How many companies are willing to make strong, in your face proclamations about their products? That's just how much they believe in them! Here are just a few companies and their slogans. I know this just barely scratches the surface on a multitude of advertising slogans throughout the years...
Absolut Vodka
BMW: "The ultimate driving machine"
British Airways: "The world's favourite airline"
Budweiser: "The King of beers"
Cellcom: "Clearly the best"
De Beers: "A diamond is forever"
Disneyland: "The happiest place on earth"
Energizer Batteries: "Nothing outlasts the Energizer. It keeps going and going and going"
Folgers: "The best part of wakin' up ... is Folgers in your cup."
Gillette: "The best a man can get"
Hallmark: "When you care enough to send the very best"
Master Card: "There are some things money can't buy. For everything else, there's MasterCard"
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WOW. It does get confusing though when Master Card tells me that they are for everything money can buy. But then Visa comes along and tells me that they are everywhere I want to be.
So I'm sure that if you have read this blog for more than one post, you know that I was pondering this while thinking about God.
Absolute. God is Absolute. There is no grey area. I was thinking about Lee Strobel. While a legal editor for the Chicago Tribune, he decided to put his education to good use and prove to his wife (who was a Christian) that her views were wrong and his (an atheist) was right. Well, he became a Christian in 1981. He now writes books for others to see the Truth. He knows that if someone is out looking for the Truth, they will find it. It doesn't matter if someone is sitting on the corner screaming all of the reasons that they are right. Truth is still Absolute.
This all came to mind several days ago when I posted a link on my Facebook page. Peter Duyzer recently completed a 10+ year writing project where he compiled all of his research on William Marrion Branham. William M. Branham is an individual who claimed he was the prophet Elijah. Sent to forerun the second coming of Jesus. But when looked at objectively, the researcher will discover that his interpretations where unbiblically sound and his life claims were inaccurate. He stole theology from many previously published works and developed some of his own. While others changed throughout the course of his ministry.
Legend of the Fall is the title of the book. After posting the link I posted a comment hoping that I would get some interesting comments and possibly debate. My comment was as follows...
"And may the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, come in now, the Promise, the Comforter, that You said You would send."- William Branham-07/29/51
For those that don't know... Branham spent most of his ministry preaching against the Trinitarian doctrine.
For those that don't know... Branham spent most of his ministry preaching against the Trinitarian doctrine.
"There's no three persons in the Godhead. And there cannot be a personality without being a person; it takes a person to make a personality. There is no three Gods. There's only one God, and that God is Jesus Christ." WMB 07/23/61
Gotta love the inconsistencies. I bet you didn't even know that he lied about the day he was born! The person who wrote this book even dug up his marriage license. WMB didn't write April 6, 1909. You'll have to read it to see what year he really wrote.
This book is written by a former Message minister that was under Ed Byskal's teaching. Then Peter started to read his Bible. This is the result of ten years of research and study. Absolutely amazing!!!
I had three people comment. One was wondering what happened in the ten years to change his mind about the Trinity. Another, having never heard of WMB, was asking who he was. While the third one shared this ...
William Branham was a man who started a new movement using his own interpretation of scripture. He also believed he saw a vision that would give him interpretations of scripture. He did not believe God was three in one and taught against it. I clearly showed my son who attended such a church for a while that in scripture at Christ's Baptism and other places God showed him self in three distinct ways. Jesus said He had to leave so the comforter (Holy Spirit) who could be with us always be with us.
Branham also had his own interpretation of the book of Revelation. When my son was attending this church we as parents were kept from the truth of what he was being taught although they told him right away. When I saw the doctrine of the fall interpreted as Eve having relations with the serpent and read part of the Revelation book as well as going on line and listening to his sermons. I knew my son was mixed up in a cult. When we talked to him he was ready with answers they had prepared him to give. We tried to show him the errors but he was closed to the Truth for quite some time. Read the text Emily has suggested and go to his website. All of his sermons are chronicled and taught and there is a leader in each church who will tell you what you can believe. It is a very deceived group that connect closely as families and look like true believers until you really get down to the bare facts they cannot hide. I met Em on line because of my searching for the truth about this man. She grew up in it but has been given very clear understanding of the false doctrines and has been given great grace and salvation through the blood of Christ Jesus.
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Still, you are probably still wondering WHAT ON EARTH THIS HAS TO DO WITH ADVERTISING SLOGANS?!?!
I found in incredibly interesting that NO MESSAGE BELIEVERS commented on my link or even sent me a private message. As I write this, I have 329 'friends' on Facebook. A quick survey of my list reveals that 38 of them still believe that William Branham is a prophet and his teachings are the best, most accurate way to Jesus Christ. The majority also believe that you aren't saved unless you believe his (Branham's) teachings. Though the beliefs on that last statement vary from congregation to congregation. It also depends if they are discussing it within themselves or to an outsider that they are trying to convert.
But seriously, I KNOW that some of them had to have read that. *shout out to all of you Facebook stalkers out there, you know who you are* Why didn't any of them offer up their answer to the question of who William Branham is? If they know that they know that they know that they are following the truth, then wouldn't they want to defend it and bring others in to it? Wouldn't they be willing to look at the article behind the link that I posted so that they could pick it apart and defend their point???
I have told kids in youth group that are struggling with if they want to believe or not, to question it. So meaning.... study the Bible... ask God questions. I tell them not to take their parent's word for it. I know the things that God did to reveal Himself to me. I know how BIG God truly is. So I know if someone is honestly searching for the ABSOLUTE TRUTH they will find it. Just like Lee Strobel.
2 Peter 3:9 is a verse I was reminded of this week. "The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
So.... have you sought out the Absolute Truth yet? Or are you happy believing what everyone around you is telling you is THE BEST??
