(Preached on Sunday morning November 14, 2010, in Adjamé, Abidjan - Ivory Coast)
1 Every Sunday afternoon, you can fellowship with the Brethren from around the world via Skype. If you are alone somewhere, it would be good to do it. The apostles and pastors must follow that, because it is also the opportunity to see what such apostle or such pastor preaches in a certain corner of the world. And this so that we may walk at the same pace and that some falsehood may not be taught. [Ed: The congregation says, “Amen!”].
2 Now, the whole world is concerned about the situation in Ivory Coast. But remember that in 2002, I said that the throne of Ahab shall never become strong. And now the whole world sees it. He was still there because at the time of Elijah, Ahab was on the throne, and a part of his territory which is Ramoth-Gilead was in the hands of rebels. As for all that is happening, I said that our brothers were to come and be baptised first and it is done. We are not expecting any baptism and it is quite normal that the country should be now judged! Anyway, one of these days, that people that has besieged you and the son of your slave shall rule over you and what your heart refuses, you shall see it according to my Word! [Ed: The congregation says, “Amen!”].
3 Well, everything is going very well in Congo, Apostle Crispin is baptising many souls out there: Faithful, pastors and elderly people! The last I heard, there were only three churches left to baptise! And he told me, "Brother Philippe, I so panicked that on four occasions, I mistakenly said, ‘I baptise you in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit’ instead of ‘in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ’ and I took it back every time."May the grace of the Lord be with him forever.
4 He asked me a series of questions that I want to take again here ... Concerning his question about the missionary offerings, their missionary offerings are for the missionaries of their country, the four apostles here are only for Ivory Coast except the responsibility that Apostle Bitty had and which is now assumed by Apostle Martin. He also told me about some pastors and preachers who have not dowered their wives. There, I ask the faithful to help their pastor as for the dowry, as much as they can. And if a brother has paid a part of the dowry, he can receive the baptism. If the paternal parents of the woman are dead or refuse to receive the dowry, saying that one must not pay the dowry, give that to the maternal family. If the maternal family also refuses to receive the dowry, saying that one must not pay the dowry, give 14 dollars to the Prophet as a dowry. [Ed: The congregation says, “Amen!”].
5 Now when a church receives the Message, it has to practice the public confession for everyone but when that church receives the baptism, those who have not been baptised can no longer confess or say anything on the others’ confessions until they are also baptised.
6 As for physicians dealing with nudity, they do not sin as long as their thoughts are pure. It is like our sisters at school or at work, they wear clothings that are not suitable for a woman but that is just for work. And after work, they place themselves in their Christian position.
7 Well. With regard to tithes and offerings that pastors receive, it can happen that a pastor occasionally gives his food or his money to an unbeliever depending on the situation because the Message says that God’s rain falls upon thorns and weeds as well. And know that you sojourned in Egypt. 8 Well, I have several notes here ... But first I inform you that for anything in the Message, apart from myself, talk to Apostle Martin. All that you used to call Apostle Bitty for, it is now Apostle Martin that you have to call! There are, as far as I know, about twenty virgin sisters in this Message and despite that, he left all these ones and got engaged and married to a sister for her beauty while she is not virgin. Living on the priesthood is first the right of virgins as I have preached it in the sermon: "The prophet’s Reward" saying " ... that Church assists financially very old people, and virgins aged seventeen and more."
9 Now, concerning the four apostles of Ivory Coast, from now on you have to regard Brother Anatole, the pastor of Gagni-Carrefour as one of them, taking the place of Brother Okobé who had and hid sexual relations with Sister Charlotte for months. Keep paying for his house over seven months, he does not love us but let’s love him! [Ed: The congregation says, "Amen!"].
10 Well, now, let’s come to another point concerning the public confession. If a brother says, "For such a small confession that I have made, I have been so scolded, so I won’t confess anymore!" then he certainly has a problem, you should rather say, "For such a small confession that I have made, I have been so scolded, I will do my best not to sin anymore!" This is how a child of God should react! Have a good spirit and a good thought in everything and God will always be with you! [Ed: The congregation says, "Amen!"].
11 Well, this morning, I would like to talk about the subject, "The Christian paganism"because there is a Christian paganism and it is a subtle paganism! But if you do not understand it, it’s not a problem as long as you hide in the living prophet of your generation...
12 First, the word pagan derives from the word paganism as “Christian”and “Christianity”. The pagan is the follower of paganism. So it is not the one who does not believe in God or one who does not go to church or to the mosque but the follower of paganism. Do not confuse a pagan with an atheist. You see? Paganism is the intermingling of different spirits! There are three groups in one generation: the atheists, the pagans and the worshippers of the true God. [Ed: The congregation says,"Amen!"].
13 Where there is a worship of the devil, there is paganism. Paganism really started at the foundation of Babylon with Nimrod. And that visited every generation on the earth through Egypt, making its way side by side with the worship of the true God. When the prophets of Baal were exhibiting themselves down there before Elijah the Tishbite, it was the very first form of paganism in the name of the Hebrews’ God! You see? There are two forms of paganism: a form under the Old Covenant, in the Old Testament with Judaism and a second form in the New Testament with Christianity. But this morning, I am going to show another form of paganism, a third one which is the subtlest form ever and that is why God has to send a prophet to reveal that to us. [Ed: The congregation says, "Amen!"].
14 The first form of paganism is that of the Egyptians and Romans. It is when, in one nation or tribe, different gods establish themselves and have people worship them independently of each other. You see? Take the book of Exodus and you will see that Egyptians used to worship several gods. What is this? It is the paganism: Hapy the god of protection, the god Osiris, the god Sabek, the god Thoth who is the god of miracles. There was also the god Buto, the god Horus, the god Hathor, the god Amon-ra who is the god of the divine healing and so on. You see? It was in the first form of paganism and these gods do not differ from the gods Nergal, Adrammelech, Nibkhaz, Tharthak and Succoth-Benoth of the nations.
15 And later on, they were those same gods who made altars called Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, Zealots, Essenes... and today they are those same gods who established themselves in Islam and Judaism and Catholic, Protestant, evangelical and Branhamist churches including all the so-called revealed or restored churches under the form of holy spirits. And this is the second form of paganism trying to give the image of only one and supreme god on the basis of the Bible.
16 And in third place, it is still question of Christianity! When you see Branhamists organize themselves in choirs with uniforms like Methodists, it’s paganism. Look at the age of John Wesley: Everything you have today like the hymn book On the wings of faith and which is, in the history of Christianity, the most important hymn book and others, all that comes from the time of John Wesley. In the same way that God sent some prophets to the Jews, so did God send some to the nations and the same Spirit who inspired David in the Psalms also inspired Charles Wesley. And today, two hundred years later, trying to replicate that while the biblical prophecies do not show it, that is paganism. You see?
17 Even angels, archangels, seraphim, and cherubim do not have the same functions. And even among the classes of angels, the archangels, for example have functions differing from one Archangel to another. The Cherubim have ministries differing from one Cherub to another. Seraphim have ministries differing from one Seraph to another. For example, Archangel Gabriel has a ministry of information and he is like the foreign minister in the Government of God whereas Archangel Michael is the defence minister and cannot get about with a choir because there is no paganism in God. [Ed: The congregation says, "Amen!"].
18 Now, follow what I am going to read in the brochure "Revelation chapter 1"by William Branham: "A woman stood up in the meeting, a Baptist woman, come over there, not knowing what she could do. And she was standing in the midst of the meeting, and the Holy Spirit fell on her, and she began to speak with tongues… And then, before she could say anything, the Holy Spirit give the interpretation, said, “Thus saith the Lord: Within three months there’ll be the Spirit of Moses, Elijah, and Christ ministering in this Tabernacle.” There it happened perfectly." Amen! Keep this in mind: The Spirit of Moses, of Elijah and of Christ will minister in this tabernacle! Amen! This is the exact truth and you for whom everything has to be biblical, how are you going to explain this? You see?
19 For example, the Bible talks about four living creatures, but it’s question of four dispensations of the Holy Spirit. There was a time when the living creature in the likeness of a lion ministered then there was a time when the living creature in the likeness of a calf ministered and sixty-eight millions of Christians were killed then there was a time when the living creature having the face of a man with Martin Luther ministered and now it is the living creature having the face of an eagle. You see? All ministering according to their dispensation. If you are asked for example if a Christian can drink wine today, you must answer according to the dispensation of the Spirit that is ministering today [Ed: The congregation says, "Amen!"].
20 Enoch before Noah could not drink wine because Enoch was the Spirit of Elijah and Enoch was raptured like Elijah. And when, Elijah the Tishbite came on the earth, he could not drink wine and when John the Baptist came on the earth, he could not drink wine. Even before he was born, it was said to his mother, "Don’t drink strong drinks." You see? Enoch did not drink wine but Noah drunk. While both have the same Holy Spirit, but why that? Because the Holy Spirit, on Enoch and on Noah, was in different dispensations. If you do not know that, you will go straight into the Christian paganism. [Ed: The congregation says, "Amen!"].
21 John the Baptist could not drink wine whereas Jesus Christ and the Apostles could drink wine, while both had the true Holy Spirit. But why that? Because the Holy Spirit on John the Baptist and his disciples, and the Holy Spirit on the Lord Jesus Christ and the Apostles, was in different dispensations. [Ed: The congregation says,"Amen!"].So, when a question is asked to you, when you start to search in the Old or the New Testament, in the eyes of God, you are a pagan. You are in the Christian paganism. Your answer must be according to the dispensation of the Holy Spirit in your generation.
22 At the time of Martin Luther, the dispensation of the Holy Spirit said that the baptism was in the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit by aspersion. But if you start to search in the Bible looking for the answer, you are like a foolish who searches in the dustbin. The answer is only with the living prophet of your time. It is on him that the dispensation of the Holy Spirit is ministering for your time. [Ed: The congregation says, "Amen!"].Such a prophet ministers in a certain way! Another prophet ministers in another way!
23 The prophets never preached in the same manner, taught the same thing, everyone taught and preached according to the dispensation of the Spirit which was ministering on him. Look at the four dispensations through the ages of the Church of nations. Once the Christianity came out as a lion, the Christians were like lions, hot, for the conversion of nations. And came a time where the Christians were like calves and millions of them could die without ever backing away. And the Catholic church killed sixty-eight millions of Christians. A book has never led the children of God but the children of God have acted according to the dispensation of the Holy Spirit in their time. [Ed: The congregation says, "Amen!"].
24 Even when you take Moses’ ministry, there is a specific order: the lion with the coming out of Egypt, then the living creature with the human face with numerous murmurs, then Leviticus which is the calf with the different prescriptions on the sacrifices and finally Deuteronomy which is the dispensation of the Word! God acts according to specific dispensations. Revelation 22:6 says that He is the God of the spirits of prophets, which means that such a prophet has a Spirit of God different from such other prophet. You see? What does the Holy Spirit say? Within three months, the Spirit of Moses, of Elijah, and of Christ will be ministering in this tabernacle. Amen! It is not said "they will be…" but "He will be ministering" whereas it is question of three Spirits. What is that? Three dispensations of the same Holy Spirit. [Ed: The congregation says,"Amen!"].
25 In Ezekiel chapter 1, it’s not actually question of four living creatures but the same living creature with four dispensations! Ezekiel does not say that the living creature was similar to one of the living creatures but he says, "This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chebar..." Ezekiel 10:20.
26 And it’s in the name of Christian paganism that you can see the Bible as only one Holy book! But for the elect, they are different Holy books. The book of Jeremiah is a different book. The book of Isaiah is a different book. The book of Amos is a different book. And for a question of first importance like the baptism, the tithe and other, when you leave the position of the living prophet of your generation to stroll throughout the Bible, from one prophet to another, it’s paganism before God! [Ed: The congregation says, "Amen!"].
27 And today, even Branhamists ask for this or that revival that took place at such period with such person! They ask an Esther fasting, Jehoshaphat fasting or other that they have seen in the Bible and after that, they will ask for this or that dispensation of the Holy Spirit, this or that miracle that a certain person performed in the Bible. All that is paganism from one end to another. Before God, they are pagans!
28 There is no Christianity except in Hosea 12:14. Only a living prophet messenger leads to Salvation! You see?
29 The messenger of the evening time is called William Marrion Branham and none of his three names is mentioned in the Bible but he did not try to change or to take another name, whereas Branhamists have gone so far that you can now see them with new names! It is exactly the same demon that used to shake Mohammad down there and which is visiting evangelicals now. And one day, all will sit down on the same bench! It’s paganism! We are only based on the evening Message but we are at midnight! And the evening Message is a mere foundation for us. [Ed: The congregation says,"Amen!"].
30 William Branham said in the preaching entitled “And knoweth it not” preached on August 15, 1965, ref. 94: “I'm only building. The hour's close at hand when you're going to see something happen, when something's going to take place and all this background here has only been laying a foundation for a short, quick message that'll shake the whole nation.”And today, that prophecy is fulfilled before you. A short Message is shaking the earth, visiting all races and languages of the earth and the elect rejoice and recognize themselves in this Message, because that was given to them from Heaven before the foundation of the world. And he that has ears to hear, let him hear!