Mission Populaire Libre

Jésus-Christ est le même hier, aujourd'hui et éternellement" (Hèbreux 13:8)

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The apostles had the privilege to be taught by the Lord and Master for years, even for forty days after His resurrection. Paul saw Him after His ascension in the supernatural light and heard His voice in his native tongue, Hebrew, “... for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in which I will appear unto thee; delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God ...” (Acts 26: 12-23). A Divine calling and commission connected to the Plan of Salvation is that precise! Paul did not only address the church, but also the prophets and those who had spiritual gifts. The emphasis had been that he did not spread his own views, but rather what the Lord had commanded him. “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.” (1 Cor. 14: 37-38).

The entire Bible, the Old and the New Testament, is God’s inspired Word. Through His prophets and apostles the Lord spoke Himself. They acted according to His direct orders. Paul could write, “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord ...” (1 Th. 4: 15). Only if we say exactly what God’s men said because of His direct bidding, we express what God really said. Only then can the listeners confirm it, “Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth.” (1 Ki. 17: 24). Of whom, in all the many denominations, can it be said today, that God’s Word is still the original Truth in the mouth of those who proclaim it? Only he, who teaches and baptises as the apostles did, teaches and baptises correctly. The order for the New Testament Church was established right at the beginning. The true Word of God went forth from Jerusalem to all the world. Now the teachings and practices in the true, restored Church must be as they were in the beginning.

The Apostle Paul made his first trip to Jerusalem three years after his conversion, to speak with Peter. During his fifteen-day stay, Paul heard from Peter all about the spiritual beginnings. He also met James, the brother of our Lord. Fourteen years later, the same Paul, together with Barnabas and Titus, made another journey to Jerusalem, due to a Divine order. This time his objective was not to gather information, but to determine whether his teaching and preaching was correct, or if all his work would be done in vain (Gal. 1: 18 – 2: 2).

Hereby all preachers, evangelists, teachers, prophets, all ministers are challenged, to make a trip to Jerusalem in the spirit and to truly and honestly compare, if what they teach and practise indeed agrees with the written Word . The comparison must always be made with the original. Whatever and however things were in the beginning, so they must now be at the end — a total conformity of the Bride Church with God and His Word before Jesus Christ comes back. A complete return to scriptural doctrines and apostolic practices is the command and the message of the hour.

The falsifications and misinterpretations started early and resulted in the great falling away from the true doctrine by the man of sin. They found their initial climax in the first organised church, which began in the year 325 with the Council of Nicea. Other church councils followed in 381 and 441, and then came the Middle Ages, also known as the Dark Ages, wherein the light of the Word was almost suffocated. Finally, after one thousand years, a new breakthrough came about through the Reformation, followed by various revivals in the past centuries, wherein the scriptural truths were more and more restored. Sadly, old traditions continued, even during the revivals which began by a mighty moving of the Holy Spirit at the turn of the 20th century. The enemy even continued to deceive where the Spirit of God was at work and was successful with his plan to declare the right to be wrong and the wrong to be right. Until today, old leaven has always spoiled the new dough. Organised churches came into existence and continued the old tragedy.

What our Lord said to the religious Jews also applies to the unfaithful Christendom: “This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. However in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men ... And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.” (Mk. 7: 6-9).

As the Lord said, all worship, even the praise in charismatic meetings, is in vain, when men’s teachings and commandments are believed instead of God’s Word. Jesus, our Lord, set forth this condition, “Whoever believes in Me as the scripture says ...” (Jn. 7: 38). The Lord demands the worship of God in Spirit and in Truth (Jn. 4: 24). The Word of God is the Truth into which the Holy Ghost leads the true believers and sanctifies them therein.

Now, being close to the coming of Jesus Christ, we also need the prophetic part, as Peter emphasised in his epistle in the most wonderful way: “ For we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” (2 Pt. 1: 16). The apostle had been an eyewitness of the glorious experience on the Mount of Transfiguration. With final assurance he could write, “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; unto which ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place , until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (v. 19).

Nowadays, who can truthfully say to be in the actual possession of the prophetic word, not the interpretation, but the realisation of it? For only then does it shine as a bright light. Today so many are busy with their own prophecies and they always have something new to offer, so they do not even feel drawn to the written prophetic word. No prophecy of the Scriptures permits any private interpretation and it will never lose its validity due to any of the self-made prophecies. On the contrary, the prophecies produced by men are made null and void by the authority of God’s Word . The prophecies of the Scriptures are always connected to the promises, which receive their legitimation in their fulfilment.

If we would not follow up with Divine jurisdiction at this point, the exposition would defeat its purpose. “Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” (Isa. 2: 3b). The true Word went forth from Jerusalem. There the prophets ministered, and also our Lord and the apostles. There the foundation of the New Testament Church had been laid. That is where she was brought into existence; there she must return to in teaching and practice.

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