Selections From Petrelli’s Taped Teachings

Rarely did Giuseppe Petrelli speak of himself.  A prolific writer of

meditations of the Holy Scriptures, and a faithful teacher of The Present
Truth, Petrelli had a sole theme—The Person of Jesus Christ.  In reviewing
some of Petrelli’s taped teachings, we’ve selected a few references he made to
himself.  Often, when he used the word “I” he apologized for directing people
from his theme.  However, those personal references served as testimonies of
God’s grace in the life of a humble servant of the Lord.

Click to make selection:  Fruit That Abounds     Discovering Jesus     What

Must I Do With Jesus?     Whom Are You Serving?     Entertaining
Beggars     Make A Funeral     A Glorious Baptism     Called of God     Don't
Sell Yourself     The Great Supervisor     Discover the Life of
Jesus     Discover the life of Jesus Christ

Fruit That Abounds

I have a testimony about a brother who made a vow to the Lord.  While I do
not care to mention this man’s name, I do know him personally.

The man made a vow to the Lord that any money that would come into his
hands he would immediately use for the Lord.  So when money did come into
his hands, as he vowed, he immediately spent this money.  Later he saw that
most of this money was not spent wisely—that it was given away as he had
vowed—but it should not have been given where it was given.

Now, I’m not speaking of large amounts of money which passed through the
hands of this man.  Thousands of dollars!  He had sold his real estate, and he
had a good financial position personally from his own family.  He had such a
hatred for that money, that he simply passed the money on to keep his vow.

But the time came when he knew that the money could have been used more
wisely.

Now, what does the Apostle Paul say about this?  He had learned to abound. 
He had learned in abundance to be content.  Now abundance is not a sin.  It is
a sin if you keep that abundance in your own name.  Now, I know you have to
put your name on a bank book.  But you are to consider yourself only as a
steward of God.  You can have millions of dollars and be at peace.
“I do have this in my hands,” you say, “but I am keeping it in the name of
Another.  I am holding it in the Name of the Lord.”

Then the time will come when the Lord will lead you as to how to generously
open your hand for some good enterprise of His.

Now, about that brother I was speaking of.  I happen to know that he
repented.  Much money passed through his hands, but it was not spent wisely. 
It was money not given with wisdom.  It was not properly given for the work
of the Lord.  In fact, his act encouraged some people to later prove unfaithful
to the Lord.

So let us learn this lesson.  And it is a delicate lesson.  The work of the Lord is
very delicate.  We are moving between two precipices.  Many people abuse
this and go from one extreme to another.  We are not to be avaricious.  We
have to be generous to the Lord.  One can have a million dollars and not have
his heart on that million dollars.  That money already belonged to the Lord. 
There will be a moment when the Lord steps in and commands.  So the one
who holds it in His Name obeys and gives where He commands.

Oh, that we may learn how to be humble and poor, and yet to abound. I
imagine that Paul found himself with some little substance in his hands, but he
did not spend it immediately.  He waited for God’s time on how it was to be
used.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” he wrote.

We see from this incident how Paul—this eagle of the Lord—rose higher and
higher to the Sun of Righteousness.

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Discovering Jesus

I was in a certain church.  There was a special business meeting.  Three

gentlemen came to that church.  Immediately, I saw that they were not usual
visitors.  I understood that they were of a different culture.

One of the men appeared to me to be a priest (and I speak of priests with great
love).  And those three men took the last seats in the place.
People were asking questions.  The first question was easy to answer. 
Everyone approved of the question and the answer.

But then one man stood and asked: “Will you, Reverend, explain to me the
words of   Jesus: ‘On this Rock I will build My Church’?”

Immediately, I looked up and prayed: “O Lord, give me grace.”  You see, I

was on the platform, and those three cultured gentlemen were near the door.  I
prayed because I wanted to give an answer that would not be offensive to
those men.  It seemed improper for me, because I was standing there and
discussing an important subject.  And there were people in the church who
were simple folk.  And they might be scandalized with my answer.  So I
needed grace on how to reply to the man’s question.

“This is a good question,” I said.  “That the Lord said those words, we cannot
deny.  But before we respond to your question, please permit me to ask you a
question:

How was Jesus discovered?  Was it by some document?  Was He discovered

by some human abilities?  Was it by some special garb.  Did He go about as a
‘reverend’?

I saw that the gentlemen in the back seats were confused.  But I did not say:
“You don’t know the Word of God.”  And so I continued: “You know very
well how Jesus was discovered by Peter.  But before we examine those words,
let us examine how Peter discovered Jesus.

Then I asked those gentlemen if they would have any objection if I read the
words from the Bible.

So I read from the Word of God, and noted that “flesh and blood” did not
reveal who Jesus is, but that this was discovered by the Holy Spirit.

Then I asked: “Gentlemen, do you think in the plan of God that there are two
methods of discovery?  Is there one for the Head, and another for the Body? 
Do you think that God has a way that we can discover the Head by the Holy
Spirit, and the Body by some other method?”

The gentlemen said: “No, There is only one method.”

“Then,” I continued, “if Jesus is discovered by the Holy Spirit, it is by the

Holy Spirit that the Christian also is discovered.”

Dear friends, remember Jesus died by stretching out His arms on the cross. 
He receives all who go to Him.
Now, we listen to everyone.  We reverence the saints.  And we love the
Mother of Jesus.  And we have no words to say against any group or any
church.

After I said those words to those three gentlemen, they were silent.  In fact,
when I went to the door, I had to hold my hands behind my back, because they
wanted to kiss my hands.

So, you see, I had to say to them that the Church of Christ is known ONLY by
the Holy Spirit.

Who is a Christian?  Another Christian knows another Christian.

But, you say, people have to be gathered together.  Yes, that is so.  But in the
wilderness, when they had to feed a crowd, they did not feed the people at
random.  Anyone who wanted food got it, whether they were situated by the
hundreds or by fifties.  Do you remember that?

Did the people situate themselves?  No!  It was the Lord who situated them. 
They were located by the Apostles and placed in groups.  And they remained
there.

I know that you have decided to do the will of God.  But there are many clever
men who have become “masters” of the sheep.  There are many people who
say: “I was born a Catholic, and I will die a Catholic.”  Or they say: “I was
born in the Church of England, and I must die in the Church of England.”

Oh, this is another error.  We must leave things in the hands of the Holy
Spirit.

When the Prophet Ezekiel was commanded to preach to the dry bones (which
are a type of The Church) those bones belonged to the Lord.  They were
misplaced.  An earthquake came and each bone went where the Lord
appointed them to be.

People who say they can do whatever they please are responsible to God.  If
the Lord has put you in a certain place, you have to be in that place.  And you
have to be in that place until the Lord says: “Go!”  We cannot depend upon
our imagination.  We have to be under His control.

This is a very difficult subject to deal with, because if we pull either to one
extreme or to another, we fall into heresy or error.

Either we have dominion over souls, or we make people too dependent.

We need the Holy Spirit to guide us.

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What Must I Do With Jesus?

When Jesus was in the presence of Pilate, the Governor, He was wearing a
crown of thorns and a mantle that was a rag.  He had been scourged.  He was
dripping blood.  But He was silent and serene.

The Governor had compassion.  He wanted to save Jesus, but he was afraid of
the people.  He tried to save Him, but Pilate had only a few soldiers, and the
great mass of people had been instigated by the chiefs of that territory.  They
wanted to kill Jesus at any cost.

Finally, the Governor asked the question: “What must I do with this man?”

The Judge, before this Unique Person, trembled and asked: “What must I do
with this man?”

And the people, insinuated by their leaders, cried out: “Crucify!  Crucify!”

“What must I do with this man?’ Oh, someday that question will be reversed. 
“What will Jesus do with me?”

Isn’t it time to consider this?

Many times, as I sit at my desk, a Voice comes to me from Above and says:
“This things that cost your much—the things you do by sacrificing yourself—
those are the things that reach the Throne of God.”

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Whom Are You Serving?

Years ago, I wrote a certain preacher a few words of consolation.  I included
some tracts which I thought might be of help to him in his difficulty.

In response, the preacher wrote me a long letter.  It was full of complaints

about certain people.

He said: “I served those people for years.  I did this…and I did that…the
people abandoned me.  They did this…and they did that…etc.”

But I had to give that man this answer: “Dear brother: You served the people. 
And the people paid you.  If you had served God, He would have paid you.”

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Entertaining Beggars

I, the writer, remember with regret something some from past.

In a certain place, a number of very poor people would gather every Saturday
night.  Those were sad times.  In a large room some well-intentioned
evangelists preached the Good News.  At the conclusion of their preaching,
there were those customary words, “whosoever will…”

Hands would be raised.  Voices would cry out: “Pray for me.”  But
unfortunately, those voices were heard again and again on one Saturday night
after another.  Tired and annoyed eyes would look at the clock on the wall. 
They would say to themselves: “When will the preacher finish?”

That was because in a large room close by well-intentioned and elegantly

dressed women were actively preparing coffee and other snacks.  They
entertained beggars who pretended to listen.  Actually, they went from place
to place just for a piece of bread.

I, personally, did not have a part in that work.  But I did protest.  “If you give
bread to the hungry, don’t oblige them to remain there just to listen to your
preaching,” I said.  “They will come to hate religion.”

I remember many things during those times of The Great Depression. 

Someone would come in rags.  He would ask for a few pennies to buy
something to eat, and then would beg for a place to sleep where it was war. 
He would say: “I belong to this or that church.”

Poor people!  We don’t judge them.  Cold and hunger are hard to endure.

But I also remember (and we bless God for it!) when we would say: “Ah, my
brother, you have the right to a piece of bread and a place of refuge as a
creature of God, even if you are a Muslim.  What I have is yours.  Take it in
the Name of Jesus Christ.  But you are not obliged to come to our services
unless God guides you.”

One day, thousands of poor people, who were tired and had been fasting, were
fed by the Blessed Hand of Jesus.  He did not inflict them with a sermon on
the condition of having bread and fish, or with the purpose of forming a creed.

He prayed and was sure they were comfortably seated and then He gave them
bread in abundance.  Discussions came the following day when some of them
came after Him.  There was no bread and fish on that day.

Unfortunately, when we apply this to ourselves, we observe that just because

some of us (through no merit of our own) have the great privilege of living in
a privileged country, and have been able to manage a bit of money, we think it
is our duty and right to take over churches in missionary fields.  Many of
those places have a better understanding than we do of the Holy Scriptures. 
We think we are the great ones and that we have to take control of their
churches.

In Italy, there have been (and there are) people who in heart and mind, in
comparison to ourselves, are far above us.  Who are we to humiliate them with
our methods!  There is a words that says much about us:  It is just plain
snobbishness.  We enjoy parading our superiority before them.

True saints do not humiliate others.  They do good in hidden ways.  When
they do good, either in a material or moral way, they do not speak of it.  If
they need to respond, they point out the good qualities of others.

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Make A Funeral

“So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he
cannot be my disciple.”

If you examine these words in the original, they mean: Bid farewell.  Make a
funeral to all the things of yourself.  And that means we must make a funeral
to our ways of thinking and to our ways of looking at things.

There are some people whose ways we cannot agree with.  You are distant
from them, because they are of a different temperament.  Nevertheless, you
have to make a funeral.  You have to say “goodbye” to everything of your
own personality.  You must take all of yourself and make a funeral.

I was in a certain place and I was trying to arrange something for a certain
church.  I was not the pastor of the place, but at the end of that meeting, the
people had afflicted me.

I had been sacrificing myself, and I became angry.  My pride showed itself.  I
said to the people:  “This church is this and this…and so forth.”  And then I
insisted I was this…and I was that.  And at the end of that day, I went to my
own house.

At that time, we were living in a place where, from the window, you could
almost touch the street.  And suddenly, I heard someone tapping at my
window.  He was an old man.  That night, he had not been in the church.  I
thought that that man was the most ignorant and most stupid man of that
church.  He dressed in rags.  He was very annoying to me.   He was the kind
of person who, when he made a visit, he never went away.  His very presence
was very annoying to me.

But that ignorant man, who spoke in a strong Sicilian dialect, said to me that
day: “O, little brother (frateluzze) Jesus Christ is so great.  He is the Prince of
the Universe.  And yet He is not ashamed to call me his brother.”

Oh, dear ones, when that man said those words, something touched me deep
within.  And then I thought of myself and how I wanted to be part of my own
people.  But the Lord brought a deep conviction upon me.  He revealed to me
the vast distance between myself and Jesus Christ.  Believe me, dear ones, I
got my lesson.

That ragged man had said to me: “Jesus Christ is not ashamed to call me His
brother.”

Many times we are a little particular in dealing with people.  We grow a bit
too impatient.  We do not understand the humiliation of Christ.
“You want to be a tower of holiness,” the Lord says to us, “Well, you will not
succeed.  You will only begin on the way to holiness.  But then you will come
to a certain point, and if you want to fight with the devil with your own
weapons, you will not succeed.”

Don’t you see?  We must say “goodbye” to ourselves.  We must make a grand
farewell to everything about ourselves.  Make a large funeral…for example, to
the college you attended…and to everything else.

Jesus says to us: “Put everything in My Hands.  Only then can you be my
disciple.”

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A Glorious Baptism

A person I now refer to had one of the most glorious experiences of the
Baptism of the Holy Spirit.  People saw the fire in that room.  There were
tongues of fire hovering over the head of this person as he was baptized with
the Holy Spirit.

(I do not mention the name of this person.)

He heard the Voice of the Lord many times.  He has seen the Lord many
times.  But after the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, he went through terrible
discoveries of himself, and in The Church.  It was something terrible.  He sais
to the Lord:  “Lord, since the Baptism with the Holy Spirit I have become
worse than before.  I had so many good qualities before.”

Do you know what the Lord’s answer was?

“Those qualities were human qualities and human abilities.  It was kindness
born of education.  It was man’s kindness.  But I shake everything human, in
order to implant what is Divine.”

There was a time that this person (I do not mention his name) found himself
with hatred in his heart, and even with a spirit of revenge and resentment,
although the Word of God says that anger must not remain in their hearts.  He
knew he had to forgive.  But this man was not able to forgive.  And so, he
said: “Lord, I’ve been worse than before.  In the past I was gentle.  I was
humble.”

But the Lord said: “You thought you were gentle.  You had not been pressed
to the extreme condition to know yourself.”

So, you see, we do not know ourselves.

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Called of God

A few years ago, I was a Baptist minister, in New York City.  I was visiting a
certain family, but did not find the family at home.

When I arrived at the home, I found a gentleman who boarded there.  He was
reading a paper.  The man was an artist—a very intelligent man.  When I
asked for the people of the house, the man said to me, “Are you a minister?”

I replied that I was the pastor of the nearby church.  Then I spoke a few words
to him.

“Ha-ha-ha.”  The man began to laugh and to contradict.

I see this man in my mind’s eye as clearly as I see you now.  I remember that I
said to him that Jesus died and rose from the dead for him.

“Ha-ha-ha,” came some more laughter from this man.  And he had a very big
laugh.  “Oh, you have to preach those things,” he continued.  “That’s your
job.  It’s your business to do that.”

Now, I was a sickly man.  And that fellow was a giant of a man.  But when he
said those words, I instantly became erect.  I became invigorated.  You know,
when you believe in the resurrection of Jesus, you know His power is near.

I looked that man straight in the face and said, “If you kill me, in every
portion of my body you will find written in me the Name of the Risen Lord.”
The man trembled.  He was astounded, because he knew my testimony was
true.

“You are a sincere man,” he said quietly.  “I believe you.  I see something in
you that I have not seen in others.”

Dear Ones, when you are in Christ—really in Him—there is something in

you.  You know that you are called of God.  You know.  And then you say: “I
know my destiny.”

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Don’t Sell Yourself

Pardon me for this personal reference:  I received a letter from a minister in

the South.  He had read some books and wanted me to introduce him to
various people.  But this is what I had to say to him:

Brother, I am duty-bound to speak the truth to you.  I am neither Catholic nor

Protestant.  I want to be a Christian.  My ambition is only one thing: To
respect good wherever it is found.

Now, dear ones, Don’t sell yourself to anyone.  Only One Person died for
you.  Do not entangle yourself in denominationalism during this time that the
Lord permits us to serve Him.

When you go beneath the surface of religious things, you will find that there is
no perfect church on this earth.

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The Great Supervisor

Remember, there is an Inspector in your life.  There is a Scrutinizer who

comes every once in a while.  You can’t see Him, but He sees us.  And this
Great Supervisor looks around.

Will you, beginning this very day—in everything you do, and in every thing
you say, and during every moment of your life—enter into a divine
discipline?  Ask this question of yourself: “What will the Lord say of me?”

Once a Christian man was traveling.  He was riding in a carriage.  The driver
left a paper on the seat.  This question was printed on the paper: “What do you
say of Jesus?”

Now that was a strange question.  The carriage driver was not a religious
man.  He had only found the piece of paper along the way, and simply tossed
it on the seat in the rear of the carriage.

But the passenger was a Christian.  He could not remove his eyes from the
question that was inscribed on that leaflet.  And so he pondered the question:
“What do you say of Jesus?”

When the passenger alighted from the carriage, he handed his far to the driver
and said, “I should be paying you for the sermon you preached to me today.”

The driver was puzzled.  He asked: “What sermon did I preach to you?”

“Why, that leaflet on the back seat of the carriage,” said the Christian man. 
“That is quite a question: What do you say of Jesus?”

As the passenger departed, he said to the driver of the carriage: ‘Because you
preached so nicely to me during this trip, allow me to ask you a question:
“What does Jesus think of you?”

When we ask that question of people, some will respond that they think He is
a great teacher, or a great philosopher.  But the day will come when we all
will be called, and then each of us will be asked the question: “What do you
think of Jesus?”

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Discover the Life of Jesus

“I, John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation, and in the
kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the Isle that is called Patmos, for
the Word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Rev. 1:9)

Notice how subtle St. John is in speaking of himself.

It seems superfluous, doesn’t it?  Was not the Word of God the testimony of
Jesus Christ?  Of course, it was.  But the Word of God comes through Jesus
Christ.

Later, at the end of the Book of the Revelation, we have “the testimony of
Jesus Christ.”  And it says that the testimony of Jesus is the “breath” –the
“spirit” of prophecy.

Then, when John mistook the angel for Jesus, he fell prostrate at his feet and
the angel said: “I am thy companion and of thy brethren that have the
testimony of Jesus.”  This means that the whole ministry of St. John was to
remain with One Person.

The Book is secondary.  The exhortations are secondary.  Everything is a

stepping-stone.  They are like so many rungs on the stairs.

But John remained on the Isle of Patmos with only One Face—with Jesus
Christ.

So if you want to prosper, you have to go back to the simplicity of the

Gospel.  Let us consider and meditate on our knees the Life of Jesus.  When
we understand Jesus, the Son of Man, we will understand Jesus, the Son of
God.  Then we will be sober in our exhortations and in our doctrinal points.

Let us try to portray Christ.  That was the business—the whole affair—of the
apostolic church.  They preached Jesus.  That meant not only what Jesus did,
but they described Jesus Christ—The Person.

Oh, I would never be tired of insisting on this:  If I should remain alone in this
world—whether I live or die—let me say to the people: