Since leaving the Message in 1989, I have endeavored to stress to Message believers the importance of making the Bible their "absolute." The Bible is an indispensable guide to separating the truth from error in any teaching. When I have pointed out to followers of the Message that portions of the Message are not compatible with the Scriptures, I have been told that I need a "revelation" of the Message and that Mr. Branham's teachings must be spiritually discerned.

The apostle Paul described the importance of spiritual discernment in I Corinthians 2:14. But his use of the term has a different meaning than the Message believer’s. If one reads this verse in the context of the first two chapters, it is obvious that Paul is differentiating between those who are saved and those who are uninterested in the Gospel. Those who have not received the Gospel do not see the wisdom in it because they lack spiritual discernment. But there are millions of Christians throughout the world who have not accepted the Message. Is it because they lack spiritual discernment? Not in the Biblical sense. Billy Graham has been introduced to the Message more than once and he has not accepted it. Who would compare him to those who Paul said lacked spiritual discernment?

If a teaching is to be spiritually discerned, it must be based in the Bible. I Thessalonians 5:21 says, "Prove all things." The footnote to this verse in the New International Version Study Bible says, "Paul does not say what specific tests are to be applied, but he is clear that every teaching must be tested - surely they must be in agreement with his gospel."

II Timothy 3:16 says that all Scripture is profitable for reproof, correction and instruction. And the Bereans searched the Scriptures daily to verify that the teachings of Paul and Silas were true (Acts 17:10,11). We must verify all doctrine with the Bible. If a Message believer, on the other hand, sees a discrepancy in a teaching of Mr. Branham's, they say that they still believe it because they have a "revelation". But their revelation doesn't explain the discrepancies. It only puts a Band-Aid on their lack of biblical support for some of Mr. Branham's teachings. They believe in his teachings in spite of the discrepancies because they have accepted Mr. Branham as a prophet with the "revealed word." This is unbiblical and makes the truth subject to what Mr. Branham says it is, not what the Bible says. In reality, the Message believers are not discerning the truth for themselves, but having faith that Mr. Branham’s spiritual discernment is correct.

So why are Mr. Branham’s followers so confident in his Message? I believe that it comes down to the perceived presence of the supernatural in his life. Mr. Branham’s followers see his "gifts" of prophecy and healing as vindication that his Message is true. Without these "gifts," it is doubtful that very many of his followers would have accepted his unorthodox teachings. But do supernatural signs in a person’s life prove that he is teaching the truth? There is a man alive today whose life is a continual supernatural event. He began to manifest a miraculous gift in his life while still a young boy. When he was about 8 years old he would often pull sweets out of an empty bag to share with his friends. He told them that a powerful spirit gave him whatever he wanted. As a teenager, he began to share clairvoyant perceptions of surrounding events. He had the ability to discern the very thoughts of those around him. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of his religion that surpassed that of the leaders of his faith who had spent years in study. This man can tell people who he has never met what illnesses they have and then prophetically describe the circumstances around their supernatural healing. One follower of his said, " I could spend days telling you all the miraculous healings [he] has performed."

He often holds out an open, empty hand before audiences of thousands, then, after pulling up his sleeve, he waves his open hand in circles. In an instant he produces a handful of "divine ash" out of thin air. This ash is then given to those desiring healing to facilitate their recovery. This man is able to discern intimate details in a person’s past, and has demonstrated the ability to converse with any foreigner in their native language. This man once held a birthday party for himself in India where 500,000 people attended. As a result of his powerful life and charisma, he leads a following of 20 million devotees worldwide. His message of love and reconciliation with his god is vindicated daily by his demonstrations of divine healing, creation of objects out of nothing and his prophetic statements. His name is Sai Baba and his followers consider him to he a modern avatar (incarnation of a Hindu god). An account of his life from a Christian perspective can be obtained from a book titled, Lord of the Air, by Tal Brooke. Brooke is now a born-again Christian who was once one of Sai Baba’s top western disciples.

Without our standard of Truth, the Bible, how would we know that Sai Baba’s powers are not vindication of his message? Mr. Branham once correctly said, "Now can’t you see that you can’t put your trust in healing campaigns? You can’t put your trust in any sign like that." But he also said that the signs and wonders in his ministry vindicated his Message to be true. He can't have it both ways. The fact is that no amount of miraculous signs can ever verify the validity of someone’s message. That includes the Message of William Branham. We have to rely totally on the Bible to verify the soundness of Mr. Branham’s Message.

Message believers often insist that the Message is the most accurate commentary on the Bible they have ever heard. But it's only scriptural according to Mr. Branham’s interpretation of the Bible. In other words, the Message agrees with the Bible only as it is interpreted by Mr. Branham. This is circular reasoning and is inherently flawed. One should judge the Message independently from Mr. Branham's interpretation of the Bible.

I would implore followers of the Message to set aside their inclination that Mr. Branham is a prophet and compare his teachings with the Bible. It is the Bible, not supernatural signs, that must vindicate a person’s ministry.

God often provides us with supernatural displays of His awesome power, but if Mr. Branham’s doctrines cannot be supported by the Bible, then no amount of supernatural events are confirmation that his is the inspired Message of the Hour.