THERE IS A TRUE GOD-ORDAINED
5-FOLD MINISTRY
"And God set some in the Church, first apostles, then prophets, teachers, evangelists, and pastors, all for the perfecting of the Church. How could we turn one down and say the other one isn't so? God does it Himself. It's nothing in the world but just yielding yourself to the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit takes over from there, and you don't know what you're doing. It's the Holy Spirit's sovereign work." (THEIR.EYES.WERE.OPENED.title JEFF.IN ER 89-107 57-0421E)
Would the Bride of Christ have a ministry before the rapture? Sure. That's what's going on right now. See? The BRIDE of Christ... Certainly. It is the Message of the hour (See?), the Bride of Christ. Sure, She's consist of apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists, and pastors. Is that right? That's the Bride of Christ. Sure, She's got a ministry, great ministry; it's the ministry of the hour; it'll be so humble.(QA.ON.THE.SEALS. No.22 JEFF.IN 63-0324M)
God never intended the church to be run by men. God runs His church, and He runs it through gifts of the Spirit. The gifts of the Spirit is in the church to correct the spirit. He's got five ministerial offices in His church. First of them is apostles, or, missionaries. Missionary is the highest calling there is, apostle. The word "missionary" means "one sent"; "apostle" means "one sent." Why they ever chose to be called a missionary, I don't know. But they are apostles. All right. Apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists, pastors, now, that's the elected offices of God to His church.
Then in each local church there's nine spiritual gifts that come among the people, that is, knowledge, wisdom, gifts of healing, working of miracles, speaking with tongues, interpretation of tongues. And all these things go in each local body. And every person in the church has an individual ministry, and that individual ministry goes together with the rest of the ministry to edify the Body of Jesus Christ. (SMYRNAEAN.CHURCH.AGE.title JEFF.IN ROJC 185-227 60-1206)
God was predestinating by foreknowledge, set in the church these orders. They are of God. God speaks then and a vindicates and proves Hisself by the preachers preaching the Word, by the prophets prophesying, by the seers, and so forth that's in the church, that God has placed, by the evangelists, pastors, all together to feed and to take care of His sheep. (VHEAR.YE.HIM.title OAKLAND.CA 57-0322)
Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, five spiritual gifts that's predestinated, that by foreknowledge God set in the Church. That's exactly right. Gifts and callings are without repentance. All those gifts are in the Church. (JESUS.CHRIST.THE.SAME.title MIDDLETOWN.OH 58-0323)
Now He set in the church, to keep the church in line with the Word, what? Apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors, evangelists, offices of the church. God-sent, not man-called; God-sent, inspired men to keep the church lined up. Now, what is it? Gifts of the Spirit in the church, not a bunch of fanaticism, but truly gifts of the Spirit in the church. (PERSEVERANCE.title JEFF.IN V-10 N-3 62-0218)
In His army... He presents His army in the form of five offices, first, apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors, evangelists. That's His army; that's His soldiers; that's His commanding officers, all with the baptism of the Holy Ghost, waiting out there to meet the enemy on any grounds he comes upon; to meet the enemy with the Word of God (Amen.), each one backing one another up, with Him the Chief Captain, not out there in front, up here, above, back behind; but in them. That's the army. Vindicating, vindicating what? His resurrection, by the proof of His works. (TAKE.ON.THE.WHOLE.ARMOR.OF.GOD.title SANTA.MARIA.CA 62-0701)
Now, His corporal body sets at the right hand of God. You believe that, don't you? But the Holy Spirit is here working through His sanctified vessels. And God has set in the church what? First apostles, then prophets, then teachers, then evangelists, then pastors (Is that right?), for the perfecting of the church. God has did it. It's not the preacher that preaches; it's God preaching through him. It's not the prophet that sees the vision; it's God speaking through him. (JESUS.CHRIST.THE.SAME.title CHARLOTTE .NC 56-0426)
What is it? God dressed up in His church. These offices is God's dress-wear. When you see those offices, pastors, teachers, evangelists, what is that? That's God's dress-wear, God's Presence, God's Spirit and It's working through man. And if that office denies any of this Word, then it's not God-dressing. No, not that. That's that wolf in sheep's clothing. Watch that fellow. Beware of Him. (PUTTING.ON.THE.WHOLE.ARMOUR.OF.GOD.title S.PINES.NC 62-0607)
Now, everybody can't be a preacher, but you got a voice… If you're a preacher, you're called to the pulpit to preach. If you're not, you're still a preacher, but live the people a sermon. Let your sermon be lived, and it's the voice of God that'll bring reproach to them who reject it.
See, live your sermons. Don't try to preach them if you're NOT called to be a preacher; get all mixed up, anyhow, and messed up, and you'll get people tangled up, and you won't know... Well, you'll--you'll ruin them and yourself too. Just live your sermon.
The preacher's called to preach his and to live it too. If you can't live it, then stop preaching it. But you're supposed to live your sermons.
(REV.CHAP.4.PT.3.THRONE.MERCY.title JEFF.IN ROJC 645-716 61-0108)
CHURCH ORDER, CONDUCT AND DOCTRINE
"Every man ought to have a church home. You ought to have a place, not just to float about from pillar to post, but have somewhere that you go to church and you call it your church, somewhere you pay your tithe, and somewhere that you help support the cause. Take your choice, but then don't never disfellowship the other man because he don't belong with your group. See? Discern his spirit and see if he's got the same purpose in heart, then you got fellowship one with another. You're working for one great cause. That's the cause of Christ. I think that that is absolutely true." (DISCERNMENT.OF.SPIRIT.title PHOENIX.AZ V-9 N-3 60-0308)
There's something about the--where you go, what church you go to, and what teacher teaches you. Do you know that? It--it's got something to it. Therefore, we ought to seek out the very best that we can find, so we're getting the best; not because it's sociable and so forth, but the real Bible teaching.
HEBREWS.CHAPTER.3.title JEFF.IN HEB 57-0901M
But I believe in the supreme authority of the local assembly. Yes, let each church be its own, choose its pastors, its deacons, its whatever it is. And then, that way, the man in there has no bishop over him. The Holy Spirit wants to speak something to that church, they don't have to ask anybody about whether they could do this or do that. It's the individual in contact with the Holy Spirit. Show me by the Bible, what's greater in the Bible than a local elder to a local church? That's right. Yes, sir, the sovereignty of the local church, each church in itself... Now, brotherhood, that's wonderful. All churches ought to be in a brotherhood like that together. But the sovereignty of local church...( HEBREWS CHAPTER 5.AND.6. JEFF.IN HEB 57-0908M)
But the full and complete authority of the church is the pastor. Read that in the Bible; see if that's not Bible order. That's exactly right. There's no one above the elder. I have nothing to do with what Brother Neville does here. That's up to you and Brother Neville. If Brother Neville wanted to preach Jehovah Witness doctrine, that's up to him and you. See? If he wanted to preach anything he wanted to, that's between you and him. That's all. If the congregation votes for him in there to preach that, that's all right. That's up to him. (HEBREWS.CHAPTER.7.PT.2.CHURCH.ORDER.title JEFF.IN HEB 57-0922)
You all voted a hundred percent on it, so we've held right to that. See? The church is sovereign. What the church says, that's what... Trustees or nobody else... The trustees is just, each one, a vote. The pastor is just one vote. It's the church, that it's--it's the democracy of the church, the sovereignty of the church. The church in whole, speaks. That's all. And we like that, because we have NO bishops, or hierarchies, or overseers, or so forth to tell us this, that, or the other. It's the Holy Spirit in the church, does the speaking; I like that rule, and it's very fine. (KEY.TO.THE.DOOR.title JEFF.IN V-12 N-6 62-1007)
And this church is sovereign. There ain't no board of trustees or deacons going to tell you what to do. This church in a whole vote tells you what to do. That's exactly right. If there's a decision...
If you don't like your pastor, and there's two or three people gets something against the pastor, they can't raise up. If they're deacons, trustees, they just... Or what officer they are here they just got one vote; that's all. If he's assistant pastor, he's just got one vote. He's just like the lay member sets back there. The whole vote of the church settles the matter. And that's right; that's--that's right. No deacon board put a pastor out, or no pastor put a deacon board out. The church does that in a general vote of the whole thing.
It's sovereign in itself. We have no bishops; we have no general overseers; we have Jesus. Amen. He's the Bishop. He's the General Overseer. He's the head Pastor. He's the King. He's the Lord. He's the Healer. He's All and All. And we're just His subjects walking in the Light. Amen. (BAPTISM.OF.THE.HOLY.SPIRIT.title JEFF.IN V-5 N-2 58-0928M)
THE 7-FOLD PURPOSE OF THE FIVE-FOLD MINISTRY
EPHESIANS 4:11-13
"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
For the : (1) perfecting of the saints, for the (2) work of the ministry, for the (3) edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all (4) come in the unity of the faith, and (5) of the knowledge of the Son of God, (6) unto a perfect man, (7) unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.
7 QUALIFICATIONS OF A TRUE MINISTER
A TRUE MINISTER MUST BE :
1. CALLED AND ELECTED (foreordained) BY GOD (NOT BY MEN. MEAL TICKET IS NEVER AN ISSUE FOR PREACHING.)
II PETER 1:10 - “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.
2. SENT BY GOD (NOT BY SOME MAN-MADE ORGANIZATIONS)
ROMANS 10:14-15 – “…And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?”
3. CHOSEN of GOD (NOT HANDPICKED BY MEN LIKE MATTHIAS)
MATTHEW 22:14- “For many are called, but few [are] chosen.”
4. GIFTED AND VINDICATED OF GOD (NOT JUST RUNNING WITH SOME SEMINARY EXPERIENCE OR WITH SOME BIBLE SCHOOL THEOLOGY BUT BY THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST)
ROMANS 11:29 - “For the gifts and calling of God [are] without repentance.”
MATTHEW 10:7-8 -"And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
5. WALKING IN THE PRESENT TRUTH (NOT WITH DENOMINATIONAL HYBRID TEACHINGS)
PSALMS 86:11— “ Teach me Thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth..”
II PETER 1:12 – “ Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know [them], and be established in the present truth.” …..
6. A HUMBLE SERVANT, NOT ONE THAT'S BEING SERVED
MATTHEW 20:25-28- "But Jesus called them, and said, "Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
"Sometimes great guys get together. You hear them say great So-and-so and great So-and-so, our great... Don't never do that. There's no great ones among us. There's only one great One, and that's God. We are brothers, sisters. I don't care if you're a pastor of a church that's got five people in it, that don't make you little; that makes you a brother (See?), if you're true to God's Word. I don't care what, how, you don't get little. God don't have little children and big children. He just has children, and they're all the same." (TRYING.TO.DO.GOD.A.SERVICE.title JEFF.IN V-4 N-8 65-0718M)
"And isn't that just the way that people get today? Let God just bless a fellow and put a little confidence in him, and he gets to be a know-it-all. He gets to be... He's got to start an organization, or he's got to do something that's different. "Why art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer."
It's... God has a hard time trying to get somebody that He can deal with, that'll stay humble, and meek, and stay in the place until God calls him to do something (you believe that? See?), a man that God can bless and he'll still keep hisself a man, not be an angel or a god. As soon as man gets blessed and has a little something given to him, he wants to become a god; he wants to become a--a angel. He wants to become some great person. "What I do, what... Me and me and mine..." all that. That's the wrong attitude. God's hunting for somebody who He could bless and pour out the blessings, and--and more He blessed, the littler the man will become. And you'll never get more of God until you become nothing. You've got to belittle yourself. He that will exalt himself, God will bring abase. He that will humble himself, God will exalt. You've got to get little before you can get big. And you'll never be big in your own self; you'll only be as big as God will be big in you. See? (QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.title JEFF.IN COD 59-0628E)
7. NO COMPROMISER OF THE WORD
GALATIANS 1:8- "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."
ROMANS 3:4- "Yea, let God be true, but every man a liar."
A BRIEF DESCRIPTION of the
5-FOLD MINISTRY
TAKING.SIDES.WITH.JESUS.title JEFF.IN COD 62-0601
"A prophet isn't an evangelist, and an evangelist isn't a prophet. A pastor isn't a evangelist, and a evangelist isn't a pastor. But God has set in the church, first apostles, then prophets, then teachers, then pastors and so forth. God set them in the church and God gave them an office."
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THE PROPHET
The prophet is a special man. A prophet is a man of whom the Word of the Lord comes to, because the prophet is so designed life that his sub-conscious and his first conscious is so close together that he doesn't go to sleep to dream his dream; he sees it when he's wide awake. See? Now, that's something God has to do. See, he sees what's going. A prophet foresees way off (See?) the things that is coming. He sees the cup of God's wrath, full, before it is filled. See? He can say, "THUS SAITH THE LORD. (WARNING.THEN.JUDGMENT.title JEFF.IN V-8 N-3 63-0724)
Prophets are foreordained. They're prophets. Now, there's a gift of prophecy in the church, that could be on one, then the next one, the next one, the next one, and so forth--of prophecy. Paul said you may all prophesy one by one. But there's a lot of difference between a prophet and a prophecy. A prophecy has to be judged by three witnesses (two or three) before it can be given or accepted in the church, according to the Scriptures. But a prophet, like the Old Testament prophet, they had the Word of the Lord. The translation was right to them. And they were known, because the Bible said, "If there be one among you spiritual or a prophet, I, the Lord, will make Myself known unto him, speak to him in visions, and reveal Myself in dreams. And if what this man says comes to pass, then hear him, for I'm am with him. If it doesn't, then don't hear him. I'm not with him. Don't fear him." (JESUS.CHRIST.THE.SAME.title TUCSON.AZ 61-0205E)
THE SCRIPTURAL PROPHET
DEUTERONOMY 18:22- "When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that [is] the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, [but] the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him."
DEUTERONOMY 18:20- "But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die."
A TRUE PROPHET IS :
A (1) “SEER” OF VISIONS; (2) HAS “THUS SAITH THE LORD” ; (3) HAS A GIFT OF DISCERNMENT; (4) CAN PROPHESY AND COMES TO PASS; (5) CAN INTERPRET DREAMS; (6) STAYS SOLIDLY IN THE WORD; (7) TAKES NO GLORY UPON HIMSELF
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THE PASTOR
In the church there is the pastor, and that pastor is a special person. He's built to where he can--he can put up with the fusses of the people. He--he--he's a burden-bearer; he's the ox of the team. He--he's a man that can set down when the--somebody's got something against somebody else, and set down with them two families, and take neither side, and reason it out, and bring it right back into sweetness. See? He--he's a pastor; he knows how to take care of things. (WARNING.THEN.JUDGMENT.title JEFF.IN V-8 N-3 63-0724)
But the full and complete authority of the church is the pastor. Read that in the Bible; see if that's not Bible order. That's exactly right. There's no one above the elder. (HEBREWS.CHAPTER.7.PT.2.CHURCH.ORDER JEFF.IN HEB 57-0922)
Now the truth of the matter is the word "elder" signifies who the person is, while the word "bishop" signifies the office of the same man. The elder is the man. Bishop is the office of the man. `Elder' always has and always will refer simply to a man's chronological age in the Lord. He is an elder, not because he is elected or ordained, etc., but because he is OLDER. He is more seasoned, trained, not a novice, reliable because of experience and long standing proof of his Christian experience. (197-2 PERGANEAN.CHURCH.AGE - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK.CPT.5)
QUALIFICATIONS OF A PASTOR
I TIMOTHY 3:1-7
¶ This [is] a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
But I believe in the supreme authority of the local assembly. Yes, let each church be its own, choose its pastors, its deacons, its whatever it is. And then, that way, the man in there has no bishop over him. The Holy Spirit wants to speak something to that church, they don't have to ask anybody about whether they could do this or do that. It's the individual in contact with the Holy Spirit. Show me by the Bible, what's greater in the Bible than a local elder to a local church? That's right. Yes, sir, the sovereignty of the local church, each church in itself... Now, brotherhood, that's wonderful. All churches ought to be in a brotherhood like that together. But the sovereignty of local church... (HEBREWS.CHAPTER.5.AND.6.title JEFF.IN HEB 57-0908M )
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THE EVANGELIST
The evangelist is a special man. He's a man that's burning like a fireball. He runs into a city and preaches his message, and gets out of there somewhere else. See, he's a special man. (WARNING.THEN.JUDGMENT.title JEFF.IN V-8 N-3 63-0724)
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THE TEACHER
The teacher is a special man. He sets back under the anointing of the Spirit and is able to take the Words and put them together by the Holy Spirit, that the pastor or evangelist either one could not compare with him. (WARNING.THEN.JUDGMENT.title JEFF.IN V-8 N-3 63-0724)
Bible teaching is usually a little treacherous, a little, you know, kind of walking out on the thin ice; we call it. .. Now, preaching usually catches the sinner, brings him under condemnation by the Word. But teaching places a man positionally what he is. And we can never rightly be able to have faith until positionally we know what we are. (EPHESIANS.PARALLELS.JOSHUA.title JEFF.IN AD.1 60-0515E)
Now, in order to study the Scripture... Paul told Timothy, "Study It, rightly dividing the Word of God which is Truth." Then there's three musts in the Scripture. In using God's Word there is three things that you must not do.. You must not do these things. We tell you all the time how you must do; now, I'm going to tell you what you must not do. Now, you must not misinterpret the Word. You say, "Well, I believe It means this." It means just what it says. It needs no interpreter. And you must not misplace the Word. And you must not dislocate the Word. And if we would do either of these, it throws the whole Bible in a confusion and in a chaos. (CHRIST.REVEALED.IN.HIS.OWN.WORD.title JEFF.IN V-4 N-10 65-0822M)
These three musts, must be: Must not misinterpret or mishandle It, misinterpret or dislocate It. It must be kept just exactly the way God said It was. (CHRIST.REVEALED.IN.HIS.OWN.WORD.title JEFF.IN V-4 N-10 65-0822M)
And the Scripture is of no private interpretation. It was wrote by the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit is the only One Who can reveal it, for it is hid from the eyes of the wise and prudent, and it's revealed to babes such as will learn. So if you don't watch, if you don't use the mind of the Holy Spirit to put it together, you'll have your scene all mixed up, for instance, just like a cow picking grass in the top of a tree. (HEAR.YE.HIM.title MIDDLETOWN.OH 58-0328)
But if you're reading between the lines and try to make It say something, that in between the lines says something different than what the lines says, then it's wrong. But it's got to agree, all the way through It. The Bible is just like a great jig-saw puzzle, if you'll excuse the expression. And if you just try to put it together just the way you look at it, you've got to have something over here to look at. If you don't, you'll ruin your scene. You'll have a cow picking grass on top of a tree. So it won't be right. (JEHOVAH.JIREH.title LA.CA 59-0417)
Oh, I know there's many rise up, and go out, and say, "Oh, I don't need to go to church anymore. Praise God, the Holy Ghost has come; He's the teacher." When you get that idea, you're just wrong. For why did the Holy Ghost set teachers in the church if He was going to be the teacher? See? There are first apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists, and pastors. The Holy Spirit set teachers in the church, so He could teach through that teacher. And if there's--it isn't according to the Word, God doesn't confirm it, then it isn't the right kind of teaching. It must compare with the entire Bible, and be just as alive today as It was then. There's the real thing made manifest. (HEBREWS.CHAPTER.5.AND.6.title JEFF.IN HEB 57-0908M)
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THE APOSTLE
And then we find out the apostle is a special man. He's a--he's a setter-in-order. He's a man that's sent from God to set the things in order. (WARNING.THEN.JUDGMENT.title JEFF.IN V-8 N-3 63-0724)
A word "apostle" means "one that's sent." I've often wondered why the missionary ever wanted to be called a missionary. A missionary is an apostle. The word "missionary" means "one sent." "Apostle" means "one sent." A missionary is an apostle. (POSITION.IN.CHRIST.title CHICAGO.IL 55-0116A)
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A TRUE MINISTER
1. HE MUST EDIFY AND UNIFY THE BODY OF CHRIST
“ ...For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” EPHESIANS 4: 12-13
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2. HE MUST NOT BRING DIVISION NOR CONTENTION(S) TO THE BODY OF CHRIST
I CORINTHIANS 1:10-13- "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and [that] there be no divisions among you; but [that] ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them [which are of the house] of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?
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3. HE MUST BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE THE POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST
I CORINTHIANS 2:4-5- "And my speech and my preaching [was] not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should NOT stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
His PREACHING must be INSPIRED BY THE HOLY GHOST; It must come from the HEART, and NOT from an INTELLECTUAL POINT of VIEW. He must live what he preaches, and the REALITY of GOD in his life must be supported by TRUE-TO-LIFE EXPERIENCES. He must be vindicated by the Scriptures.
JOHN 14:12-14 - "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my Name, I will do [it].
LUKE 9:1-2- " Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
MARK 16:17-18 -"And these SIGNS shall follow THEM that believe; In my Name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
“GREATER WORKS ” means “MORE”
You know the Bible says, same chapter, John 14, "The works that I do, shall he do also; even more than this shall he do, for I go to My Father." I know the King James puts it "greater." It couldn't be no greater; the original says "more." 'Cause He stopped nature; He raised the dead; well, it's just everything. You could do no greater than He did. But the church would do MORE of it, because while we're having a meeting here, they're having a meeting in Africa; they're having them in Brazil; they're all around the world (See?); 'cause it could be more. God was manifested in one Person then, His Son Jesus; now He's manifested in His church universal, but the same Spirit doing the same works. One day...(LET.US.SEE.GOD.title SAN.JOSE.CA V-14 N-2 59-112)
Jesus said these words, "The works that I do shall he do also." Saint John, I believe it's 14:7. "The works that I do shall he do also; greater..." The right translation is "more". You couldn't do any greater. If He... A greater in quantity, but not in quality... He raised the dead, stopped nature. He just did everything. So it would more than this, because then the Holy Spirit would be working through the church throughout the universe. "More of the same works will you do; because I go to the Father. And I'll come again, and be with, in you." (JESUS.CHRIST.THE.SAME.title SOUTH.BEND.IN 58-0207)
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4. HE MUST BE ABLE TO LEAD THE CHURCH OF GOD INTO PERFECTION
MATTHEW 5:48- "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."
PHILIPPIANS 4:8 -" Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.
There's no negative at all in Christianity; it's all positive. (HEAR.YE.HIM.title PARKERSBURG.WV 56-1215)
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5. HE MUST LEAD THE CHURCH UNTO PERFECT LOVE
MATTHEW 5:43-47- "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
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6. HE MUST BRING CONVICTION TO SINNERS
II TIMOTHY 4:2-4- "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
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7. HE MUST BE ABLE TO SET THE CAPTIVES FREE
LUKE 4:18-19- "The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
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8. HE MUST BRING HONOR & GLORY TO JESUS CHRIST ALONE
(… not to any man, group, system, nor denomination)
GALATIANS 6:14- "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
I THESSALONIANS 2:6- "Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor [yet] of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ."
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9. HE MUST WITNESS THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER (HEBREWS 13:8)
A TRUE MINISTER SHOULD ATTESTS TO THE TRUTH OF THE FIRST PULL- HEALING & MIRACLES; THE SECOND PULL- DISCENMENT & PROPHESY; AND THE THIRD PULL- REVEALING OF THE WORD
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10. HE MUST PREACH ONLY THE WORD OF GOD – THE REAL FOOD FOR THE SOUL
(NOT MAN-MADE IDEAS)
MATTHEW 4:4- "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
REVELATION 22:18-19 - "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and [from] the things which are written in this book.
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11. HIS PREACHING MUST FOCUS ON THE PRESENT TRUTH
- the Message of the Hour
II PETER 1:12 – “ Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know [them], and be established in the present truth.”
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12. HE MUST LEAD THE PEOPLE TO BECOME OVERCOMERS
HEBREWS 12:1-2- "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the RACE that is set before us, Looking unto JESUS the AUTHOR and FINISHER of [our] faith."
I JOHN 2:15-16 – "Love NOT the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the LOVE of the Father is NOT in him. For ALL that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is NOT of the Father, but is of the world.
ROMANS 12:2- "And be NOT conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
II CORINTHIANS 10:5- "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"
II CORINTHIANS 12:9- 10- "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
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13. HE MUST PREPARE THE PEOPLE FOR THE RAPTURE
JOHN 14:1-3- "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also.
MATTHEW 6:19-21- " Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
I CORINTHIANS 15:51-54- "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory."
I THESSALONIANS 4:15-18 - "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a SHOUT, with the VOICE of the archangel, and with the TRUMP of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
ORDAINING OF MINISTERS
When we ordain these ministers by laying on of hands... Now, we realize that the Scriptural way of ordaining a minister is laying on of hands. I think that's where our Latter Rain brethren, or the Battleford people, and so forth, got mixed up and--when they seen that laying on of hands to impart spiritual gifts. Now, we do not believe that gifts comes by laying on of hands. We believe that laying on of hands is a sanction to what we've already seen. See? It's a "amen." See?
Now, when they laid hands upon Timothy and upon those brethren, they had noticed in them men was the gift. Remember, "stir up that gift, which was in you, come from your grandmother Lois." And they seen this in Timothy; and therefore, the elders laid hands upon him, ordaining him, not put hands upon a man that nothing has ever been showed forth. You see? And they just asked the blessings, and we all believe that. So we don't impart spiritual gifts; we only recognize them and lay hands upon them to sanction them, that we believe that God has done such things for the people. (INDICTMENT.THE.title JEFF.IN V-3 N-19 63-0707)
TRAINING OF MINISTERS
" Now, I think this church... If you men would, when you build this church, make this like your headquarters and like Brother Neville here being like the senior elder among you. See? And sometimes you get a question that you can't discuss out with your church out there, then bring it in here to Brother Neville and you all discuss it together. If there--you can't come to any decision, I'll be coming by pretty soon, then we'll all come together with it.
And then in there, get training in your own groups other ministers, men that you see that has a calling in their life for the ministry. Train them young men; bring them in here to the elder. All of you set together in a ministerial meeting and there teach the deeper things of God. Don't go on the bad end. Keep someone who, can have confidence in to be kind of like a--a leader for you. And then sometimes if you don't see it just exactly the way he does, goes--that's all right, you're in the faith anyhow; just move along. Maybe when we come together then, all of us together, we'll pray, the discernment of God come down, and He'll give it just exactly what it is (You see?) and let us know just how to do it. And in there, churches can go hear. And training up a group of men. And if I'm in evangelistic work somewhere, there's places I can place them worldwide. (TAKING.SIDES.WITH.JESUS.title JEFF.IN COD 62-0601)
Now, everybody can't be a preacher, but you got a voice… If you're a preacher, you're called to the pulpit to preach. If you're not, you're still a preacher, but live the people a sermon. Let your sermon be lived, and it's the voice of God that'll bring reproach to them who reject it.
See, live your sermons. Don't try to preach them if you're NOT called to be a preacher; get all mixed up, anyhow, and messed up, and you'll get people tangled up, and you won't know... Well, you'll--you'll ruin them and yourself too. Just live your sermon.
The preacher's called to preach his and to live it too. If you can't live it, then stop preaching it. But you're supposed to live your sermons. (REV.CHAP.4.PT.3.THRONE.MERCY.title JEFF.IN ROJC 645-716 61-0108)
THE GOALS OF PREACHING
By Ptr. Ron Millevo
Preaching is the main work of the five-fold ministry. Preaching has to attain some goals and I personally categorize them as follows:
1. INFORMATION (Creating awareness in people about the Word; introducing the Message-of-the-Hour to the world)
2. INSTRUCTION (Acquisition of Knowledge by the people through a clear understanding the Mysteries of the Scriptures)
3. ACCEPTANCE (By faith, people must be lead to believe and obey the Word of god as their Absolute)
4. MOTIVATION ( The building of inspiration amongst the people and offering them an invitation to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour)
5. PERSUASION ( The assertion of Biblical truths and principles into people's lives in order for them to be counted worthy to be called the "Bride" of the soon coming King.
MECHANICS OF GOSPEL PREACHING
(TEN BASIC GUIDELINES WHEN PREPARING TO PREACH)
By Ptr. Ron Millevo
The following tips and guidelines are not meant to replace the leading of the Holy Spirit in a preacher's method of preaching. These tips are simply meant to serve as key reminders and are especially addressed to young ministers in their initial calling and practice of the great commission. I respect the dealings of God with each member of the 5-fold ministry. But these tips are just practical notes of mine which I wish to impart to all who might need them with in the goal of equipping God's generals with some aids in their service to the Body of Christ. (I am in no way making a Bible School of my own, nor a Code of Conduct for preachers :)
1. BE AWARE OF GOD’S PRESENCE
The first approach to preaching is to seek God first of his Message for the Day – be prayerful and ask God to discern what His people needs. It may be helpful to go to a quiet place, and to read the Bible, until God leads you to a topical inspiration.
2. PREACHING IS NOT A SHOW OR PERFORMANCE
Remind yourself that preaching is not a “performance”. It isn’t about you nor about your ability to please a crowd into a spiritual frenzy. Any thought that parallels to “what do they think of me?” must be put out of your mind.
Focus on God’s Word, not on whether the crowd is being entertained or bored.
Don’t impress people by too long prayers. Be specific and be direct.
3. DO NOT OVER-PREPARE
Give some chance for the Holy Spirit to speak out of the “box” (your outline). Do not be tied up to your notes. The Spirit of God will let you sense what is occurring amongst the people. He may lead you to feel a burden, a yearning or to give an outstanding testimony. Merge them with your sermons as you see fit, for God’s glory.
4. BE YOURSELF
Don’t be something which you are not. Be honest. Be humble. Don’t be a smart-aleck or a “know-it-all”.
5. DON’T RUSH
Take time to clarify the context of your sermon. You may need to define a “word” or “phrase”, or simply give a typology to a topic as in a parable. Don’t forget to cite the importance of the topic you are discussing (i.e. New Birth) to the people
State some related facts, events, and experiences to build up your topic.
6. PROJECT YOUR VOICE
Don’t mumble. Preaching may not be a performance but you need to be heard and be understood clearly and audibly. Try to emphasize significant points by raising the level of your voice, by shouting, or by simply pounding on the pulpit. (But be sure not to break the pulpit, or else you are under obligation to have it repaired:)
7. BE INTIMATE
Make your sermon personal as if you’re talking to a very dear friend whom you love and care so much. Create and establish a personal relationship with your audience. Show concern to every one by telling them the love of Jesus, and that He died for their sins and is willing to forgive them of their iniquities.
8. ENCOURAGE GODLINESS & ZEAL
Uphold holiness. Set the people’s heart on fire for God. Encourage the weak.
Praise the work of those who are tying their best to serve the Lord. Build-up the faith of the people through the Revealed Word.
9. CONVICT PEOPLE OF THEIR SINS IN A CONSTRUCTIVE WAY
Love the sinner, but hate their sin. Expose the works of the flesh as against the works of the Spirit. Show the contrast of good and evil, and clarify the consequences of both (you reap what you sow). Enumerate Biblical characters that will outline the difference. Be a typologist.
10. OFFER A WAY BACK TO GOD
Win back people’s souls to God through repentance and restitution. Always point out that “whatsoever a man soweth, that he shall also reap.” Show them the way of salvation - what must they do to be saved, and how they can really be assured of their salvation. Show them that Jesus loves them and is longing to have fellowship with them (type them to the prodigal son).
10 BASIC ELEMENTS OF A SERMON
(Suggested Guidelines for Preachers)
By Ptr. Ron Millevo
1. SCRIPTURE READING (Text– "John 3:3," for example)
2. OPENING PRAYER ( Dedication of the service to God) (Step 1 and 2 can be inter-changeable)
3. TITLE AND DEFINITION OF CONTEXT ( Definition of the “New Birth”)
4. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TEXT ("Except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God")
5. COMPONENTS OR PROCESSES ( e.g. Three stages: Water, Blood, Spirit/ Justification, Sanctification, Baptism of the Holy Ghost)
6. EXAMPLES (Types and Shadows of the New Birth– to the Earth: Noah, Jesus, Armageddon; to the Wheat: tassel, stalk, shuck, grain )
7. RELATED EXPERIENCES (Birth pains; mess; lust of the flesh versus leading of the Holy Spirit)
8. CONCLUSION ("Except a man be born again, he cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven)
9. CLOSING PRAYER (consecration, benediction)
10. INVITATION ( Altar Call for healing, invite people to come and receive Jesus, the Sabbath of their soul )
A SOLEMN WARNING AGAINST
FALSE MINISTERS
(Discerning and identifying the Bogus 5-Fold Ministry)
ROMANS 16:17
Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
MATTHEW 24:24
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
MATTHEW 7:15
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
ACTS 20:29-30
For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
REVELATION 2:6
But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
REVELATION 2:15
So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
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We are cautioned in the Bible about false ministers who will come to rend the flock of God and become "grievous wolves" in "sheep's clothings." They will deceive the very elect if it were possible. They will try to impersonate the true church and the true ministers of God and will lead many astray. Who are these people? And how can we know those who belong to this false five-fold ministry? The messenger of the hour had exposed to us such systems clearly in what is known to be as the "Nicolaitanes doctrine" and the "Balaam" system of worship. I have gleaned some quotes below from the prophet of God regarding their schemes.
WHAT BROTHER BRANHAM TAUGHT US REGARDING:
NICOLAITANISM & BALAAMISM
Nicolaitane, comes from two Greek words: "Nikao" which means "to conquer", and "Laos" which means "the laity". Nicolaitane means, "to conquer the laity".
Now why is this such a terrible thing? It is terrible because God has never placed His church in the hands of an elected leadership which moves with political mindedness. He has placed His church in the care of God-ordained, Spirit-filled, Word-living men who lead the people through feeding them the Word. He has not separated the people into classes so that the masses are led by a holy priesthood. It is true that the leadership must be holy, but then so must be the whole congregation. Further, there is no place in the Word where priests or ministers or such mediate between God and the people, nor is there a place where they are separated in their worship of the Lord. God wants all to love and serve Him together. Nicolaitanism destroys those precepts and instead separates the ministers from the people and makes the leaders overlords instead of servants. (197-2 PERGANEAN.CHURCH.AGE - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK.CPT.5)
CORRUPTION OF THE CLERGY
The Nicolaitane doctrine was "the corruption of the clergy as they sought political power amongst themselves", while "Balaamism is the subjection of the people to their system of creed and worship in order to hold them."
Now watch this carefully. What was it that bound the people to the nominal church and thereby destroyed them? It was the creeds and dogmas formed into church tenets. It was the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church. They were not given the true food, the Word. They were given the food that came from idol worship, Babylonian paganism wrapped up in Christian terminology.
And that very same spirit and doctrine is right amongst all Protestants and it is called DENOMINATION. Nicolaitanism is organization, humanizing the leadership of the church, and thereby deposing the Spirit. Balaamism is denominationalism which takes the church manual instead of the Bible.
And right to this hour, many of God's people are caught in the snare of denominationalism and God is crying to them, "Come out of her My people, lest ye be partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not her plagues." You see they are ignorant. But if the rapture should take place at this moment, ignorance would be no court of appeal from the judgment of God for being in the wrong ranks.
For the clergy to organize themselves with one rank over another until they are finally headed up by a president is a manifestation of the antichrist spirit, regardless of how wonderful and necessary it may seem. It is nothing but human reasoning taking the place of the Word. And any person who is in the organized denominations is right in the midst of an antichrist system. Now let me say this and make it very plain. I AM NOT AGAINST THE PEOPLE. I AM AGAINST THE SYSTEM. (372-2 RESUME.OF.THE.AGES - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK.CPT.10)
DIVIDE AND CONQUER
In order to clarify this even more, let me explain Nicolaitanism in this way. You recall that in Revelation 13:3 it says, "And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death: and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast." Now we know that the wounded head was the pagan Roman Empire, that great political world power. This head rose again as the "Roman Catholic spiritual empire". Now watch this carefully. What did political pagan Rome do that was the basis of her success? She, "divided and conquered." That was the seed of Rome--divide and conquer. Her iron teeth tore and devoured. Whom she tore and devoured could not rise again as when she destroyed Carthage and sowed her to salt. The same iron seed remained in her when she arose as the false church, and her policy has remained the same--divide and conquer. That is Nicolaitanism and God hates it. (198-1 PERGANEAN.CHURCH.AGE - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK.CPT.5)
The Roman Catholic Church calls herself the Mother church. She calls herself the first or original church. That is absolutely correct. She was the original First Church of Rome that backslid and went into sin. She was the first that organized. In her was found the deeds and then the doctrine of Nicolaitanism. No one will deny that she is a mother. She is a mother and has produced daughters. Now a daughter comes out of a woman. A woman robed in scarlet is sitting on the seven hills of Rome. She is a harlot and has borne daughters. Those daughters are the Protestant churches that came out of her and then went right back into organization and Nicolaitanism. This Mother of the daughter-churches is called a whore. That is a woman who was untrue to her marriage vows. She was married to God and then went off fornicating with the devil and in her fornications she has brought forth daughters that are just like her. This mother and daughter combination is anti-Word, anti-Spirit and consequently anti-Christ. Yes, ANTICHRIST. (200-5 PERGANEAN.CHURCH.AGE - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK.CPT.5)
MAN OVER MAN
Where, oh where, are we spiritually? We are in a wilderness of darkness. How far we have wandered from the first church. Pentecost is nowhere in view and the Word cannot be found. Apostolic succession, which today abounds, is not found in the Word. It is a man-made device. It supersedes illegally the truth that GOD, NOT MAN, has set His leaders in the church. Peter was not even in Rome. Yet they lie and say he was. History proves he was not. There are people who read history, but shrug their shoulders and go back to believing a lie. Where can you find the `vicar of Christ' in the Word? No one takes His place, yet it has been done and people accept it. Where can you find that `added revelation' is accepted by God, especially revelation contrary to one already given? Yet they accept it and rest on it. Where do you find a `purgatory'? Where do you find a `mass'? Where do you find `paying money to get out of hell'? It is not in the Word, but men put it in their own book and by it took over the people, ruling them by fear. Where do you find that `man has the power to forgive us as though he were God'? "Grievous wolves," is hardly strong enough to describe them. Nicolaitanism. Organization. Man over man. (96-1 EPHESIAN.CHURCH.AGE - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK.CPT.3)
ANTI-WORD MEANS "ANTI-CHRIST"
I Timothy 4:1, "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." Now in every case you will notice that a false prophet is one who is outside the Word.
Just as we showed you that `antichrist' means `anti-Word' so these false prophets come perverting the Word, giving it a meaning that fits their own devilish ends.
LEADING BY FEAR
Have you ever noticed how the people who lead others astray bind them closely to themselves by fear? They say that if the people don't do what they say, or if they leave, then destruction will follow. They are false prophets, for a true prophet will always lead one to the Word and bind the people to Jesus Christ and he won't tell the people to fear him or what he says, but to fear what the Word says. MONEY-MAKING SCHEMES
Now why do these false prophets come against the true prophet and discredit his teaching? Because they are running true to form as did their forefathers when in the days of Ahab they withstood Micaiah. There were four hundred of them and all of them were in agreement; and by them all saying the same thing, they fooled the people. But ONE prophet--just one--was right and all the rest wrong because God had committed the revelation to ONLY ONE. Beware of false prophets, for they are ravening wolves. (331-1 LAODICEAN.CHURCH.AGE - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK.CPT.9)
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