<TITLE>12. Par 112-120</TITLE>L-112   Now, and then--then he said, "The first thing, you know, here come Andrew running in, and saying that this preacher said he saw the Messiah sign over a Man. It was a--a Light, like a dove coming down, and--and the preacher saw it. And there was many there, and nobody else saw it but the preacher. So I couldn't hardly go for that. I hear all kinds of stuff, so I just forgot about it, you know. And one night he come to me, said, 'You ought to just go down and listen at Him for once. He's going to be down here on the shore the next morning, and you ought to go down.'

L-113 "Well, I thought, 'Poor old Andrew. He and I have pulled this boat for a long time.'

L-114 "And I remember one day I had a talk with my daddy. And he was a good, old Pharisee. He just lived in that church; a pillar in it. And his gray hair! One night after fishing...

L-115   "We were poor. We had to just live meager as we could. And many times, when mother and daddy was living, she used to gather us all around of a morning, 'fore we went out to put our nets in the water. We owed debts, and we had to have some fish. And we would pray to Jehovah, to--to fill our nets that day. And how daddy would rejoice when we'd take in a great big catch of fish; and get to the bank, and get out on the bank, and set down and--and thank God for giving us the fish for that day. How we could go pay our debts now, and have something to eat for the night, and expect the next morning!

L-116 "And one night, after we got through thanking the Lord, I remember daddy set down on the side of the brail of the boat. And he called me over there, and he said, 'Simon, you know, I have longed, all my life, to live to see the day when I would see the Messiah. And we been promised Him, for many years. All of our people has looked for Him. Moses told us He was coming. All the prophets has spoke to Him. But, Simon, son, we haven't had a prophet among us for hundreds of years. And when the church has got off in cold, formal condition, but I believe it's nearing the time. If you see my gray hair... I don't suppose I'll live to see it. I'm old now.'

L-117   "'But, Simon, before the Messiah comes, Satan will send out a lot of false stuff, first, and there'll be false messiahs come. But I want you to always remember, Simon, don't you never leave this Scripture. Our people are told in this Bible, that, "The Word of the Lord comes to a prophet, a prophet only." And then, first, this prophet has to be vindicated by God. He has to tell the Word, and the Word has to come to pass, time after time.'"

L-118 They are born. They're just not just somebody lay hands on them and made them a prophet. They are born. There's a gift of prophecy can come, but a prophet is born a prophet. Jeremiah was. Why, God said, "Before you was even formed in your mother's wombs, I ordained you a prophet over the nations." John the Baptist, seven hundred and twelve years before he was born, Isaiah said, "He's the voice of one crying in the wilderness." Jesus Christ was the Son of God, before the foundation of the world. He was the woman's Seed that was to bruise the serpent's head. Certainly.

L-119 God is. God places these things. "God has set in the Church apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors, evangelists." All these things, God placed in the Church. Then there's nine different gifts who operates in that Church. But these are offices that goes in the Church.

L-120   "And you know, he told me, said, 'Son, we've followed Moses and his law. Now, Moses told us that this Messiah, when He come, would be a prophet.'


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