“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, to day, and for ever. ”

(Hebrews 13:8)

CIRCULAR LETTER APRIL 1983

I greet you all cordially in the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Since we have already translated and published all the sermons that Brother Branham preached in Jeffersonville after the opening of the seven seals, we now want to publish sermons from other years. We believe that since the opening of the seals, many secrets have been revealed. But every sermon Brother Branham preached serves to build up the Church. We have received profound instruction through the prophetic Word. Now our personal life of faith must be brought into harmony with God.

In the sermon "The Church and Its Condition", we are called to undergo a thorough test. He personally addresses each of us and places the mirror in front of us from all sides. Using examples and comparisons of a sheep and a goat, a lamb and a wolf, a dove and a crow, Brother Branham shows everyone what they are like. Light and darkness, life and death, the divine and the diabolical cannot be in one person at the same time. Man cannot have the nature of a sheep and a goat at the same time, one cannot be a wolf and a lamb at the same time. They are either one or the other. Not our words, but our nature shows who we are.

A sheep can't bark, they can't bite, can't even growl, it is gentle and good-natured. The sheep does not fight for its rights, but turns silent even before the shearer, who takes from it the only thing it has, i. e. wool. Nor does the sheep come to tear, destroy and scatter – it belongs to the herd, remains in it and is grazed. If the sheep gets lost, it will not find its own way back, but will let itself be guided back. The comparisons of a lamb and a wolf, sheep and goats, and doves and crows are very apt.

As our Lord spoke in parables, so Brother Branham was guided by the Spirit of God to help us understand many things through examples from everyday life. May we all understand what a deep meaning lies in these simple comparisons.

Our opening Word reads: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation…” (2 Corinthians 5:17-18)

The apostle Paul presents the transformation of the believer into a new man as a divine reality. He writes: “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature…” There is no one who is truly in Christ while retaining their old nature. That is not possible. Whoever is born again and baptized into Christ by the Spirit is a new creature, in which the old would not only pass away, but has already passed away, as it is written:

“… old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new…”

If, on the basis of biblical criteria, we really test ourselves and let ourselves be examined by the Spirit of God, we recognize whether there is still the old nature in us or whether we have really become a new person. It is not enough to refer to the revealed Word if the blood and the Spirit have not accomplished in everyone what was originally planned through the Word. All that the New Testament contains and was available in the time of the apostles must now be revealed again in the Church of the Lord.

In the letters, the apostle addresses various admonitions to the churches. They are not only about instruction, but also about a personal life of faith, personal connection with the Lord and mutual relations with one other. Through the prophetic message at this time, the entire counsel of God has been revealed to us. We are very grateful for that. But now it is our soul that must fully experience what happened on Golgotha before God can reveal Himself through His Spirit and confirm His Word in the perfect way. The gospel must become God's power again. The covenant was rightfully concluded on Golgotha. At the moment when the Lord cried out, “It is finished!” the new covenant was established and reconciliation was given through His blood. The old enmity that had lasted since the Garden of Eden was removed. Since that moment, the blood-bought multitude has had a legal claim to all the promises God has made in His Word. There is no irreconcilability between the reconciled, as it would mean that we would convict God of a lie.

Our Saviour began His ministry on the basis of Luke 4 by reading a passage from the prophet Isaiah in which it says: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised and to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Thus began the day of salvation, the Year of Jubilee for the New Testament Church. At the end of the time of grace, the voice of the last angel sounded like a trumpet, and the mysteries of God come to an end. The gospel will be preached once again to all nations, tongues and nationalities, the Year of Jubilee will be declared and the work of reconciliation will be announced. Whoever hears the trumpet of God and believes the gospel of Jesus Christ, the crucified, can come out free once and for all. In the Scriptures in 2 Corinthians Paul emphasizes that the ministry of reconciliation is entrusted to God's servants. By virtue of God's authorization, we are allowed to proclaim full salvation to people and to communicate to them all that we have become partakers of through the redemption. The apostles were appointed by God to the biblical ministry and administered the manifold graces and mysteries of God. There were no estate administrators. They spoke and acted with God's authority and had at their disposal everything that belonged to God's kingdom. They held no empty lectures, but preached the full gospel, through which the power of God was revealed in the spirit, soul and body in those who received it in faith.

Even today, true believers do not form any religious associations in which people gossip and slander, but the Church of the living God, in which the Lord speaks and acts. The called-out Church stands under the blood of the Lamb, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and under the Word of God. In this Church, God places His ministries. Where such ministries are missing, there is no Church of Jesus Christ. God does not change His Word. He appointed apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists to the Church (1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4 from verse 11). Through the ministries, the saints are made capable of performing ministries in the Church, for the edifying of the body of Jesus Christ (v. 12). That is God's order, which is now restored. The promise of restoration given by God in His Word must now become a reality. With God, words and deeds are always in harmony.

This is the hour in which God's people, with whom the Lord has truly made a covenant, gather under the voice of the whole Word. The Spirit of God is at work in His Church. Deliverance is now proclaimed to every individual – the acceptable year for the Lord. We are called not to harden our hearts if we hear His voice. When the great trumpet sounded on the day of reconciliation in the Year of Jubilee, they did not blame each other, they did not quarrel with each other, no one blamed each other – it was a year of grace and exultation! All those who had trespassed immediately understood that God's hour had struck and set out to reclaim their original property. Whoever now recognizes the all-embracing gracious visitation will act in the same way. The cross and the crucified one stand at the centre, the absolute victory is certain for us. Biblical truths must no longer be the subject of arguments or discussions, but must become experienced and achieved facts in us.

The enemy would want to thwart God's intentions with the Church at all costs. He is the one who brings confusion, causes enmity, stirs up hatred, and brings about chaos so that people lose their bearings and bite and devour one another (Gal 5:15). That does not happen with sheep. Never! The enemy does not hesitate to slander, even up to the most vile murder by lies, intrigues and slander, and leaves nothing untried to attack those in the front line as hard as possible. However, the true believers are familiar with the enemy's intention, they recognize his attacks, turn back to God and place themselves under the biblical order.

Where there is no vision, the people perish. (Proverbs 29:18) Where there are false revelations, the devil brings all the confusion. Where God appears, everything goes according to the original order. At the crucifixion, everything went one way and also the other. So it is now. At first they were all scattered, but then, after the resurrection, the Lord appeared to them and they gathered again to pray single-mindedly. In the same manner now all who have truly experienced the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ can now find their bearings, enter into prayer and gather single-mindedly so that the Holy Spirit can fall even now as it happened then in the beginning.

The following scriptures are to serve us to test ourselves based on God's Word to see how God places us.

“But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” (1Peter 4:7; Proverbs 10:12)

“Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.” (1Peter 3:9)

“But now ye also put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.” (Colossians 3:8)

“Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.” (James 5:9)

“But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.” (James 3:14)

“For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” (James 3:16)

“If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.” (James 1:26)

There are no empty words in the Scriptures. Sweetness and bitterness will never come out of the same spring. We should read the sermon “The Church and Its Condition” several times until the Lord, through His Word, through His blood, and through His Spirit, can accomplish what He has purposed.

Extraordinary Events

Worldwide developments show various parallels with what happened 50 years ago. At that time, the economic crisis hit the world hard with its consequences. Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected President of the United States in November 1932. He used the term "New Deal" in the election contest. He promised amazing improvements including the economic boom. On March 4,1933, the incumbent president, Herbert Hoover, handed over the office to him.

At that time in Europe, the economic crisis was at its peak and the foundations were laid for a tragic development. On January 30, 1933, Reich President Hindenburg handed over power to Hitler. On March 27, 1933, the Reichstag went up in flames. On March 5, 1933, the National Socialist Party succeeded in the elections. It was at this moment that they began to put their long-held plans into action, marking the start of the most horrific persecution of Jews in history.

But not only in the earthly realm, but also in the spiritual realm, events of great importance for God's people were taking place in parallel. On June 11, 1933, at about 2:00 p. m., while Brother Branham was in Jeffersonville in the United States holding a baptismal service, the Lord descended above him in a pillar of cloud and commissioned him to go forth with the message that would forerun the second coming of Christ.

Already in 1932 – 1933, he announced in advance what Hitler and Mussolini would do. He was shown extraordinary events that were to come true until the coming of the Lord. Among other things, he said at the time that President Roosevelt would cause the World War II. And that's exactly what happened. By May 1945, many places lay in rubble and ash, about 6 million Jews were murdered in the most terrible way, and the horrific war from 1939 to 1945 claimed the lives of an estimated 55 million people.

A year after the end of the war, in May 1946, Brother Branham was again commissioned by the Lord to proclaim the Word of God. The powerful work of the Spirit began. God's love was presented as opposed to the satanic hatred which led as far as to self-destruction. A revival broke out, which can only be compared with the ministry of our Lord and with the time of the apostles, and which affected all continents. At the same time, an extremely large number of Jews returned to their home country. On May 14,the State of Israel was established. On April 9,1906, after many centuries, the outpouring of the Spirit occurred in a manner reminiscent of early Christianity. It happened on Azusa Street in Los Angeles. Shortly thereafter, on April 18,1909, a powerful earthquake struck San Francisco. On the West Coast of North America, two distinct directions of development have been observed since the turn of the century. On one hand, no other region in the world has as many Pentecostal believers as Los Angeles and the West Coast as a whole. On the other hand, it was in Los Angeles that Brother Branham, inspired by the Spirit of God at the end of one sermon, predicted a coming judgement on the city and the breaking off of the West Coast. It is incomprehensible to us that those who received the Holy Spirit rejected the message sent by God as a whole and yet continued to rejoice in the Spirit during their meetings as if God had done nothing extraordinary. They responded to Brother Branham's preaching with a condescending smile, firmly convinced that they are in the right because they are filled with the Spirit. What disappointment awaits them and many others soon!

How grateful we may be for the clarity that has been given to us through Brother Branham's sermons! It cannot be emphasized enough that what matters is not only the anointing of the Spirit, but God's name, which is placed into true believers through the Word based on predestination. More and more, we will come to realize the true worth of the end-time message, which we have been privileged to hear by grace. We recognize that political and economic developments in individual countries and around the world, along with everything associated with them, occur in accordance with God's biblical plan for the end-time. Certain nations will play a special role based on biblical prophecy. We can't change anything about it. Salvation and misfortune, curse and blessing, faith and unbelief, light and darkness always fight against each other on the same battlefield. In Central Europe, this has been evident since the Reformation. Even now, we must acknowledge that political developments will also be reflected in the religious sphere. The announcement that sects must be eliminated was already made quite openly and clearly as early as in 1980. According to general understanding, all those who do not belong to state or free churches are considered sects.

Census or a burden on the people?

In April this year, an extensive survey of the population is set to take place in Germany. Protests against it are already emerging from many quarters. It is, in fact, “a burden on the people”, as the questions exceed the usual scope. Every citizen is also required to provide detailed personal data. The forms must be completed accurately and fully, as prescribed and enforced by law. Anyone who refuses to comply must expect a fine of up to DM 10,000 and other consequences. We can only hope that the wave of protests will gain enough momentum to prevent the census from being implemented. However, at most – if at all – it may only be postponed, not cancelled.

Part 4 where information on "Legal affiliation to a religious community" must be entered is of importance for believers. We only have the option to tick the last line. The pre-printed text on this line reads: “He/she does not belong to any religious community”. According to the interpretation of the Constitution, the term “religious community” only applies to the two large confessions and churches and free churches recognized by the state, as designated by a Bundestag (parliament) resolution, as an association of public law. Therefore, only the last line of Part 4 applies to us.

Keeping peace

By God's grace, we will observe everything that happens and remain vigilant. We watch the developments and, with the help of the Lord, place everything biblically within the context of the end time. No one can stop or prevent what has already been decided in God's plan. Unfortunately, there are fanatical voices again claiming that the numbers on the questionnaires are somehow related to Revelation 13. Anyone who has read Brother Branham's sermons carefully will understand clearly what is meant in this written text.

As believers, we need to get accustomed to speaking as God speaks in biblical matters and refrain from our own interpretations. When the television appeared, some fanatics claimed that the television was an image of the beast that could speak. Recently, some claim it is a computer, because it has more functions, can store, “think” and play content. A two-hour film was even made about it. All of these speculations are unscriptural and, therefore, false. There is no need for anyone to worry about the fact that the questionnaire has a number. No document, identity card, passport, ticket or even a car is without a number! Even every banknote has a number! This has nothing at all to do with the number mentioned in the Bible or the image of the beast. No one should think that the Antichrist is behaving so clumsily and conspicuously. As Brother Branham explained quite clearly in the seven seals, the number 666 mentioned in the Bible unequivocally refers to the designation VICARIVS FILII DEI. In addition, everyone can read on pages 56 and 57 that the mark of the beast will be used only after the rapture. At that time no one will be able to buy or sell unless they have this mark.

In addition, Brother Branham said that pressure would be exerted on the Bride Church and those who do not belong to the World Council of Churches would be prohibited from preaching. However, just in time immediately preceding the Lord's return, extraordinary things are to happen in the midst of the Bride, which we are all waiting for. Through these, the rapture faith will reaches its peak. This time has now drawn so near that it is at hand. We can rejoice that everything will take place as it was predestined by God.

Invitation

After the richly blessed Easter gatherings with high attendance, we cordially invite everyone to attend the extraordinary Pentecostal gatherings. The first service will be on Saturday May 21at 19:30, the last one on Sunday May 22 at 14:30.

Please, keep my ministry in your prayers.

By His commission

Publisher: Missionary Ewald Frank, Postfach 100707, 47707 Krefeld, Germany

www. freie-volksmission. de