I’m certain many remember the “Humble Pie” Believe the Sign served last fall. I don’t think the word shocked could possibly start to express what I felt. How on earth could the message be wrong?
I stayed glued to their Facebook page watching the comments and reading all of their posts. I waited anxiously for someone to come in and set everything right again. Not one minster stepped up. Not one.
I was so disappointed. I streamed services from every well known minister in the message hoping for answers. “Stay off of the sites, don’t engage, do not do an independent study, ask the ministry all your questions, and the worst: The Bible has discrepancies too!”
I was absolutely sickened. These ministers I thought so very much of and had so much respect for, refused to answer questions. Instead, they pointed to flaws in men of the Bible and tried to justify the discrepancies rather than present reasonable answers.
I began to think of the young people, of course they had questions about all this. Wouldn’t it have been so much easier to take a service and answer each and every discrepancy or question presented with the Bible? No, instead let’s make them look stupid and ridiculous for even having questions.
How arrogant.
Well of course God uses fallible men. We are human. It is not so much the man in question, but what he said. Did he say what the Bible said? Either you hold the Bible as your standard or you don’t.
What I saw was men, elders, who had been in the message for 30 or more years standing up and saying “we were wrong”.
I decided to hear to what they had to say.
I felt like I was approaching a group of minsters on a platform. Me, a woman slowly approaching them, timidly asking, humbly, eyes to the floor… I didn’t see many “sisters” out there, and I knew I would be considered out of my place. But… it just had to be done.
My fingers were shaking, as I typed out, deleted, and retyped my question several times. I was so nervous, I couldn’t make sense of it myself, hopefully someone else would. I closed my eyes and hit enter.
Within minutes my phone was beeping and my email inbox dinged. I even had messages on Facebook from people I didn’t even know, and they were all saying the same thing: “Disengage!”
Funny how, if I was a man asking, there wouldn’t have been the intimidation. I don’t even think I would have been nervous. It probably would have rolled off like last night’s ball game scores. I’m pretty sure no one would have even noticed.
However, female that I was, I was warned not to communicate with those people, they are apostates. Speaking with them would only open doors to weaken and test my own faith. If I had any questions, I should ask a minister or my husband. What made them think I hadn’t?
I will admit I let them intimidate me. I stayed quiet, like a fly on a wall, silently reading. Watching for answers that never came, only to realize, they never would.
I will tell you this, when I asked questions of those “apostates”, they answered me. And when they did, it was with love and kindness. I wasn’t mistreated on the forum at all. The notes of warning were all sent privately by “friends”, “family”, and “concerned” message believers.
Just participating in a small conversation on the site shamed and embarrassed my family. I decided it was for the best that I not participate any further. I cried in frustration, that I would ever remain, a fly on the wall.
You know when you feel like you’ve hit rock bottom and it just can’t possibly get any worse? Perhaps you’ve fallen and you just can’t go any further. That is when He carries you. He picks you up, and brings you along until you can go again. Sometimes, you don’t even realize it, but He’s been there the whole time.
A friend request showed up a couple of months later, out of the blue. It was a male name I recognized from the comments on the forum. When I accepted, they sent me a message telling me who they really were. It was another sister, just like me, seeking answers, but afraid to ask. As I read her note tears streamed down my cheeks. All I could think was, “I’m not alone, I’m not alone!”
She said she saw me post, and thought it was so brave of me as a woman to do so. This made me realize that if there was one fly on the wall, there were more. If there was one woman asking questions under a man’s name, there were more.
All of this was nearly a year ago now. So very much has happened. I am no longer a fly on the wall, others however, still are. Good news- more are coming.
The Bitter Belly 
Dear Rama. I pray that you receive grace to take you out of the heresy of “the message of the hour” and draw you nearer to God. By the Grace and mercy of the Lord I have come out and my relationship with him has never been more personal and truthfull!!! There is great Power in the blood of the Lamb!!!
My dearest friends, surely you testified of what happened to you and your believe. I respect your view about the message ,but I differ with you about your interpretation of the message of the hour. To me I have seen its effect and thru the Spirit it was sent. My request to you is that wait and see the quality of people it produced and will produce. Something beyond all in heaven, beyond everything an earth even underworld from God has incarnated some people on earth that will never bow to the beast. You can all express your views ,but will never change the intention of the message from God thru the prophet(William Branham) and some other pastors to HIS Bride. The message of the hour thru Malachi 4(William Marion Branham) is the ONLY one that God send to Save the savourble and to judge the Judgeable in this Age.Finally,it does not surprise me because the people that are the outsiders are the only ones that will comment badly and Only the Insiders will HOLD on to the message.And I am SURE that finally it has reached the minority of people it was purposed to redeem-remember it comes from God and will never:never return void.
hahaha.. I look like an angel on the net but my life is far from being christian? This pharisee spririt never ceases to amaze me. Are you willing to give an example of where me and my brother’s lives are far from being christian?
Espereance, Why do you write such a shalow statement, about brother Daniel and Stephen Phaladi, you say they live in your community, well, they dont just live in my community, they are my personal friends, and and I can basically tell you right now, about them living lives that are far from being christian, you are simply lying, and you know it. I can ask you to name things in their lives that are far from being christian and you wont know where to start. I have seen more of Christ in those Brothers than all your self righteousness. You say you praise God for a wrong thing that produces righteous men and woman, then why do you call Pastor Roscoe illuminati, Pastor George Martin a scrapyard, and Pastor Nkodima a ZCC leader?
Are the disbeleive the sign people bitter, hence now they are bitterbelly??
They all appear as angels on the internet, but guys like stephen and daniel phaladi are well known to us, they live in our communities and their lives are far from being a christian. Its a pity that man will always see mistakes in others and will never look at his. So please tell us more about yourselves, your family lives, how you live with your wives. If the message is wrong, what about your lives. If this message is wrong then praise God for a wrong thing that produces righteous men and woman.
Hello Dear Sister,
You make reference to “the Bible having discrepancies too” but would you expect ministers to have to get up and refute the claims of all those who do not believe the Bible? All the claims of evolutionists that the creation is a myth? All the claims of people who say Jesus never existed, and so on? No, our job is to preach the Word and believe it. The same with the Message: our job is to preach it and believe it, not to try to refute all the claims made against it. Believers believe the Bible although we do not understand everything, and some things may not make sense to us. We also believe the Message although we cannot make sense of everything. You aren’t throwing away the Bible so don’t throw away the Message either.
That makes Balaam a true prophet, because all his prediction never failed? Do you know that???…..And which prophecy of Bro Branham failed??
I do not understand your questions and comments concerning “da vinci code”. However, you have asked me how I know the prophet was wrong. I will answer according to my own convictions and understanding. In Deuteronomy 18:22 we are told, “If the prophet speaks in the LORD’s name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the LORD did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared.”
1 John 4:1 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
The Bible tells us to test every spirit to see if it is from God. If God vindicated William Branham, He would not hide it from us. He is a God of order and truth. He does not sow seeds of confusion and doubt to deceive His children.
The Bible clearly tells us how to identify a prophet of God and know whether what he said is from God. William Branham does not meet those qualifications. 1 Corinthians 14:29 “Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said.”
We are led by the Spirit of the living God. This is the new covenant He has made with His children. We were promised by the prophet Jeremiah of this new covenant and we read of it in the book of Hebrews.
2 Corinthians 3 “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.
For he finds fault with them when he says:
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord,
when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah,
not like the covenant that I made with their fathers
on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
For they did not continue in my covenant,
and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws into their minds,
and write them on their hearts,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor
and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’
for they shall all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.
For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,
and I will remember their sins no more.”
In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
Why don’t you reveal yourself if you are honest, “the bitter belly”….Please ask the Disbelievethesign group why don’t they believe in “da vinci code” because according to the media that’s a fact. They believe the media more than they believe the Message of Bro Branham, they are trying to show us that 16 men did not fall from the bridge by using the media. Don’t you know that the Devil is behind the media eg. “da vinci code”. Please answer my question is the “da vinci code” right because that is a fact according to the media. My question for you is: How do you ‘now know’ that the prophet was wrong? Are you putting more faith in an article you read on the internet than in the prophet of the age? Did you ever consider who wrote the article? Is this person anointed by the Holy Spirit to write these things? Was he/she vindicated by miracles from God like Brother Branham was? Or, is the person simply a critic that is trying to plant the seed of doubt with a bunch of “facts” that may or may not be true? A genuine Christian would not check these things with worldly knowledge such as newspaper articles, but check it with the Word. ……Don’t be so easily swayed by the things you read. It is not up to us to prove Brother Branham’s Ministry; God has already done that. It is up to us to believe. There was critics(more intelligent than Disbelievethesign) during the Time of bro Branham that try to prove that bro Branham was wrong and they All Failed, because God was behind bro Branham. God bless you
Thank you, sweetie, for being so brave. You aren’t alone. Love you,
Newclothes
Well said, Stephen. God has seen fit to tear down the idol Message believers have made of William Branham.
Hello,
I appreciate the stand you are taking. Your testimony is powerful and it will stir the hearts of His children. When I began to see I was nothing, I was the same as all of God’s children, I wasn’t born with a ticket to the front of the line, this is when my spirit was broken before Him and the reality of the true gift of His Salvation and Redemption became new to me. It filled me as never before. Truly I will never be the same again. I praise Him for never leaving me. He is good, He is faithful, and He is true. Blessed be the name of my Lord. You are in my prayers brother Stephen. God keep you and use you for His glory.
I so appreciate that, it means very much to me. Thank you.
Thank you for what you do, your words have blessed me many times.
Your writing(s) touch my heart. I’m so glad you were able to keep going forward, and that you’re starting a new life in the Grace of Jesus Christ. It encourages me and other posters on Believethesign to keep at it. Sometimes it seems that we debate with the same few that really aren’t on that page because they’re seeking, but are trying to undermine and confuse. But now I will remember that there may be other flies on the wall, and hope that they see truth, too.
God bless you Sister,
I just wanted to applaud your courage. Your experience is one familiar to so many. When the defence against the ‘doubters’ is threats, shame, disapproval, silence – and NO answers, it should send alarm bells to all. Unfortunately, it’s what keeps so many from looking and questioning. Fear is a powerful deterrent.
Thank you for your courageous words. I believe your honest and sincere depiction will help others in their journey. God Bless,
James Rozak
Hello Brave Sister
I left the message in June of 2011, having been in it, and preaching it for 30 years. I was born and raised in this heresy, but at the stated date I left. I was the first person in South Africa to leave the Message, write tracts about this heresy and circulate them. Others either left quietly or just went back to bootleggin’. Funny, I didn’t have any of the facts. I merely questioned the spirit of the message. Think of that. I did noit know about failed prophecies, or cloud hoaxes, or fabrications, and as far as I was concerned, that could still have all been true, but I stood behind a pulpit, and showed a disapproving audience that we were in a Cult. The deacon stood up, and You know exactly what he said. I’m glad God kept him seated until I finished preaching. Goliath is down. Come out of Babylon is what we now say to one and all!