Stay In Your Lane
This past Wednesday, I went with a friend for a drive to Zion, Illinois. This city near the Wisconsin border was founded at the beginning of the 20th century by a preacher named John Alexander Dowie. Originally from Scotland, Dowie had a powerful ministry based in Chicago where God used him mightily in the gifts of healing. However, he wanted to establish Zion as a totally Christian-based society. Possession of tobacco, liquor, and swine's flesh were prohibited within city limits. As Dowie focused on overseeing this new city, his ministry declined, and suffered financial problems before passing away at 59. Roberts Liardon’s book “God’s Generals” details Dowie’s life as well as other preachers whose ministries didn’t end well. One of whom was William Branham. He had gifts in healing and prophecy, but desired to become a teacher. Branham wasn’t knowledgeable enough in the Word. As a result, he drifted into proclaiming unbiblical doctrines such as rejecting the existence of an eterna...