from the days when the then Russian President Gorbachev visited the major cities. He was astounded by how quick the communist Chinese adopted capitalism, how they have improved their livelihood. There was food and clothing for all. I visited Shanghai in 1992, the beginning of my many trips to China. At that time, we overseas Chinese got to use the Foreign Exchange Certificate, or FEC. The exchange rate was slightly over 5 FEC to a US Dollar. FEC was in demand because you could only use it in Friendship stores to buy privileged goods. But of course we know the officials got their way around this but not the ordinary folks who at that time was still getting around on bicycles. The few Taxis do not use Air-conditioning but road pollution and traffic congestion have not reared their ugly heads. Today, everyone there is pandering to their flesh and senses. It is now the largest single economy in the world and they are certainly making up for lost time in doing this.

But for us, we would like to take a Christian approach. No doubt there are some truths in some of the ancient practices and philosophies as they experience Life through the years through wars, civil unrest, industry and commerce. It is no doubt that civilisation (in the sense of how they conduct themselves and the civil manner of going about their everyday life) as we know it, begins in China. We know the people multiplied and migrated from where Noah's ark landed in the mountain of Ararat. The descendants of the three sons of Noah spread throughout the world, some by land, some by sea and some through deserts. Brother Branham identified China as the beginning of civilisation because as the Sun rises in the east and sets in the West, so is the Gospel being preached started in Jerusalem. From Jerusalem, it reached Asia Minor, then through the Mediterranians, into Italy, then to France and Germany, crossed the English Channel into England and then the Atlantic to the East Coast of USA and now ended up on the West Coast of the United States. There must be some truth in the China being known as the Land of God or Shen Zhou 神 州. Even their space rocket is named Shen Zhou. In the tape, Countdown, Brother Branham said we Chrisitans count up.....1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, .........7 and away we go when He comes for the Church and in Revelation 19, He returns with the Church riding on White Horses. Amen.

When I went back to hear the messages preached after the Seals, it became very apparent to me that almost every message is about the Holy Ghost...the requirement and he said in the tape Desperation, that the morning message, the Token was the message highlight of his entire ministry. So we truly must pay attention to it. 

64-0208 THE.TOKEN_ BAKERSFIELD.CA V-22 N-8 SATURDAY_

« 79 † Friends, remember this, you of California, you're at the end of the West Coast here. And civilization has traveled with it, and all the riff-raff is blowing in. And, the next thing, It'll go to Israel when the Church is taken up. Take warning! There is only one way you can get the Blood of Jesus Christ off your hands, is put It in your heart. Only one way. It'll never work no other way. Said, "When I see the Blood, when it's applied in the right place!"

"Well," you say, "I believe the Blood."
80 What if they had throwed it out in the back yard? What if they had put in on the chicken house? What if they had throwed it on the garage? No. It had to be applied at one certain place, that was on the lintel.

« 81 † In the heart, that's where God wants the Blood, today. Not on your hands, but on your heart, God wants It.
82 And It's on your hands, today. If you haven't accepted Him, and got the Seal in your heart, It's on your hands. His identification of His Scripture, in this last days, puts It right back on our hands. What can we do with this Jesus that's called Christ? What are we going to do with It? Only one thing, is display His Blood, by letting It be on our heart, by the Holy Ghost.

It is no wonder that today, we still have the SEVEN continents, Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America, Australia and Antartica. Of course, in some countries, their ways of identifying the continents vary, where in Europe, the students are taught that North and South America is simply one continent, America. And that others would not consider Antartica as a continent at all. Having said that, we prefer the number seven because that is the number of completion for God rested on the Seventh Day. So must everyone because the Creator Himself showed us how.

There are seven colours in the Rainbow. Basically there are seven dominant musical notes,  we have seven days a week and many things go in cycles of seven. Its in the nature of Creation. Well we know also on the Third Day of creation, there was or rather is Life. So the Earth being the Third Planet also has Life, Hallelujah. There is so much talk about Aliens and life in outer space but all these are surmissions based on man's intellect or what I called pseudo intellect, because if they were really intellectuals, they would first believe God because the knowledge of God is the beginning of wisdom. Consider the "beatles" in the 1960's, four vulgar boys from Liverpool that took the world by storm as if they have started a new religion. Here is a newspaper report when they landed in Australia:-

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS #2 1964
994-7 [Brother Capps reads the article on the Beatles.

States that:

The Beatles wonder about themselves and draw noanswers. “It’s incredible, absolutely incredible!” says Derek Taylor, the Beatles’ press officer, “Here are these four boys from Liverpool. They’re rude; they’re profane; they’re vulgar;and they’ve taken over the world. It’s as if they’d founded a new religion. They’re completely antichrist. I mean; I’m antichrist as well; but they’re so antichrist they shock me,which isn’t an easy thing. But I’m obsessed with them. Isn’teverybody? I’m obsessed with their honesty, and the people who like them most are the people who should be outragedmost. In Australia, for example, each time we’d arrive at anairport, it was as if deGaulle had landed, or better yet, the Messiah. The routes were lined solid. Cripples threw awaytheir sticks. Sick people rushed up to the car, as if a touchfrom one of the boys would make them well again. Old women stood watching with their grandchildren as we’d pass by. Icould see the look on their fac es. It was as if some saviour had arrived and all these people were happy and relieved, as ifthings somehow were going to be better now.” Taylor pausedand stuck a cigarette in his mouth, “The only thing left for theBeatles,” he said, “is to go on a healing tour.”_Ed.]

For those who wants the truth about this, please continue to read what Brother Branham said after Brother Capp had read this article in the service where Brother Branham took Questions and Answers in 1964. In the first series, the astounding answer on the Serpent Seed that the giants were the seed of the serpent put paid to those pseudo theologians who think they have a better explanation for Genesis 6. Also those who propounded that Ham committed incest with the mother and fathered the giant Canaan were knocked off their false pedastal, because Canaan was the seed of the serpent that came through the flood and not as purported a prodcut of the rigtheous line, sons of Noah with a cainite woman. Indeed the word of the prophet overrides their wishful theology and self exaltation of revelation. A genuine believer would quickly double check this and apologise for teaching the wrong doctrine but instead, they cast their lot into this and would not retract from their unscriptural theology.

Gen 6:4  There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

This verse should be read as it is written not assumed something out of it. The text above simply states there were giants in the earth in those days (semi-colon); and also after that, ..(then it says, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became MIGHTY MEN which were of old, men of renown. In other words, the premise that the product of a son of God with the daughter of man producing a Giant of the stature of Cain is not scriptural. We only assumed that the mother contribute that characteristics from inferring that the offsprings bear resemblance to both parents. If the Word do not say it, adding to and subtracting from it is anti Word.

If you look at the sons of Ham, there was Nimrod and there is no record that Nimrod was a giant, but it did say that he was a mighty hunter, a man of renown.

Gen 10:8  And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.
Gen 10:9  He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.

But this article is not about serpent seed whick I could have written a complete summary of everything said on this revelation by way of the prophet. For this article I would like to concentrate on the subject of the Token and I noticed that after the Seals every sermon he preached was about the Holy Ghost, and that we must have it to be the Bride which means when He comes, we go with Him in the Rapture. He only comes for His own. In the same sermon, Q&A 2, 1964, the question was asked about the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and the evidence of it. He answered the answer is found in John

1001-Q-281

281. Dear Brother Branham, I have been baptized in Jesus’ Name. The Word says you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Does this_does this mean the baptism, the Holy Spirit, or does it mean I should receive the gift_definite_I should receive a definite experience with the baptism? I am anxious to be_to be filled with the_the Spirit. Please excuse the long note as I have been wanting to ask you this question for a long time. Thank you. And the person has their names signed. They’re out-of-town people.

Now, there’s a good question. Now, the baptism with the Holy Spirit is a definite experience that a person must receive. Now let me kinda clear that up just for a minute. See? Now, many people have the_the idea^I believe it’s twisted. And maybe right here to the church and to the church that’s listening, there might be a question. Now, when I speak of not believing the initial evidence of the Holy Ghost is speaking with tongues (I_I do not accept that) I believe with God’s help I can prove it in the Bible that that’s wrong (See?), ’cause the speaking in tongues is a gift of the Holy Ghost. How many knows that? Divine healing is a gift of the Holy Ghost, and here Beatles are doing it. See?

Satan can impersonate any of those gifts. Witches and wizards can speak in tongues and interpret it. The jungle lands, many times a wizard will speak in tongues, drink blood out of a human skull, and interpret unknown tongues.

1002-42 Out in Arizona when they have the old festival dance of the corn dance, the Indians wrap these bull snakes around them when they’re trying to pray to God to send them rain for their corn. They call it the corn dance. They take the tassel of the corn, place it around them, and make a little clout, and they dance. And the witch doctor comes out with horns on his head, buffalo horns. And they dance with these bull snakes around them, and the wizards and many of the pipe smokers and things around the place^They won’t let a white man around at that time, but I’ve watched them through binoculars, and have Indian friends who’s went to their dances; that’s the ones that not Christians, of course. And they dance this corn dance holding these snakes. And the wizard comes out, and cuts hisself with knives, and everything else, and finally they get into the spirit, and speak in tongues and interpret it. I have_could take you right within three or four hours from now, where a medium will lay a pencil on the table, and go into a trance and all kinds of things, and wave their hands; and that pencil will raise up and write in unknown tongues, and the wizard will stand and tell you what it says.

1002-44 Now, that’s no evidence of the Holy Ghost. See? You can’t rely upon that. You can’t rely upon the fruit of the Spirit, because the first fruit of the Spirit is love. And the Christian Science exercise more love than anybody I know of, and they even deny Jesus Christ being Divine. See? There’s only one evidence of the Holy Spirit that I know of, and that is a genuine faith in the promised Word of the hour. Now, those Jews come; they had more religion than thedisciples had. They were better trained men in the Script than the disciples was, because they were fishermen, tax collectors, and so forth. And they had real faith and genuine faith in what they were doing. Now, listen closely now; don’t miss this. See? When it come to being fruits of the Spirit, kind and gentle, I guess there wasn’t a one of those priest but what could outshine Jesus Christ in it. He went to the temple, plaited ropes, looked upon them with anger, and turned over their tables, and run them out of the place. Is that right? The Bible said He looked upon them with anger. The Bible said that. That’s exactly right
.

1003-46 So see, those priest were gentle, meek, understanding men. When it come to the fruits of the Spirit, they could show more fruits of the Spirit than Jesus ever could. When it comes to theology, they didn’t know_have a school that He come out of. “Whence cometh this man? Where did he come from? What fellowship card does he have? What organization does he belong to? We don’t know where he come from. He was just absolutely an outcast Guy that was borned a illegitimate birth. Why, we could down him here in a few minutes and show you by the laws^” They had a right to do what they did when it come to that. Why? Because they failed to see that He was that promised Word of the hour. The only way they recognized it, when Jesus performed the Word by being able to tell them what they had in their hearts, what they’d been doing^He was a Prophet according to the Word of God. What He said come to pass, every word, word by word.

1003-47 He was God’s Prophet, Servant, God the Prophet. Not^It was_was_was before there, the prophet of God, and this is God the Prophet, not the prophet of God. That was Malachi, Jeremiah, and Isaiah, and Elijah, and so forth, but this was God the Prophet, not the prophet of God. You get it now? All the prophets that portrayed His life in portions, played their part, but in Him was the Fullness of all the prophets. The prophets, the Word of the Lord came to them, the prophets, but This was the Word and the Prophet, the same Person. See?

1004-48 Now, now, when a man receives Christ in the manner that He is in, you can’t accept it as being^See? Now, some of them say, “Well, I’m a Lutheran.” Well, there’s nothing against that, but the Eagles don’t feed on that. See? That was as far as it was; that was fresh food of that day.“I’m a Wesleyan.” That’s all right, but you’re living in the past. See? Now, those people said, “Why, we have Abraham unto our father.” That prophet said, “God’s able of these stones to rise children to  Abraham.” See? “We belong to this. We belong to that.” That had nothing^He said, “You generation of snakes, who’s warned you to flee from the wrath? Don’t begin to say, ‘We have Abraham to our father,’ ’cause God’s able of these stones to rise children to Abraham.” See? So being a well trained theologian had nothing to do with it. Being meek and gentle had nothing to do with it. What made Him different? He was the Word made flesh, not the Word for the day of Moses; Moses was that day_Word; not the Word for the days of Noah, Noah was the Word for that day; not the day_the Word for the day of Elijah, Elijah was that Word for that day; but He was the present tense Word, and they were living in the back.

1004-50 The same thing repeats. That’s the evidence of the Holy Ghost, when God reveals to you and you see it, THUS SAITH THE LORD and accept it. Not what you are, what you was, or nothing about it, it’s what God has done for you now. There’s the evidence. Jesus said^He give us the evidence of the Holy Ghost, John 14. He said, “I have many things to tell you. I haven’t got time to do it, but when the Holy Ghost comes, He will tell you, bring to your memory the things that I told you about, and will also show you things that is to come.” Don’t you see? There’s the evidence. That’s forthtelling and being_having the Divine interpretation of the written Word. Now, isn’t that theevidence of a prophet?

A seer in the Bible was a man that could forthtell and it’d be perfectly, exactly, not somebody laid hands on him, that’s a gift. A prophet is predestinated and born to be a prophet. See? All the whole life it was a prophet; that’s a office. That’s where the people?

1005-53 Many of the questions here on: “Well, will the Bride^Will this? The church and^” See? You_you can’t divide what they are. The Bride is the elected of God. The church goes through^That’s the ones It says, “Whosoever will, let him come.” But the Bride is the elected of God. There is five offices elected of God. “For God has set in the church apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors,  evangelists.” God did that. Man has deacons and so forth, and everything else, but you see, but God set in the church for the perfecting of the church_can’t divide it. Now, the Holy Spirit, when It comes, It is a witness unto you (See?) that this Word is right, the Word for today, not the Word for Luther, the Word, not for Moses. We witness It’s the Truth, but it’s another day.

1005-56 Now, what if Jesus would come and said, “Now, as Moses come taking you all out of Egypt, I’ve come taking you somewhere else”? What if He said, “Let’s go to work and build an ark. I_I’m the Lord God, I_I’m going to float the world away now. I’m going to drown the world, all of them”? Why, He’d been out of the^See, the Scripture never said He’d come like that. See? He wouldn’t have been the Messiah. No matter how much ark He’d built, or whatever He had done. He’s still not_He’d have not qualified the Messiah. Hallelujah. There you are. It’s qualification. Yes, sir.I Corinthians 13 says this: “When that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away with.” So all these little things of jumping up-and-down like a kid, trying to talk in tongues, and all these other things, when that which is perfect^And we do have today, by God’s help, the perfect interpretation of the Word with Divine vindication. Then that which is in part is done away with. “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child; but when I become a man, I put away childish things.”  Amen. 
 

64-0823E QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.2_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN COD SUNDAY_

« 94 † 289. Question for Sunday morning: (Sorry it's this time, but...) At the instant of receiving the Holy Ghost, or the baptism of the Holy Ghost, is there a difference? Does a person speak with tongues? If not always, what manifestation is known?

Well, could you imagine a mother giving birth to a baby and not knowing it? She'd have to be unconscious not to know it. Neither can you receive the Holy Ghost without knowing it. There's something takes place in you. See? There's something that changes you. Your whole system, your whole spiritual system is made new again, and you become a new creature in Christ, as the Bible puts it, a new creation in Christ. You know it.

Now, you say, "Brother Branham, then you don't believe that a man should speak with tongues to receive the Holy Ghost." Not to prove he's got the Holy Ghost..