3 CURTAINS

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

JOHN 4:14

Timothy Chapter 1

Posted: 02 May 2014

Categories:

Firstly le

t me apologise for the corrupted webpages due to an untoward error on the hosting side. This resulted in the loss of the last five articles as I do not have a complete backup. The missing articles are from Oct 2013 to March 2014.

Let me start this month's article with a wonderful scripture taken from 1st Timothy Chapter 1 verses 8 to 10.

I was at a wedding dinner reception last night and seated with us was a good man, somone whom I known years ago, now almost retiring medical practitioner or MD and a wonderful Christian. He was commenting on the verses and Chapter 1 in particular about the law being not made for a righteous man but for the lawless and disobedient.....

⁸But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
⁹ Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
¹⁰ For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

I can see where he was coming from and also the constant emphasis by one of our great young world renown preacher, a writer of many books and a pastor and teacher of the largest congregation in Singapore or maybe second largest, about grace over law.

Nevertheless this is worthy of our consideration as all the Word, the Bible is. You know, I have come to the point of looking at the word as the Absolute, the commandments, the statutes, the law, the ordinances, the testimony, the fear and the judgments.

Psa 19:7-11
(7) The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
(8) The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
(9) The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
(10) More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
(11) Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.

This was a song I sang before I was baptized with the Holy Spirit. We used to enjoy singng it but today, perhaps the tune has changed. In keeping of them there is great reward.

Many a well meaning minister had misinterpreted the true understanding of such simple verses. So Paul bring it out in his epistle to Timothy, his son in the Gospel whom he encouraged to teach to his congregation. It was only through Brother Branham that I began to understand how these verses are to be applied. He gave a very simple illustration. He said if the speed limit is 70 miles per hour in the highway, and you never did break that limit anyway, the prohibitive sign was not for you, because you are driving within that 70 miles per hour and never had to be bothered by that limitation. It is a warning only for those who chose to go over that limit.

Hence the law was made for the ungodly and for the habitual law breakers. The law is good if a man use it lawfully. In fact I began to see how God our Father doted over us because we are a chip of the old block. We are part of Him and can never be separated. Yes, if we break the law, He like a gentile Father, will guide us back and reign us in, but He don't have to do that often because we are His children and will behave like Him, out of the same mold in the perfect image of Adam before the fall, so well immortalized in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, yea, the first man was earthly but the second man is from above.

The same was told of a black slave in the days he was captured from Africa and sold to the US before Abraham Lincoln signed the amnesty for all slaves, that they are free men from that moment. It was noticed that this particular slave had a bearing, a presence that is both notable and felt. There was something in his mannerism, the way he conducted himself. Whereas other slaves had to be whipped to carry out their labour, not this particular one. Though he was treated like any other slaves, ate and slept like the rest of them, somehow, there was an enminence about his behaviour. The slave master did not want to sell him to a willing buyer who was prepared to pay a higher premium because he noticed the difference too, The buyer asked what was so special about his slave? The slave master replied, "I wondered about that too until I found out that back in his homeland, he was the son of the King". See, this Prince though a slave still behaved as a Prince because he knew back home, he was treated as one. Even in the slave land, he portrayed his true self and never had to be forced to do any menial task, because he simply do them and do them well setting an example to his fellow tribesmen. In English, we asked " how do you do?" But in French, it is "Comment vous portez vous?". How do you carry yourself would be the direct translation. How inspiring.

Therefore the Law of slavery cannot be applied to him. He cannot be sold, don't need to be flogged, eat and sleep like the rest when due and bore the hardship and grievances of his country men. Like the Lord Jesus, when He became a man with all the characteristics of being a man. Praise the Lord. This is how we should conduct ourselves. We don't have to sell out or be an hypocrite. We love the Word of God without hesitation and never have to give excuses for our conduct because we love the people of God and treasure Life because God is the fountain of Life.

I was hearing the tape about Joseph revealing himself to his brethren, a 1956 tape and Brother Branham said the same thing about the Word of God. Before it was expressed as a Word, it was a thought in God's own mind. It was a new thought, but that thought becomes immortalised being that it is from God. From that moment till the end of eternity if there was going to be an end...which of course it can't be, but the Word of God expressed from His thoughts can still be spoken of.

Hallelujah.