<TITLE>17. Par 51-53</TITLE>L-51 Now, as far as I know, there's not a person before me that I do know, except Mr. Goad here, taking tapes, Mr. Vayle here, my son and Mr. Sweet standing there, brethren there. But before me, balcony and everywhere, all that's strangers to me, raise up your hand, everywhere. All right. But you realize that God knows you before you ever come on the earth. You believe that?
How many believes that gifts and callings are without repentance? The Bible said there's five gifts in the church. God has set in the church Apostles, or missionaries, apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists, pastors. Truly. If there's apostle, there's a prophet. If there's a prophet, there's a teacher. If there's a teacher, there's a pastor or a evangelist. See. You can't just say there's a pastor and evangelist, no prophet or apostle. God still sets... As long as He's got His church, He's still got His church setting. Certainly.

L-52 Now, you don't lay hands on one another for them gifts. God has set in the church. Jesus Christ was the Son of God from the garden of Eden, predicted the seed of the woman. John the Baptist was the voice of one crying in the wilderness seven hundred and twelve years before he was born, the voice of one crying in the wilderness. How many know that? Sure. How many knows that Jeremiah 1:4 says, "Before you was even formed in your mother's womb, I knew you, and I sanctified you, and ordained you a prophet to the nations." Gifts and callings are not what somebody's done; it's what God has done. They're born; they're raised up with them; it's what God has done.
Now, He calls some of us to preach, some of us to teach, some of us with different spirits of operation. Now, there's twelve--or nine spiritual gifts in the local body. See? Now, there's a gift of prophecy; that could be on any person in here tonight and maybe never on them again. That just comes and goes. There's quite a difference between a spirit of prophecy and a prophet. A spirit of prophecy is to be judged by two or three that has discernment before it can ever be given to the church. Don't... When the old prophet stood, Isaiah and Jeremiah, they had THUS SAITH THE LORD. They were born from cradle up.

L-53 Pastors, teachers, not what some seminary sets you in order, but where God puts you out there as a pastor or teacher. That's the difference. You might went out for money if the seminaries sent you. You went out for God; you went out for the good of the church and the glory of God. You had to drink branch water and eat soda crackers, didn't make any difference to you; you preach just the same. Criticized or not criticized, popular or not popular, makes no difference, you go anyhow. God bless those men. Many of them setting here tonight, warriors, that's paved the road that I'm running over freely. You stood on the street corners and preached and prophesied and said it was coming; here it is. You're the ones that made the road, brethren. Wait till the rewards is give out and see who gets the rewards; it's you men. Yes, sir. You was the one who laid the foundations in this last day for the church. Now, God's begin to move in on that foundation that you've laid. How wonderful it is. I love that song, "How great Thou art, How great Thou art."


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