AS WERE RECOMMENDED BY REV. WILLIAM BRANHAM FOR THE
BRANHAM TABERNACLE (AND FOR ALL END TIME MESSAGE CHURCHES)
AGREEMENT AND OPERATION OF OFFICES
The following agreements and the operations of the present offices in power at
the Branham Tabernacle are compiled below. It is to enlighten the present
members who now attend the worship services at the Branham Tabernacle; as to
the proper function of each office. That we may agree as one united body,
understanding each other’s position as we work together to forward the kingdom
of God.
THE OFFICE OF THE PASTOR
The office of the pastor is to conduct and act upon any program of which he
believes to be according to the plan of God, according to the Word of God, for
the Branham Tabernacle. He shall assume supreme authority and meet promoting
for the spiritual welfare of the church. He shall be head of the associate
pastor, the deacon board, the trustee board, and the church body itself. Acting
in wisdom to lead God's saints, manifesting love toward all the saints and
their burdens. Conducting himself in perfect servitude, of which God has called
and placed him to act upon.
JEREMIAH 3:15~ “And
I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you
with knowledge and understanding.”
HEBREWS 13:17—“Obey them that have the rule over
you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must
give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is
unprofitable for you.”
I THESSALONIANS 5:12-13 – “And we beseech you,
brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord,
and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake.
1 TIMOTHY 5:1~
“Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the
younger men as brethren.”
RELATED SERMONS on "PASTORING":
(HEBREWS.CHAPTER.7.PT.2.CHURCH.ORDER JEFF.IN HEB 57-0922)
“But the FULL and COMPLETE AUTHORITY of the church is
the PASTOR. Read that in the Bible; see if that's not Bible order.
That's exactly right. There's no one above the elder. I have nothing to do
with what Brother Neville does here. That's up to you and Brother
Neville."
(CHURCH.ORDER_ JEFF.IN COD TUESDAY_ 58-1007)
"And now to the PASTOR, to our Brother Neville,
at this time. Remember, he is the full head of the church. Brother Neville has
the right to exercise any AUTHORITY that the Holy Spirit would, anything the
Holy Spirit would tell him to say, in other words. In the church, he has the
RIGHT to anything that God would lead him to do. He also has the RIGHT over his
deacon board. He can CHANGE the DEACON board, the TRUSTEES, or PIANIST, or any
other office in the church that he desires to change, feeling led by the Holy
Spirit to do so. And whatever he does, I will recognize it, as he (I believe)
to be a godly man. I will recognize it to be of the Lord, and will sanction the
same, therefore it gives him the authority then to operate the church the way
he feels led to do it. Now, or, any office in the church, that he desires
to--to--to switch positions of people, for he has the authority to do
that."
(RESPECTS, JEFFERSONVILLE, INDIANA 61-1015)
“If you can't respect the man, respect the office he
holds in God. That's exactly right (See?); respect him. If a minister comes up,
your pastor, always respect him. I've heard congregations talk about their
pastor, how just talk about him, run him down, ridicule him. How is that pastor
ever going to do anything for you? He can't do it. You--you don't--you don't
re... I don't say this church, but I mean churches I have seen, that if you...
You've got to love your pastor. You've got to know that he's a human being, but
yet God has made him His pastor. The Holy Ghost has made him overseer; then
you've got to respect him in that manner. And no matter what the pastor's done,
if you respect him in your heart as God's servant, God will respect you for
doing it. "He that--he that receiveth Me, receiveth Him that sent
Me," Jesus said.
PASTOR’S QUALIFICATIONS ACCORDING TO 1 TIMOTHY 3:1-6 ~
1 This is a true saying, if a man desire the
office of a bishop (tagapangasiwa), he desireth
a good work.
2 A bishop then must be blameless (walang
kapintasan), the husband of one wife (isa lang ang kanyang asawa), vigilant (mapagbantay),
sober (maingat) ,of good behaviour (kagalang-galang), given
to hospitality (bukas ang tahanan sa iba), apt to teach (may
kakayahang magturo);
3 Not given to wine (hindi lasenggo), no
striker (hindi basagulero o marahas) , not greedy of filthy lucre (hindi
maibigin sa kalayawan); but patient (mahinahon), not a brawler (hindi
mahilig makipag-away) not covetous (hindi mapag-angkin ng hindi kanya);
4 One that ruleth well his own house (isang
tao na may disiplina sa kanyang pamilya), having his children in
subjection with all gravity (kaya niyang pasunurin ang kanyang mga anak ng
may takot at paggalang) ; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his
own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
6 Not a novice (hindi baguhan), lest
being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. (Baka
lumaki ang kanyang ulo sa kapalaluan ay mahulog siya sa bitag ng kahatulan ng
Diablo) 7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are
without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. (Bukod
dito, kailangang siya'y may mabuting patotoo sa paningin ng mga hindi
mananampalataya upang di siya mapintasan at hindi siya mahulog sa bitag ng
Diyablo)
THE OFFICE OF ASSOCIATE PASTOR
The associate pastor to the Branham Tabernacle, is to perform and carry out the
duties of the pastor, in his absence. To conduct worship services according to
the manner of doctrine believed and practiced by the Branham Tabernacle. He
shall be invested with the same power as the pastor is, meeting all
responsibility of the church, and acting in full authority to keep the church
in order. He is to manifest deep concern to all the burdens of the saints and
fulfill the commission of which God has called him to, as a shepherd. He shall
account at various times the progress of the church, spiritual matters present,
and problems that may be pressing, to the pastor. He shall not undertake any
business transactions without first presenting it to the pastor, the exact
transaction.
THE OFFICE OF THE DEACONS
The office of deacons, as elected according to the Word of God and the manner
of the Branham Tabernacle, is to act as an office of spiritual assistance to
the pastors. They are to assist the pastors on all of his spiritual activities.
They are given free speech in presenting to the pastors any program or benefits
that would bless the general and spiritual welfare of the church. They must be
apt to teach, and ready to assist the pastor or associate pastor on every duty
if called to do so. They shall assist in serving communion. They shall be
acting ushers in all services. They shall police the church, in keeping civil
order and conduct. They shall assist in taking local offerings. They shall
oversee the spiritual conduct of the church in working with the pastor and one
another on spiritual problems and matters of the saints. They shall be ready at
anytime to assist the need of every saint who is burdened and in need of
spiritual consultation, or general welfare. They have not the right to act upon
any program or promotion without agreement with one another, the pastors, or
the trustees if the program they are considering doing involves church funds.
They will be responsible before God for their conduct and manner of service,
according to the Word of God. They shall not have meeting among themselves
without the pastor or associate pastor present.
QUALIFICATIONS OF A DEACON ~ 1 TIMOTHY 3: 8-12
8 Likewise must the deacons be grave (kagalang-galang),
not double-tongued (tapat mangusap), not given to much wine (hindi
lasenggero) , not greedy of filthy lucre (di maibigin sa kalayawan);
9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience (pinanghahawakan
ang pananampalataya ng may malinis na kunsyensya).
10 And let these also first be proved (dapat
muna silang masubukan) ; then let them use the office of a deacon, being
found blameless.
11 Even so must their wives be grave (dapat ang kanilang asawa
mandin ay kagalang-galang), not slanderers (hindi mapanirang-puri),
sober (mapagtimpi), faithful in all things (matapat sa lahat ng
bagay).
12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife
(dapat isa lang ang asawa), ruling their children and their own houses well (pinangangasiwaan
ng may disiplina ang kanyang mga anak at sambahayan). 13 For they
that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good
degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
RELATED SERMONS PERTAINING TO THE OFFICE OF A DEACON:
(PLACING OF DEACONS - 58-0720E)
“They are appointed by the church, by their own
vote…And if later, if they feel that they are disqualified, then they have a
right in the next few weeks to resign the office, that someone else could be
appointed in their place. At the end of fiscal year, in first of January, that
all offices of the church, such as deacons, and so forth, expires. If they want
to continue on, they just continue on. If they don't, then they have to resign
if they don't want to continue on. And there is nothing against them, then they
continue on for the next year. And--and then if they do not continue on, then
they have an election, and appoint some other trustee, or--or whatever the
office was.”
(QUESTION AND ANSWERS, Number 222)
“The deacons, your duty is to keep order in the church
with kindness and friendliness. And then you are supposed to, if someone gets
out of order in the church, or comes in here like a drunk, or somebody come
in... And if someone jumps up and starts interrupting the pastor, or something
other like that, and the pastor in his message, the deacons supposed to walk up
to them people, two or three of them, say, "Could we speak to you,
brother?" See? Bring him from the church, out into the office, in here or
some other office, and speak to him about it, saying, "You're not to
interrupt.” You know, it's a--it's a great fine by the law to interrupt a
service anyhow. See? But some people, such as a delinquent person or something,
come among you, you know, and--and some religious fanatic, and-- and start
carrying on, then the deacons... And if--and if the deacons don't seem to be
able to control it, then the trustee board or anyone else in the church can
step up and give help to such a person, you know, that. But, remember, the
deacons are God's policemen in the house of God, no matter what anybody else
thinks. Sometimes a policeman want not to have to go up and make an arrest on
somebody, maybe one of his friends, but he's sworn to an office; he's got to do
it anyhow. That's his duty to his city. See? Like they shot that minister out
of the platform the other night up there. You heard about that, that drunk
coming in with a double-barreled shotgun. And he screamed for his wife, and and
went up towards the pastor. And the pastor showed him his wife setting there,
but he was going to shoot her right in the church, and the pastor started to
dealing with him. And instead.… The man with the shotgun turned around and shot
the pastor out of the pulpit, and then shot his wife, and then shot himself.
Now, if there'd been a bunch of deacons there when that man entered that door
with that shotgun, they'd have had their arms around him and the shotgun out of
his hand.
(CHURCH ORDER AND CONDUCT - 63-1226) “Jesus acted as a
Deacon. He was both pastor, prophet, trustee, and deacon. Sure was. So then you
see what He did, let that be your example in the house here at this Branham
Tabernacle…. That's the way, that's the way He wants it. He never slagged. When
it come time to say, call what was what, He called it. When it come time to
show gentleness, then He showed gentleness. He was sweet, kind, understanding,
but stern; and everything was right to the dot with Him, and He did that for
your example.”
(QUESTION AND ANSWER NO. 231.) Q: How far, Brother Branham, can
or should a deacon go to keep order in the church? Should we keep the order or
wait until Brother Neville tells us what we should do? A: That isn't Brother Neville's job;
that's your job. See? You don't tell Brother Neville what to preach on, how to
preach it. See, that's your job, you deacons; you're supposed to do that. You
take care of that. That's nothing to Brother Neville that's your job. See? Now,
if a policeman's out here on the street and he sees a man stealing property out
of a back of a car, should he call the mayor and say, "Now, Mayor, your
Honor, sir, I am working for you here on this police force. Now, I find a man
up the street here, he's—he was stealing some tires off of a car last night.
Now, I just wonder, what's your opinion of that?" See? See, that wouldn't
be sensible. Would it? No, sir, If he's doing something wrong, arrest him.
Those who leave the church… If they leave, there's only one thing to do: let
them go, and pray for them. See? Then maybe some of the deacons go to their
church--or go to their house sometime, and find out why they left, and ask them
what was wrong. Then, and if they... See if you can reconcile them. If you
can't, then take two or three witnesses with him, that they might be
understood.Then if they can't be understood, then it's told before the church
if they are a member here of the church... "Now, if those people get angry
and go out from you, what does the Scripture say about it, Brother
Branham?" "They went out from us because they wasn't of us."
That settles it.
(A.TOTAL.DELIVERANCE_ JEFF.IN 59-0712) “And it's
your duty to stand by those men (See?) for they'll make mistakes. They're
mortals; they're just men, and they'll make mistakes. But if the President of
United States makes a mistake, do we throw him out as President? We forget
about it and move on. That's the way we want to do our church now.”
THE OFFICE OF THE TREASURER
The responsibility of the treasurer is to provide an exact account of the
financial status of the present funds in the treasury. This report is to made available to the
pastor or the board of trustees, upon their request of such a report. No other office in the church may have
access to this information. He may obtain such information from the trustees
report given to him by the treasurer. The treasurer shall sit in on every
trustee meeting to take notes and minutes of actions taken by the board of
trustees. ***He has not the authority to convey or acknowledge the financial
status information to any acting office in the church but the pastor or board
of trustees.*** He shall not be a consultant in spiritual matters, nor is it of
need that he should attend meetings of the deacons. Unless asked to by the
pastor.
THE OFFICE OF THE TRUSTEES
The body of men, shall govern the welfare of the church as a business group. They are elected to
protect the church in its financial
matters, its business investments, the supervision of its properties, and its
expenditures. They shall strongly consider every move of progress, step by
step, which involves church funds. For they shall be responsible to keep the
church from indebtedness, and the saints from burdens that are too great to
bear financially. In the undertaking of any project, regardless what it is,
they are to bring the matter to the pastor, consultation by the pastor,
consultation by the pastor only for every financial project the church wishes
to invest or engage itself therein is absolutely required.
THE OFFICE OF SUNDAY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT
The office of Sunday school superintendent is of vital importance to the
church. Though his duties are not major, he is responsible to keep the
children’s classes with teachers and supplies that pertain to teaching. He
shall undertake to appoint teachers to their rooms assigned to them. He shall,
in the absence of a Sunday school teacher, appoint another teacher to take the
place of the one absent from duty. He shall watch carefully that the time
element of the classes beginning and closing does not interfere with the
worship service. He shall present the needs of Sunday school supplies to the
board of trustees, who will advise him concerning the funds needed for
supplies. He shall not direct the teachers themselves, only assigning them to
their classes. He shall not undertake any program without consulting the
pastor, for the Sunday school department solely. He is not required to sit in
on deacon board meetings, nor on trustee meetings. He is free from any
responsibility as that pertaining to a deacon or trustee, that all his time may
be given to supervise the Sunday school, with devout interest.
THE OFFICE OF MUSIC PROGRAM
The music program and all order pertaining to the development of such a program
isunder the supervision of the pastor only, and the associate pastor. During
regular - services, special meetings, or revivals, at all times, the pastors
shall advise and conduct this program. The trustee board shall advise on the
purchasing of any musical instruments and the pastor shall be consulted. Any suggestions for musical programs
by the saints, deacons, or such parties interested should be presented to the
pastor, who will welcome them, and advise on such suggestions. It is preferred
the pastor shall control this program, as he is the leader of the worship
service, and confidence is placed in his ability to lead the church in worship
that is most pleasing to God. Music programs, testimony services, addresses by
various parties, reports to the church by various offices, or any program that
intervene the worship time should be under the pastors supervision.
TRAINING OF YOUNG MINISTERS
(TAKING.SIDES.WITH.JESUS.title JEFF.IN COD 62-0601)
“And then in there, get training in
your own groups other ministers, men that
you see that has a calling in their life for the
ministry. Train them young men; bring them in here to the
elder. All of you set together in a ministerial meeting and
there teach the deeper things
of God. Don't go on the bad end. Keep someone who, can have confidence in to be
kind of like a--a leader for you. And then sometimes if you
don't see it just exactly the way he does, goes--that's all right, you're in
the faith anyhow; just move along. And training up a group of men.
And if I'm in evangelistic work somewhere, there's places I can place them
worldwide.”
THE PROPER CONDUCT OF CHURCH SERVICES
(GOD.IN.SIMPLICITY_ JEFF.IN SUNDAY_
63-0317M)
Now, He's give us a nice place; let's dedicate it to
Him and dedicate ourselves with it to Him.
The beauty of the church is the character of the
people. By a consecrated life is the only way we can do it. We should never buy
or sell in the house of the Lord . It should be a place of worship, holy,
consecrated for that purpose. It’s not a place to visit, it’s a place of
worship. We should never murmor a word inside of here, outside of worship, to
one another unless it’s absolutely necessary. We should never rally around. We
should never run through the building or let our children run through the
building. We do not come into the sanctuary of the Lord to meet each other, we
come here to worship God.
This sanctuary is dedicated to worship. Stand outside;
talk anything you wish to as long as it’s right and holy. Go to one another’s
home. Visit one another’s place. But when you enter that door, keep
quiet. If you desired to, silently you come to the altar and pray silently. You
walk back to your seat, open up your Bible. What your neighbor done, that was
up to him. You had nothing to say. If you want to talk to him, say “I’ll see
him outside. I’m in here to worship the Lord.
We should never buy or sell in the building. We should
never do any business in this auditorium here; it should never be done in here.
That is, such as permitting ministers to come in and sell books and everything.
No matter what it is, there's other places to do that. We--we shouldn't buy and
sell in the house of our Lord. It
should be a place of worship, holy, consecrated for that purpose. See?
And now, this may seem a little rude, but it's not a
place to visit; it's a place of worship. We
should never even murmur a word inside of here, outside of worship, to one
another unless it's absolutely necessary. See? We should never rally around; we
should never run through the building or let our children run through the
building.
I have seen churches though, to where the children
were permitted to run all over the sanctuary, and the adults stand and holler
across the room to one another. That's a good way to ruin the service.
We do not come into the sanctuary of the Lord to meet
each other; we come here to worship God, then go to our homes. This sanctuary's dedicated to worship.
That's what we're here for, is to hear the Word of the Lord. And so everybody
wants to hear, and we want it just as quiet as they can be. That is, not a
bunch of talking and carrying on.
Therefore, dedicating ourselves, let's remember when
we enter that sanctuary, keep still to one another and worship God. If we want
to visit each other, there's places we may visit each other like that but never
walking around where you can't hear yourself think, and some person come in,
and they just don't know what to do. See? It's so much noise and things.
You come here to talk to Him (See?) and let Him talk
back to you. The trouble of it is, we do too much talking and don't listen
enough. Then when we come in here, wait on Him.
Now, the ushers stands at the corners of the buildings
and so forth and if any carrying on, they are ordained as their duty (and
trustees set here in the front) that in a case of someone getting misbehaving,
they are commissioned to ask the person to keep quiet.
The ushers stood at the door to see that nobody
talked. When you done your
talking outside, you come in. If you desired to, silently you come to the altar
and prayed silently. You walked back to your seat, opened up the Bible. What
your neighbor done, that was up to him. You had nothing to say. If you want to
talk to him, say, "I'll see him outside. I'm in here to worship the
Lord." You read His Word or set quietly.
Stand outside; talk anything you wish to as long as
it's right and holy; go to one another's homes; visit one another in places; but when you enter that door, be
quiet.
Of course, somebody worshipping the Lord; that's
expected. That's what it should be; that'swhat you're here for, is to worship
the Lord. And just if you feel like praising God or shouting, just go right on
(See?), 'cause that's what you're here for (See?), but--is to worship the Lord
in your own way of worshipping. But there's nobody worships the Lord while
you're talking and passing notes, and you're helping somebody else to get away
from the worship of the Lord. See?
So we feel that that would be wrong, and we want to
make that a ruling in our church, that in--in our congregation, that to this
building, this church will be
dedicated to the Kingdom of God and to the preaching of the Word. Pray;
worship; that's the reason you should come here, to worship.
As soon as the service is dismissed leave the
auditorium. You're through in the worship then. Then go out and talk to one
another and whatever you want to do. If
you've got something you want to talk to somebody, to see them, why, you go
with them or to their home or whatever it is, but don't do it in the
auditorium. Let's dedicate this
to God. See? This is His meeting place where we meet with Him. See? And the law
goes forth from the sanctuary, of course. And I believe that that would be
pleasing to our heavenly Father.
Remember, love is corrective (See?), always. Genuine
love is corrective. So you must be able to stand the correction. And mothers
know now that there's a place there for your babies. You young kids know
different than to run around over the building. See? And you adults know
different than to talk and carry on your conversations in the auditorium.
See?Don't do that; it's wrong. It isn't pleasing to God.
Jesus said, "It is written: My house shall be made a house of
worship, prayer, called the house of prayer by all nations." And they were
buying and selling, and He plaited ropes and ran the people out of the
auditorium. And we certainly
don't want that to happen in this sanctuary here. So let's dedicate our lives,
our church, our tasks, our service, and everything we have to the Kingdom of
God.”
And then the music--Sister Gertie, I don't know
whether she's here this morning or not, Sister Gibbs. The old piano, I believe,
set back in this corner the best of my remembrance. And she would play softly,
"Down at the cross where my Saviour died," some real sweet soft music, and then until
it come time for the service, and the
song leader got up and led a couple of congregational songs, and then if they
had some outstanding solo, they
sang it, but never just a bunch of carrying on.
And then the music continually played, and then when I
heard that, I knowed it was my time to come out. When a minister walks into a
congregation of people praying in the anointing of the Spirit, you're bound to
hear from heaven. That's just all. There's no way to keep from it. But if you
walk into confusion, then you're so confused, the Spirit's grieved. We don't
want that, no. We want to come here to worship. We have lovely homes that I'm
going to speak about just in a minute and so forth at home, where we visit our
friends and take them. This is the house of the Lord.
Now, there's little children, now, little babies. Now,
they don't know no different. The only way they can get what they want is cry
for it. And sometimes it's a drink of water, and sometimes they need attention.
And so we have by the grace of God dedicated a room; it was called on the list
a "cry room," but it's right straight in front of me. It's, other
words, where the mothers can take their baby.
Now, it's never bothers maybe me here at the pulpit;
maybe I won't even notice it, being anointed, but there's other people setting
near, and it bothers them. See? And they come here to hear the service.
So the mothers, if your little baby starts whimpering,
you can't help that. A real mother wants to take her baby to church, and that's
the thing you should do. And we've got a room there to where you can see every
corner of the building, all the auditorium, and a speaker there to where you
can control the volume any way you want to, with a little toilet in the end,
and water basin, and everything just exactly for the mother's convenience. With
chairs and things you can set down, a place to change your baby if it needs to
be changed and everything setting there. It's all fixed.
And then, many times teen-age children and sometimes
adults will get to, you know, young people will pass notes or cut up or
something in church. Now, you're old enough to know better than that. See? You
should know better than that. See? You shouldn't come here... If you expect to
be a real man someday and raise a family to the Kingdom of God, then start it
off in the beginning (You see?), and--and act right and do right. And now,
'course.
SERMONS ON TITHING AND OFFERING
1. TITHING IS AN OBLIGATION AND A CHRISTIAN DUTY
”I do believe that every Christian is obligated to pay
tithings because it is a commandment of the Lord. "And blessed is--are they that do all His
commandments, that they might have a right to enter into the Life, the Tree of
Life." Now, I do believe that tithe-paying is essential to a
Christian experience.”
QA.GOD.BEING.MISUNDERSTOOD.title JEFF COD 61-0723E
"But, you know, I feel like this, that a
member of a church, their first obligation is with their tithe and offerings,
is to support their church. If you're members of these fine
churches that's represented here, you support your church. That's
your first duty to God. "Bring your tithe and offerings into the
storehouse." Andthe storehouse, you surely know what
that is; it's where you get your food. So there's where you get
your spiritual food, and your obligation is to your church and not to an evangelist
like me.”
LET.US.SEE.GOD.title SAN.JOSE.CA V-14 N-2 59-1129
"Brother, sister, the church ought to get in
God's program, then the church will move all right. Just like suppers and
dinners and so forth to appropriate money, that's not God's way of doing
it. Pay your tithes; that's what God wants you to do. See?
Just keep in God's program, and He'll bless the giver and so
forth. He promised it."
BEGINNING.OF.JESUS.FAME_ CONNERSVILLE.IN FRIDAY_
53-0605
"Because they reject God's way of
paying tithes. Certainly. Why do they take a creed? Because they
don't want the Bible. Why they take a error? 'Cause they don't want the
Truth."
GO.AWAKE.JESUS_ SHREVEPORT.LA V-17 N-9 SATURDAY_
63-1130E
2. BROTHER BRANHAM PAID TITHES
"But just as loyal as I ever could, I
paid tithes. And when I took my own money from the church here or
from my campaigns, I'd take more... I'd give a tenth.
Then I'd give it out to the ministers, and give the rest of it to ministers.
Then when I couldn't do that, then the thing I did, I kept ten percent and give
God ninety. And then, when the law told me I couldn't do that, I'd have to
take... And if I did, it was going to be charged to it, then I had to take and
bypass it into foreign missions and so forth, and then just take a
wage out of that of a hundred dollars a week; and I pay my tithes from that.Yes,
sir. I believe in paying tithes . It's one of God's blessings
that's proven to be a blessing. You say, "That's of the Old
Testament." It is of the New Testament too. Yes, sir."
QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS_ JEFF.IN COD SUNDAY_ 64-0823E
"And I went down there and worked during the
depression, and--and they brought their tithes in. Instead of me keeping it and
not working, I put my own tithes in, and my offerings in, and the
money in, and we built the tabernacle here. And it's built on the
alms of the people that they give to me to make a living with. I worked and put
it back in the tabernacle, and that's the reason they call it Branham
Tabernacle."
UNPARDONABLE.SIN_ JEFF.IN V-26 N-8 SUNDAY_ 54-1024
617-Q-146 049 146. "Brother Branham, don't
you feel that everyone who claims to be a Christian should pay tithes, pay
their tithes into the storehouse of the Lord? Please give Scripture to this
question.All right, if you will... That is right, that the
Bible said in Malachi the 4th chapter, "Will a man rob God? And you say,
'Where have we robbed Thee?' In tithe and offerings. Bring all your tithe and
offerings into My storehouse and prove Me," saith the Lord, "if I
will not open up the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing that there'll
not be room enough to receive."That's a challenge to any individual. And
if I only had the time, and would not get to this little Scripture that I wish
to get to in about the next ten minutes, I would like to give you
a personal testimony of how that I was even hungry, and my mother and them
hungry, and my daddy sick, but I took my tithes out first and give it to God,
and you ought to see what happened. I have never seen in my life, that any man
or a woman, that if you only make one dollar a week, will bring the ten cents
of that money and put it into your storehouse, your church where you
come, if God don't bless that, call me a hypocrite. Yes,
sir. That's a challenge to anybody. And every Christian should pay
tithes. That's right. It should be done."
QA.GOD.BEING.MISUNDERSTOOD.title JEFF COD
61-0723E
"A minister, he's to live by the Gospel. But I was young; I was healthy, why shouldn't I
work and not be an obligation to the people? Not because that they wouldn't do
it; they would be glad to do it. But I just felt like if the rest of them
worked, then I'd work also. So I worked and--and paid my tithings
right at the church . I believe in tithe paying. Now... God has blessed (to) me
millions of times."
MY.LIFE.STORY_ CLEVELAND.OH SUNDAY_ 50-0820A
"And the church ARE THOSE who come and support
the church with their presence, with their tithe and offerings, are always the
ones that has legal say-so in the placing of such."
PLACING.OF.DEACONS.title JEFF.IN COD 58-0720E
3. AS THE ROYAL SEED OF ABRAHAM, WE ARE TO FOLLOW HIS
EXAMPLE
As you see, Abraham lived under “grace” and not under
the Law. Yet, he was the first one to introduce “tithings” to the seed of
Abraham."And to you people that don't believe in tithe paying,
look at this. The Levitical priesthood paid tithes. And
the Bible said that Levi paid tithes when he was in the loins of Abraham, and
that was his great, great grandfather. And when Levi was in the loins of
Abraham, when Abraham paid tithes to Melchisedec, the Bible
reckoned Levi paying tithes. How ought you people to live? If
your sins are visited to the children, what about your blessings?"
FAITHFUL.ABRAHAM.title LA.CA 59-0415E
"Notice, we want to go back and think. Paul here
is referring back to an Old Testament character. In the Book of Genesis we take
up the life of Abraham from the 12th chapter of Genesis: God giving Abraham the
promise, and through Abraham would come the righteous Seed. And
Abraham as believed by many to be a Jew, he was not. Abraham was a Gentile, a
Chaldean from the city of Ur. And he became God's servant, not
because he was different from anyone else, but because of the election of
God."
THE.COMMUNION_ JEFF.IN ER 21-34 THURSDAY_ 57-0418
4. NOTHING WILL EVER SUBSTITUTE GOD'S “TITHINGS”
"Today they're trying to take the place of God's
tithing. They're trying to adopt something.
They're trying to make it different. They go down and have bunco
games in the churches, play lottery.Lottery
will never take the place of God's tithings. Suppers,
blanket selling, picnics to raise money to pay different debts off. It'll never
take the place of God's eternal tithe and offerings; it'll never do it. But
yet we're trying to do it.
ENTICING.SPIRITS.title JEFF.IN DE 79-112 55-0724
"We got to have some kind of a sale to pay
the..." When it gets to a place like that, the church ought to close it's
doors. Pay your tithes and the pastor will be paid."
AS.THE.EAGLE.STIRRETH.UP.HER.NEST YAKIMA.WA THURSDAY_
60-0804
5. TITHING GOES TO THE MINISTER
680-Q-161 085 161. Would it be wrong to use tithes on
church building funds?Well now,
here--here's a touchy little thing for the minister. That's right. In the Bible
they had a box they'd set at the door in the Old Testament when the--building. This
box was a fund where the people put in there for the repairing... You've read
it many times in the Old Testament. They kept up the buildings and things like
that... All the repairs on the buildings was taken care out of that fund. But
a tenth of that went--a tenth of the tithings--all the tithings went to their
priests, their pastors. Yes, tithings are to go for nothing else.I know people
take their tithes and give them to a widow woman. That's wrong. If you've got
anything to give the widow woman, give her, but don't give her God's
money. That's not yours in the first place. That's God's."
QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.title JEFF.IN COD 61-1015M
MALACHI 3:8-11 ~8 Willl a man rob God ? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye
say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye [are] cursed with a curse:
for ye have robbed me, [even] this whole nation.
10 Bring
ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house,
and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if
I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that
[there shall] not [be room] enough [to receive it].
11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your
sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground;
neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the
LORD of hosts.12 And all nations shall call you blessed:
for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.
ADMONITION TO THE CHURCH
“Love one another above everything. Love one
another. Don’t... No matter what the devil tries to say... Now, you’re all one
great, big, sweet group now, but remember my warning . See? Satan won’t let
that stay that way. No, sir. He’ll shoot everything, if he has to bring
somebody in to make his target . He’ll bring some critic or unbeliever in, set
him down, and cause him to fellowship with you under the quietness and things.
Then he will shoot that guy with some kind of poison stuff, and he’ll start
through the church with it. Don’t you take sides with it. Don’t you have nothing
to do with anything else. You stay right loving and sweet and kind to one
another
.
Pray for that man that he’ll be saved too, or that
woman, ever who it is. Just pray for them and stick one with another and stay
with your pastor. See? He’s the shepherd and you give him respects. He’ll lead
you through, and—cause, he’s ordained of God to do so. Now, do you remember
that? The enemy will come. And when he does, just cling that much closer
together. And the one that the Devil is using for an enemy will either get out
or come in and be one of you. That’s all. Don’t never clan among one
an—or talk, make yourself clannish; we are one. I couldn’t say, “Left hand, I’m
mad at you; I’m going to take you away ‘cause you’re not a right hand.” He’s my
left hand. I want him to stay there. Even the little tip of my finger, I want
it to stay right there, every little part of my body stay right there.
And God wants us as a Body of believers to stay right
exactly with one another, right it with one another. And now, you’ve got tapes
on that. You’ve got tapes on what we believe. You got tapes on discipline in
the church : how we behave ourself in the church of God, how we got to come
here together and set together in heavenly places. Don’t stay home. If God is
in your heart, you can’t hardly wait for them doors to open out yonder to get
in here to fellowship with your brothers. If you don’t—don’t feel that way,
then I tell you, it’s time you got to praying, ‘cause we’re in the last days
where the Bible exalted us—exhorted us to—to much more as we see that day
approaching, to love one another with Christian love and Divine love, to
assemble ourselves together in heavenly places in—in Christ Jesus and love one
another.
“This will all men know you’re My disciples when you
have love one for the other.” That’s right. Stay right together. If the
brother, you think he’s a little wrong, or the sister, say, “Lord, don’t let me
ever have the root of bitterness spring up, ‘cause it’ll—it’ll affect him, and
it’ll take the Christ right out of my life.” That poison acids of malice, and
jealousy, and hatred, that’ll just take the Holy Spirit right away from you .
It’ll run Him from the Tabernacle here. It’ll kill the Spirit of God or drive
it away from here, hurt your pastor; it’ll do everything. See? Don’t you do
that. You just wax that much closer together . Draw up the... Take the buckle,
as the brother testified (a minister here the other night) about having a
buckle (seeing it in a vision). Just... That buckles on the whole armor of God;
just put it on, tighten up, move right up close to one another. Love one
another anyhow. Talk nice about one another. Say nice things about one another,
and then God will bless you.” (CHRIST.IS.THE.MYSTERY.title JEFF.IN V-3N-7
63-0728)