The Message And Secret Societies.

[Scott Hutchinson]

Does the message of William Marion Branham teach that groups such as The Freemasons are wrong ?
I understand that the message teaches that it's ok for Christians to be involved in secret societies and such.
I think DR.V can answer this cause I don't know the answer,but was Bro.Branham a member of The Freemasons ?

[Dr. Vaughn]

Bro. Hutchinson, it's an outright lie.. he was NOT a member of the Masons...

He was always very appreciative towards them for having helped his family when he was young... I don;t remember the details but somehow they were a financial help to his family and he was always kind to them in return... but he was NEVER a member..

[Scott Hutchinson]

Thank you for the answer,as I heard He was.
But in the COD book,doesn't Brother Branham say it's ok to belong to a secret society ?

[Dr. Vaughn]

To be honest.. I do not know the answer,, I will research it... until then... where in Holy Scriptures are we told not to belong to society's? Because I belong to Woodmen of the World.... and their insurance program... am I in sin?

I also belong to the National Association of Christian Counselors.... that is a secret society you must join it........

[Steve Epley]

They are a secret society.:bliss:bliss:bliss

[Scott Hutchinson]

Bro.V I don't think those groups are quite the same as The Masons.
Considering the kinds of things Albert Pike was involved in.

[Dr. Vaughn]

They are a secret society.:bliss:bliss:bliss

Bro. Eply... I dont follow you.. who is a secret society?

[Dr. Vaughn]

Bro. Scott... since Bro. Branham was not in this society... I don't know where else to go with that... but I have never read a scripture condemning belonging to a secret society... I stand to be corrected on this

[Steve Epley]

A friend and myself years ago were going to a Branham church in Chicago years ago we looked and looked for the church I stopped at a service station and inquired I told him I thought I was in the area he said I have run this station for years and there is no church around here. About that time I saw a couple a ladies that looked like church folks go into the building right across the street, so we went and knocked on the door and an usher let us in. I asked the pastor after church why the did not hav a sign? He said signs are for unbelievers and he was serious.,:happydance:happydance:happydance

[Scott Hutchinson]

There are believers,make believers unbelievers.

[Dr. Vaughn]

Bro. Eply, if I may enquire..... I would love to hear your story... How did you come to the Message? How were you so deceived for so many years? How were you delivered from it?

thanks

[Steve Epley]

Bro. Eply, if I may enquire..... I would love to hear your story... How did you come to the Message? How were you so deceived for so many years? How were you delivered from it?

thanks

I was a young man and there was some Branhamites in our church started giving me tapes and books. My recovery(which is a miracle hardly anyone recovers from this deadly error)was a long process. But it started unraveling in my mind. My exodus began at seeing a small error that would not make any difference but nevertheless it was an error. Branham taught the tree of life in Eden and in the New City were the same. In devotional reading one day I was reading Rev.22:2 where it speaks of the tree of life the words jumped out at me HER fruit. Jesus is NOT a HER. Then I began to reexamine the message and piece by piece my deception became clear. God was so good to me to deliver me from this false doctrine.

[pelathais]

Bro. Scott... since Bro. Branham was not in this society... I don't know where else to go with that... but I have never read a scripture condemning belonging to a secret society... I stand to be corrected on this
2 Corinthians 6:14 is usually cited here.

The idea is that in the ancient world there were a large number of "mystery cults" like the famous Eleusinian. Their secret rites were said in antiquity to have been so profane that the initiates had to be sworn to secrecy. Like most things however, most of what was said turned out to be hype; but many of the cults did involve promiscuity and drunkeness. Sort of like the Shriners today. (I didn't say that out loud, did I).

Anyway, Paul admonishes us to consider the differences between the temple of Christ and the "temple of Belial." For some, the idea of the mystery religions was that ultimately the intiate was to make a vow over the altar of some pagan god. This was frowned upon for obvious reasons, and the idea of making a vow at the altar leads many to associate this also with marrying an unbeliever.

Other Scriptures are 1 Corinthians 5:9 (the Woodmen are probably okay here, but again the Shriners and some military fraternities like Tail Hook are bad), 1 Corinthians 15:33 and James 4:4.

Again, the reasoning against "secret societies" often rests in 2 Corinthian 6:4 and the idea of being in a temple and "yoking" yourself to unbelievers either at or near an altar.

[Dr. Vaughn]

Pelathais.. so basically we have NO CONCRETE scripture condemning one to hell for being in a secret society?

If not then why would people bash Bro. Branham for not condemning them more than he did? Its a non issue

[OneAccord]

I, too, was a follower of "the Message". I attended Branham Tabernacle and Bro. Jacksons church when I lived in Jeffersonville. What was the "bright and shining Light" that caused me to leave "the Messgae"? Bro. Branhams own words. He said on numerous occasions to verify his words with what the Bible teaches. Thats exactly what I did. No one came to me to disprove Bro. Branham, his ministry or his message. I just did what Bro. Branham said to do. I laid aside his books, laid aside the tapes and opened the ONE source of Truth. God's Word. And I read it for what its actually says. Thats when I began to see that Bro. Branhams message did not line up with what I understood from the Bible. The Serpents Seed just isn't there. Too many Scriptures say just the opposite of what I read in the "message". And, once the snow ball began rolling, I began to see other discrepancies.

I talked to other "Message Believers" (note I do not refer to them as Branhamites- totally disrepectful), and found that they (at least those that I spoke to) reject ANY prophet for our day. They said Bro. Branham was the prophet for our day and that he was the last. This countered even what Bro. Branham said- so I saw what is called "the Message" today, isn't what was called "the Message" in Bro. Branhams day. But, Bro. Branham ISN"T the prophet for our day. He is gone. There are people today, some right here on this forum who, until recently never heard of Bro. Branham or "the Message".

But what was the final straw? The final straw was the spirit of denominationalism that Bro. Branham so adamantly opposed and, that has become exactly what "the Mesage" is today. It may not be a denomination in name, but it is in spirit. The biggest reason I left, was not what anyone said, but Bro. Branham said himself. "Check what I say by the Word". I did, and it just didn't sit squarely on the Word. So...I left.

Not once though, have I ever said Bro. Branham was false. In error, yes. There is a difference. Bro. Branham, I believe, honestly taught what he believed to be truth. However, he was in error. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is alive and well. Its not the message of one who has died. He lives, as does His Word. Bro. Branham is dead. There is no Ministry of William Branham. There is no William Branham Evangelistic Assc. There is nothing but a denomination that bears his name. For financial gain. There's, no doubt, not one Message Believer that would agree with that assessment. Only one. And his name is William Branham. But... he is gone.

[Steve Epley]

Now it is THE VOICE OF GOD! Not kidding and they wonder why folks call them a cult.
I went by a few years ago to visit an old friend Joseph Branham's father-in-law a young man was with me. My friend kept repeating he is coming back I know it I heard him say it. After we got back into the car the young man with me said "Wow at first I thought he was speaking of Jesus but he was talking about Branham the guy is nuts." I had not said one thing to him about the return of Branham to have this tent meeting of his.

[Bro-Larry]

If you "host" a spirit or doctrine of the devil, this will eventually provide an in-road for the devil to come in and kill you.