A. What is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost?
The Baptism of the Holy Ghost is the indwelling of God’s Spirit in the soul of an individual believer. It is the third work of God’s saving grace in a sinner’s life. It begins with repentance, accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, and going through water baptism in the Name of Jesus Christ (known as justification –- the first stage of the New Birth). The second stage to being born again is sanctification, which sets the individual for God’s service, God cleansing him from sin and leading him to a life of holiness before giving him the promise of the Holy Ghost. The third stage, known as the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the SEAL of God (Ephesians 4:30) indicating that God has already completed His work in the life of an individual, dressing him with Christ's robe of righteousness, and making him assured of the rapture. The Baptism of the Holy Ghost is Christ Himself dwelling in the individual person.
This promise of the Holy Ghost Baptism is clearly laid out in Acts 2:38-39:
“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. 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.”
The Holy Spirit is Jesus Himself coming down to the soul of the believer, as He has promised in John 14:18, saying, “I will not leave you comfortless, " I " (personal pronoun) WILL COME TO YOU.”… “I will be with you, even IN YOU until the end of the world.”
Galatians 4:6 states, “And because ye are sons, God has sent forth the SPIRIT of His SON into your hearts, crying Abba, Father.” And in Romans 8:9, it tells us plainly, “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”
A Brief Description of the "Holy Ghost:"
1. IT IS THE SPIRIT OF POWER & TRUTH
ACTS 1:8- "But ye shall receive “POWER”, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
JOHN 14:26-“ But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My Name, he shall TEACH you ALL things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."
JOHN 15:26- "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of TRUTH, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of ME."
JOHN 16:13- "Howbeit when He, the Spirit of “TRUTH”, is come, He will GUIDE you into “ALL TRUTH” for He shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and He will SHEW you things to come."
2. IT IS THE SPIRIT OF REVELATION
I CORINTHIANS 2:9-16-
"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath REVEALED [them] unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, NOT in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But WE have the MIND of Christ."
JOHN 14:17-"[Even] the Spirit of TRUTH; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be IN you."
3. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A “SEAL”
EPHESIANS 4:30- "And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are SEALED unto the day of redemption."
EPHESIANS 1:13-14 - "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, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory."
A SEAL means three things: (1) security (2) ownership (3) completion.
When you are truly baptized with the Holy Ghost, you now have eternal security within your soul, and you have been accepted in the beloved and have been bought with a price by God through Jesus Christ. You are now complete in Him, a truly heaven-bound creature.
"Seal, what is the seal? What is a seal? A seal is, first thing it shows is a work that has been completed, a completed work. The next thing it shows is ownership. And the next thing it shows is security, keeping it." (WMBRANHAM, ADOPTION.OR.PLACING.title JEFF.IN AD.PT.4 60-0522E)
"There's only going to be two classes of people in the last day. Both of them is going to wear a mark. The mark of God is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, without a shadow of doubt. I preached that not long ago right here… that the SEAL of God is the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Ephesians 4:30 says, "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you're sealed until the day of your redemption." Without the Holy Spirit you are not sealed. But the Holy Spirit is God's Seal. And then, that, all that was not sealed by the Holy Spirit, was took on the mark of the beast. And the mark of the beast is a mark of apostasy, which is rejecting the Holy Spirit. See what I mean?" (WMBRANHAM, JUBILEE.YEAR.title JEFF.IN V-26 N-6 54-1003E)
"I've heard ministers get up with charts and try to explain what the mark of the beast was by some kind of a chart. It doesn't take a chart. The Scripture says, "All that didn't receive the Seal of God had the mark of the beast." There's only two classes on the earth. One's got the Mark of God, the other one's got the mark of the Devil. And all that didn't receive the Mark of God had the mark of the Devil." (WMBRANHAM, UNITY.ONE.GOD.ONE.CHURCH.title JEFF.IN V-16 N-8 58-1221E)
4. THE HOLY SPIRIT: YOU ARE HIS TEMPLE
ACTS 7:48-49- "Howbeit the most High dwelleth NOT in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven [is] my throne, and earth [is] my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what [is] the place of my rest?"
I CORINTHIANS 6:19-20- “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
5. The HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM is the REAL NEW BIRTH
JOHN 3:5- "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be BORN of water and [of] the SPIRIT, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
ACTS 2:38-39 - "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. 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."
"There’s three elements it takes to bring our birth. And that's the three elements that came out of the life of Christ when He died. There come from His body, water, Blood, Spirit. Is that right? Three elements, and that's the elements we go through when we're born again: justification, sanctification, baptism of the Holy Spirit. Now, that can all be in one act, but it takes... But you can be in a justified state without being sanctified. You can believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and still carry your filth with you. But you can absolutely live in a both justified and a clean holy life, and without the Holy Ghost." (DEMONOLOGY.1.PHYSICAL CON.IN DE 21-40 53-0608A)
"You see, each one of those ages only taken a dip into the Holy Spirit. Justification is a work of the Holy Spirit; sanctification is a work of the Holy Spirit, but the baptism is the Holy Spirit." (QA.ON.THE.SEALS.title JEFF.IN 63-0324M)
MATTHEW
25:1-13-
"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto TEN VIRGINS, which
took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them
were wise, and five [were] foolish. They that [were] foolish took their lamps,
and took NO oil with them: But the wise took oil in their
vessels with their lamps."
Ten of them were virgins. Five was wise that had Oil in their lamps, and the other five was just as pure and holy but they had no Oil. They were sanctified, without the Holy Ghost… But you can be justified without being sanctified. And you can be sanctified without having the Holy Ghost; be clean, live a pure life, and have a form of godliness, and deny the power of healing, and speaking in tongues, and the great gifts of God (and every one of them in there). (QA.ON.GENESIS.title JEFF.IN COD 53-0729)
"Now, the church that professes to be a Christian church, will have to have that SAME SPIRIT that was IN Jesus Christ. For at the resurrection of the church, Christ and His Bride will come together and dovetail. The writings and promises of God will be made fulfilled there. So it cannot come together unless the same Spirit was in Christ is in you and me. And then if that same Spirit is in there, It'll do the same works, and live the same kind of a separated life, and do the works that He did. The Bible said so, all the way to Genesis confirms it. It ought to be striking. It ought to make a church member come to Christ and stay until he's filled with the Holy Ghost. It's the only PROMISE of the RAPTURE, the only way that the church and Christ can come together, the very Spirit." (FAITHFUL.ABRAHAM.title RICHMOND.VA 61-0312)
7. The HOLY SPIRIT is POURED OUT UPON “ALL” FLESH (Both JUST AND UNJUST)
JOEL 2:28-29 – “And it shall come to pass afterward, [that] I will pour out my Spirit upon ALL flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit.”
Yes, the HOLY SPIRIT is POURED OUT UPON ALL FLESH (both upon the JUST AND the UNJUST), no exceptions. Everyone can feel the moving of the Spirit especially in the last days, for it is typed to the former and latter rain. Just like rainfall, God sends the Holy Spirit to water all plant and animal life. It can fall upon the tares and the wheat, and both can shout halleluiah, but it does not change the seed at the core of the plant. The Spirit only brings to manifestation what is it at the core, for every seed will bring forth of its kind (Genesis 1:11). “By their fruits they ye shall know them”. Once plant life reaches its maturity during harvest time, they are known by their fruit. A son of God will manifest the life of God, while a son of perdition will manifest the works of Satan, and will come to full maturity also, by the same Holy Spirit anointing.
QUOTES from Rev. William Branham:
“The
Spirit can come out here and anoint you to do certain things, and you do it,
but that don't mean you're saved. But think of it. Caiaphas
prophesied. Judas cast out devils. See, the Spirit anointed him.
There's rain falls on the just and the unjust; the weeds can rejoice with
the wheat. But it's what it is at the core. There's where you can, intellectuals
can accept and say, "Oh, sure, that looks good. I believe that."
That still don't do it. No, sir. And the spirit can actually make witness
of it, and still it isn't so. Because if that soul hasn't come from God, it
can make all the impersonations out here, but it cannot be real. You
can act healing; you can act like you have. You can act like you
receive it. Christians can act like they're Christians, and act and be ever
so good at it, but that don't mean they're saved. That's exactly right. See?
The Spirit can be there, the real genuine Spirit. The Holy Spirit
can anoint you; that still don't mean you're saved. It's that inside
soul that never dies; it's got Eternal Life. It always was
Eternal Life. See? It come from God; it goes to God; it's the soul."
(WORKS.IS.FAITH.EXPRESSED.title SHREVEPORT.LA V-7 N-1 65-1126)
"The
true vine and the false vine both had the “same anointing”.
The water fell on both of them. No wonder He warned us it would “deceive
the very elected if it was possible”.
(ANOINTED.ONES.AT.END.TIME.title JEFF.IN V-5
N-3 65-0725M)
MATTHEW 5:44-45- "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 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."
MATTHEW 13:30- "Let both grow together until the HARVEST: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the TARES, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the WHEAT into my barn."
MATTHEW 7:20- "Wherefore by their FRUITS ye shall know them."
B. Does having the Gifts of the Spirit (healing, speaking in tongues, miracles, etc) assure you that you are truly baptized with the Holy Ghost already?
NOT SO. Though we believe in the nine (9) spiritual gifts as stipulated in 1 Corinthians Chapter 12 namely: (1) Prophesy (2) Word of Wisdom (3) Faith (4) Healing (5) Tongues (6) Interpretation of Tongues (7) Discernment (8) Word of Knowledge (9) Working of Miracles, yet these gifts can be impersonated by the devil. There will be “false anointed ones” and “false christs” in the last days to impersonate and to deceive the very elect if it were possible by using these gifts. Yes, they will be truly “anointed”, but false at the core.
Let’s look at Judas. JUDAS was one of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ. Judas preached along with them and healed the sick, and cast out devils. But Judas he had shown his true colors as the son of perdition when he sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. BALAAM was a prophet. But his true colors were manifested because of the love of money and popularity, he tried to curse Israel. JANNES AND JAMBRES were two magicians who withstood Moses by manifesting the same powers of turning their sticks into snakes in the sight of pharaoh. Therefore, miracles and signs are no true signs that one is a true servant of God. Even Lucifer himself was previously an “angel of light”.
SCRIPTURES:
MATTHEW 7:21-23- "Not every one 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. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not PROPHESIED in thy Name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy Name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
MATTHEW 24:24- "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall SHEW great SIGNS and WONDERS; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall DECEIVE the very ELECT."
QUOTES from Rev. William Branham:
"A
false christ is a false anointed, because Christ is the Anointed.
How many knows that the "Christ" means "the anointed One"?
There will be false anointed ones, and they'll call themselves prophets. But
how will you recognize them? By the Word; that's how you'll
know it: by the Word, whether they are right. How will we recognize them?
Will be by the Word. If they're... If they say that they have the Word, and
then deny the Word, then there's nothing to it, no matter what they do. They
might heal the sick; they might open the eyes of the blind; and deny the Word,
stay away from it. Don't care what it is, stay with that Word regardless
(See?), because many times I've seen voodoo and all kinds of things take place
under--under healing."
(QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.title JEFF.IN COD 64-0823M)
You may say,
"How can this be? Would the anointed ones... What were they?" Christs:
c-h-r-i-s-t-s, anointed christs and false prophets: anointed ones, but false
prophets. Jesus said that the rain falls on the just and the unjust. Now,
someone might say to me, "Do you believe that that anointing on those
people means that it's anointing of the Holy Spirit?" Yes, sir, the genuine
Holy Spirit of God upon a person, and yet they are false. Now, listen
close and see what He said: "And they shall show signs and wonders, insomuch
that it would deceive the very elected if it were possible." And
they are anointed with the genuine Holy Spirit. "
(ANOINTED.ONES.AT.END.TIME.title JEFF.IN V-5
N-3 65-0725M)
No,
they wouldn't stand to be called false Jesus. They wouldn't be--stand to call
Jesus; certainly not. That's too plain. Anybody would know that.
Anyone would know they wasn't Jesus. ..But they call themself the anointed,
and they do signs and wonders almost to deceive the elected. But false christs,
anointed ones, shall arise and shall deceive the elected if it were possible."
And remember, Jesus never said that them guy's would appear. He said there'd
appear false christs: christs, plural, “denominations” and so
forth, anointed ones, anointed with a denominational spirit and not
the Word. You follow it? Not false Jesus, false christs, false anointed
ones. See?
(ANOINTED.ONES.AT.END.TIME.title JEFF.IN V-5
N-3 65-0725M)
Having the gifts
of tongues, prophesy and knowledge, is therefore not an absolute evidence
that one is truly baptized with the Holy Ghost already. This truth is attested
by Apostle Paul in 1st Corinthians 13:1-3, 8-10:
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels,
and have not charity, I am become [as] sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
And though I have [the gift of] prophecy, and understand
all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith,
so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor], and
though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me
nothing. Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies,
they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease;
whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in
part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect
is come, then that which is in part shall be done away."
C. Are“SENSATIONS” and "EMOTIONS" like ‘CRYING and SHOUTING in the Spirit” genuine evidence of the BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST?
“TASTING” THE HOLY GHOST is far more DIFFERENT from being BAPTIZED WITH IT. A lot of people just “tasted” the goodness of God but in the end they still perished. It’s a type of Israel in the wilderness coming out from Egypt. They have tasted the signs and wonders done by the Holy Ghost through the ministry of Moses. They have seen the mighty works of the hand of God by sending plagues to Egypt, they have crossed and walked over the dry Red Sea, they ate of the Manna that fell in the wilderness from heaven, they drank from the Rock, and have seen many many more miracles by Moses. Yet only Joshua and Caleb was able to reach the Promised Land. All the rest of the ten spies and their tribes perished. And today, the promise Land of today for the Christian is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. How many will ever get to it? "Strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to eternal life, yet broad is the way and wide is the gate that leads to destruction.."
HEBREWS
6:4-6
"For [it is] impossible for those who were once enlightened,
and have “TASTED” of the heavenly
gift, and were made PARTAKERS of the Holy Ghost,
And have tasted the good Word of God, and the
powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away,
to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify
to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put
[him] to an open shame.”
QUOTES from Rev. William Branham:
"Church,
that's the reason I can't take the Baptism of the Holy Ghost of crying, shaking,
or speaking in tongues, or any sensation. They're all right now.
See? Them--them things are all right, but the devil can impersonate
that so real. But the Holy Ghost is
Deity, God tabernacled in men. It's more than a sensation.
It's more than speaking in tongues. It's more than shouting in the Spirit.
It's more than weeping. It's more than joining church. It's God living
in men, Deity, God Himself tabernacled into that person, when he
can speak and it's just the same as God speaking; that's the Church of Jesus
Christ."
(TESTIMONY.OF.A.TRUE.WITNESS.title JEFF.IN V-15 N-6 61-1105)
"You might be able to try to say you have; you might be able to show some evidence of some emotion; but unless your life is vindicating what you're professing to have, you still haven't got It. No matter how many emotions, how much you jump, run, sensations, speaking in tongues, or shouting, or whatever you might lay it upon (which is all right, I believe in all that too.), but unless your life copes with your testimony, then you haven't got It. 'Cause the fruit of the Spirit vindicates what you are, just like the fruit of any tree tells what it is. Jesus said, "By their fruit you shall know them."
(PARADOX.A.title CHICAGO.IL V-21 N-3 63-0801)
You say, "Well, I've received the Holy Ghost." That's good; that's what you should've done. But if the life isn't in there...Remember, the weed receives the same power that falls on the wheat to make it grow, makes the weed shout too. The little old weed stand right up and just as happy as the wheat is (That's right.), lives by the same life. And a sinner can stay in the Presence of God, shout the victory, and live like a Christian. But if there isn't something different in the heart... He could have the same power to cast out evil spirit. Jesus said so. He can preach the Gospel just as good as any other preacher can do. That's exactly what; Jesus said so. The Bible teaches it. Yes, sir. "Though I speak with tongue of men and angels, though I give my body to be burned as a sacrifice, I give an my goods to feed the poor, I--I have faith to move mountains, I do all these things, I preach in His Name, I cast out devils in His Name," he said, "I am nothing." So he could do it, and "nothing." Get the idea?
(STRAIT.IS.THE.GATE.title JEFF.IN CH 35-66 59-0301M)
"Now, what do I do, Brother Branham? Do I shout?" Not necessary. "Do I speak with tongues?" Not necessary. You can shout and speak with tongues both and still live like a--like a heathen; you still lust for women; you can still smoke and drink and everything else. I seen people speak with tongues and go right out and pull some of the dirtiest, crookedest deal I ever seen. I seen them shout and cry crocodile tears and would steal a--anything he'd get ahold of. I seen them walk out, and every girl that goes down the street, turn. Uh-huh, that's one good sign you haven't got It. That's right. But, brother, when you've passed from death unto Life, all those things become dead, and you're a new creature in Christ Jesus. If you see something wrong, you'll pray for it: "God be merciful." And if you see troubles, instead of going and tattling and trying to make it worse, you'll try to get to the person and straighten it up and quieten it right quick. That's the Spirit of God in you. If you make a mistake (You're subject to them.)... If you make a mistake, you'll correct it right quick, "Don't let the sun go down on your wrath." That's how you know you passed from death unto Life. (HEBREWS.CHAPTER.4.title JEFF.IN HEB 57-0901E)
D. Is the TRUE “HOLY GHOST BAPTISM” given ONLY to a special group of people?
Yes. Jesus said that “no man can come unto Me, except the Father draws him unto Me.” Regardless if a man wants to serve the lord, but if he is not predestinated for it, he can never reach that perfection.
"There's
only one can see it; that's the one who's predestinated
to see it. Otherwise you'll never see it. The Jews cannot see that
being their Messiah, and yet they were scholars and theologians, men of great
renown scholarship, read the same Bible that you read. Now, after it's been
made know to us, we can see it plain that was Messiah. But they couldn't see
it. Neither can they see it today. They are prophesied to be blinded too."
(RECOGNIZING.YOUR.DAY.title
JEFF.IN V-5 N-1 64-0726M)
"The predestinated is the only
one that's considered in redemption. People might be making like,
think they are, but the real redemption is those that are predestinated. Because
the very word "redeem" means "to bring back." Is that
right? To redeem is something... To redeem anything is bring it back
to its original place. Hallelujah. So it's only the predestinated
will be brought back, because the others didn't come from there. See? Bring
back...
(WHO.IS.THIS.MELCHISEDEC.title JEFF.IN V-5
N-10 65-0221E)
"He
that hath an ear, let him (singular) hear what the Spirit saith to the churches."
Notice here that Jesus (by the Spirit)
in EVERY age addresses Himself to ONLY ONE person relative to the Word for
that age. Only ONE messenger for each age receives what the Spirit has to
say to that age, and that ONE MESSENGER is the messenger to the true church.
He speaks for God by revelation to the "churches", both true and
false. The message is then broadcast to all. But though it is broadcast
for all who come within range of the message, that message is received individually
by only a certain qualified group in a certain way. Each individual
of that group is one who has the ability to hear what the Spirit is saying
by way of the messenger. Those who hear are not getting their own private
revelation, nor is a group getting their collective revelation, BUT EACH PERSON
IS HEARING AND RECEIVING WHAT THE MESSENGER HAS ALREADY RECEIVED FROM GOD."
(156-1 SMYRAEAN.CHURCH.AGE - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK.CPT.4)
"There's
many people just can't believe it, even Spirit-filled people. I'm
going to give you one that'll choke you. The baptism of the Holy Ghost don't
mean you're going in, not at all, not on that, don't have anything to do with
your soul. That's the baptism. See?
Here's the inside soul in here, that has to come
from God. But then on the outside you have five senses, and five
out--inlets to your contact your earthly home. The inside, you have a spirit,
and in there you have five outlets: your conscience, and love, and so forth,
five outlets to that spirit. Remember, in that spirit you can be baptized
with the genuine Spirit of God and still be lost. It's the soul
that lives; that was ordained of God. Didn't Jesus say, "Many will come
to Me in that day, and say, 'Lord, haven't I cast out devils, done great and
mighty works, prophesied, the great gifts of God?'"
He said, "Depart from me, you that work iniquity, I never even knew you.
Many will come in that day."
(MODERN.EVENTS.MADE.CLEAR.BY.PROPHECY SBD.CA
V-7 N-6 65-1206)
"But
when it's directed from the inside, it throws all the rest of it together.
That's the guidepost. That's the control tower,
the inside of the inside. The soul
controls the spirit, the spirit controls the body.
So an outside whitewash don't make any difference. Them religious people back
there, that Paul called "whited walls," and so forth, they were
outward just every way the--a believer, and they had prophesies among them,
and everything else but the inside of the inside... "The soul that disbelieveth..."
That's the reason I say people can jump up and down, and speak in
tongues; people can shout, lay hands on the sick, and heal the sick and so
forth by faith; all these great things there by the Spirit, still be LOST.
Anointed ones..." (WORKS.IS.FAITH.EXPRESSED.title
SHREVEPORT.LA V-7 N-1 65-1126)
"So when you see people say, "I don't believe in Divine healing. I can't see it. I can't see this baptism of the Holy Ghost," don't be angry with them; they are blind. They say, "I can't see this message of Him coming. I can't see this baptism of the Holy Spirit. I can't see this serpent's seed. I can't see this stuff." They're blind and don't know it. Just pray for them. All right." (SIXFOLD.PURPOSE.GABRIEL.VISIT.DAN.title JEFF.IN DA 45-88 61-0730E )
"Don't, don't despise the people, but feel sorry for them that they're in total darkness and blindness, maybe ordained to that condemnation. Then what? That's bad, isn't it? So we just feel sorry and just move on, be humble, and be Christians." (CONFERENCES.title BLOOMINGTON.IL 61-0410)
E. IS having LOVE and having the FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT the REAL EVIDENCE that one is TRULY baptized with THE HOLY SPIRIT already?
NOT SO. Though I undeniably believe in the 9 Fruits of the Spirit as stipulated in Galatians 5:22-23 namely: (1)love, (2) joy, (3)peace, (4) longsuffering, (5)gentleness, (6) goodness, (7)faith, (8)meekness, (9) temperance; yet these fruits can also be impersonated.
QUOTES from Rev. William Branham:
"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."
(QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.title JEFF.IN COD 64-0823E)
"The evidence,
as I said the other day, we try to place evidence. Luther
said, "Believe and walk out." The devil believes too.
Wesley said, "Shout, and you got It," but he found
out he didn't.
Pentecost said, "Speak in tongues, and you got It."
They didn't.
Christian Science said, "Love, and you got the fruit
of the Spirit," but they haven't. They deny the Divinity of Jesus Christ.
What is the evidence of It? When that spirit that's in you can punctuate
every promise with a "amen," and God will confirm it. That's
exactly the way it was with Jesus Christ. Oh, yes. They had--they had more
fruits of the spirit. They had all kinds of evidences. You can't pin
any evidence down to anything but God Himself manifests His Word.
That's the only true evidence that there is that you're a Christian."
(WHAT.SHALL.WE.DO.WITH.JESUS.title PHOENIX.AZ
V-22 N-4 64-0126)
"Today I
was talking with my good friend Dr. Lee Vayle, who's present
now. And he's a--quite a theologian. And so we usually have some--have some
pretty good discussions on the Scripture. Very smart, and he asked me one
time what I thought about the initial evidence of the Holy Ghost, was it speaking
in tongues? (It's been many years ago.) I said, "No, can't see that."
He said, "Neither do I." said, "though I've been taught that."
He said, "What would you think would be a evidence?"
I said, "The most perfect evidence I can think of is love."
And so we got to talking on that. And then I thought, "That sounded pretty
good." So I just held that: If a man's got love. But one day
the Lord in a vision straightened me out, and He said that the evidence
of the Spirit was those who could receive the Word,
neither love nor speaking in tongues, but it's receiving
the Word."
(BROKEN.CISTERNS.title JEFF.IN V-5 N-13 64-0726E)
F. Is receiving the WORD-MESSAGE for our AGE the true evidence of the BAPTISM of the Holy Ghost?
YES, IT IS. When Noah had the Word for His day, only those who believed the End Time Message of Noah were saved. Those who rejected his message, regardless if they are kind, loving, patient, and could manifest the gifts and fruits of the Spirit, yet all of them perished because they did not heed to recognize the Word-Message of God for their day.
Quotes from Rev William Branham:
"Make
no mistake about it, a person that is truly baptized by the Holy Ghost into
the body of Christ receiving the fullness of the Spirit will be in the WORD
ALL THE WAY. That is the evidence
of being baptized with the Holy Ghost. Judas failed. Multitudes
fail right there. And when they fail to go on in that Word, their names are
taken off the Book of Life."
(273-1 SARDISEAN.CHURCH.AGE - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK.CPT.7)
"See?
The evidence of the Holy Ghost is when you can receive the Word, not some
system, but have a clear understanding."
(FUTURE.HOME.title JEFF.IN V-3 N-5 64-0802)
"Just as soon as they heard the message, they were sold on it one hundred percent. Now, that could only come by foreordination. It's the only way it can come."
(KNOWETH.IT.NOT.title JEFF.IN V-2 N-10 65-0815)
"Now we have been constantly saying that the true evidence of being baptized with the Holy Ghost is for the believer to receive the Word for the age in which he lives."
(155-1 SMYRAEAN.CHURCH.AGE - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK.CPT.4)
"Now, if you want the evidence of the Holy Ghost, there it is. When that soul of yours will line with the Word of God in every respect, it shows you've drawed your life through the thinking man's Filter--God's Filter."
(THINKING.MAN'S.FILTER.title JEFF.IN V-5 N-6 65-0822E)
"People sometimes won't receive the Holy Ghost unless they speak with tongues. I believe in speaking in tongues. Certainly. He's a good God; He'll give you the desire of your heart. But no matter how much you speak in tongues and deny this Word, you're wrong anyhow. See, see? You don't go in by speaking in tongues; you go in by keeping every Word. That's the evidence of the Holy Ghost: when you believe the Word of God. See?"
(DOES.GOD.CHANGE.HIS.MIND.title JEFF.IN V-5 N-9 65-0418E )
" I'm going to ask you something. How can a man or a woman who claims to be filled with the Holy Spirit, which is the Word (That right?), and how can you be the flesh of that Holy Spirit, has made you part of Him to reflect the Gospel of your age, and deny the Word that He wrote? I don't care how good you are."
(HARVEST.TIME.title PHOENIX.AZ V-18 N-6 64-1212)
"Now,
there'll be an elect that'll go in the rapture. And there'll be a group of
people that's good, upright, holy living, God saved
people, that will not be in the rapture; and they'll come up in the
second resurrection."
QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.title JEFF.IN COD 54-0103E
When we have the Word, the fruits of the Spirit will just automatically follow in your life. But we cannot put the cart before the horse. The problem with many people is that they try to impersonate the fruits of the Spirit even though they do not really have the genuine Baptism of the Holy Spirit in their life. What happens is that their follies are made manifest sooner or later when they are subjected to some deep trials or placed in an extremely tight situation. We find out that they really are not that patient at all or that loving after all. They easily explode and givein to pressure. Most of such attitude are just outward holiness, or shall I say, subtle “hypocrisy” wrapped-up with good intentions.
G. Is separation from UNBELIEF and living a LIFE OF HOLINESS an EVIDENCE that the Holy Ghost is already working in your life?
Yes. Here are some scriptures that should support this:
ROMANS 12:1-2- "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
I JOHN 2:15-16- "Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."
II CORINTHIANS
6:14-18- "Be ye not unequally yoked together with
unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?
and what communion hath light with darkness?
And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth
with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for
ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them,
and walk in [them]; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith
the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you, And will
be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord
Almighty."
"Now, God
said then, "Abraham, in order to walk with Me you've got to separate
yourself from the rest of them." God demands a total separation. But
you want to bring a lot of the world along with you.
When you come in and receive the Holy Ghost, you say, "Well, I was taught
to be this, and I was taught the days of miracles is past." You better
leave that thing behind. As long as that holds with you, be like Abraham started
out with Lot and his father; there's trouble in the camp. And God never did
bless Abraham until he separated himself and done what God told him to do.
And you'll never receive the Holy Ghost in the fullness; you'll never
walk in the Spirit of God until you totally separate your things from unbelief.
Get away from the world. Come out of the world."
(FAITHFUL.ABRAHAM.title LA.CA 59-0415E)
FINALLY, here's another couple of PROOFS whether one has the Holy Ghost or not.
1. FORGIVENESS
"If somebody just walked up to you and said, "Hey, you hypocrite." and smacked you on one side of the face, could you pray for their forgiveness? Now, that's where trust--test whether you got the Holy Spirit or not. See? When somebody says something evil against someone, sometimes that claims to have the Holy Spirit. "I'll get even with her if it takes me my last day." See? Now, there's where you check about your Holy Spirit. See? "Blessed are you when men shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for My Name's sake." But you go get even with them? No. "Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." See? When someone says evil about you, say something good. If you can't say something good, then don't say nothing. Just let it go. See? And then when you get to yourself, pray for them. " (QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.title JEFF.IN COD 59-1223)
2. TRAVAIL FOR SOULS
Now, I'm going
to... I'll give you my estimation of what I think that the closest
thing to an evidence that a man is a Christian, than anything I know
of. You know what it is? It's travail of soul, a person that's always
so hungering and thirsting for God. They just simply... Day and night
they--they just can't stand it. They--they--they got to do something
for God. They--they're full of love and they're just a soul-travail,
just travailing all the time. The Bible said, "He that goeth forth sowing
in tears will doubtless return again, rejoicing, bringing with him precious sheaves".
(QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.1_ JEFF.IN COD SUNDAY_ 54-0103M)