THE GOSPEL BITE

At the turn of this age, God vindicated a man of God by name WILLIAM MARRION BRANHAM with a ministry likened to an Old Testament Prophet.

He echoed a Shout message, urging all who wish to be in the rapture to align themselves with the Word as recorded in Mathew 25:1-13

A very popular bible verse that he used in most of his sermons was (Hebrews 13:8) Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.

For a long time, I used to be confused as to who was the one who ‘walked in the garden of Eden’, ‘gave the ten commandments’, and who ‘dwelt in the tabernacle’. Was it God the Father? Or was it Jesus Christ? I came to an understanding that it was in fact Lord Jehovah who spoke and appeared on earth as the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now many Trinitarians believe that because it was Jesus who appeared in the Old Testament, and that He bore the name the LORD (Jehovah), as for example, when He appeared to Abraham in Genesis 18, then they take this to mean that Christ Himself is the one true God (Elohim). But there is a problem to believe that way.

The Bible and Spirit of Prophecy says that no man has ever seen God or can see God (Elohim) and live

In (1Tim 6:16) the scriptures talk about God, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see to whom be honour and power everlasting. Other scriptures also attest of the same point.

(1John 4:12) No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us

(John1:18) No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

So straight away we have a problem if we believe that Jesus is the one true God. Because if we cannot be in the presence of the Father’s person, or behold God face to face, then how is it that a number of Old Testament people, like Abraham, Jacob and Moses have seen the LORD (Jehovah) face to face and lived? This is a clear contradiction. Yes, a contradiction only if you believe that Jesus is the one true God

So how can we reconcile the fact that Jesus the Son of God is the one who appeared to the people in the Old Testament and was called the LORD (Jehovah) (Genesis 18). Isn’t that name solely reserved for the one true God, the Father? The holy scriptures have the answer for scripture, interprets scripture

Philippians 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

The scriptures reveal that Christ has been given a name that is above every other name. What name is that? Think about this. What name does a child receive on earth? A child receives the name of their father, right? Just like I have a son and he bare my name. Does this apply to Christ?

(John 5:43) I am come in my father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.’

(John 10:25) Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.’

(Hebrews 1:4) Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.’

Jehovah is the name given to Christ. (Isaiah 12:2)

Behold, God is my salvation, writes the prophet Isaiah; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation.

God bless you for reading.

Shalom!

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

God who is eternal is a self-existing Spirit, who has no beginning and no end .He had a thought and that thought was expressed in a form called the logos.

Just revolving, coming down from space, from Eternity; rolling together, coming down into the Logos; from the Logos, there into Man, then returning right back again. For one purpose, to redeem that man that had fallen. That is Christ, walking through the pages of time from genesis to revelation. He is the word of God.

 The word of God is the creative force that came forth from the mouth piece of God. And we saw that the whole universe was framed up by the Word of God and there was nothing made without the Word. John 1:3

The Word came from the Greek Word, *LOGOS* which means the *Expression of Thought* and not merely the thinking of a thought. A thought is a word unspoken or unexpressed. An expression is a thought in words or acts.

The word of God cannot be defeated or fail in anyway. It forever abides and lives in eternity. Anything contrary to the word of God has no life within it.

Jesus said:  Matthew  5:18  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled .

A Trust in anything not founded on the word of God has a baseless stand   People are looking unto their strength, power, party, money, not knowing that all these things will fail and the word of God will abide forever .

God magnifies His word even than His name. Psalms 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

The only place of refuge for man is in the *WORD*. We must set our priorities right before GOD .A powerful man is the man with the word of God. A strong church is the one abiding in the word of God and not the one decorated beautifully without the word.

The word of God gives life and peace. One’s Salvation is guaranteed and sure when it is according to the word of God.

Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God

We need to tune our ears to hearing the logos (the thought of God), which is the present truth. By this we shall receive an entrance of the word ministered to lead us to the kingdom. 2 Peter 1:10 -12.

There is much difference between the *Rhema* and the *logos*. Rhema simple is the ‘utterances ‘ or a thing said.

When we hear the words spoken or written, we see the thought expressed in these utterances which is the logos.

Amos 8:11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD*

The unadulterated word of God is rare in these last days. Today many are traveling to and fro just to listen to the unadulterated word of God but they can’t find it.

The word of God carries the anointing of God to cause a change in a believer.

Gen 17:19 -21… Abraham has been waiting on the lord to have a seed but when Gods appointed time elapsed. He sent men to deliver the word of GOD to Abraham which was the spoken word and he identified one as the son of God. And it came to pass everything they spoke into Abraham’s life .Gen 18:10, Gen 21:1.

Stay by the word of God.

Stephen Awitor

sawitor0275@gmail.com

Content

(Romans 8:29) For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 

We ought to know the purpose of God in creating us and in redeeming us. 

In creating us; He created Adam and Eve 

The bible says Adam was a Son of God. God created him in his image and likeness. Eve was formed out of man so was not in the original creation. Eve was in the transgression. 

(1 Timothy 2:14) And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. 

Adam stood in for Eve his wife and was identified with Eve’s sin. 

In redeeming us; He manifested the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 8:29) 

He wishes for us to manifest the life of His Son and share in His Son’s glory 

Even before the foundation of the world, God had purposed one which is to say, that he wants to make many Sons just as He has the only begotten Son.  

 The Eternal purpose of God was to purchase and redeem us that he may possess us through his begotten Son Jesus Christ from Adam’s race 

Through Adam, God’s original purpose was marred as Satan attempted to corrupt the human race that the Messiah could not come to redeem mankind. 

As can be seen in (Genesis 6:4) For God’s purpose to stand according to election before the foundation of the world he started manifesting the Sons of God from the beginning.  

(Genesis 6:8) Noah found grace in God; a godly line was preserved. Forasmuch as the sin factor had to do with blood, Evil lingered on after the flood even until now. 

Some hold that, the sons of God were fallen angels which kept not their first estate (Jude 6-7) cp (2 Peter 2:4-9)  

But according to (Mathew 22:30) angels are sexless. They cannot take wives. Now the expression they” took wives” could signify a lasting marriage. This cannot be so of angels being spirits sent forth of God as ministering Spirits. (Hebrew 1:14) 

The reference has to do with the breakdown of the separation of the godly line of Seth intermarriage with the godless line of Cain 

Also, before the consummation of the times he is manifesting many sons and daughters of God by the Word which is the incorruptible seed, (2 Peter 1:23-25) the Lord Jesus Christ in print form, as a mystical body and bride of Christ. 

Noah found grace so are we through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 

SHALOM! 

Matthew 3:11) I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:   

 
*Baptism of the Holy ghost places a believer in to the body of Christ Jesus. * It is the spirit of Jesus Christ birthed in a believer to walk in the newness of life in Christ. It is the New Birth. It is the Spirit of God coming in and filling you after you have repented (having heard His Word) and been baptized in water as an answer of a good conscience towards God. *Without this spirit of Christ in a believer, one is not born again or part of the body of Christ.  

* Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. *Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. *  

 
A man without the Spirit is blind to God and His Truth. 

Only a Spirit-filled man can hear the Revelation for that Age 

 
*The Holy Spirit*  

 
The Holy Ghost is the Word of God in you that identifies Itself by accepting that Word. 

The Holy ghost is a *Power*, It is a *Seal*, It is the *spirit of Truth*, It is *Assurance*, It is a *Comforter*, It is a *Guide*, It is *Promise*, It is *adoption*, It is a *sign*, It is a *covenant*, It is *healing*, It’s *God’s open door*. It is a *mark*, It is the spirit of *Jesus Christ in you*, It is our *circumcision*. The Holy ghost is the spirit of God dwelling in a believer. We are dealing with the *indwelling spirit in a believer*. 

 
After a believer is foreknown in the mind of the Almighty God, he is predestined, and then called, and then Justified, and then sanctified and then baptized of the Holy ghost. (Romans 8:29-30)  

 
The Holy ghost is a promise to everyone who has received repentance and is in Christ. 

 (Acts 2:38) Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call.  

(John 1:12-13) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  

 
There is no middle state, it is either one has the seal of God upon his life or mark of Satan on his life.  

 
The spirit can anoint a soul to do certain things but that does not mean the person is saved. 

 
Example is Balaam: He was a prophet who could prophesy but his true colors were shown because of the love of money. Judas Iscariot received an anointing to heal and do miracles but he was not a predestinated seed of God. Matthew 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, *and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. *  

 
*An anointing is not the seal of the Holy ghost*. Christ means the Anointed One. There will be false Christ.  

(Mark 13:22) For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.  

 
False or genuine anointing working on you to do miracles, heal the sick, prophesy and even speak with tongues does not mean you are saved or have the Baptism of the Holy ghost. (Mathew 7: 21-24)  

 
Showing signs of *emotionalism*, *shouting*, *fanatism* and *sensationalism* does not mean one has the Baptism of the Holy ghost.  

 
It is the soul that must come from God and predestinated of God to be sons and daughters of God. (Mathew 7:18-20).  

 
You don’t possess the Holy ghost just because you acquired gifts of tongues speaking or any of the nine gifts, have a ministry, or showed a fruit like kindness, calmness and generous. (1 Corinthians 12:30) 

 
A man without the Spirit is blind to God and His Truth. 

Only a Spirit-filled man can hear the Revelation for that Age 

*More Evidences*  

 
(Romans 8:16) The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 

 
Make no mistake about it, a person that is truly baptized by the Holy Ghost into the Body of Christ, receiving the Fulness of the Spirit, will be in the Word all the way.  

 
The evidence of a Spirit-filled Christian believer is not to produce the Truth (Word), *but to receive the Truth (Word) and to believe and obey it. *  

(Matthew 7:21) Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 

 
Another Baptism that a believer passes through is that of the Baptism with fire. 

 
(Matthew 20:22-23) But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, we are able.  And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.  

 
Everyone goes through trials and testing.  But with this baptism, we are strengthened in the Faith. 

I have seen Christians going from pillar to post because they do not have that baptism; and therefore, they are unstable. 

 
The baptism with fire is that which the Spirit burn a servant with zealousness for the ministry and purge him for that work that he can be a real witness, a martyr.  

 
(Jeremiah 20:9) Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay. 

 
The *Spirit* and the *Word* are one.  The Spirit will take one into His Word and he will burn like fire within.   To receive His Spirit is to be baptized with the Holy Ghost Fire. It is not a different spirit from the Holy ghost. 

(1 Corinthians 12:13) 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. 

 *That Holy Ghost ought to be more important to you than everything else there is in the world, your prestige, your life, your job, anything that there is. You should not cease until you have it. You must receive it. *  

 
Shalom! 

BRO STEPHEN AWITTOR 

 
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost 

There are two kinds of baptism that a believer must go through. The water baptism and the Holy Ghost baptism with Fire. *The Holy Ghost baptism is the new birth*. When a believer becomes born again and filled with the Holy ghost.  

Acts 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 

Baptism is the first step after repentance which serve as a response to worship the living God. 

1 Peter 3:21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: 

One must pass through this process of having baptized of the Holy ghost as given in the book of Romans:  

Romans 8:29-30  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 

Everyone who is called must undergo baptism since it is a command in the word of God… The children of Israel went through baptism  

1 Corinthians 10:1-2 

Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 

And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 

Hebrews 3:2-6 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.   For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; house hath more honor than the house.   For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.  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. *  

There is only one kind of Baptism recognized by the word of God.  

Ephesians 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 

HOW JESUS CHRIST AND THE APOSTLES BAPTISED 

Mark 1:9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. 

Jesus Christ was baptized in River Jordan. He was immersed in the water. *He did it by immersion! *  

APOSTLES 

They who gladly received the Word got baptized. Those who believe the word of God and not a baby who knows nothing about God.  

 Acts 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.  

 *Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. *  The person must first believe the Word of God. 

Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.    

Apostles also did baptize by immersion. They travelled to where they could find water to baptized. 

 Acts 8:16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)    

Acts 8:36 And as they went on their way, *they came unto a certain water*: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?   

Acts 8:38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: *and they went down both into the water*, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.   

IN WHICH NAME DID THEY BAPTISE? 

Acts 10:47-48 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?   

And he commanded them to be baptized *in the name of the Lord. * Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.   

Acts 19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized *in the name of the Lord Jesus*.  

Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 

Baptism is down only in one name and that is *Jesus Christ*. The command given by the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 

This verse speaks of only *one name* and not names in plural. More so, father, son and holy ghost surround only one name which is Jesus Christ. Father and son are titles and not names. Holy Ghost is what lives in us as believers. The doctrine of Baptizing converts in triune titles is unscriptural. 

Colossians 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.   

Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ 

SHALOM! 

Bro Stephen Awittor, cape Coast Ghana. 

Watch out for part 2, The Baptism of Fire. 

Summary

Understanding the Godhead is key to knowing what you worship. God is an object of worship. He is the great Eternal Spirit. His expressed thought become the LOGOS which which he created all things. 1 Timothy 6:16 he dwells in unapproachable light.

His expressed image is in the Lord Jesus Christ who became a light unto the world. 

May the Lord help you to walk in that light.

Shalom!

Transcription

(1 John 1:5) This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

The first question that comes in mind to this answer is this: Is there a difference between the message and the Bible?

Beloved, the Sacred Scriptures stand on its own. The message points to it. The messages of all God’s old testament and Church Age Messengers pointed to God. *God manifested Himself in the flesh and took the form of a logos (Word). *

The messages of God that was given to His people in their respective generations was a *Token of Life. Outside of that Token. Death reign supreme*. Each message declared God. It was only a part of God and not a whole of God.

Let’s look at Noah and his message. God’s prophet, Noah was given a message to warn the people of an impending Judgement. God backed up that message with a Token (the Ark). The message of Noah pointed to that *Ark of safety. * Any one who believed in that message must act. He must put His Faith into action. He must get into the Ark of safety. Those who stayed with that message without revelation were destroyed with those who rejected it.

Likewise, Moses, God revealed to Moses His plan of Redemption for Israel who were enslaved. The message was preached. The token was the *blood* which will have to be applied on their door posts. The blood was their *Ark of safety* to protect them from the death Angel who was to strike that night.

Any one who hears this message spoken by Moses and was just pleased with staying with that message and not applying the blood as stipulated or to do as Moses was commanded would have lost their first son.

(John 1:35-37) The disciples of John had stayed with the message of John the Baptist throughout the time they were with John but the moment he had introduced them to Jesus, they followed Jesus Christ.

 They didn’t go about saying John the Baptist said, John the Baptist said “bla,bla,bla” … They knew rightly well that they must act. And when John the Baptist was pointing to the messenger of the covenant (The Ark of safety) Himself was right there. He said, behold the lamb of God. They knew that their prophet must decrease and the lamb of God must increase (John3:30).

Who was the Ark, was it any of these prophets? Was it the message that they carried? Each of this servant pointed to something and they never pointed to themselves.

Our Ark of safety is this: Back to the original! Back to the Bible! Back to the Pentecost! As screamed by the prophet Messenger, William Marrion Branham.

So, the message of Elijah the prophet is a message to restore the bride to God’s original Word (Apostles doctrine) before the dreadful day of the Lord comes.

Neither the message nor the messenger is the Ark but they are pointing you to the Ark.

Prophets were only part of the word but Jesus Christ is the full Word of God.

The only place of Safety (Salvation) is in Christ Jesus, The Word of God.

 *Shalom*

Atonement means cover, covering, to cover. Whereas propitiation is the same as Atonement in the New Testament.

(Romans 3:25) whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

(Hebrew 2:17) Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

(1 John 2:2) and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

(1 John 4:10) Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

The Levitical offerings “covered “the sins of Israel until and in anticipation of the cross but not “take away” (Hebrews 10:4)

Passing over God’s righteousness was never vindicated until in the cross. Jesus Christ was set forth to be a propitiation. It was the cross not Levitical sacrifices, made full and complete Redemption. The Old Testament enabled God to go on with a guilty people because those sacrifices typifies the cross.

To the offeror they were the confession of his deserving death and expression of his faith.

To God they were the shadows of good things that were to come of which Christ was the reality. (Hebrew 10:1)

The atonement of Christ as foreshadowed by the Old Testament sacrificial types, has the necessary elements  in that; it was substitutionary that is to say the offering took the offeror’s place in death.

It honored the law in that the sacrificial death was an execution of the sentence of the law. The atonement was also sinless. (1Peter 1:19)

The atonement is a promise that sin shall be forgiven ( Leviticus 6:7) As can be seen, it served as a Peace offering, expressing of fellowship and that was the highest privilege of the believer ( Exodus 29:33)

The blood is for atonement and has to do first with Sin( Romans 3:23) and our standing before God. God overlooks what we have done but because he sees the blood.

In the Old Testament, the Word blood is used in connection with the idea of atonement.

In the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16), the blood was brought from the sin offering and brought into the Most Holy place and sprinkled seven times. The mercy seat was sprinkled with atoning blood.

On that day, the sin offering was offered publicly in the court of the tabernacle. Except the High Priest, no one else entered the tabernacle. It was he alone who took the blood and going into the Most Holy Place, sprinkled the blood there to make atonement before the Lord, why because the High Priest was a type of the Lord Jesus in his Redemptive work. (Hebrew 9: 11-12) and so in figure he was the one who did the work.

The act of going into the tabernacle, Holy of Holiest as by one act in presenting the blood to God as something he had accepted, something which he could find satisfaction. It was a transaction between the High Priest and God in the sanctuary away from the eyes of men who were to benefit by it.

The Lord required that. The blood is therefore in the first place not for ourselves but for him.

SHALOM.