I greet you very warmly in the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ with the Scripture from 1 Peter 3:8: “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous...”
This Scripture tells us what we should be like, but in reality we can be such only if God helps us and we receive from Him what is expressed in these characteristics. God has to give us whatever is required of us, be it like-mindedness, compassion or brotherly love. Only who has experienced mercy can be merciful. In principle, whatever God requires of us must be effected by Him alone in us by His grace.
This also applies to ministries in the church as well as the gifts and fruits of the Spirit. Peter admonishes those who participate in a ministry: “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.“ (1 Peter 4:10). Again, it is emphasised that “it was received”. We can only have the stewardship of something, if it was actually given and entrusted to us.
The main point of Peter’s statement is in the following verse: “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
The effect of every ministry coming from God is that God is praised. The words that we should put forth as the oracles of God only mean what came from the mouth of God as the original Word, i.e. THUS SAITH THE LORD. From the very beginning, God spoke, gave commandments, promises, the Law etc. His Word came unto His prophets and apostles. It is our task to share the same Word in the original form.
All that God wanted to tell us is found in the Holy Scriptures. Everything has already been written - whether concerning our salvation, our life or our conduct. We only need to say what He said and do what He commanded. Whoever refers to the Word must say what the Word says and teach what the Word teachers. When a believer speaks and refers to a biblical topic, his statements must be the Word of God i.e. God’s statements as they are already written in His Word. God will not say anything different from what He has already said or judge differently from what He has already judged in His Word.
The apostle Paul wrote to a fellow worker: “Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it...” (Colossians 4:17). A ministry can only be carried out correctly when the Lord gives an instruction to His servant and tells him what to do.
We who preach the Word in this time have to pay special attention to this admonition. What matters is not that something is done or preached, but that what we do and preach has to be done according to the Word and the will of God.
When I think of the heartfelt connection the Lord gave me to His Word, it fills me with deep thankfulness and godliness. He let us know His will in such a miraculous manner. No prophet or apostle had to make any correction. What they preached and wrote came from the mouth of God. Word by word they shared His statements. We also have to do the same.
When Paul writes about the mysteries that were first hidden and then revealed, it has nothing to do with “secretiveness”. The mysteries that were revealed were exposed in a clear and comprehensive way. So it happened in our days, too.
As far as the natural realm is concerned, even the greatest men of God were human beings. Even the prophets to whom the Word came and who were called “gods” by our Lord were to die like humans (Psalm 82, John 10) because they lived their natural lives like all other people. What was infallible was the Godly in them i.e. the living Word of God they received by which they became partakers of the nature of God through the work of the Holy Spirit. Their human bodies were just vessels, the content in it was of God’s origin. As humans they were fallible, but the Word they received from God and shared with us is infallible.
On the other hand, pharisees and scribes seemed to be just the contrary. They made every effort to present themselves as infallible before other people. They publicly presented themselves as faultless, but spiritually they were not only fallible, but our Lord even called them the blind leaders of the blind. Outwardly they knew everything and kept it to the letter. Yet inside, they were spiritually dead and only had a form of godliness.
Also today, there are still these two forms because things have not in fact changed. Solomon said: “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.” (Ecc 1:9) The best is when both the inner part and the outward part agree with the Word.
What matters as far as preaching is concerned is to alway say only what really came from the mouth of God and leave it in the context in which it was said and written, because that is important. That’s the only way to prevent wrong developments due to incorrect interpretations.
This also applies to the Lord’s statement: “For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.” (Mat 24:28). It must remain in the context in which it was said i.e in connection with His return. In the preceding verses the Lord warns us that there will be a time when it will be said “Lo, here is Christ” or “There He is”. Here He referred to those false Christs and false prophets that would arise, making His return spiritual, and would show great signs and wonders “insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (verse 24). Finally, He comes to the most important point i.e. His return. Even if somebody says that He is in the desert or in the secret chambers, we do not have to believe it or go there, because when He returns, He will not descend down to the Earth, but we shall meet Him in the air. “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.” (verses 27-28).
It is not so important where there are eagles in one translation or vultures in the other. In all of them there is “wheresoever the carcase is...” Neither did He declare that He or His Word was a carcase nor did He mark His own as vultures or eagles. He used a completely natural example so that everyone, even those who were illiterate, could understand it. When the Lord returns, we will be taken up to Him in the twinkling of an eye and will be with Him forever. The purpose of this statement is to show that the Lord will not appear somewhere on the Earth, but the elect will be gathered to Him upon His return. No interpretation is needed for this statement at all as its meaning is evident from the context.
There are parables where the meaning is not immediately obvious. But it is not the case here. God did not call me to interpret but He ordained me to preach His Word to His people. It is always important to say what the Scripture says and to believe what is written in it.
In the Holy Scriptures we have the truth fully revealed to us; one Scripture complements the other so that the bright light of the revealed Word shines in its entirety.
In this period of time, we are completely acquainted with God’s plan of salvation. All the loose ends, as brother Branham said, were wound up in his ministry. Thanks to God for it.
We must be able to expect from a true servant of God that he will only preach the Word coming from the mouth of God because only then his words will be the oracles of God. It will then be fulfilled: “He that heareth you heareth me...” (Lk 10:16) and “if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also” (Jn 15:20b). Because our word is His Word and His Word is our word; His gospel is our gospel. Paul often speaks about the gospel of God and Jesus Christ and calls it his gospel: “according to my gospel” (2Tm 2:18).