In the Bible, "not a striker" is used to describe someone who does not engage in violent or aggressive behaviour.

In Mathew 5:39, Jesus teaches His followers to "resist evil" and "not to strike back" at those who harm them. Similarly, in Romans 12:14, Paul writes, "Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not."

The term "filthy lucre" means money or financial gain, acquired in a dishonest way. The verse is stating that a Pastor must not be someone who is covetous of gaining wealth and power through mischievous and unscrupulous means. The term "lucre" generally refers to financial gain.

Sorry for keeping quite long in responding to your questions. The questions are quite beautiful and thought-provoking! I have tried to answer them according to the way they're numbered.

(1&2) If the person is not in the Message, it's natural that he'll ask for a Scripture to know that we are not in Laodicea. The truth is that there are many truths you can't pinpoint a Scripture to. For instance, we can't pinpoint a Scripture against smoking, though the Bible speaks broadly about SANCTIFICATION. If he is a Message believer, he should take the prophet's word for it because what the prophet preached is the true interpretation of the Bible, and God vindicated that to be so.

In the message MY COMMISSION 1951 para 40, Brother Branham said, "...But I am God's Voice to you. See?..." His voice then is a Scriptural voice.

Among all the seven church ages, Laodicea has the shortest period, so we can still not be in Laodicea, knowing it started in 1906.

In the Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages, in the Laodicean Church Age, the prophet predicted that the Laodicean Church Age would end in 1977.
Quote: "As a servant of God who has had multitudes of visions, of which NONE has ever failed, let me predict (I did not say prophesy, but predict) that this age will end around 1977."

In the Philadelphian Church Age, he said, "The last age will be a short one - a quick work of consummation." The Bride has been called out from Laodicea into the Eternal Church Age. Remember that the messengers come at the end of each church age and elapse into the next church age. In The Evening Messenger, 1963, para 79, the prophet said, "...that God sends the messenger of that age at the end of the time, always at the end, never at the beginning. At the end!"

In The Philadelphian Church Age, 298-3, he said, "we must now recall what has been said about each age running over into another age. There is an overlapping..."

In The Stature Of A Perfect Man, 1962, para 31, he was very specific. He said, "And this is a message on teaching, that ties the man in, that's going to be redeemed by the Blood of the Lord Jesus, and is going to be in that church Age, that Eternal Church age at the end of the Seals." Remember, the Seals were preached in 1963.

These quotes do not suggest that there are eight church ages. They rather suggest that, to the true Bride of Christ, the church ages are now history. In six different sermons, Brother Branham referred to the Eternal Church Age as the Bride Age. In The Invisible Union Of The Bride Of Christ, 1965, para 324, he said, "WE'RE IN THE BRIDE AGE."

So the question will be that if the Bride is not in Laodicea, where is she? The answer: she is in the Headstone. She has already been married to the Headstone that's why she is in the Eternal Church Age.

Consider the following quote: ONENESS 1962
"And now what is He doing, calling from that. What did He do? He called out the elect to make the Lutheran; He called out the elect out of the Lutheran to make the Wesleyan; He called out the elect out of that to make the Pentecostals; now He's calling the elect Pentecostals out to make the Headstone to come into it, the very same kind of a ministry dropping right in on it, calling His children from all denominations and all walks of life.

The Ephesian Church Age began in AD 53 and ended in AD 170. Apart from being the messenger, Paul was also the pastor of the Church of Ephesus. Considering what the prophet said, Paul must have come towards the end of that age.

(3) Your thought in Genesis 3:15 is perfect. Jesus Christ is referred to as the woman's Seed because unlike Melchisedec, Jesus Christ came from a woman. He is the spiritual Seed of the woman. Eve's spiritual Seed would therefore be our Lord Jesus Christ. Remember, Satan bruised Jesus' Heel and Jesus bruised his head at Calvary, giving Satan a deadly permanent wound.

(4) According to Hebrews 7:9-10, it is true Levi paid tithes in Abraham but the same cannot be said about Eve being blessed in Adam in Genesis 5:2. I don't know why that's so but in my opinion, Levi was a seed in Abraham but Eve was not a seed in Adam, though she was part of him before she was brought out. The prophet said because Eve was not in the original creation as Adam was, she could be perverted and could pervert. She was a by-product of Adam. So I presume that, that is why she could be cursed directly, unlike Adam.

A beautiful question!

Acts 22:16 sounds like Ananias is telling Paul to get baptised so that his (Paul's) sins will be washed away, but that Scripture is not saying that.

It is neither saying, 'arise, and be baptised for the washing away of thy sins."

It is saying, "arise, and be baptised, and wash away thy sins." The washing away of our sins is based on our confession of repentance and in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary.

The word "and" is a conjunction, and it does not show that "arise and be baptised" is what accounts for the washing away of one's sins. The "and" only shows that after "arise and be baptised," something else is done. It's akin to saying, "they received the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues." One can receive the Holy Ghost and do something else instead of speaking in tongues.

Brother Branham said water doesn't wash away our sins, but it is the Blood of the Lord Jesus that washes our sins. 1 Peter 3:21 confirms that:

"The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ."

I hope it is quite clear to you now?

Yes, according to 1 Corinthians 6:19, the Holy Ghost stays in the believer. Thank God that we know that, according to the prophet, the Holy Ghost is Jesus Christ in the Spirit form.

Brother Branham said it is not three Gods as Father, Son and Holy Ghost, but ONE God manifesting Himself in three different ways and that that God is the Lord Jesus Christ. This is why when the Lord told them in Mathew 28:19 to baptise in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, they all baptised in the name of the LORD JESUS CHRIST.

According to 1 John 5:7, there are three that bear record in heaven. The question is, are the three three persons or three titles to one Person? The answer is in that same Scripture. "...and these three are ONE." So all the three refer to ONE GOD. But pay attention to the next verse, 1 John 5:8. "And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three AGREE in one. Brother Branham said the verse 8 is different from the verse 7. In Verse 7, the three are ONE , but verse 8 is talking about three different things: Justification (water), Sanctification (blood), and Spirit (the infilling of the Holy Ghost). They are not one or the same, but they agree that's why it introduces the word agree in verse 8. A person can be justified and not sanctified. A person can also be sanctified without having the Holy Ghost.

So, as I said earlier, the Holy Ghost is Jesus Christ in the Spirit form. In John 14:26, the Comforter is sent in His Name. This means the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, comes as Jesus Christ, which is His Name. "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name,..."

If the Bride of Christ is already married to the WORD, then she is already married to CHRIST because CHRIST is the WORD‼

Our first husband (the world and its cares) is dead. Now, are we married to Christ, our Husband, the WORD.

Consider the following Scriptures:

Isaiah 54:5
For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy ONE of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

Revelation 19:7
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

John 3:29
He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the Bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

All the Scriptures above are not using future tenses like "shall be", etc. They all use present tenses. Now is the Bride married because she is married to the WORD.

Apart from a pastor feeding God's flock with spiritual food, he is also obligated to see to the general welfare of each member of the assembly.

If a pastor just preaches the Word of God behind the pulpit and does not concern himself with the natural life of the people, he is just a preacher/minister of the Gospel. He is not really pastoring. A pastor means a shepherd or an overseer, so he oversees or shepherds the flock, apart from preaching.

He corrects, he rebukes, he discourages and encourages, and he guides the congregation in many ways.

A pastor, therefore, must concern himself with marriages in the church, the employment of his flock, their education, their health, etc. etc. etc. He must have the people at heart. Their concern is his concern, and that's why he is in constant prayer for his flock.

When the people are gainfully employed and are marrying, schooling, and doing well in life, a pastor becomes very happy because his burden lightens.

For instance, in our little assembly, brother Joel has employed a few brethren. That reduces my burden significantly when it comes to employment. Brother Archibold has employed a couple of brethren, too. It further lessens my burden.

I try to get the people educated or employed with the help and support from my wife.

So, yes, a pastor must be interested in the general welfare of his flock, not only when it comes to employment.