Ewald Frank

preached on 26. 5. 1991, 14:00, Zürich,

Topic: 1 Corinthians 13:1–13: "On the true love of God!"

broadcast on 29. 7. 2026

Luke 7, verses 13 to 16.

[13] And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.

[14] And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.

[15] And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.

[16] And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.

It says here: “when the Lord saw her, her misfortune touched his heart.” Today he sees you. Today he sees me. Today, what has befallen you and me touches his heart, so he may turn our fortunes around and put an end to our distress.

And here he says: “Weep not.” There are people who are struck by hardship. One does not always see it, though sometimes it is plain to see. Yet, the Lord wants to deliver us from our distress. He sees our misfortune, it touches his heart. And he says: “Weep not, I am here and when I am here, your situation changes.”

The dead are raised to life. [Luk 7:22] The leper is cleansed. [Luk 7:22] The blind receive their sight, the lame walk. [Luk 7:22]

When the Lord is present, then something happens. We come to him, and then it happens and we take with us what he graciously bestows upon us.

And it is written here: “And he came and touched the bier.” That is our Lord. He does not merely see the misfortune. He takes action. He takes it into his own hands. And then the situation comes to a halt and does not progress any further. And with that halt, comes God’s intervention, the change, the new beginning, the new life. That is the lesson to be learned from these brief verses.

“And he came and touched the bier.” Once again, he did not stand by and think, ‘Well, that’s terrible, I’m sorry, people are weeping here.’ He takes hold of the situation. He steps forward. We watch on, we walk past. He does not watch on, he does not walk past. He tackles the situation that affects you and me. Then it comes to a halt, then change comes, and then new life comes with our Lord.

And it says here: “and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak.” You know, when applied to the spiritual realm, this is also true. When a person turns to Christ, a divine spring bursts forth within them, and they call upon the name of the Lord and are saved, and then praise flows from their lips, namely the praise of the heart for salvation. for mercy, for forgiveness.

Verse 16 is also very important.

[16] And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.

I do not wish to twist the Scriptures, but even today God looks favorably upon his people.

According to the Scripture: “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” [Rom 9:15]

As God passed before Moses, he exclaimed, “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” [Exo 33:19]

As you know, we could speak time and again about developments in the end times, about the imminent return of the Lord, about God’s message that has been bestowed upon us by grace, for which we grow more grateful to God every day.

I have often said there will be a constant ebb and flow of intermingling everywhere.

But the called-out bride of Christ will not intermingle again. Rather she will be set apart, consecrated and sanctified to God, and prepared for the glorious day of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

I believe we are celebrating the 700th anniversary in Switzerland this year, and it is being celebrated today. The great gathering of the churches and denominations is taking place at the stadium in Bern. I heard a brief report on the radio on my way to Zürich. When you hear everything that is being said, it comes so close to the truth. And then politics creep in, religious politics and other forms, and you soon realize how the intermingling is taking its course.

God sets apart, God calls out, and even gives the command: “Do not touch the unclean thing; then I will be your God and you shall be my people.” [2 Cor 6:17–18]

I am delighted anew every time I think of the words in Amos 8, verse 11.

[11] Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.

Not interpretations, not explanations, not opinions, but the original Word of our God.

At the lecture in Bremen, I mentioned earlier, two ladies were sitting towards the left of the audience, and I noticed that they were getting very flustered. And I did something there that I had never done before in my life. I simply said: “Ladies, if you feel that this message is not intended for you, then please do not feel obliged to stay. Feel free to leave the hall.” And lo and behold, they rose and went on their way.

The Word of God is not intended for everyone.

“Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” [Mat 7:14]

And I believe that the Word is fulfilled time and again, which Brother Branham also often quoted: “No one can come to me, except the Father draws him first, and all those whom the Father has given me will come to me, and I will give them eternal life.” [Jn 6:37–40, 44]

When we are drawn by God in this way, it is not into a congregation, but to the Lord. Not to have our names registered somewhere, but to realize that our names were written in the Lamb’s Book of Life before the foundation of the world.

I link this scripture from Amos chapter 8, verse 11 with the glorious passage from Matthew 24.

I believe it is becoming ever more significant to us all.

God has, after all, in these last days, placed his Word in its entirety upon the lampstand.

As has also been emphasized many times before throughout church history, certain truths were put upon the lampstand. Depending on the revival and the spiritual state of the time, it went further and further.

But now, at the end of the age, these are not merely partial truths. Now it is the full truth, the whole counsel of God, the full Gospel.

This includes all the promises that God has graciously bestowed upon us for the end times.

And whoever walks with God today, whoever believes God today, believes the promises that God has given for the present age.

Have we taken this to heart?

Whoever believes God today and believes that he is the same yesterday, today and forever, believes that he is the omnipresent one, and believes the promises that God has given for this age.

When one listens to religious programs, including those about unity, about love, about everything, and then again the intermingling…

I shall read just two verses from Matthew 24, namely verses 46 and 47.

[46] Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

[47] Verily I say unto you that he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

There must be a period of time before the return of Jesus Christ, as I have just said, during which it is not merely a little here and a little there, as Isaiah describes in chapter 28, but rather that which God has revealed by grace and through the Holy Spirit, and which he has placed upon the lampstand through the messenger and message, so that this restored Word may be placed upon the lampstand in its entirety and proclaimed, that the Word bride may be called out and prepared.

A bride who does not go her own way, does not proclaim her own words, but who has the Word of the bridegroom and thus follows the Lord.

In connection with this, I think of Revelation 22, which for me is the absolute, the final certainty of the revealed Word of God in Holy Scripture and in our own day once again from Scripture.

Revelation 22, verse 6.

[6] And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

I have also mentioned this here and there time and again. What is extraordinary lies not in a human being, but in the supernatural work and action of our God.

It was not Zechariah, but the angel who came to him stood on the right hand side of the altar of burnt offering and gave him the promise. [Luk 1:11] It was not Mary, but once again the angel who came and announced the plan of salvation. [Luk 1:26–38] It was not the shepherds in the fields in the countryside around Bethlehem who had done anything special. [Luk 2:8] They were merely present when the extraordinary event came down from heaven. [Luk 2:9]

And if we look through the whole of Holy Scripture, in both the Old and the New Testament, it was not special men, but rather the special supernatural events, in which men of God and the people of God took part time and again. It has been exactly the same in our own day.

You know, when you tell people that Brother Branham was a man specially gifted by God, some shake their heads whilst others say, ‘Huh, that may well be, but what’s in it for me?’ Only when God can show us through his Word, that it was not simply a man who suddenly made a decision, launched a program, and drew attention to himself, but that God intervened in the plan of salvation in a supernatural way.

And when the angel of the Lord came to Brother Branham on the 7th of May 1946 at around 11:00 p.m., light filled the room, and he was commissioned to go out into all the world, that is, to carry the message that was to forerun the second coming of Christ.

John experienced something similar. He was on the island of Patmos, and we read about this in the first few verses of chapter 1 of the Book of Revelation.

[1] The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.

It was not John’s decision. He was exiled for the sake of the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus. [Rev 1:9] That was one part of it. Then God intervened. Then God began to act. He was merely present when it happened. How grateful we can be to this very day.

Just as Saul on the road to Damascus is suddenly enveloped by a supernatural light, hears the voice: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” and immediately falls to the ground. [Acts 9:3-4]

They were men of God, as I just said, in both the Old and the New Testament, whom God involved in his plan of salvation. And then there were always, throughout all ages, the people of God who shared in the plan of salvation that God brought about at specific times, and whose course simply had to be as it was.

That is why we emphasize this, not to judge, not to condemn or even to set ourselves apart from everyone else, but we nevertheless emphasize it when God is doing something in these days. Not a human being, not William Branham or anyone else, but when God has visibly and tangibly intervened in the plan of salvation, setting a sign, indicating the direction, and placing the promises for these days upon the lampstand and was able to use and send one who pointed away from himself to Jesus, just as John the Baptist did, then we must not ignore it as though God had done nothing.

Anyone who ignores God's supernatural work, which is taking place here on earth, within the plan of salvation, is essentially turning their back on God.

Then one can sing psalms with a hallelujah, with a gloria and much more besides.

With God only what he himself does counts and only those who share in his direct action will reach the goal.

Yesterday, at this beautiful wedding, a poem from 1 Corinthians 13 was recited and I must say it moved me so much that I would like to reflect on it briefly.

1 Corinthians 13.

Of course, one can preach about love, one can talk about it, one can expect it from others.

The question is whether we possess it personally, whether it is lived out and practiced through our lives.

Here Paul writes, in 1 Corinthians 13:

[1] Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not love, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.

We live in times when everything speaks of love, charity and unity.

Does this always mean what the Lord meant? Love for God, love for His Word, love for one's neighbor and above all love for the truth.

We shall read a few more scriptures shortly afterwards.

Here it says, and here it is solely about divine love:

[2] And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing.

The word "nothing" leaves nothing else remaining.

We heard a few days ago from Rajiv Gandhi that his mortal remains were consumed by flames and nothing was left.

As it is written here, "If these things are lacking, I would be nothing.”

With all faith, with all prophecy, with all knowledge, with the knowledge of all mysteries, if divine love is not within us, then we are nothing.

It continues:

[3] And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing.

Beloved, we need everything that God has to give us.

But everything that God gives us must be embedded in this divine love, just as a gearbox must be lubricated with oil, so the whole mechanism of the Church of the Living God must be smoothly lubricated by the oil of the Holy Spirit, so that all may go well.

Verse 4 reads:

[4] Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not, love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

[5] Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

[6] Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

[7] Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Can we say that of ourselves? There may be trials in our lives where we find ourselves pushed to the limit and are tempted to ask: “Must it all be like this? Shouldn’t God intervene here when we experience hostility, when people wrong us, even deliberately?” What then?

In verse 8 we read:

[8] Love never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

[9] For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

[10] And when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

Now Paul draws his conclusion and writes:

[11] When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

[12] For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

[13] And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

We have understood that this is about the love of God. God is love. And the love of God, the very nature of God, all that he is, is poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. [Rom 5:5] In chapter 14 verse 1 it says:

[1] Follow after love, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

We know that the Apostle Paul dealt with everything concerning the individual churches. Every issue that could ever come up on the agenda of the New Testament church has been addressed in the epistles. How grateful we can be to God that the circumstances of the various local churches were so diverse, that there were problems, that there were needs, that questions were raised. This was done for our sake, so that today we might have a comprehensive answer from the Word, and not have to resort to our own judgment as to what should be decided on certain matters.

God has indeed bestowed grace. He has truly thought of everything. Let us examine ourselves at this very moment, I myself and each of us individually, to see whether the love of God, of which it is written here, whether this perfect love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Whether we love God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind. And that includes doing what he has said. For he says: “if you love me, you will keep my word.” [Jn 14:23]

It is simply part of it. These are not merely rules that God has laid down. He knew exactly why he required one thing or another, so that he might see our obedience.

I would also like to read from Romans, the well-known passage in Romans 5 verse 5. Who does not have this Scripture in their memory or in their heart? Romans 5 verse 5:

[5] And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

We have this hope. And John writes: “whoever has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure.” [1 Jn 3:3]

We are told that “hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is poured out in our hearts by the Holy Ghost.” Beloved, through this proclamation, the bride church is to be enabled to be ready for the rapture. And all these words are part of this. They must be received, believed, and experienced. As I said earlier, God’s love unites us with God and with everything that comes from God. Have we understood that? God’s love leads us into the divine. And as we have read, it has been poured into our hearts through the Spirit. And Paul writes to the Corinthians: “the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” [1 Cor 2:10]

It is not the human spirit, but God’s Spirit that searches all things, even the deep things of God.

I would also like to read a few verses from Galatians chapter 5, perhaps to hold up the mirror of the Word before our eyes, before my own, before yours. After all, everyone has the right to look in the mirror and see how things stand with ourselves. I have yet to meet anyone who has looked in the mirror to see what others look like. Anyone who looks in the mirror wants to know if there is anything about themselves that needs improving. They want to check for themselves whether perhaps their tie isn’t sitting quite right, or whether whilst working at the hob, they’ve smudged their face. Such things can happen, so that certain matters concerning the natural person can be put in order and sorted out. After all, we are still on earth. In the same way, it may be that certain things need correcting spiritually, but we do not see them unless we look in the mirror. Paul said: “now we see through a glass, darkly, but then we shall see face to face.” [1 Cor 13:12]

And I mean in the context where it is written: “when the perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.” [1 Cor 13:10]

The time must come when we see, recognize, and experience, not blurred, but quite clearly, in the light of God, and have part in what God is doing now.

Let us now look into the mirror. We find it in Galatians chapter 5. Galatians chapter 5 from verse 13:

[13] For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

[14] For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

[15] But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

The church to which Paul is writing here in particular had got off to such a splendid start, everything was marvelous. And Paul asks in verse 7:

[7] Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

Here we see that for those who have become believers, it is not about the glorious beginning, but about the glorious end. You had made such a fine start. Who has hindered you from obeying the truth any longer? Here spirits had separated right from the start. Bible truths were proclaimed, which some believers did not accept or embrace. And here we see that these men of God spoke with the divine authority of the Word. And they knew that anyone who does not receive the Bible truths they proclaimed in the name of the Lord and does not align accordingly, may well have got off to a good start, but then the question arises as to why they no longer wish to obey the truth, that is, to follow it.

It is one thing to ask: What is truth? Perhaps to go one step further: I am seeking the truth. And then when it is presented to us, to respond to it and obey it, to put it into practice.

I’m thinking of that Jesuit student from Holland who had completed eight semesters. He had become a believer amongst those Full Gospel Business Men. Then came to Krefeld and wanted to discuss the Godhead with me. And you know, what can only be given to a person through revelation, that cannot be conveyed, it really must be given to one by God. You can read hundreds of scriptures, but if God does not grant a revelation, it is all in vain. We read ours, they read theirs, and then you can read and read again. As you know, this can happen with any Bible topic. Catholics read the Bible in their own way, Protestant in theirs, Jehovah’s Witnesses in theirs, Adventists in theirs, everyone reads the Bible in their own way. What matters is that we read it in the divine way, not to inject our own thinking into it, but to take in the thoughts of God revealed within it. And just as he has revealed himself in Christ, so it is right for us.

And after hours of conversation, this man then said to me: “Do you expect me to simply cast aside everything I learned or was taught over the course of eight semesters?” I believe I wrote it down either in the book or in the booklet, but he explained to me what the main point of theology is, and in fact a triangle. The relationship between the Father and the Son, between the Son and the Father, between the Father and the Spirit, always a back and forth, just a circle. Of course I also wanted to know why he cannot step outside this magical circle, and it is precisely this doctrine of the Trinity where one believes that from the beginning, indeed from all eternity, there have been three distinct persons of God. Three are three, finished. And one is one. And the Bible says: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord.” [Dt 6:4]

He is Lord alone, and besides him there is no God. From all eternity there has been only one God, and for all eternity there will be only one God. This one God then revealed himself as the Father in the Son and through the Holy Spirit in order to bring about his own plan of salvation with mankind. But a comparison is not at all necessary. The question is always this: How do we stand before God? And how has God revealed himself to us? Let us return to this Word. Here in Galatians 5:16 we are further told:

[16] This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

[17] For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

[18] But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

[19] Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

[20] Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

[21] Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

A very serious warning. And as we have noticed, the list is rather long. Sometimes there are short lists, but this one is quite extensive. Here idolatry and witchcraft are placed on a par with hostility, quarreling, jealousy, selfishness, discord, factions, and all manner of things. And then it states in no uncertain terms: “whoever is guilty of these things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Holy Scripture says that we are “heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ.” [Rom 8:17] Holy Scripture says: “How shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” [Rom 8:32]

We have the greatest, most important, and most glorious promises. And why do we have them? To be partakers of the divine nature. [2 Pet 1:4] And we realize time and many a time that these promises are linked to the Word of God, to God Himself. And when these words of God find a place within us, when we believe them, just as Mary believed the promise in her day, then we too may be told: “Blessed are you who have believed, for what has been promised to you will come to pass.” [Lk 1:45]

Verse 22 states:

[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

[23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

What a wonderful and glorious Word. Here the fruit of the Spirit begins with love. Many say love is a gift; love is a fruit of the Spirit. For the love of God is poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. [Rom 5:5] And then all that is divine begins to grow.

A start must be made at some point. At some point we too must experience, despite all the blessings, despite all that God has already done, that this love of God is poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, and that in this way spiritual growth can take place.

And yet, we remain human beings. We eat and drink like everyone else, drive our cars, fly on the airplanes, and dress like everyone else. Outwardly, as a hymn writer sings, one cannot of course tell from our appearance what we shall one day become. It begins in our hearts, in our souls, that God begins to work through the blood of the Lamb, through the Word and the Spirit, until we are filled with the fullness of God.

In 1 John, the Apostle writes some wonderful words. I would like to read three passages from it. 1 John chapter 5, 1 John chapter 5 verses 1 to 4:

[1] Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

[2] By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

[3] For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

[4] For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Here we have the faith which the Lord describes as the faith as Scripture says. [Joh 7:38] If we have been begotten of God, born of God, then we are children of God. And from being born again, we move on to being filled with the Holy Spirit and to living in the Spirit, in faith with God.

Here we are also told:

[2] By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

Earlier we read that in that one commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as thyself” [Ga 5:14], everything is summed up.

Oh yes, whoever loves God with all their heart and their neighbor as themselves is already fulfilling everything that was written and required in the law, the commandments, and the prophets. There is no longer any need to come with the dictates of “you must” and “you ought” and so forth. Rather, God’s law of the Spirit has been written into our hearts, and no one needs to instruct another according to the letter of the law.

I’ve actually experienced this quite recently in connection with the Sabbath and circumcision and various other matters here in Poland, where people actually bring up the Ten Commandments, and then you realize straight away what they are getting at when the question comes up: Do you believe that the Ten Commandments are still valid? Then I can tell people straight away that they really want to ask me about the Sabbath, right? We’ve learned enough over the years. We know the strategy inside out. And when I then read to them from the five books of Moses, in one chapter alone, God said five times in succession that He bound Israel to the Sabbath, but not the New Testament church. That’s something you simply have to know.

And then, we must not allow burdens to be laid upon us that we cannot bear. But rather, as we are told in the book of Acts, you must not impose any further burdens on the believers from the nations apart from these four things, which are essential: namely, from abstaining from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled. [Acts 15:28–29]

What else? Pardon? Ah.

Have you all read the book of Acts properly? Huh? Or do we only hear a sermon here once a month?

How many of you actually read the Holy Scriptures regularly? I believe so, even without you raising your hands. I just wanted to mention that.

We must not allow ourselves to be enslaved by the letter of the Word. The letter must correspond to reality.

That is to say, the Old Testament must flow fully and completely into the New and be absorbed by it.

That is why I had to make the remark at that particular meeting, that we no longer need anyone to write us a New Testament commentary.

For me, the New Testament commentary is already written in the four Gospels. It is already written in the Epistles. It is there written in the Word of God, so that no one need to be in any doubt about the things which God has clearly and plainly illuminated for us in his Word and has also ensured that they were taught.

From 1 John chapter 3, I would like to read verse 18. 1 John chapter 3, verse 18.

[18] My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

This, too, is a very important verse.

Do not expect others to do it, but do it yourselves, to the extent that the Lord grants us the ability to do what he requires of us.

I would also like to read briefly from 1 John chapter 4. I would like to read verse 12. 1 John chapter 4, here we read verse 12 and then from verse 16:

[12] No man has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

Of course, there is no need to go into this passage in greater detail either. “No one has seen God at any time.”

This is also stated in the Gospel of John chapter 1.

[18] No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.

Whom did Adam see? Whom did Moses see? Whom did Abraham see? Whom did all these men see?

They saw God the Lord, Elohim, revealed as Yahweh, the invisible One revealing himself, taking on form, in the beginning as the Logos, as the Word, which then became flesh and dwelt amongst us.

We beheld his glory, and in him dwelt the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and we possess the fullness of the Godhead in him through Jesus Christ our Lord. [Col 2:9]

Not two or three Gods. One God is powerful enough. One God is sufficient, we need no more.

This one true God, the creator of heaven and earth, is able to do all things.

But he does them in his own way, just as he has determined in his eternal counsel.

He says, “My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” [Isa 46:10]

Are we not glad that we can now witness the end of all things?

Here on earth, things may still go badly for us, or perhaps better. No one can predict exactly what the specific advantages or disadvantages will be in this country or that country.

But one thing we do know, that everything will be so thoroughly shaken up and turned upside down that people will lose faith in all politicians, in the economy, and in governments.

There will be discontent everywhere, in one way or another, so that the benevolent man may then be regarded as the savior and as the one who has the whole situation in his hands, and who is capable of steering the whole affair in the right direction.

He will then gain great prestige and have the final say.

Surely, there are no longer any blind people amongst us.

Through the Word of the Lord, which has become a lamp unto our feet, we recognize most clearly what form the whole thing is taking now in this time.

Everything is being shaken up. One empire will remain.

And as I said, Brother Branham had already said it back then, I believe it was probably March 62: “when divided Berlin comes to an end, and that part is returned, then the Roman Empire will rise again and become as it once was.”

And so it is happening.

Nations may resist, may oppose it, may take offense, may be angry, may take to the streets and protest, but it’s all to no avail.

And I’ll tell you why.

If God has foretold this development for the end times in his Word, that all the kings of the earth will place their power at his disposal until the words of God are fulfilled [Rev 17:17], then it must be so, because God has said so. Amen. Finish.

And then we are told, quite revealingly, “this is the great city that reigns over the kings of the earth.” [Rev 17:18]

And then one only needs to hear about the Vatican’s Diplomatic Academy, and who is being trained there, and who has been trained there, then one knows that these roots are indeed spread throughout all the nations of the earth.

And these people all know exactly where and how to give advice, and what to say.

Do you think they all come up with the same ideas worldwide?

Thanks to information passed on worldwide, they know exactly what they’re supposed to say at any given moment, on any given matter, here and there, and all over the world.

I’d rather not go into details any further.

But technology makes it possible.

At the very same time, events all over the world can be addressed and read.

So much information is available these days.

I spoke to a very elderly lady recently, it was about half a year ago.

And I tried to explain to her that we have a machine in the office, if someone in New York wants to send us a letter, they fax it over.

And she asked, ‘What’s that?’

I said, ‘Listen, it’s such and such.’

The lady was probably 89, but she was still keeping up with the times as much as she could.

And then she asked, ‘How many days will it take for the letter to arrive?’

I said, ‘The very same minute it goes in over there, it comes out here, and I’m reading as it comes through.’

And then she said… I really mustn’t say what she said.

In any case, it was impossible for her to believe something like that.

‘Well, is that a telegram?’ and so on.

She would have understood that.

But you see, technology has made all this possible, so that under a single patronage, the same statements, information, and opinions can be issued all over the world.

Everything can be coordinated in such a way that, if one didn’t know where the coordination was taking place, one might sometimes really wonder how people all over the world can say the same thing on the same subject at the very same time.

But you see, that’s simply how it’s turned out.

It fits in with our times.

And actually, we are grateful that these are the end times, come what may.

We are waiting for the return of the Lord and for the very best that is yet to come, for the church of the living God.

And then, of course, for Israel as well.

Let me read from 1 John chapter 4 from verse 16.

[16] And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

[17] Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

[18] There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

[19] We love him, because he first loved us.

[20] If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

[21] And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

I would perhaps like to say one more thing by way of conclusion, so that we do not get the impression that believers use love as a cover for injustice and everything else.

That is not what is meant.

Everything has its place.

Let me give you an example.

I made a few visits to a prison during January and February.

There I met a man who had been in prison for 18 months, but who was innocent, as he convincingly explained to me.

I set the wheels in motion, and he was released within 3 weeks.

But do you know what happened?

You are not actually allowed to say this officially, but the prosecutor and the defense lawyer agreed that all he had to do was admit his guilt, and then he would be released.

And the same man then rang me in despair.

I gave him my book, Traditional Christianity.

He read it, and after he had been released, he rang me.

He was already calling me Brother Frank.

He said, ‘Brother Frank, I’m in such despair.’

The lawyer pressured and forced me to admit it and say I was guilty, otherwise I would have had to stay in there longer.

He had spent 18 months in prison without being guilty.

The man is now going to take the case to court.

One might have said, ‘Huh, love covers all things. Let justice be justice.’

I’ll tell you what I think about this.

As Ewald Frank, perhaps not as a man of God, I would like to put more than a few judges in prison, having seen the prison cells for myself.

There is so much injustice on this earth.

I’m thinking of the tax investigators, for example, and all sorts of unjust things.

In such cases, I would indeed ask the Lord for wisdom so that I may know what needs to be done.

On the one hand, one can be filled with divine love, that is right and good.

But on the other hand, one mustn’t lose one’s sense of justice, close one’s eyes, and think it will all work out somehow.

We know that our Lord himself was love incarnate, and where things needed sorting out, he sorted them out.

Where tables needed overturning, he overturned them.

He did the right thing at the right time.

So we too, as believers, as children of God, must allow to be given grace and distinguish between the issue and the person.

When it comes to the matter at hand, that is one thing.

When it comes to the person, that is something else.

When it comes to the person, one can forgive them, but one cannot let them get away with what is absolutely wrong.

One must at least have the opportunity to be allowed to state what is true and right.

It is not that believers should think they have to put up with everything and cover it all up with love.

Finally, we need the second rucksack, so that we can pack away everything that people would then like to give us to take with us on our way.

May God grant us sobriety, clarity, and grace in this matter too, so that we do not go through this world naively, but remain sober and clear-headed in our daily lives and on Sundays, knowing exactly where things belong, and at what time this or that is appropriate.

I hope that God grants each of us the grace to understand what this is all about.

We are still in this world, in the midst of an unjust world.

And as Holy Scripture says, the Lord foretold it: iniquity, lawlessness, injustice will abound, and so “the love of many will grow cold.” [Mat 24:12]

Today, we have touched upon the subject of divine love, speaking briefly about it.

May this divine love never grow cold in any of us.

On the contrary, may we take to heart what is written in the first church age message to the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2: “Remember from what height you have fallen, and return to your first love.” [Rev 2:5]

To that burning divine love which is poured into our hearts through the Holy Ghost [Rom 5:5], so that the fruits and gifts of the Spirit may be active in this divine bath of love, may live and flourish, and may be a blessing to us all.

May the Lord God, the Almighty, who has called us by his grace, revealed himself to us, and made known to us what these days are all about, have mercy on us, may he take us by the hand and lead us in the right path for his name’s sake.

May he enable us to recognize even more clearly the times and hour in which we live.

May he grant us the grace that we might be consecrated to him even more intimately, wholly consecrated, that our lives might truly belong to him, and that our time and all that we are might be consecrated to him forever.

May he bestow his blessing upon it by his grace. Amen.

Let us rise for prayer.

Lord our God, you have seen the hands raised up, and you have also seen those that are not raised.

We ask you, faithful God, that you may help us all.

At that time, the woman did not come for her own sake, but for the sake of her son.

Beloved Lord, whether it is our own distress or that of others, when we come to you, you will not cast us out.

You will stand by us and take charge of us and the matter that moves us.

Lord, I ask this for myself and for all of us at this hour.

Take charge of us and the matter which we cannot cope with, which we cannot resolve, which we are unable to change, and before which we stand helpless.

Lord, may it be so today, today at this very hour, may it come to pass.

You stand before us and say, “Do not weep any longer. Only believe, and you will see the glory of God.”

You have graciously taken us under your care; even that which concerns us is not a matter of indifference to you.

Either it grieves us, weighs us down, oh Lord, and we cannot serve you as we would like to, with joy, oh Lord, we would draw water from the wells of salvation. [Isa 12:3]

In peace, we would be guided by you and go forth to proclaim the message of peace.

Resolve all our problems, and graciously take us all into your care, Lord.

May this be the day you have made for the glory of your name.

Come to our aid.

Bring the dead back to life.

Save the lost.

Forgive all who have sinned, and be gracious to us for thy holy name’s sake.

Forgive all guilt, every sin, every act of disobedience, everything, oh God, and confirm your Word to us.

Save the lost in particular, oh Lord.

Bless those who are here for the first time today in a very special way.

Oh, faithful Lord, lay your hands upon them.

Do so with us all.

May all be saved, all be delivered, all be healed, all be blessed by you, the eternally faithful God.

You have brought blessing upon the people of God through Christ.

Let us be the Lord’s blessed ones, according to the Scripture, “I will bless you, and you shall be a blessing.” [Gen 12:2]

Grant us also understanding for our earthly life, that it may be ordered according to your will, oh Lord.

Grant us the necessary understanding in every area, spiritual and earthly, in all things and in every sphere.

And may the love of God and the peace of Christ, which passes all understanding of men, rule our hearts and minds in Jesus Christ our Lord. [Phi 4:7]

To you be thanks for this, in Jesus’ holy name.

Halleluja. Amen.