INTRODUCTION

Christ’s mission on earth had been to present the Father’s word to chosen apostles who were elected to carry on in His stead in the grace age and a prayer of blessing is given in their behalf in John 17. Christ permitted the chosen apostles to take His revelation and present it to the hungry multitudes who would believe on Him through “THEIR WORD”. Satan slowly through the years, worked his way into the church fellowship changing “THEIR WORD” over to his (the devil’s word), and through the antichrist led the church into the dark ages. Through the more than 400 year Reformation Period, God, by degrees restored “THEIR WORD” back among the believers. However, it was not until the end of the age when God sent the spirit of Elijah into the earth that all the restored teachings of the Reformation, which was the framework of the revelation of apostolic faith, should be taken out of denominational settings and all restored truth of ‘THEIR WORD” placed correctly and scripturally into one message and given unto a people at the end of the age. Thus, we examine the event of “THEIR WORD” which opened the age as well as closing it out.

PART 1 – GOD’S OBJECTIVE ACCOMPLISHED

PRAYING FOR APOSTLES

Turn with me to St. John 17, where is recorded the final prayer Jesus would ever utter concerning His disciples, as well as including the things of which He had accomplished throughout his 3½ years of earthly ministry. The prayer in John 17 further incorporates the things (doctrines) which He taught, the works which had already been accomplished, as well as the name of the Father which had been revealed and manifested unto the disciples. All this is seen right here in this intercessory prayer where He prayed for the future success of His disciples.

While in prayer, Christ made one very particular bold outstanding statement which we desire to look deeper into. Before we do, we note verse 21 shows Christ in prayer for His disciples whom He must leave behind to carry on in His footsteps, praying they might be ONE (in spirit, doctrine, objective, purpose, etc.) even as He and the Father are one! Yet in verse 20, and this is the verse we desire to discuss, Christ is heard saying – neither pray I for these alone (meaning His present day disciples) but for them also (future tense) which shall believe on me (that is on Christ and no other) through “THEIR WORD.”

“THEIR WORD” – WHAT WAS IT?

Notice please, Christ never said believe on me through MY WORD, instead He said believe on me through “THEIR WORD”. Such a statement must be examined to mean one of two things – either “THEIR WORD” is going to be God’s word, or “THEIR WORD” is going to be their own personal preconceived ideas.

CHRIST’S STATEMENTS CONCERNING HIS WORD

In order to receive a more accurate picture of what Christ is literally declaring by using such a profound expression as this, let us briefly mention various quotes or various little statements dropped off here and there by the Saviour throughout His personal earthly ministry. Since we won’t be using His entire quote or statement found in different verses, please do not think we will be taking these quotes out of their contexts, because in each case the entire verse where the quote or statement appears is absolutely built around the very fact of what Christ is making reference unto, and that is THE WORD which He speaks!

In John 12:48, Jesus says, “The WORD that I have spoken, the same (Word) shall judge him in the last day.” In John 14:24 we hear him say, “the WORD ye hear is not mine.” Well, if the WORD they were hearing was not His, then whose was it? Let us continue to read in John 14:24 which finishes that statement… “The WORD you hear is the Father’s which sent me.” And again in John 17:8 we see a similar statement concerning the Father, the great Eternal Spirit who fills all space. Christ, in prayer, says, “I have given unto them (disciples) the WORDS which thou gavest me.” Therefore, whose words has Christ been speaking all along the way? It is none other than GOD’S WORD!

Again Christ says, the WORDS that I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are life, (John 6:63). Therefore, when you wrap all this up it verifies one fact, Jesus the Christ is absolutely none other than an anointed vessel of clay through which the inspiration of Jehovah God, the great Eternal Spirit, might speak His WORD! Thus, we must understand Christ’s WORD, spoken to the disciples, is certainly not ideas which originated from His natural human side of clay causing Him to verbally or vocally speak what He did! No, because Christ further declares (John 5:19-20) I speak nothing in myself but only what the Father (great Eternal Spirit filling all space) shows me.

STATEMENTS OF FLESH NOT ETERNAL LIFE

Speaking nothing in myself but what the Father shows me, certainly has no intentions of implying Christ could not walk down the road and be able to carry on a normal earthly conversation with the disciples concerning something in a material way which they spotted while walking along the road without the disciples going overboard feeling every word Christ ever uttered had to be looked upon as though it was God’s word or word of eternal life! NO, there were certain things spoken by this man Christ which was conversation produced from none other than His natural fleshly side of life. For instance, I believe often Christ may have freely discussed a horse, house or beautiful flowers or something material with His disciples. Why shouldn’t Christ, who was totally man as well as totally God, be permitted to carry on such a natural earthly conversation without someone going overboard, feeling simply because He spoke it that every word which flowed from His lips could not be anything other than words of eternal life! Yet such conversation, though not words of eternal life, does show an expression of His human nature.

No doubt often while in the home of Mary and Martha, Jesus would make complimentary statements in reference to the fine meal the two sisters had prepared for Him. Again I ask you, would such a conversation concerning good food being served have to imply these WORDS were words of eternal life simply because He spoke them! Certainly not. Yet beloved, when it came to those very vital things, or shall we say, vital statements of which He taught those disciples statements which were of absolute necessity that those chosen disciples should remember, then it was such verbal statements as these which were absolutely God’s WORD – these were WORDS of eternal life!

APOSTLES RECEIVED WORD

Now I trust you are able to understand the difference between statements made by His flesh and statements which were definitely of the Spirit, statements which were the eternal WORDS of God spoken for the sole purpose of eternal life, because beloved, not every statement Christ ever uttered in His life time is to be considered or looked upon as the WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE. Note that statement we previously mentioned, recorded in John 17:8, when Christ has climaxed His earthly ministry we hear Him saying – I have given them the WORDS WHICH THOU GAVEST ME! Note carefully what else Jesus said – and they (disciples) have received them! Given unto them THY WORDS incorporates 3½ years of teaching. Such a statement incorporates many statements, many parables, many illustrations or phrases, and once you have placed all that together, it all forms a very beautiful picture concerning the plan of God which was instilled into the human minds of those who heard Him.

ETERNAL LIFE IS

Knowing His earthly ministry is already completed. Christ the man, the anointed one prays this prayer recorded in John 17 where verse 3 openly declared what eternal life is! Christ says eternal life is to know the eternal Father (who is Spirit filling all space) as the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. Here we see no one knows the Father save the Son and unless the Son will reveal who the Father is, NOBODY will ever know! It takes a revelation to know the Father! (I John 2:13) If Eternal Life is to know the Father and the Son, how does this come about. Study prayerfully Matthew 11:27.

We must realize the prayer is in behalf of all He has taught and accomplished through His earthly ministry and everything He has implanted in the life of these disciples as we hear Him say in verse 8 – Father, I have given unto them THY WORDS and they have received them. Note, the disciples have already (by faith or revelation) received the Father’s WORDS! In verse 4 of that prayer Christ declares, I have finished the work thou hast given for me to do. Note carefully verse 6 where he declares, I have manifested or revealed thy name unto these men thou hast given me out of this world.

THREE OUTSTANDING ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Thus we see three outstanding things which were precisely important which the fleshly man, Christ, the Anointed One, the Son of God accomplished while here in His earthly ministry. Let us review them. (1) According to verse 4, He finished the assigned work, (2) According to verse 6, He manifested or revealed the name of the Father to His disciples, (3) According to verse 8, He says He has given the disciples ‘THY WORD”. And note, the man Christ, who was born of the virgin (Mary) says. . . and they have accepted all these things!

PART 2 – IMPORTANCE OF THEIR WORD

LEAVING MINISTRY TO MEN

Closing His earthly ministry with prayer we note something most important. We see from this final, great intercessory prayer, especially in behalf of those 11 disciples, (Judas Iscariot weeded out) that the man Christ, who is soon to be removed from the scene through His death at Calvary, is fully aware this great ministry He has begun must be continued on and furthermore He is aware the responsibility to carry on this ministry must rest upon the shoulders of other men, not merely ONE MAN, but MANY men, 11 men who have already received all the teachings Christ had spoken up to this hour! Therefore, we note the man Christ is in intercessory prayer for those original eleven chosen disciples (seeing Judas had already gone to betray Him). John 13:30-31. He concentrates on the eleven ordained ones to carry on in His stead. But wait, we note in verse 20 the chosen disciples are not the only ones Christ includes in His prayer for He now says, neither pray I for these alone (eleven chosen apostles), but for them also (future tense) who shall believe on me through “THEIR WORD”! Notice, the people will not believe on the disciples, but will be believing on Christ through the WORD SPOKEN BY the apostles.

WERE APOSTLES REPETITIONISTS

Now I ask you, will these men, in order to be accepted (by others) have to become repetitious copycats of every word Jesus spoke, or will they be free to minister as they see fit, using their own verbal expressions to present Christ to the world – let us find out if these men were repetitionists. We live in an hour when many people, because they are so carnal minded and do not understand what the prophet to the age meant when he said certain things such as, “Say it like I do, etc.”, feel that you and I are supposed to be mere repetitionists of verbal words of the prophet here at the endtime. How carnal can people be! I want you to know these apostles certainly were not, yet they too had to say it (the revelation of truth) exactly as Christ did, but they were allowed to express the revelation in their own words. I am going to show you these original men for whom Jesus prayed that people in the future would believe on Him through “THEIR WORD” were never mere verbal copycats, and furthermore, Christ never intended that one of His disciples in any age ever be a verbal copycat! Instead those original apostles were anointed vessels of God who had the revelation in their bosom of what Christ said, and furthermore, it behooves us today as believers to also have within us that same kind of revelatory picture or revelation of the spirit that burned within them, because if we do have the same kind of true picture or revelation of this true message of Christ in our souls, you may rest assured God gives you the liberty to express that truth in whatever way your human ability is capable of expressing it!

LIBERTY TO EXPRESS

One thing I know, if you have also received the same spiritual thought I have received in my spiritual mind, you are at liberty with God’s blessings to express that truth in whatever capacity or way the Holy Ghost would lead you to express it unto others! I, too, am at liberty to express it the same way I desire, yet remember in the final analysis (the end) I want you to know the revelatory thought of that truth of the gospel is going to come out exactly the same way irregardless who speaks it under the anointing of the Holy Ghost. The vehicle of words used to get the revelational thought across will of course not be the same, yet the revelating thought expressed WILL BE THE SAME!

FEW VERBAL QUOTES

I’ll have you to know, after the birth of the church, there are very few places in the scripture you will ever find where Peter, James, John, Paul or any others of the fivefold ministry (especially the apostles) ever quoted or expressed the words of Jesus verbally, word for word, like certain people expect others to do today! Yet all this time who were these apostles preaching – JESUS CHRIST, OF COURSE! Christ prayed that others might believe on Him through their words as they expressed the truth to others in their own personal vocabulary.

GOD IS A REVELATORY SPIRIT

Paul, who never saw or heard Christ speak in the flesh knew Him only by the Spirit, certified to the Galatian Church, brethren (Galatians 1:11-12) the gospel I preach unto you, I learned it not of man, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. And remember that revelation was not delivered to Paul by any man (namely any apostle). How could Paul boast such a thing as this? God had to do it in this fashion in order to prove to Paul he was a revelatory Spirit.

Peter, on the other hand, was a man who did have the privilege of walking with Christ and hear verbally every thing He taught. Peter saw all things Christ did, though contrary to what many may think, Peter did know exactly how to baptize those 3000 converts on the day of Pentecost. He understood perfectly the revelation or Great Commission recorded in Matthew 28:19, Luke 24:45-48, Mark 16:14-18, John 20:19-23, when he told those 3000 to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and they would receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. No, Peter wasn’t confused, he knew exactly what to tell those 3000 who had been pricked in their heart, because note, he had the verbal words of Christ in his spiritual mind to inspire and guide him in what to say! I want everyone to realize Peter was at liberty to use his own human vocabulary and human ability to express to the 3000 what Christ had said during His earthly ministry. Because note, in John 17:8, Christ openly declared He had given the apostles God’s WORD and the apostles had accepted it! However, the above statement did not include the Apostle Paul, seeing at that time he was not of the number, therefore, with Paul the revelation came quite differently. Nevertheless, it was still the Spirit of Christ after having knocked Paul down on the Damascus Road some 160 miles from Jerusalem, which sent Paul into the Arabian Desert (Galatians 1:17) and when the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Ghost, finished with him down there, Paul came out of that desert with the correct revelatory picture drawn in his bosom exactly like the other disciples who walked with Christ, had drawn in their bosom. Please note, Paul, who declared he received his revelated gospel from no man but through the revelation of the spirit of Christ, was also baptizing converts just like the Apostle Peter was! Furthermore, I remind you, Paul who was taught by no man, taught also the baptism of the Holy Ghost exactly like Peter did!

NOT AUTHOR OF REPETITION

From what we learn or what we can see in these two separate ministries, let us know God who is Spirit certainly is not the author of repetition! Therefore, I want you to know God intends to draw the correct picture of His divine plan of salvation in every mortal human soul, and if we all get the picture correctly in our minds then under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost who planted the picture in us, God gives us liberty to express what we see in our own verbal expression of words! And as we stated, the revelatory thought of that truth will have to come out the same, although the working which carried the thought naturally is not the same.

DID PRAYER INCLUDE YOU?

When Christ, in prayer, made this profound statement, “neither am I praying for these (eleven apostles) alone, but for them also who will later believe on me through “THEIR WORD,” that included me and that included you, provided you, by revelation, have allowed the words of the apostles to be planted in your life! Throughout the first church age, especially during that first generation after Pentecost, things were known to have gone very smoothly. Allowed to speak in their own words, those men for whom Christ prayed were busy carrying the true message, not on paper, but by a living revelation in their bosom. They were men definitely filled with the Holy Ghost, filled with that same Spirit which Christ was and in which He also ministered and spoke. Therefore, it was this one Spirit God who is the very inspirational factor of it all. Thus if God, who is Spirit, is allowed to freely enter into minds of men and inspire those minds by His spirit, when something does come out of men’s lips it is going to be something which is consistent and you can rely on the fact when that man says one thing today, six months later that revelatory statement is still going to remain the same because GOD IS CONSISTENT!

PETER NOT REPETITIONIST

Watch Peter for a few moments and see if he is a man who is a mere repetitionist of the verbal words Jesus spoke. The church was born on the day of Pentecost and we are fully aware from scripture (John 17:20) the born again believers are going to fall in the hands of somebody who is required by Almighty God to be responsible for what they do as well as how they, the church, have heard it. Thus the day of Pentecost began when 120 Jews being filled with the Holy Ghost came staggering under the Power of God into the streets of Jerusalem, streets filled with devout Jews of every nation around the Mediterranean Sea. Sure, it was God manifesting His power through these 120 disciples in such fashion, yet when the question was asked, men and brethren, what must we (3000) do? How utterly foolish it would have been for a man in that hour to have stood there, looking dumbfounded at this crowd of hungry seekers, not aware of knowing what to do or say! Because I remind you, not one of these men had in their possession a single book they could quote from! Think of it, Peter did not even have an Old Testament scroll in his hand. The words he was speaking were pouring out of his soul under the anointing of the Spirit. Though Peter nor any of the early disciples had a book to turn to find out what those 3000 were to do, they were far better off than many who claim to be followers of this last day message! No, I am not against books, they definitely have their place, yet for the cause of Almighty God, isn’t it about time we got a revelation inside our bosom to guide us also! Remember, the man who wrote the Bible, especially the New Testament, before anything could be written in letter form it had to first be written in the hearts of those disciples! Had it not first been inspired in their minds it would never have been brought into the printed form in the first place.

EXPRESSING REVELATORY PICTURE

Something has been asked this big fisherman standing in the streets of Jerusalem, “Men and brethren, what must we do?” Does Peter know what to say? Does he know what to do? What about those other ten original, faithful, true disciples standing there, do they know what to do or say? (When we say eleven we are not referring to Matthias who was voted in.) Recall, Peter has earlier been chosen, (Matthew 16:15-20) to be the spokesman who was given the keys to unlock the kingdom or unlock the dispensation of grace referred to as the kingdom of heaven. The great multitude of the 3000 had heard and seen the power of God demonstrated in their behalf. A miracle of languages had been performed and it was there 3000 who had benefitted from it. God had spoken to each of these in their own home languages, not in the Hebrew tongue which all Jews know, but in the languages of the countries wherein they were born. God, speaking to each of them in their own home language wherein they were born, had created a question in their minds, therefore they questioned those chosen disciples, men and brethren, what must we do? The responsibility of telling this crowd what they must do is now going to rest upon one of those very men for whom Christ had earlier prayed in John 17 when He said, I pray not only for these, but for all those who will believe on me (at Pentecost and elsewhere) through “THEIR WORD.” Now we are about to see the importance of how they are permitted to minister in ‘THEIR WORD” because 3000 will soon be added to the church through “THEIR WORD”.

VERBAL QUOTING WITHOUT REVELATION

Remember we are trying to determine from scripture whether or not these men were mere repetitionists and verbal quoters of what Jesus said or do they use their own words to express what Jesus spoke as the scripture said they would. I am not saying these things to be different, but ONLY TO BE LOGICAL. If all we are trying to do here at the end of the grace age is become a bunch of legalist, (mere statement quoters without revelation of what it is all about) then all I can say is, the ones with the sharpest minds are going to make it! Personally, I do not have that sharp a mind. This thing has to form a picture inside of me because I simply do not have the ability to remember all those quotes, word for word as some people expect you to do in this hour.

Let’s dramatize this Jerusalem scene as it might have appeared were it today. A question has just been raised and now Peter and the other brethren must tell the 3000 what to do. Here stands Peter looking at the other disciples, afraid to speak fearing he might not place his words just right; fearing his words may not be exactly as Jesus’ verbal words were, saying to the brethren, now what was it He told us to say? And they answer him back, Peter now be sure you speak what you are about to say exactly as He said it or we just can’t accept you as being in the message. Are you gouging someone Bro. Jackson? No, not unless you are that somebody who wants to live in such a manner as that, in relation of truth! I find it very strange, a big percentage of people in this message today, while they were in denominationalism you could poke any old thing down their throat and they would be as loyal to that thing as they could be. You could poke chicken suppers, rummage sales, teach them the moon was made of green cheese; you could poke all that foolishness down their throats, they cared little, they were most loyal to it. Yet when God, here in this endtime, came to get us out of all this scattered mess and present us with a truth that would get us somewhere, mainly back in fellowship with Him, most of the people wind up being a bunch of legalist rather than a group of realists!

ANSWER WAS REVELATION

No, you better believe Peter did not look at the other eleven and wonder what he was supposed to say or whether he had to quote verbally from the words of Jesus off page such and such to make the other disciples accept him as being in the message. NO, Peter did not even quote the great commission word for word as was declared by Jesus the night following His resurrection. But Praise God, Peter knew the sum of what that commission was, for he knew there was only one man to preach and that man’s name was Jesus Christ, because as Peter later said, (Acts 4:12) “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

REVELATION OF COMMISSION

Peter knew by revelation Jesus Christ was none other than the Mighty God manifested or robed in flesh, II Corinthians 5:19, reconciling the world unto Himself. He, along with all the other disciples, had received the revelation of the Father’s name, as John 17:6-12 says, he had accepted it! And knowing this gospel of repentance and remission of sins should be preached in the name of Jesus Christ unto all the world, beginning at Jerusalem, Luke 24:45-48, may I ask you, where is Peter standing when this question, What must we do, is asked him and the other disciples? Peter is standing in the very streets of the city of Jerusalem where it was prophesied this gospel would begin to be proclaimed. Peter had all these statements which had been made by Christ over the last 3½ years in the back of his spiritual mind. Remembering all these saying and statements of Christ which he had heard, all this placed or compiled together had formed in Peter’s bosom a beautiful picture, and although his answer to those 3000 isn’t verbally word for word what Christ had spoken, when that question was put to him, Peter, without hesitation under the Holy Ghost anointing answered, repent everyone of you and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins.

GOSPEL STORY CENTERED AROUND CHRIST

I want you to know the whole sum of the matter is this, the gospel story is built around none other person than Jesus the Christ who not only declared I am the Way, but also said I am the Truth and Life as well. Beloved, no other living creature could have ever made such a statement as that, I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND LIFE. Peter, Paul, James nor any of the other apostles could ever declare anything like that. They could never say I am that! No, not even the prophet, William Branham, could say I am the way, the truth and the life, although there are many, I am sorry to say, who absolutely try to make him say he is the I AM! That little man I saw and heard only declared Jesus was the I AM. Who else but Jesus could possibly say I am the way, the truth and life. No wonder salvation is totally around this one individual (around his death, burial and resurrection). No one else ever said I am the way. Paul the apostle was once heard to say, in the way which men call heresy serve I the Lord.

No, you never heard any Old Testament prophet or New Testament apostle every say I am the light. Who is the light? Jesus is! I John 1:7 says, if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another. Note, it is only then, the apostle continues by saying, the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us from all (inbred) sin. Moreover, in order to cleansed from all (inbred) sin, somebody must somewhere begin to walk in the light of that somebody who is supposed to be the light of the world. All Old Testament prophets, prior to the I AM, pointed to Him. Moses, Isaiah, Daniel, who were all Old Testament prophets, spoke of Him as they pointed Israel toward Him, while the Apostle Peter and Apostle Paul (who called Jesus the and high priest of our profession) pointed all back to Him. The prophet messenger to the Laodicean Church Age also pointed men back to Him. Why? Because Christ is the Light!

REVELATION BURNS IN PETER’S BOSOM

Peter, on the day of Pentecost, said, repent everyone of you and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. No, he certainly did not have to look around and shudder wondering whether or not he had worded it correctly and spoken it verbally word for word, as Christ stated it. The revelation of every statement Christ ever spoke was revelated and burning afresh in Peter’s bosom. Peter did not have to feel uneasy about his answer, wondering are they going to criticize me over it or disfellowship me because of the way I worded it. Had the others accepted Peter’s revelation of what Jesus verbally said in their presence? One thing is sure, he had quoted nothing verbally. In the background could be heard the other eleven disciples declaring, that’s right Peter, pour it on! Here much is going to depend on “THEIR WORD”, as to how these 3000 and others will be affected in days to come. We must bear in mind what they heard and accepted from the mouth of the apostles, though it wasn’t word for word what Christ had spoken, caused 3000 souls to be placed in the body of Christ that day! 3000 souls standing in the streets like so many today not knowing what to do, begging for an answer, what must I do! Peter quickly responded, repent everyone of you and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost for the promise is unto you and to your children and to all those (gentiles) who are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

EXACT REVELATION OF COMMISSION

No where did Christ every say this in those exact words. Nevertheless, that is the exact revelation of all the statements Christ ever made concerning New Testament salvation! Here for the first time in the history of the church do we see a man giving such advice as this, saying to repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for something, for the remission of sins.

In relation to the great commission spoken by Christ in Matthew 28:19, the Trinitarian is often heard to say, I will take what Christ said. You may be shocked to know Peter also took what Christ said, although he did not take the verbal statement word for word as Jesus said it. And here is the beauty of it, Peter took the revelation of what Jesus said because all those various statements spoken by Christ had formed a beautiful revelation of truth and was burning brightly in Peter’s bosom. Peter also knew as Jesus had informed him earlier, that Christ was going to build His church upon nothing other than the rock of revelation. (Matthew 16:18) Therefore Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, took the revelation of the Holy Spirit, took the revelation of Matthew 28:19 upon which Christ declared He would build His church, while this carnal bunch of religionist today who want to argue has nothing either than a verbal expression to embrace! Sure, no one can deny they do not have a verbal quote, yet the pitiful part is they have no revelation to go with their verbal quote! You don’t find the other eleven standing there fuming and fussing with Peter saying, Peter, we can’t accept it because you did not say it right, you did not quote it verbally the way He spoke it! I would like to say to those people who always want to argue over the verbal expression saying they will take what Jesus said over what Peter said, especially the people who believe in a Pentecostal experience, it is a strange thing to me, you will accept Acts 2:39, but refuse to accept the first part of Acts 2:38. How silly can people be! You refuse to accept what Peter said in verse 38 about water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, yet you will turn around and accept what Peter said in verse 39 concerning the Holy Ghost! Why do they accept verse 39 and reject his statement in verse 38? It is because they believe in the Holy Ghost but not in water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins!

GAGING ON GNAT

How ignorant to scripture can people be! That is just like straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel.

Recall that statement Jesus made referring to the hypocrites of that hour, saying to them, you strain at a gnat and swallow a camel, referring to how they treat the truth of His word. Did you ever see a toad frog sitting around at dusk, leaping up and grabbing hold of large hard shell bugs? That is sort of the picture Christ is speaking about, straining or gagging on a gnat, but swallowing a big camel. A toad will almost turn wrong side out just to swallow an old hard shell bug, something that is far too large to swallow. He will swallow it down and swell up. Ever hear that phrase, swell up bigger than a toad? Actually that is where this statement stems from. Isn’t that exactly how many of these religious church people are? Give them a little simple Bible truth of the gospel which should be easy to swallow and they will cough and gag and almost turn wrong side out over it. However, let something come along that is just as carnal as can be even if it is as large as the broad side of a barn, those individuals, like the old toad, will open their mouth wide enough to somehow swallow that thing down, when actually that thing should be far more difficult to swallow than a little simple truth would be.

WHY DISCIPLES SUPPORTED PETER’S POSITION

Therefore, when Peter stated what he did, may I say the support and loyalty from those other men toward Peter’s unheard of statement stemmed over the fact that within these men also lay that same true revelatory picture produced off the statements of what Jesus had taught. Therefore, they knew Peter was correct in his statement, though it was by no means a verbal quote of what Jesus had said. No, these men in the first age were not mere repetitionists of quotes, they were the recorders of revelation! These disciples of the truth had the true revelatory thought flowing through their very being, and as that revelatory thought burned on the oil of the Holy Ghost furnishing light unto their spiritual minds concerning the revelation of Christ, wherever these disciples went and questions were asked them concerning the revelation of Christ in this message, there were words which must absolutely be THEIR own WORDS which would flow from their lips, words which could never be looked upon as a mere verbal repetitious quote of Christ! See, it is the flow of the Holy Ghost through their own human personality which allows them to use their own human personality, which allows them to use their own vocabulary to express in their own words as their ability allows the revelation of this message. Moreover, under the Holy Spirit anointing a clear picture is painted in the minds of others whereby the listener could actually know what kind of revelation lay inside that person presenting them the truth.

NOT A FLOW OF VERBAL REPETITION

Speaking of the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, Jesus said, out of your belly or innermost being shall flow rivers of living waters. Note, Christ did not say, out of your belly shall flow nothing but a constant continual stream of repetition of statements, out of your belly shall flow rivers of living water! There is quite a difference! Nevertheless, we must always bear in mind, there is definitely a place for a quote, yet I tell you where most of your quotes begin, after the person has entered into an argument! Certain people always become so concerned about a quote and it all winds up on the basis of a technicality in an argument! I have never heard much revelation come forth out of an argument, have you? There are some people you couldn’t convince they were wrong until you were gray headed.

SPIRIT MUST DRAW

Christ declared no man comes unto me except the Father draw him, John 6:44. Therefore, only provided the Holy Ghost is drawing or working with that person will he ever at some time listen to truth. On the other hand, if the Holy Ghost (the Father) is not drawing or working with that heart you could do your utmost to draw a picture of the thing in his mind, but it will mean absolutely nothing to him. Why? Because that person has no revelatory factor working within him! However, if God is working on that individual’s mind to draw him a picture and clarify his understanding, then you may rest assured after while a picture will begin to break through, a light will begin to lighten up the darkened understanding of the individual’s mind.

ALREADY IN BOSOM

The church was born on the day of Pentecost because this is the day Christ fulfilled His promise in John 14:17-18, when He declared the Spirit of Christ, which was with them should one day be in them. And may I say that every doctrine which was ever taught to that predestinated, ordained Holy Ghost filled, revelated church through His anointed fivefold ministry, get this, every one of those doctrines were already revelated and simply laying there in the bosom of those Holy Ghost filled disciples! That beloved, is why after Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Ghost into the life of the church they did not have to go around studying books in order to receive doctrines such as predestination, eternal security, sanctification, baptism of the Holy Ghost or water baptism in Jesus Name or any of these other great truths! No, these doctrines were already in them, they already knew it because these teachings were laying present in their bosom. All they required was the watering of the Holy Ghost and the seed would sprout! God watched those truths through His anointed fivefold ministry, men who were allowed to express the truth in their own vocabulary. But sad to say, we live in an hour when many endtime people do not believe you should declare this message in your own vocabulary as you are inspired and led strictly by the Holy Ghost to do! On no, they are so carnal they believe because the prophet (who knew how people would twist the revelation) said, say it like I do, they think he meant the verbal word, therefore, you should spend all your time (even if you are in the fivefold ministry) doing nothing but quoting mere verbal quotes or making identical word for word statements of what the prophet messenger to the age said in his own verbal wording! We believe in a fivefold ministry, they say, provided that ministry will say only verbal words just like the prophet did. THEY DON’T BELIEVE IN A NEW TESTAMENT FIVEFOLD MINISTRY! It has been done in the history of the church. Show me one place in scripture where men ever found such a confinement. The Apostle Peter using his own words or thoughts, many years after the church had begun, expressed in his epistles the doctrine of election before the foundation of the world by the grace of God, saying that we were already fore-ordained, predestinated, chosen and elected in Christ before the beginning of all things. Show me where Christ ever worded it in that fashion, yet that is his revelation. Paul presented the same revelation of Christ through his own words in Romans 8. If you will note as you read and study an epistle, whether it is Peter, Matthew, John, Paul or any of the other apostles, you may be amazed to discover these men did practically no verbal quoting of Christ’s identical words. Therefore, I ask you, why would men be confined by the Holy Spirit in the endtime to use only verbal quotes of the messenger to the age who restored us back to the original revelatory teaching of the apostles, men, I remind you, who were given freedom by the Holy Ghost to teach the message using their own words, John 17:20, to get this same message across where others might believe on Christ! It is only the ignorance and spiritual blindness of man who make that confinement upon others, NOT THE HOLY SPIRIT! Ministers today have the same God given liberty to present the truth in their own vocabulary, provided they have a true picture in their soul as did the ministers in the early church to present the same truth you and I are supposed to be presenting today.

“THEIR WORD” CARRIED HIS REVELATION OF THOUGHT

With that thought now ever present in our minds that Christ said they would use THEIR (own) WORDS, John 17:20, in order to cause others to believe on Him and he asked the eternal Spirit to bless his request, we must always remember if this prayer request in John 17:20 is going to be answered concerning the blessing on ‘THEIR WORD”, though spoken differently from his own verbal statement, must nevertheless carry the same thought he is, or shall we say must carry, the same revelation of thought he was projecting. In other words, by revelation, His thought would so richly indwell the apostles as they spoke using their own words that “THEIR WORDS” would be carrying His thought! How, you ask, could such a thing be possible? Very simple. It is because the same Holy Ghost who Christ was is also in the apostles and inspires it all. The Holy Ghost is going to anoint those yielded lips of each apostle and cause those men, though they are using their own words, to carry or transfer the correct revelatory thought of Christ to the hearer, causing the hearer to receive a correct picture of grace and plant the revelation of Christ in their own bosom. Because they, too, by the Holy Ghost, hearing the anointed words of the apostles, would also catch the same revelatory thought which had first been expressed in the mind of Christ, thus “THEIR WORD” was used to transfer His thought or revelation over to the heart of others.

SPIRIT REVEALS ERROR

If an individual has the Holy Ghost in his life and he is preaching truth to others under the inspiration, the individual listening will soon be receiving what that preacher’s thought is, provided they also have the Holy Spirit. Now remember, in order to receive His inspired thought, it is imperative you have the Holy Spirit in your life, otherwise you will never receive the inspired truth coming forth in the inspired message. Remember also if you have the Holy Spirit and someone is trying to teach you false doctrine or false teaching, it won’t be long before you will know that person is off track. Why? Because the Holy Spirit in your life who is your teacher, leading you into all truth, does not intend for you to be led into error (only truth). That is exactly the way it was in the early church. It is the Holy Spirit who shows the individual error from truth (I John 2:26-27, also I John 4:6).

Here is another beautiful thing about the anointing of the Holy Spirit in the hearer’s life as well as the speaker’s life. If you are listening to preaching under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and you are familiar with scripture, many times you can walk right alongside the speaker in his thought and if the inspiration and anointing is truly heavy and you are very much wrapped up in the spirit of the speaker’s thought, oftentimes you can see exactly where he is taking that thought. That is the joy and glory in the Word of God. Because of the Holy Spirit in your life you are able to know what he is speaking about. On the other hand, how boring it is to hear some learned theologian with his monstrous phrases, reading through the Bible, merely quoting verse by verse without any Holy Ghost inspiration whatsoever. Sure, it is the letter of word but remember Paul, the apostle, taught the letter (alone) killeth, it is the spirit that quickens or give life to the word in your soul, fanning it into a burning revelation to furnish light whereby you may see where you are going spiritually.

SPIRIT RECALLS TO MEMORY

That is why I remarked earlier I am just like those original disciples, I have a poor memory, I am afraid if I had to depend on my memory I just could not make it. But I am so glad the Holy Spirit will call to our memory all the things we have need to remember, therefore, we do not have to rely on our human memory. Recall Christ in John 14:26, declaring to the bereaved disciples who knew He was going away, informed them when the Comforter, the Holy Ghost whom the Father would send in Jesus’ name, had come he would teach the disciples all things and bring all things to their remembrance whatsoever He had said unto them. Yes, I am so glad God is spirit who can enter our lives, teaching us and bringing back to our memory all things we have need of.

Even if you can’t write your name, much less read a book, provided you are born again and have the spirit of God in your life, you would be able to hear a man of God preaching under the inspiration, and provided that message is simple and down to earth and the minister is using plain, simple Holy Ghost language, you too could understand the message. May I say, this thing is so easy and so simple provided you have a revelated mind that the Bible itself declares, a fool need not err therein!

HOLY GHOST INSPIRED EVERYTHING

Thus studying throughout the book of Acts which presents approximately the first 45 years of the early church from its original beginning, you will note none of those men were mere repetitionists! None of those men were seen carrying books around to quote from, giving reference to a quote on pages so and so. NO, but praise God they did carry around something in their bosom and that something they treasured and guarded! It was the revelation of Christ in their soul! Let anyone come along in that hour of the early church with a contrary revelation and see how quick it was before that person was found out and exposed.

HOW GENTILES KNEW CHRIST

We come quickly over to the Apostle Paul who wasn’t one of the original disciples, to determine whether or not Paul was a mere repetitionist of statements. Paul, we know, was especially chosen for we recall the prophecy given over him by Ananias n Acts 9:15, 22:14, 26:16-18, how he would be a light unto the gentiles and a means of salvation unto the ends of the earth. Though Paul (the man) himself was never to be preached, it was the revelation of Christ he preached which was embedded into the hearts of men and women that wherever they dwelt they could live the reality of Jesus Christ through their own life. For the Apostle Paul declared, though we (referring to the Jewish nation) have known Christ after the flesh, henceforth (now addressing gentile Christians) know we Him any longer after the flesh. No gentile never had the privilege of knowing Christ after the flesh. Their knowledge of Him came strictly by the Spirit of Christ. Thus, the gentiles knew Christ only by revelation of the spirit, that revelation was delivered mainly through the anointed teaching of the Apostle Paul. Thus we see Paul himself was by no means a repetitionist of mere statements, because you must remember when Paul entered the ministry there was not one New Testament epistle by Peter, Matthew, John nor any of the others which had been written that hour. Paul, you recall, wrote possibly 13 epistles of the New Testament himself, but may I say, because that early church was so yielded to the Holy Spirit and what he taught through this fivefold ministry, as the revelation of Christ blazed in their bosom they were all able to live better, preach straighter with more understanding of the true message, walk straighter and be more yielded to the spirit of God without a single Bible school, without access to any books or even tape recorders than the greater percentage of the people in this last day message ever dreamed of being able to do.

HEADING FOR DEVIL’S JUNKYARD

No, I am not gouging when I say that I am simply staring the truth squarely in the face. It does not scare me in the least to say this because I see where people are headed, they are headed straight into the devil’s junkyard. Because with the spiritual attitude many hold to in this hour and knowing what kind of statements are already imbedded in the minds, they are not one bit better off than those in Roman Catholicism! As a matter of fact with the spiritual attitude many of them possess shows they are worse off than those in Roman Catholicism, and if God should tarry His coming another few years, that attitude will even worsen! They are simply void of revelation, yet no one can deny they certainly do not have a spirit leading them on deeper into apostasy and further away from the true revelation of the word, because they do. Yet as long as that early church stayed yielded to the spirit of God no heresy could enter in. Improper and erroneous revelations were quickly discerned out and cast aside.

PAUL’S REVELATION SURPASS PROPHETS

Note, when God called Paul upon the scene, according to his own testimony, he declared he was not taught the revelation of truth by any man, but strictly by the spirit of Christ. God imbedded into Paul’s life every doctrine, every precept, yes, and even revealed every hidden revelation of Old Testament scriptures prophesied by Old Testament prophets who, unbeknowings to them, made references to the grace or church age in their prophecies. Paul declared all these Old Testament scriptural terms pertaining to the grace period were revealed to the apostle office in the New Testament, and get this, things revealed which had never been revealed to any of the prophets of old! (Ephesians 3:2-9)

In Ephesians 3, Paul declared God had made all this mystery known unto him by the spirit, how the gentiles, through the grace age, would become fellow hears with the Jews in God’s great program. Paul taught his new revelation to the Ephesian church which, I remind you, consisted of both Jewish and gentile Christians, several years after he experienced the greatest three year revival in his entire ministry when all Asia was so stirred with the truth of Christ and the seven churches mentioned in Revelation 2 and 3 were founded off the revelatory light which sprang from that 3 year revival at Ephesus. The converted gentiles who only a short time before were pagans worshiping at a heathen temple, now sat in beautiful fellowship alongside the Jews, because now they also embrace a precious revelation of Christ in their bosom. They could see by revelation what Paul taught when he made mention how God, through the grace period, had not broken down the middle wall of partition between them, giving reference to the old law of commandments which works in and around the flesh. God has broken that down, Paul says, and taken the twain, both Jews and Gentile, and made for Himself one new man in Christ! Don’t you ever forget, had every one of those early Christians, both Jew and Gentile, of the church not had a personal revelation in his own bosom as well as had the Holy Ghost to open his understanding, those poor gentiles would never have known one thing concerning what Paul was talking about!

THE REVELATION AT PENTECOST

Isn’t it strange, Peter, who heard every verbal quote made by Jesus concerning the truth, never once used any of those verbal quotes on the day of Pentecost! On the day of Pentecost it was strictly by the revelation of the Holy Ghost which showed Peter how to baptize those first 3000 Jewish converts into the grace age, because Jesus, who was both Lord and Christ, is the revealed redemptive name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost seen in Matthew 28:19, and openly expressed in Acts 2:38. Isn’t it also strange that Paul, who was taught by no man, would baptize exactly the same way Peter did. (Acts 19:1-5) I remind you, Paul declared to the Galatian Church, after his conversion he did not go up to Jerusalem where the apostles were to confer with Peter or any of the other apostles as to what he should preach or how converts should be baptized. Instead, it was down in Arabia (Galatians 1:16-18) God taught Paul by the spirit all this message! And seeing Paul and Peter preaching the same, practicing the same, though they received it under two entirely different environments, provided beyond a shadow of doubt it is the Holy Ghost who is the instruments, as well as the inspirational spirit behind all this.

APOSTLES REVELATION SAME

Note, during that great hour as revelation was going forth, the early church had no need for Bible Schools. All that was needed was mere yielded vessels who were truly born again by the Holy Ghost. When God finished with Paul in Arabia, he too had the same revelation concerning Christ in his bosom as Peter had, and it had come by the revelation of the spirit unto both men. When Paul came on the scene baptizing, he too baptized every convert in the name of Jesus Christ, the Lord as did Peter and the others. Paul’s converts, as well as Peter’s, had the Holy Ghost. Paul taught sanctification, Peter did also. Peter had walked with the flesh men, Jesus Christ, and heard Him verbally speak the message, Paul was able to walk only after the spirit of the man. Both Peter and Paul spoke of the day of the Lord as a day of fire. This and other things show us these men had one teacher and it was the Holy Ghost doing the teaching. But what was more important, each man was allowed by the spirit to present the gospel story of salvation in his own words and was by no means required to use strictly verbal quotes. Jesus promised after the Holy Ghost had come He would teach the disciples all things, bringing to their remembrance whatsoever He had told them in the past. Also showing them things to come.

We too should be just as dependent upon this same spirit to get the job done in this hour as was the early church in that hour, because the spirit is the leadership and inspiration of the church. Furthermore, the spirit is the life of every born again disciples. When everything you have ever clung to dies off, it is He who is the Comforter of our soul. Remember when those apostles, Paul, Peter, James, etc., had all been martyred during the first age, had the early church not had the Holy Ghost to comfort them, no doubt the church would have failed in its mission and stopped with the deaths of the apostles. Though the church loved the apostles dearly, because they had a comforter, they could carry on. When everyone, including the preacher, has died off remember Christ in spirit form, the Comforter, hasn’t died but is with you always, even unto the end of the age. I will be with you even in you, Christ said.

PART 3 – EXCHANGING THEIR WORD FOR SATAN’S

This one message of thought produced through “THEIR WORD” was greatly disturbing the devil as he watched it grow by leaps and bounds. No, Satan did not enjoy watching this in the least because if Peter said there was one God, Paul also said there was one God. The doctrines they taught carried the same line of thought. There was absolutely no division in any of the apostle’s letters. Things were definitely going too smoothly and Satan did not enjoy this, therefore, watch how the trouble enters the fellowship of the church.

ROCK OF REVELATION

We know according to Matthew 16:18, Jesus had instructed His apostles that He would build His church upon the rock of revelation, not upon Peter nor even upon the Catholic church as some have thought. No, the rock the church is built upon is strictly the rock of revelation! The devil has always had certain little tools he uses. All Satan ever needs to get a foothold in anything is for someone to desire or crave undue recognition and he has his foothold. Here is where it all started, Satan impressed someone to feel they wanted to be recognized in the church. The apostles never carried such a feeling. Beloved, if God knows you and I and we both have a kindred spirit, somewhere our trails will cross because birds of a feather flock together.

SATAN IN THE EARLY HOUR

It wasn’t long in the grace age before Satan and his group had come along saying the believers must be circumcised, Acts 15. In that hour circumcision was the problem. Then it wasn’t long until someone else wanted to be recognized and they started the unscriptural teaching the church must keep certain days as well as observe certain Jewish feast days as did Jews under the Old Testament. What does this all add up to? It is merely Satan’s way to add to or trying, shall we say, to perfect the already perfect revelation of God in Christ. It is impossible for Satan to perfect anything, he can only pervert the true revelation, the revelation of Christ is already perfect and needs nothing other than people to merely believe it as the apostles in their own words taught it! Note Paul’s words to the Colossian church where he openly condemns those teachings (Colossians 2:14-17) such as the church having to observe the Old Testament Sabbath, new moons day, meats, drink, etc., as was seen under the old covenant, things which Paul declared had been mere shadows pointing to good things to come in the grace age.

KINGDOM IS NOT

Paul also taught in Romans 14:17, the kingdom of God was not meat or drink but was peace, joy and righteousness in the Holy Ghost! It was godly living inspired by the Holy Spirit. When the gospel of Christ came to an individual, the primary number one objective was, that individual could not live anything until he was first born again. Once he was born again that new birth would lead him into spiritual growth, not into first seeing how much he could learn! Oh no, but instead how much of himself or his life he could give or yield to God in order his earthly vessel containing the spirit of Christ could be separated from the world and set apart for God’s use.

SPIRITUAL MISFITS

Paul wrote to the Romans beseeching them not to be conformed to the world but be transformed by the renewing of their minds. (Romans 12:1-2) Beloved, in Christ you have a new mind. If any man is in Christ he is also a new creature, he is a new man! He has put off the old deeds and put on new ones. Old things have passed away, behold all things have become new. (II Corinthians 5:17) Once the life of Christ has begun to be expressed in the believer, only then do they begin to grow in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus. But remember, when our knowledge has exceeded our right living, we will not only become a stumbling block to others, we also become spiritual misfits.

WHO IS PRESENTED?

I have seen people come into this endtime bride message which was presented to restore us back unto the revelation of “THEIR WORD”, and once they gained a little knowledge you would think they knew exactly how to convert the world. Yet bear in mind, as our main thought and objective in this study is “THEIR WORD”, you must remember, without the thought contained in THEIR WORD you won’t convert anybody to the one true God. I want you to know for many years in that early church “THEIR WORD” remained to be none other than God’s word. Whenever their mouths opened, “THEIR WORD” was spoken and someone saw Jesus Christ. Who does the world see today when we present the message?

PERSONALITY CLASH

Once a group of Corinthian disciples who had heard the word through various apostles got them selves all divided and confused over a personality clash, one saying, I am Paul, in other words, I hear only what Paul says. Another says, I am of Cephas, meaning Cephas is my preacher, I hear only what he says. Another says he is of Apollos, one of the latecomers, but nevertheless one who had influence in Corinth according to Acts 18, while still others declared they were of Christ. Paul was deeply grieved upon hearing this because he knew that kind of fellowship could never grow into fruitful, Christian living. No, he never unchristianized these Corinthian disciples, yet he did scold them for their inconsistency and lack of growth to grow beyond such carnal things.

Who is Paul, Who is Cephas, Who is Apollos, Paul asked this church? They are only men by whom you have heard “THEIR WORD” concerning Christ and having heard through “THEIR WORD” you believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. Now what is wrong with you people! Get your eyes off men and onto Christ where they belong! That is why Paul made the certain reference concerning baptism that he did (I Corinthians 1:14-17) to those gentile Corinthian Christians who were guilty of living in that kind of environment and argument. Is Christ divided? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? (I Corinthians 1:12-14) No, you were baptized in Jesus’ name, not the name of Paul! Paul continues by saying in verses 14-16, besides Crispus and Galus and the household of Stephanas, I thank God I did not baptize any of you else any should say I baptized in mine own name. Why would anyone have accused Paul of baptizing in his own name (Paul) if these people had all been baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost? In Matthew 28:19, there is not one name even mentioned!

NOT DESTROYING REVELATION

Isn’t it a shame today because Paul spoke what he did (verse 17) we have a carnal bunch of people who enjoy using that scripture to say, see, it is not important whether you get baptized or not! Beloved, that statement is strictly unrelated to Paul revelation concerning the gospel of Christ! Here he is only scolding and trying to correct a carnal situation of a personality clash in the church. No, he is by no means trying to annul his own revelation. Wherever Paul preached his revelation, anyone who ever dared ask him what must I do, always wound up getting wet! That example is clearly seen with the Philippian jailor and his family because these, like others, usually got wet in water baptism in a matter of hours after having received the message into their life. Recall when the Philippian jailor thinking everyone had escaped from his jail and knowing he could never serve the sentence of every man who was under his charge, (as their law stated must be done) looked down the corridor and saw the doors wide open to each cell, started to commit suicide when Paul screamed out, do yourself no harm for we are all here. (Acts 16:25-34) Trembling, he fell before Paul’s feet asking what must I do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou and all thy house shall be saved.

CONVERTS GOT WET

Taking them home, the jailor tended their wounds, and can’t you see his little family having the pure plan of salvation explained to them. With their stomachs now filled with a fine supper, Paul takes the jailor and entire household and baptizes them in Christian baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus. Paul was definitely concerned that all his converts would get baptized once they repented and received the truth into their lives. If that be true, and it is, why would Paul speak in such fashion concerning baptism to this Corinthian church. Paul was not trying to tear down his revelation but he did want to tear to shreds than old carnal idea that simply because one certain apostle or disciple had baptized them there was virtue in the name of that particular man. The virtue lays only in the name of Jesus the Christ and also in the individual’s obedience toward the act of baptism as their faith is placed in God through the revelation of truth.

DESIRING RECOGNITION

As that first age of apostles began to die off, men desiring to be recognized began to rise up and naturally because the devil did not want the church to remain under the revelation of the one God, seeing the rest of the gentile world already worshiped a plurality of gods, he wanted to make the Christian church do the same. Therefore, these men who desired undue recognition, Satan would raise them up and give them a false revelation. Some man would take the oneness of God, the true revelation of God, and push it a little way off the center of the road, resulting in confusion in the church, pushing that revelation farther and farther off the road of truth until it finally went into the ditch. We note by the year 235 A.D., the Roman Emperor calls all the bishops together and they vote in what they consider a revelation of the trinity.

SOMEBODY ELSE’S WORD ENTERS PICTURE

Now we begin to see where somebody else’s WORD other than the apostles word which had held the church on true course, now enters strongly into the picture taking the church completely off course and eventually into a thousand years of dark ages. See beloved, what you believe does depend on someone else’s word, doesn’t it? But to stay in fellowship with God also depends upon what we are willing to listen to. After the idea of a trinity or plurality of gods (325 A.D.) It wasn’t long until somebody comes up with the idea of CONFIRMATION. From here on, it is a continual getting away from ‘”THEIR WORD”, which had held the church on true course for centuries! Later they remove the correct water baptism according to the apostles and installs sprinkling in its place. From sprinkling came INFANT BAPTISM. Remember now, none of this is “THEIR WORD”, meaning the apostle’s word about whom Jesus prayed in John 17:20. Nor are these people included in Christ’s prayer because they haven’t believed on Him through “THEIR WORD”.

CHANGING STILL MORE

Later someone said let’s change some more. We will do away with the Lord’s Supper and make a MASS of it and sell it to the people. For hundreds of years Satan continued to take away from “THEIR WORD”, John 17:20, until we reach the 6^th and 7^th century, a time for the thousand years dark age period of the church when people would live strictly, not off the apostles word, oh no, but the word of some carnal men. What they had to eat was truly a long way from being the word of God. Now it was strictly the word of the devil!

PART 4 – THEIR WORD RESTORED BACK AMONG BELIEVERS

Such action continued on until around 1500 when God took hold of a man’s heart named Martin Luther, and quickened him to the revelation of “THEIR WORD” (apostles) that the just did not live by what the pope or church said, but the just are to live by faith (REVELATION). (Romans 1:17) God is now slowly leading the church after 1500 back to “THEIR WORD” (the apostles) because note, the thought of inspiration that Luther received from the spirit God lined up with “THEIR WORD” (Romans 1:17), the apostles word. A few short years later a movement of people moved out on that revelation, the just shall live by faith. They were at least free from that thought which held them bound for so long – faith strictly in the church along with a lot of other nonsense! Over the next 200 years as the church continued moving down through time, men who became reformation leaders, who were used by God to pull the church away from the devil’s word back to “THEIR WORD” (John 17:20), restored such biblical teachings taught by the apostles as ETERNAL SECURITY, PREDESTINATION AND SANCTIFICATION!

“THEIR WORD” BECOMES SCATTERED

Slowly, step by step, God through a period called the hour of Reformation has been leading and restoring the truth of “THEIR WORD” back midst humanity. True, all of these great truths are seen being restored, however, all of them are not able to benefit the church as a whole because all of these great restored truths of “THEIR WORD” were remaining separate and apart from the other restored truth, seeing they are found or embraced by various groups of people. People were denominating around these individual restored truths as rapidly as they were being restored back to the church.

RESTORING GIFTS

Finally the dawn of the 20^th Century breaks and God in His sovereignty begins to place a deep hunger in people’s heart. As they hungered and thirsted after righteousness, God began to give the church a supernatural experience (of gifts). Suddenly they found themselves here in the 20^th Century speaking in languages, languages which had not been heard of perhaps since various periods of the dark ages where ofttimes little tribes of people while in obscurity and under heavy church persecution found themselves speaking in other languages. However, it was never in pre-eminence as it would be now in the 20^th Century, for now God would place pre-eminence upon it. Periodically here and there you also began to hear testimonies of outstanding miracles of healing. What did it all mean?

FRAMEWORK DOCTRINE

With the baptism in the name of Jesus Christ being restored back to the church along with the knowledge that God was one around 1913, and the others which had earlier been restored through reformation leaders over the period of the last 400 years of reformation, God at last had restored the entire framework of His New Testament salvation, or shall we say, restored the framework of “THEIR WORD” back into the earth! Little by little the church is coming farther and farther away from the devil’s word back to “THEIR WORD”. However, all these restored truths which people had individually used to form separate denominations were still separate and scattered among the religious people. No one movement seemed to want to embrace them all, although they were willing to accept perhaps one or two. God had restored a greater measure of the Holy Ghost beginning at the turn of the 20^th Century, and recall, the scripture says the Holy Ghost is a teaching spirit to guide you into all truth. Watch what happens.

TESTING MAN’S DOCTRINE

We can only touch highlights, but time arrives around 1912-13, shortly before World War I, and it is time for God’s church to move on. The Holy Spirit is now ready to test mankind with a new revelation (new to them). For the Pentecostals have been teaching whoever speaks in tongues definitely has the Holy Ghost because with them they thought tongues was the initial evidence of the Holy Ghost! Everyone who had already spoken in tongues felt (according to their doctrine) they had the Holy Ghost, BUT DID THEY? Recall the Holy Ghost, among other things, is also a revelating, teaching spirit. God is now going to test man’s tongue theory as He presented them a deep revelation of truth out of “THEIR WORD”, and when He did many who teach God is one and baptism in the name of Jesus Christ said that new truth was of the devil.

This new Pentecostal Holy Ghost teaching was going strong throughout the earth (1912-13) when suddenly God began to speak to men in the Pentecostal ranks from the scripture, some by dreams and some by visions, saying unto those who carried the new revelation of the Holy Ghost and the gifts of the spirit, will you take my name, will you be baptized in my name? All this was the sovereign act of God to restore back to the church a portion of “THEIR WORD”which of course was HIS WORD! Unbeknowings to religion in this hour they were still embracing much of what the devil had emplanted into the church throughout the long dark ages instead of what God through His apostles had planted. Men began to see something in the scripture, as they got a revelation that there was only one true God and there was a true way to be baptized which had not been observed since around 325 A.D. when the church strayed from “THEIR WORD” to embrace the devil’s word. Such a revelation soon divided the trinity tongue speaking Pentecostal circles as great arguments developed among those who could speak in tongues. Since all claimed the Holy Ghost there should not have been an argument only rejoicing as they all entered into more of “THEIR WORD”. God took this new movement based around their new revelation of Acts 2:38, and established them in the truth of revelation of the oneness of God and the proper way of baptism. Remember, whenever God restored new truth it always brought great separation from other followers or church people!

PEOPLE DIVIDED INTO “ISMS”

What do we see universal Christiandom has become as we move out into the 20^th Century? Why every one is still imbedded in every kind of an “ism”; Catholicism, Lutheranism, Knoxism, Wesleyanism or one of the two schools of Pentecostalism! See the church is all split and divided into all these “isms”. How can God take a church unto Himself which is scattered throughout spiritual Babylon? Face it, that is where you and I were located before God did something to awaken people in spiritual Babylon causing a people to look back to “THEIR WORD”. Now God is going to bring a people together around the word and let them see if what they had always believed was truth or error. Believe me, it is going to be some thrashing! God is fully aware He cannot come for His church as long as she is still embracing much of the devil’s word or is still in that kind of mess of ideas and teachings which is completely contrary to “THEIR WORD”.

You could not get a Methodist to teach Eternal Security any more than you could get a Baptist to teach Sanctification, yet both were important truths of “THEIR (apostles) WORD”. Many Baptists were just as sanctified as the Methodist, they just did not understand the teaching of it. And there were many of the good old Methodist who were just as eternally secure as were the Baptists in their revelation, they just did not understand the teaching of it. Many were just as much preordained before the foundation of the world as were the Knox or Presbyterian followers, they just did not understand the revelation of it. Thus were many of these various people in separate groups separated from all these truths simply because there wasn’t a true light on those teachings in that hour. God had reserved all the true light on the various framework doctrines of His salvation which He had been restoring during the reformation hour to be given at a certain hour when He would do something special for the endtime people and we would all come together and be restored back fully ro THEIR WORD (the apostles’ teaching)!

HUNGRY FOR TRUTH

I remember well hearing those Methodist Seminary teachers declaring Wesley said this and Wesley said that, until I had become so hungry for something else. One day I heard a Baptist minister on the radio offering a book on eternal security. After ordering and reading it I thought, there is still yet more truth than what I have heard in a long time.

Our Methodist pastor was called away for a while leaving me in charge of his charge of four churches. I thought, now is my chance to teach more truth. Taking Romans 8:29 for a text I taught PREDESTINATION AND ETERNAL SECURITY. I noticed they were getting nervous, but I never thought much about it seeing I too was a Methodist and all this was good sound Bible teaching we needed. I simply could not understand what was wrong with the people. The church superintendent came past one day and said, “Raymond, I enjoyed your talk and admire your bravery, but I don’t think it wise or nice to talk about something your church does not believe in. If I were you I would lay these teachings in the background.”

PART 5 – THEIR WORD RESTORED INTO ONE MESSAGE

For days I walked under condemnation when about that time a brother came by and told me about Bro. William Branham, saying he is a prophet and began telling me things that happened in Africa. He is going to have a weekend meeting in Jeffersonville, and I wish you would come. For days I had worked in he field and couldn’t get these biblical teachings I had taught off my heart.

Accepting the brother’s invitation to hear this man of God, whom many already felt was a prophet, I went to hear him. Eventually a little man stepped from the prayer room, walked to the Bible stand and prayed, opened his Bible and took his text from Genesis and he began to feed my hungry heart. He began to open my understanding of something based on the scriptures and it wasn’t long until he was on PREDESTINATION and ETERNAL SECURITY. When he finished that night I knew the things in my bosom were of God! Why? Because this little man took the scriptures and made them real. He made the scriptures come alive in my soul.

CHRIST IS THE MESSAGE

It wasn’t long until I realized this man had a message from God, yet the pathetic part was, many people got confused thinking the man himself was the message! There is a vast difference between the two though some, failed to differentiate between the two. No, he was not the message, Jesus Christ is the message. Christ has always been the message! But wherever possible the devil has always sought to belittle Christ in whatever way possible. For one thousand years the devil sold the world on the idea that Christ was not the Mighty God robed in flesh, (I Timothy 3:16) was not the one Israel would look for as the Messiah who would be Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Counselor and the one called Wonderful (Isaiah 9:6). Satan sold the world on the idea that Christ was the second person of the Godhead. God is the pendulum of the whole thing, but the devil wanted to belittle Him, making Him only to be the second person. And finally if that wasn’t bad enough he set his earthly mother over Him (Jesus) as His head! Blessed Mother of God, they say. Don’t people realize God never had a mother! In the beginning was God. Christ the man had an earthly mother, but not the spirit God. (Galatians 4:4) What a pathetic mess the religious world turned into as they forsook “THEIR WORD” (apostles word) and embraced strictly a program of the devil, filled with only carnal words and teaching! And if God had left the whole religious world as it was back there in the dark ages we truly would be in a mess! Spiritually speaking, we would have been a million miles from “THEIR WORD”, but God never intended the church to remain forever away from “THEIR WORD”. Only through “THEIR WORD” will we know who Christ and God actually is. Satan never intends for you to know who Christ is.

PROTESTANTISM PRODUCED MANY FAITHS

As time progressed through the reformation after 1500, through various reformation leaders God, little by little, was seen restoring “THEIR WORD” (truths taught by the apostles). Yet denominations continued to spring up everywhere around these restored truths, accepting some of these truths and rejecting others. It had boiled down to this kind of belief, you embrace your faith and I will embrace mine. This peculiar idea taught in Babylon concerning many faiths lacked a long way from being the unity and oneness to embrace only one faith which the early church walked in (Ephesians 4:4-6) as well as what the endtime church would be walking in, which Christ would come for at the end of the age. Therefore, it was of necessity that God would send a man at the end of the age with a very special office to do something for the church.

SENDING ELIJAH

For that work God intended to do we should examine a prophecy in Malachi 4:5-6. (5) “Behold, I send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: (6) And he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” Contrary to what you many think, John the Baptist did not fulfill all that scripture, only the first part as shown in Luke 1:17. Then who will fulfill the later setting of Malachi 4:5-6? It is not one of the two Jewish prophets clothed in the spirit of Elijah sent to Israel who fulfills this scripture. According to Revelation 11, that man does not restore the hearts of the children back to the fathers. The Jews converted under that ministry simply receive a revelation of who Christ is as seen by the fact they all have the father’s name written in their forehead, (Revelation 14:1). Without going into elaborate detail, since we have already published several articles on Malachi 4:5-6 showing how there are two different, separate time periods for that spirit of Elijah to be manifested on earth, we will simply say, the office of Elijah to restore the hearts of the children back to the fathers was not to be fulfilled until the end of the grace age, sometime before the church left the world. This office of the spirit of Elijah is to be a restoring office. The officework would restore the hearts of the endtime children of the grace age back to the original teaching of those apostles, or restore us back to “THEIR WORD” whereby we at the endtime might embrace that faith whereby we could be included in the prayer of John 17:20.

RESTORING CHILDREN’S HEART

Now I ask you, when God brings this spirit of Elijah on the scene, is He going to bring something out of obscurity which is so fantastic and so unrelated to the Bible that what he has to say would become a message completely and totally set apart from “THEIR WORD” (apostolic fathers of the faith)! Absolutely not. If that man brought such a message that was completely apart from the faith of the apostolic fathers then he did not fulfill B-part of Malachi 4:5-6 by turning us back to “THEIR WORD” or to the faith of our apostolic fathers, Paul, Peter, James, John, etc.! But Malachi declares this office of Elijah is ordained to turn the hearts of the children back to (the faith of) the fathers! With this Old Testament prophet office in operation at the end of the age shows me God is going to produce a people who will be in the same likeness of character, of spirit, of faith, of devotion and unity as were those early apostolic Christians who in the beginning lived off “THEIR WORD”. No, this man who came in the spirit and power of Elijah did not come with a revelation which would take people away from the contents of this Bible or “THEIR WORD”. That would be completely contrary to the purpose of Malachi’s prophecy concerning the sending of this spirit office. Malachi declared this man would turn our hearts back to the true faith of our apostolic fathers! Beloved, the man who filled this office never asked any human being to preach him, to exalt him, to lift him upon a pedestal. No, that man, who because of the Old Testament prophet office he fulfilled and being on the scene when he was, his office alone made him the church age messenger to Laodicea, he never once asked anyone to believe anything unscriptural. He asked only that we believe Jesus Christ was the same yesterday, today and forever! The mother church of the dark ages had diminished Christ from that high position and all her daughters had simply followed suit!

PLACED THEIR WORD INTO ONE MESSAGE

That man did have a message and that message was the revelation of how to take all these great restored truths of their word which had been restored through the reformation hour and tie all these truths back together, placing them all back into their proper setting into this Bible where they originally came from. William Marrion Branham, prophet messenger to this age, took all these great restored truths, and placed them all together in one message and told the church, as the apostolic fathers had taught the church all these truths in one message so must we of the endtime do likewise.

PROPHET DID NOT RESTORE FRAMEWORK DOCTRINES

Shocking as it may sound to some, this prophet messenger did not restore FAITH, did not restore PREDESTINATION; did not even restore ETERNAL SECURITY nor the BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST or even the REVELATION THAT GOD WAS ONE and BAPTISM should be performed in the NAME OF JESUS CHRIST. Well, if he didn’t restore any of that, what did he restore? Watch carefully. William Marrion Branham, under the anointing of God, was the first man since that first church age to ever take every one of these truths and place them all together giving them their proper place in the plan of God and preach them all in the same message. He is the first man to take these great restored truths over which people for more than 400 years had fussed, argued and disputed almost to the point of blasphemy, this man gathered up every one of these restored (hated and despised) truths of “THEIR WORD” scattered here and there and placed them all into one message, a Bible message, giving each truth its proper perspective in the framework of revelation and showed to the church how to embrace and TEACH THEM! When he did this, the Bible made more sense to people than it had in almost 1700 years. That is why this prophet would say, if Paul taught ONE GOD, SO HAVE I; IF PAUL BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST THE LORD, SO HAVE I; IF HE TAUGHT PREDESTINATION AND ETERNAL SECURITY OF THE TRUE BELIEVER, SO HAVE I!

Many fundamental churches didn’t even know where the millennium was to be. They didn’t know whether it would be on earth, some other planet or in heaven or just where or when, or whether there would even be one. The prophet to the age said there would be a millennium and that millennium would be right here on earth! That is all he needed to say.

GIVEN SEAL REVELATION

Now to prove the fact this prophet did take the teaching of ONE GOD, SANCTIFICATION, BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST , ETERNAL SECURITY, PREDESTINATION and all these other restored truths by various reformation leaders and place them all together in their proper perspective, back in the framework of the Bible message, and teach them as a true revelated message of truth as taught by the apostles, look what God did, God caused this little man to receive a revelation of what the Seals in Revelation 6 were. No, these seals were not written in another book, they were written in the Bible. By pure revelation of the spirit, revelation, which I remind you had not been given to anyone in the church since the first age, this prophet broke that first seal, or that first white horse rider, and told us it was none other than that devilish old antichrist spirit which was seen rising up in the close of the first church age. Paul declared that truth in II Thessalonians 2:3-12 where he spoke somewhere around 55 A.D., declaring the mystery of iniquity doeth already work and Paul referred to the climax of this work as being in the son of perdition. While John the Beloved declared in I John 2:18-19, somewhere around 90 A.D. that there were already many antichrists plaguing the church. But please understand in John’s statement he is not referring to the major or main antichrist, (son of perdition, the one anointed to destroy) but of the minor antichrist leading up to that one.

REVEALING WHO MYSTERY RIDER IS

When the prophet, by revelation, taught these seals in Revelation 6, his teachings made more sense and fell in line better with the scripture and church history that what all these theologians are declaring who want to place those seals at the time of great tribulation at the end of the age! The revelatory teaching of the first four seals by the prophet was all built around who that mysterious rider was, first seen riding the white horse in the first seal. The rider of the first horse is the same rider seen on the other three horses, only the other horses are different colors to illustrate what effect the antichrist had on the Christian church as he rode down through church history, or rode down through these first four seals and plunged the religious world into the dark ages. The name of the rider of the four various colored horses was Death, and Hell followed with him.

When that prophet took church history and built past church history around those first four seals, that completely vindicated it and made the revelation he had received a proven fact. Did that make church history to become scripture? Not at all. Your Bible is the only book of scriptures. Church history only proved the accuracy of the revelation. Thus the historical facts only proved what the revelation of the seals was saying, to be true. The first four seals spoke of what has already transpired and church history has already recorded for us all these historical events which were brought out in the first four seals in a living people of this hour who did not live back in those times. History simply declares what has been. What we see briefly written in the scripture is more thoroughly covered by church history concerning that period of time, the scripture can, by no means, go into the detail church history does.

CART BEFORE HORSE

Allow me to close with this probing question to every honest heart who follows this endtime message in order to be restored to the revelation of “THEIR WORD” (our apostolic fathers). If you were to go out into this world preaching salvation to sinners who would you preach? The answer should be, none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore I warn you, if you go forth to help convert sinners to salvation but spend far more time informing the sinner that God has sent a prophet, etc., than you do telling the poor lost sinner 2000 years ago a man by the name of Jesus Christ came and died to save them, we have absolutely placed the cart before the horse. We are going down the road backward.

May I say, “THEIR WORD” (the apostles word) which you were restored back to by the office of the spirit of Elijah resting upon a gentile prophet is just as real, just as vital, and needful today as “THEIR WORD” has ever been. If God can find some people who are simple minded enough to allow Him to paint a true revelatory picture in their spiritual minds as to what this little man did say while on earth, are you aware these people today would not have to be mere repetitionists! Of course not. No one else in church history ever had to be. If that prophet to the age were still alive today you would find him preaching out of the pages of that Bible.

No doubt having made the statement the prophet to the age did not restore FAITH, PREDESTINATION, ETERNAL SECURITY, SANCTIFICATION, etc., some of you may be as the brother I received a phone call from who had naturally heard just the opposite, he asked the question, If the prophet didn’t restore all these things, what did the scripture mean in Matthew 17:11 when the disciples asked Jesus, Why do the scribes teach Elijah must first come and RESTORE ALL THINGS! Jesus answered truly, he must come and restore all things. The man asked, what did Jesus mean by that statement?

DID NOT RESTORE ALL THINGS

Allow me to caution you by saying that even with the coming of the spirit of Elijah on a gentile prophet office at the end of the age he did not restore all things by any means. He came and took all the Bible truths that had been restored through the reformation and placed them all back into one message. He even broke the seven seals of Revelation 6 and brought into light what the reformers could not because of their hour, and just as in John’s ministry when that spirit of Elijah restored all which was necessary to be known in that hour in order for believers to be ready for the first coming of Christ, likewise did the spirit of Elijah on this gentile prophet office restore all things necessary for the endtime Laodicean saints, or true seed, to be ready for the coming of Christ to receive His bride. He restored all the mystery necessary to the endtime people to fulfill Revelation 10:7. He restored all things that was necessary for the gentile church to be ready for Christ’s coming yet the restoring work did not cover the restoring of all things!

3^RD PHASE FOR JEW

What about after the gentile church is secretly gathered out and the gospel returns back to the Jew to gather out the 144,000. Never forget, that spirit of Elijah will be in that hour also in Israel resting once again upon another Jew, and once again he will do some more restoring, and during that appearing will complete the restoring of all things of Matthew 17:11. One Jew who is referred to in Revelation 11 as one of the prophets will have received the spirit of Elijah while the other Jewish prophet in Israel who gives the antichrist a fit of rage received the spirit of Moses, and together what a work they do. In that hour the restoring work of the spirit of Elijah completes the words of Matthew 17:11, THAT ELIAS WILL RESTORE ALL THINGS! In that hour he will restore all things necessary for the 144,000 who are to receive the revelation of who Jesus is, that He is God, to fulfill Isaiah 9:6, etc. With that final operation among the Jews, that completes the mighty office work for the restoration spirit of Elijah!

Therefore, do not think for a moment, as so many have, that Matthew 17:11 applies strictly to the office work of Bro. William Branham, it does not! Bro. William Branham restored what was necessary for the gentile bride church to know, yet he restored nothing to the Jews which is the final step in God’s restoring program.

The prophet took these restored truths of “THEIR WORD” given to reformation leaders, which had all this time remained through the hour of protestantism separate and blocked off from their proper perspective in scripture through denominationalism. This prophet restored back those truths blocked off by protestantism into their proper revelating setting within the proper framework of the scripture. I repeat, it is the first time any man has ever done this since the days of the apostles! This was his message! It was to tell poor mankind, scattered throughout all this Babylonian religious denominational manmade systems, how to get himself free from all that mess and get back to the revelation of “THEIR WORD”, which is none other than the word of God; to get into Christ, the Word whereby God can begin to lead our lives and place His great merciful arm of love about us, to teach and instruct the church in order to lead and guide us whereby we may grow in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and in fellowship with Him, so we could all walk in the same revelation and see God alike. And the holy scriptures or “THEIR WORD” would once again become the ruling factor of the church. Even if the day came they would burn your Bible, that revelation of the word would be in you. The scripture says, being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible seed, which is the engrafted word of God. Engrafted means it is the revelation of God’s thought which is recorded in “THEIR WORD”, embedded in your spiritual life and mine. Thus if the revelation is in your spiritual mind you can’t help but live and respond to that revelation of “THEIR WORD”, which is Christ’ word, that now feeds your soul and caused your soul to react back to “THEIR WORD”.