The Mighty God's Achievement on Display

The Mighty God's Achievement on Display

Bro. Lee Vayle - August 24, 1969

...we pray by the Blood of Jesus Christ, that some way, Lord God, bring us to a place now around Your table as it were, that very, very solemnly, very, very carefully going into the truth of God in Jesus' Name we pray this for Your glory. Amen.

1. My message this morning is: 'The Mighty God's Achievement on Display'. That sounds like a pretty long title, I guess it is, but nevertheless it's the truth. It's the Mighty God's achievements on display.

And we read in Eph 3:1, to get our text. This is a good Book. It's the Book of the heavenlies. That's where Bro. Branham placed it. Taken from the Corinthian Church to an Ephesian Church.

(1) For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

(2) If (you) have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

(3) How that by revelation (that's the way he got it, by revelation,) he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,

(4) Whereby, when (you) read, (you) may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ.)

(5) Which in other ages (that's not a right translation, it's generation.) Which in other (generations) was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

You can say the same thing, that the Word of God was never revealed in other generations in the Church Ages as it is being now. Now I know that may sound peculiar, because most people feel that Paul brought the full revelation. That is not so. Paul could not bring it, because like John, he was forbidden. That's right.

So, this age ends in the fullest revelation of the Word of God. That's why there'll be an actual wheat on this earth fully identified with Christ. That's sounds like a pipe dream, a little farfetched, but believe me if you and I don't make it, somebody's going to. Because God can't lie. So therefore, as Bro. Coleman said this morning, "It's worthy to aspire to it."

2. All right. What is it?

(6) That the Gentiles should be (made to be) fellowheirs, of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

(7) Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

(8) Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

(9) And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

(10) To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be (made) known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

(11) According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

(12) In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

Now the text is in that 10th verse.

(10) To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold (or the divert, many faceted) wisdom of (Almighty) God,

3. Now, there are two very important things that we already know about God above anything else which we know about Him.

First of all: He is omniscient.

Secondly: He is omnipotent.

Now notice, I do not say that He is omnipresent. You recall Bro. Branham explained the omnipresence of God. It is not an omnipresence per se. Because if I waved my arms, if God is all present, I waved my arm through God. If I breathed the air than I literally breathe in God. If I expel the air through my nostrils, then I'm expelling the air breathing out God.

God per se, is not omni-present, or omnipresent. But because He is omniscient and omnipotent, it obviates the necessity of omnipresence, because if I know everything and I'm all powerful, I do not need to be all present.

It's as the Westminster Confession of Faith says, "God is not present to all things, but all things are present to God." See?

4. Now, also, then we see here, He knows everything. And this does not mean that there are things that God can still know if there needs to be knowledge. For God can know everything, means that there is nothing He does not know in the past, in the present, and in the future. He is not learning something. He cannot learn anything. He knows it all. He knows the future completely. As Bro. Branham said, "It's infinite. He knows every flea on every plant, and how many times that flea will bat its eye lids."

You see, many people think that God knowing everything, is simply that God knows everything going on. He knows what goes on here. He knows what goes on there, across Europe, and Asia, and Africa, that's not so. He knew that before it happened. See? God knows everything.

Secondly: He can do anything. Anything at all. His ability, or His power guarantees the manifestation of His knowledge. See, what God knows, He can bring into manifestation, because He's got the power to do it. You know, a lot of people know a lot of things, they're fine theory-iticians, but they can't do a thing about it. It just sits there. But when God's knows something it's already a fact accomplished, because He's got the ability. He can perform what He desires to do. The Bible said, "Whatever God desires to do in the armies of heaven and earth He does it." And He does it. See? He can achieve any plan or purpose that He conceives. No matter what He conceives, He can do it.

5. Now, the omniscience of God in my estimation is wisdom. And I'm going to call it that. You may differ a bit here but that's alright. I won't fuss at you. I'm going to call God's omniscience, 'His wisdom'. He is all wise. He is all wise, and He is Almighty. He is all wise as well as He is Almighty. He is never anything but wise. You see, that's a little difficult there. He is never anything but wise.

You see, people look around and say, "Now, just a minute, would you call that wisdom? Does this look like to you? How do you think that's working out?"

Now, if you say, "God's behind it all, now something's wrong somewhere."

No, siree. No siree. All His ways are perfect, because His power is used to bring into manifestation His thoughts which are perfect wisdom. See, all His ways are perfect. They've got to be. Because all He can do is think perfect thoughts, and then all He can do is bring into existence what He thought. So therefore, how could any way of God be not perfect?

Now, if you don't think that's right, you better check out what the prophet James, who knew a little bit more than you and I know. He said over here in James 1:16-17.

(16) Do not err, my beloved brethren. (See? Don't get off in the deep end here now.)

(17) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, (He's either all bad, or He's all good. Everything He does is either perfect, or not perfect. See?) neither shadow of turning. (See?)

Like Ecclesiastes said, "Whatsoever God doeth, He doeth it forever. And no man can add to it, and no man can take from it. Because God doeth it." [Eccl 3:14] See, it stands forever. He cannot make mistakes. No sir. He cannot be accused of error. And since He can only put into action...see that's all He can put into, action, His perfect wisdom. Everything He does is perfect.

6. Now, God conceived the universe. He spoke it forth. It was perfect. That's right. The Bible says, "The earth was not made void or vain." Original creation was perfect. Every last infinitesimal detail about that universe, which He conceived He brought forth. See?

Today we never get tired of admiring the wonders of a snow flake. Billions of tons of snowflakes over thousands of years, and not one snowflake is like another snowflake under a microscope. Every leaf on every tree is different, from every leaf on every other tree, and there's been billions and billions, and billions.

We never get tired of admiring that. The beauty of a sunset. Life with all of its facets, surely in a million ways, in a million days, we see the wisdom and greatness of God displayed. But God tells us something. He makes a point blank statement from His intelligence to our intelligence about what He considers the greatest manifestation of His wisdom on display.

He spells out for His Own assessment, (see,) He spells it out for His Own assessment, that's how He figures it. How He looks at it. What His greatest achievement is, and here it is in Ephesians that 3rd chapter. And He said, "His greatest achievement is the Church to the intent but now, unto the principality and power in heavenly places, might be made known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God." He cries out in this verse. He says, [Eph 3:10] "Let all the principalities and government of the heavenlies..." Now that's the highest authority.

7. In other words, anything which has any virtue as being a proper critique or criterion. See? Anything that has anything in it that would be able to discern and judge, that's the highest. See? He says, "Let them know, and let them see My diversified multi-facet. The whole panorama of My wisdom by observing it, channeled through the Church." Or by means of the Church. Now just think of that.

God called on His wisdom as Creator to make the universe. And that was all there was to it. He called on His wisdom as the Giver of life, and life began. He called on His wisdom to produce the plants. He had to have blue-print first. The birds, various forms of life and it was done. He called on His wisdom to separate various kinds of life. According to ...?... from the little amoeba. Tiny cells you can't see without a great microscope. Examine your own body, every cell is a city of factory.(?) Not your body is a city of factory,(?) every cell. The little fellow on your fingernail here, that you clip and throw away. The hairs that fall out of your head. He's ...?... See? Maybe some of these eyebrows that fall out. Every cell in your body is a city of factory.(?) How complex, how tremendous. See?

Now, He did it how? By simply calling on a facet of His wisdom. Simply blue printing it as a Great Architect Who drew one facet here, one facet there. Another facet here. See? And He produced all of this, but when He summed up all His great wisdom and all His great powers to bring forth His crowning achievement, He brought forth into manifestation before all dominion and might and everything of note our Church. In which was channeled all His wisdom. If God's greatest work is everything to be appreciated, it will not be in a sunset, a beautiful mountain, a desert scene, or a million other delights. The wisdom of God will be seen only in the Church. See? The wisdom of God will be seen only as the Church, brings it into view.

9. Now, let us analyze this and go a little deeper, because we got to see what this is all about. How can the Church be His masterpiece? Now don't confuse this with Bro. Branham's masterpiece. I'll show you why later on. How can the Church be this masterpiece? How can it be His greatest achievement? Well now, that's not too difficult to ascertain if we just think a little while.

Everything a man thinks and does is exactly a manifestation of one of His attributes. Everything that you think and do, (you see the action,) will be the manifestation of an attribute. If I paint a lovely picture, I am simply expressing one of my attributes, or a part, a part of me. If I sing a lovely song, it is nothing but another attribute. If I sing that song with great beauty, (see, not just the words now, but the actual quality in my singing,) that's another attribute. See? Thus I am my own masterpiece, or failure, as I take my attribute and express them to the highest, or fail to express them at all. See?

The Church then is God's greatest expression of His attribute for in bringing Her into manifestation, He placed all His godly characteristics and attributes into the act. God could not make this Church without pouring everything and Himself into It. That's Scripture too. It is a supreme achievement and the finest manifestation of God that He could produce.

10. Now listen: This will clear up my masterpiece and Bro. Branham's. As the picture produced is not the man himself, but the masterpiece of the man, so is the Church not God, but God's masterminded masterpiece. See, Jesus was God. But the Church is not God. See? You follow me? Jesus was God, creating Himself a body, and that One in the body was God. But you see the Church is not God. The Church is God's masterpiece in this sense then. Now, before we go any further, we want to see if other Scripture back up what we have set forth in Eph 3:10.

11. All right, let's go Heb 2:11-14.

(11) For both he that sanctifieth (that's Jesus) and they who are sanctified (that's us) are all (Jesus and us all have one Source. For of one means 'one Source'. See?) for which cause...

For which cause, "So I've been a pretty good person Bro. Vayle, I think I've done the Lord real credit." Okay that's fine, I'm glad, but don't try to pull that before God.

As Paul said, "If Abraham who had lots of glory, and he had a lots of glory I'll tell you, he was a very fine person." He said, "Fine, let him boast, but don't try it before God."

So, the Bible says here:

(11) (...The cause is that He's not ashamed of us, and) not ashamed to call (us) brethren, (is because we are on the grounds of one Source. See? Not the works.)

(12) Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

Where's he going to sing praise? Only one place, and it's the Church. God reserving the Church as it were, as His band-stand to praise God from. That would be the highest pinnacle in all the world. There wouldn't be any other place to touch it, that this is what He's going to do. See?

(13) And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me. (See?)

(14) Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same...

He never became an angel. He never became an animal. He never became a storm. He never identified Himself any place but in that Church. Right. Now, He took upon Himself a form of simple flesh. He never became simple flesh. No sir.

12. A brother out West got to preaching and he said, "Jesus had the same flesh we did." And he got so happy he came all the way to LA where I was, and he told us; well now you know me, I just don't say, "Now brother, I think that's a very sweet thought."

I said, "What? Where do you get that stuff? If He had the same as we had He was a sinner, and His Blood wouldn't of atoned for nothing." I said, "Why do you think Bro. Branham taught that egg had to be created by God Himself. It wasn't her [Mary's] egg. How could it be the Blood of God if His Flesh was our flesh, and His Blood our blood?"

You should have seen his face sort of fall. I didn't mean to excoriate [to severely criticize] him, but it's just my unkind, uncouth nature coming to the top. And so I sort of let fly.

Well, he's a very gracious brother saw the light in spite of my mean ways and he said, "That is right." See? I should have been a little more kind.

13. Well Jesus took upon Himself a form. In other words, It looked like us, but It didn't have exactly have the same thing. See? And He identified with us. Why? If He being God identified with us and nobody else, you can see right there, this is the greater thing that God's looking upon. Otherwise, He's no fool. He's identify with the greatest. Right? Why certainly.

Level water seems seeks its own level. Birds of a feather flock together. You think for one minute that God would aggrandizing Himself so to speak and singing praise unto God, would choose anything else but that which would give the highest? No sir. It's right in here.

14. All right, let's go back to Eph :1:22-23, we just skip around look at this thing.

(22) And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

What possibly, what greater honor could anything have that has God for its Head? But you think God is some kind of a fool that's going to honor some base old thing? This great God with all of His great wisdom that never had to learn a thing, and can't learn a thing, because He already knows everything. Weighing out the balances in that Infinite mind ...?... His bringing all His wisdom together, and drawing a conclusion. My, and then people turn and call their church holy-roller, dirty old names and run it down. Oh, we got some Scripture for this, just a minute hold it for a while.

Listen: He said His Church,

(23) Which is his body, (see?) the fulness of him that filleth all (and) in all.

The identification is so close to Himself He said, "I'll let you be my many membered body. I'll let you be my actual vehicle down here."

Say, "Oh my, I've been looking at that Church and I'm beginning to question God's wisdom." See, you better watch that.

15. All right, Eph 1:9-10.

(9) Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

What better authority? If you know everything, there's no use going to anybody else. Huh? You don't think for one minute that this fellow Armstrong was going to inquire to anybody else? Say, "What do you think it's like to walk on the moon?"

"Well," said the fellow who's going to be on it, "I think maybe it's going to be a bunch of rocks, and I think it'll be kind of jagged, and I think it might be rough on the shoes. I'd sure wear something pretty strong.

Now, do you think Neil Armstrong would go to anybody and inquire what it's like to walk on the moon? How would God talk in figure hit? How would God go to anybody like the Catholic church and the rest of these foolish people raising their head as though God would consult with anybody when He knows it all.

Now, It says that, "God purposed in Himself and He knew it all."

(10) That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might (bring) together in one all things in Christ, (What are all things in Christ? There's only one all in Christ and that's we're in Christ. That's His glorious Church. See? He said here then:) all things in Christ both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

16. Now with that, verse 18 says:

(18) The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that (you) may know what is the hope of his calling, and (watch:) what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, (See?)

You know what happened? God inherits the Bride and the Bride inherits everything else. See? This is God's Own inheritance. Do you think He's going to give to Himself something that's lesser than that which is worthy? Do you think that omniscient One Who has the omnipotence to bring into display His omniscience? This great Conceiver has the ability to get and bring to birth, and then He brings to birth something inferior? It is not complementary if Bro. Branham says, "His Majesty?" That's why Eve was a lesser to creation, came out of man. How could Adam have fallen as the son of God? See?

17. Now, with this Rev 21:9-10.

(9) ...there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.

(10) And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

Now, let's go back to Eph 5:30-32.

(30) For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

(31) For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and (to) be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

(32) This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

What do you think God would marry? See? Is He going to pick somebody now that is not complimentary to Him? You can see here that the Scripture I have set forth is absolutely right. The Bride, the Church, the congregation, call it what you want, a description of various terms. You can see here it's absolutely God's great achievement. Because it is absolutely complimentary to Him to show forth His wisdom through the ages.

18. Now, let's get back to our thought that what God produces is God reflected. Now let's check it out in Rom 1:19-20. Because, everything I say I'm trying to back up a hundred percent with Scripture.

(19) Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

(20) For the invisible things of him (God) from the creation of the world...

In other words, an invisible God can be absolutely made visible, (see?) by what is manifested here in creation. God chose what kind of a God He is by creation. How could you ever fathom that kind of a God when you can't even fathom one cell containing life? See? Shows you, God is manifested by what He produces. So with the Bride. See? The Bride is going to manifest God. She has to be a manifestation of His attributes, and indeed, She is a manifestation of His attributes. See?

19. Let's go to Ephesians now again 1:3-9. We all know It.

(3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

(4) According as he hath chosen us in him (in Him, see?) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him. (There should be a period there.)

(5) (In love), having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

(6) To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

(7) In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

(8) Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

(9) Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

20. Now, let's go to Rom 8:28-30, see lots of Scripture here we're going to get into.

(28) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Now, what's His purpose? That through all ages the manifold wisdom of God might be manifested by observing that Church. See? As He purposed. Now:

(29) For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

(30) Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

21. Now, with that 2 Tim 1:9.

(9) Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose (See, remember that, purpose,) and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

How can you give grace to anybody? See? Before the world began you wouldn't even need grace then. And then they say they don't believe in election and predestination? Somebody's missed the boat somewhere.

You say, "Well, God knew you were going to need it." Not back there you didn't. You need it down here. But you already have it.

22. Now, Rom 9:11.

(11) (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)

Notice: that the fact is God is setting forth that the Bride is positively of the attributes of Almighty God. Having Her preexistence as it were in Christ. Now, the true Church or Bride, was conceived in the mind of God according to the Scripture I read. He was imperatively in His thinking, (watch now,) and every other thought, and all wisdom was gathered unto this plan to bring It to pass. See? Everything was brought to It. See? Think in His mind She was. That's one facet. See? Every other facet, all of God's diversified wisdom. Look it, pick up the biggest encyclopedia here in America. What is it? It's the Britannica, isn't it? The Britannica is your greatest encyclopedia. It's supposed to be the very best.

All right, now if you knew all the wisdom in that, you could not apply it to one certain thing, you can't do it. You'd fail. Yet God takes one facet, see? He said, "My purpose (that great purpose is of achievement) is to bring forth that Bride. And then everything else God just takes it, lumps it forward makes it work towards that end. See?

Now, that shows the importance of the Bride. Yet people think they're not important. See? What would you think of a man going down town to build a sky-scraper... I understand you're going to put up a sky-scraper bigger than your biggest one now. How do you think of a guy coming, and say, "I think I'll have this fellow build me a sky-scraper greater than that big one in town here."

"Well yes, I think he's the right fellow."

So you hire him. So he said, "Well," he said, "I can do that alright."

He goes down and starts hauling in car loads of this and that. He hasn't got a plan.

"Where's your plan?"

"Oh, I don't need it. I just love to get it." See?

You say, "Well man, I know you've got a lot of talent, but how are you going to make that talent produce a thing? You don't have a blue-print."

Now God's got a lot of talent. That's right God can do anything. God's got great wisdom, conceive anything. Can conceive it. But He takes this one facet of His purpose, and then He takes all the rest and works toward it.

23. Now, let's go back again in Eph 3:8-10, watching our plan develop.

(8) Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

(9) And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

(10) To the intent now, the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be (made) known by the church... (See?)

It's got to have a function to that great sky-scraper. Look it, that's a masterpiece what that man produced. He has ability. He took it, a little creation as it were. Now God does the same thing for the Bride here. See?

24. Now, he said here, "It's going to be made manifested through the Church."

Now he says here, in Eph 1:8,

(8) Wherein he hath abounded toward us (the Bride) in all (a-l-l) wisdom... (Use it all. All the wisdom of God.) and prudence. (See?)

You say that fellow has a lot of knowledge? Why there's a lot of guys going around the world today, and they're got the most marvelous accumulation of unassorted fact that you ever saw, unrelated fact that you ever saw. Why, they've got a photographic mind. Pick up the Britannica, they read it, they got it. They've got everything in that Britannica they'll tell you. Now you say, "Produce something." Can't do it. See? But all wisdom with that ability to shape it, (see?) prudence, order came right toward that Bride to shape Her the way God wants Her.

Now, [Ephesians 1:] 10,

(10) That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, (see? God is going to do this great thing.)

Now, hold the thought here for a minute, and we go back again to Rev 21:9-10, he said, "He can't wait to show me the Holy City New Jerusalem which is the Bride." Now verse 22, of the same chapter.

(22) And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

25. Now Rev 22:3-5.

(3) And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; (What? The Holy City, New Jerusalem the Bride.) and his servants shall serve him:

(4) And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

(5) And there shall be no night there; and (and there shall be) no candle, neither light of sun; for the Lord giveth them light: and they shall reign (with Him) for ever and ever.

Now listen, there is nothing beyond this. Did you get that? There is nothing beyond this. This is the end of It. This is where you go in eternity, eternity, eternity, and there is nothing in the revealed Word of God, and nothing the prophet William Branham said that takes you beyond This. And what is This? This is the Bride. So therefore, God cannot go beyond the Bride. And when you cannot go beyond the Bride this is the 'Achievement'.

26. This is the greatest, what God is accomplished. There is no record beyond this. This is the end of It. This is the purpose fully exposed. It is to have a Church, a Bride forever, and this is the mystery of marriage according to Paul in Ephesians 5, where this One seeking His Bride to be with Him and one with Him forever He takes everything He's got to bring It into manifestation and display, this is that One. Now, that's what the Bible teaches. If we haven't got a revelation, I'm sorry for us, the Bible teaches This. See, if we can appreciate a sunset more than we can appreciate the Bride, if we can appreciate a good piece of beef steak rather than the fact we appreciate what God's doing in the Bride, I guess we need a revelation. Because we sort of got the spirit of the world on us, that we just aren't up to much or good for anything, and we just sort of make it that would be fine, and somehow we might squeeze in.

Well now, how could that line of thinking line up with what I'm preaching this morning from God's Word? Not what you and I might think but what God's Word said. See? It's time to get a little...or as Bro. Branham said, "When the Bride knows who She is, (He didn't say what She is, Her place and all, said,) She'll go up." I think this might a part of what we need to know.

27. Thus, to my thinking and understanding the Word of God, the glorious Bride forever with the King like Him in honest perfection and enjoying all of Himself and His goodness is the purpose of God. A full revelation of Himself in that Bride. Because that's what It's going to be. See, if It's His blue-print, His omniscience, His wisdom, and It's His ability, He does It, what else could It be, but a complete revelation or manifestation of Himself in the Bride?

So getting back to the Father's original plan, the Bride was in the mind of God. He said, "Ah, I'm going to bring all of My wisdom into display. I'm going to display It, and It'll never leave the record when I put It there in that 'glass showcase', that's It. There'll be never an age. Eternity alone will be able to show My wisdom in that 'showcase' display, see.

Now, getting back to the original plan. The Bride was in the mind of God. She was His eternal special thought. Now notice, I said, "special thought." What is a thought? It is something unexpressed. See? It's real. It's real. The thinking is more real than what is produced in the natural. That's right. Because, let's face it, what man produces today will perish, but his thinking will go clean to the White Throne. See?

28. All right. He is something unexpressed. None the less, real. A word most usually, now these thoughts must be expressed or brought into manifestation. Let us see how the first children of God came into manifestation.

Let's go back to Gen 1:26-27.

(26) And God said, (Now, He wasn't just thinking, He said,) Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, fowl of the air, cattle, over all the earth, over every creeping thing (creeping on) the earth.

(27) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (See?)

Adam was given a bride to reproduce himself, right? Okay, notice what God said. Now when He said It, they came into being, but He only said what was in His mind. And when He said It, It had to be done, because God does not take a thing back. See?

Adam was God's thought expressed. Adam became the Word or the thought expressed, or brought into view. Right? Adam was brought into view what God thought, what God said. Right, that's right. You follow me? Brought into view. This existence in the mind, (God's thinking before It comes into view,) is foreknowledge. Foreknowledge. Now, let's understand what foreknowledge is, because even got fooled by what Bro. Branham taught. And he told them what he taught.

He said, "You people don't like the word 'predestination', and it has become a dirty word and stumbles you, so I'll use the word 'foreknowledge'." And with that explanation they very happily went on with their false doctrine.

They say, "Yeah." I just don't understand people. Maybe I'm not supposed to.

29. In Rom 8:29, for we know:

(29) ...whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate... (See?)

What is a predestination? It is a pre-destiny. It's already mapped out that you're going to arrive even before you start. Foreknowledge is the blue-print. Omnipotence is the ability to bring the blue-print into existence. The building is the predestination. The blue-print is the foreknowledge. Is that right? Think it over. See?

Now, "For whom he did foreknow..." (See?) That's the thought, the unexpressed thought. "Them he did predestinate." That's the expressed thought. See? Now, the unexpressed is yet. If I foreknew you, it is like me taking that picture. Before I produce it physically it is already produced in my mind. It is already there and can be produced, if I have the ability to do it. It is conception, I need strength to bring forth the birth.

30. Now, please note carefully as we read Rom 8:28-30.

(28) And we know that all things work together for good to them (who) love God, (Who are those that love God? Now notice, there is only one group that can love God.) to them who are the called according to his purpose.

What purpose? That through all the ages He may have a 'showcase', to show His magnificent in achievement.

Now take a good look at each other honey. Some of you look kind of beat down this morning. Some of your eyes start fading, you kind of got your eyes puckered up. Some of you slouch down. Some of you got no expression at all. I don't know what's inside of you see? I'm looking on the outside. We look around and say, "Oh my, if this is God's showcase, oh brother." That's right. Ha, ha, ha, I'm sure glad I didn't write the Book. And I'm sure glad I've got faith in the Book, because if I took my eyes off the Book, I'd say, "Forget it let's go home." [laughter] I don't mean to insult you. I don't mean that about your feelings. I could mean let's go home and forget it all. Because ain't no use. See? Maybe this is part of where God says He takes the foolish things to confound the wicked. [laughter] I hadn't put it that way exactly, but I think it might have a thought there.

Listen: he says here that "Them who love God, and who are they? Those who are 'The Called, according to His purpose." [Rom 8:28] And remember, which He purposed in Christ before the foundation of the world. Don't you lose track of what Scripture says about these words:

(29) For whom he did foreknow, he did also predestinate (see?) to be conformed to the image of (the) Son, (many brethrens are going to make that Bride,) that he might be the firstborn (of) many brethren.

(30) Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

31. Now, let's analyze this. You got time you ain't going nowhere. You say, "You're so fed up with the world anyways, you can always ...?... on to it. [chuckling] Got you that time didn't I? They don't call me the 'fox' for nothing. [laughter] Me and my sour grapes.

Listen now, watch the beautiful language here. It says, "All things work together for good to His callled." [Rom 8:28] They got to work together for good, because God's going to see to it. You think He's going to have somebody spoil His Masterpiece? A fly in the ointment? A hair in the biscuit? A dead horse in the swamp? Don't tell me that for one minute.

32. All right, "Those called." Now watch these called people. He watched them. That calling has got to be done down here on earth. You weren't called there, you're called here. "My sheep hear my voice." See?

Now, watch it, them that He called, He foreknew way back there. He laid out their destiny, which was to be part of that Masterpiece. See? Now they got down here in the flesh, there's a Word expressed, right? Now He calls them. Now He justifies them. Now He glorifies them. And then people say, "There's no such thing as perfect righteousness." (??) They want to preach this stuff that poor Billy Graham preaches. "You were predestinated in crime. You were foreknown in crime. So God knew the whole world was going to go to pot." So He said, "I'll have My Son." Isn't that a lot of hooey?

"I've got a Son." Here says the Father, "Son, will you go down?"

Have you ever such nonsense in your life? Paul the apostle by the Holy Ghost said that, "The Father lays up with the children." It's the Father that takes the lead. It's the Father that takes the point. It's the Father that leads the way. And He's standing back as your Son and He says, "I'd rather You go down there and do something."

Now listen, he said, "They say here that you're elected in Christ has a principle."

I say, "It's a personal thing, because the Bride is membered, many membered."

He did not simply elect the body. He elected the members of that body. It is a personal thing. They were foreknown. See?

33. Now, this happened in eternity, it was the thought, the Word became expressed. And God followed through to put them where He said He'd put them. Don't you see brother/sister, how omnipotence has to go with omniscience? You'll never separate them.

Now, what happened? They're justified, they're glorified. They had as it were, (now listen carefully, because I got to watch my language,) they had as it were a sort of preexistence. Just like that building the architect made. It had a preexistence in the mind. It was real, all He's got to do now is put that to conception, must be brought to birth. Well He does it. We were conceived in the mind of God. Now you show me a birth without conception. You show me a birth and I'll prove to you there was a conception. See?

You show me a word here, I'll prove there was a thought. Because nobody can speak without thinking. You say, "I spoke without thinking." Now, that a cliché. That's not true. You spoke too fast you meant. But you can't speak without thinking, unless you're devil possessed or something. That's right.

34. Now, foreknown and predestinated. Foreknown and predestinated, brought here then just called, justified, glorified, which is that 'showcase on display'.

Now, all these things are working together to their good. Why? Because they're God's Masterpiece. I say, most of us don't realize that. We don't understand that we're God's Masterpiece, that's why all things are working, because God's got a purpose. See? People think, "Well, it's helter skelter. There was just a little purpose, God could all save the world." No, it's a natural plan.

Now, let us see if we can sort of fortify our thinking on this. "Here are some special people foreknown of God and predestinate the plan.

35. We go back to Genesis again to see Adam. Adam is a very good one to talk about. In Gen 1:26-27 again.

(26) (The Lord) said, Let us make man in our image, (now, isn't that exactly what He's doing about the Bride? Certainly.) after our likeness: (they'll) have dominion over the fish of the sea, and... (so on.)

(27) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Now, This was first of all a spirit being who was both male and female. Now notice Gen 2:5.

(5) And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.

Verse 7.

(7) And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Now, you can see here that God had a plan. See? Part of His plan right here says, "I want him over the earth. Till the soil. Give him dominion." Now He made him first of all spiritually. First of all in the mind of God. Then He brings him down spiritually. Then He puts him in a body. Adam was both foreknown and predestinated and called according to the plan, because Adam was a man for the soil. So we are just as individually called as was Adam to the plan. That makes foreknowledge and election personal just like with Adam. Why? Because that's the first. Right. Got to be. When this is the first, the second has got to be the same. The third had got to be the same. The fourth has got to be the same. The fifth, the sixth, till God's plan runs out. Got to be.

Oh, I know people don't believe that. They say, "Adam was a federal head." Just wait about that federal headship a little bit we get a little further on. We'll find about federal headship, all these stupid words they bring in the Bible. See? They have no right doing it, that's adding to the Word.

36. Now, the choosing of the Bride is according to foreknowledge. In Ephesians It says, "Chosen in Him before the foundation of the world." [Eph 1:4] Now, the word 'chosen', let's look at that word, and let's not duck it. Let's look at it. See you can duck over a lot of words and process over it. I don't intend to gloss a thing over this morning.

The word 'choose' means 'to pick out for one's self'. Pick it out, for its self. Right? Choose out from preference. Look him over and say, "I'll take this, I like it." Favor of love. "Well, I did my favor, I love this one." See?

Now, when thinking of choosing there is a choice involved. You don't say, "Now, there's only one fork on the table, or maybe there's a knife, a fork, and spoon, (you say,) what are you going to choose to eat your salad with?"

"Well, I'll choose my fork because that's etiquette." But supposing there's only nothing on there. What are you do if you choose your finger? [laughter] Well, there's only a fork, you'll choose it. Now that's not choosing. Because you don't have a choice. If there's only one there, there is not a choice. There's got to be a least two. See? And the Bible said, "We were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world." [Eph 1:4] So let's stick to the Bible. There's got to be more than one to choose from see?

37. Here is where we find something to enlighten us in Rom 9:1.

(1) I say the truth in Christ... my conscience (is) bearing (with) the Holy Ghost,

(2) ... I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.

(3) For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

(4) Who are Israelites; to whom (pertains) the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;

(5) Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever.

(6) Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:

(7) Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.

(8) That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

Notice that? Children of promise are seed.

(9) For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.

(10) And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;

(11) For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God (to have a showcase, right? Pardon the expression 'the showcase'. You understand what I'm talking about don't you? It makes it clearer that way. Now to have this Masterpiece, if you want to put it that way.) the purpose of God according to election (see?) might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;

(12) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.

Notice they weren't born, hadn't done a thing.

He said, "I have already got it picked out." See?

Suppose you don't go down town, what do you got working for you if a fellow phones up and says, "I've got two suitcases here."

I'll take the one on your left.

You haven't even seen them. You say, "Well, I'll maybe forfeit, look, I'm going to produce two suitcases tomorrow. I'll take the one, you make second."

Why?

"Because that's the best, I want it."

You don't even know what I'm going to make. Haven't even produced it.

"I'll take it anyway."

That's what God said here. And He said, "The elder shall serve the younger."

(13) ...it's written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

Just like a guy said, he said, "Hey, I-I-I like that one I made the first time."

You say, "I hate it."

"You haven't even seen that suitcase I just made."

"I hate it anyway."

"Well," you say, "that's guy's crazy."

Now, he's not. Just like I'm showing you right here. This is what God said He's doing. Right? This is not human wisdom or human reasoning, it's doing what God said He did.

(14) What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? ...

Oh my, that kind of a God. "Ho, ho, ho, I just couldn't have that kind of a God." That's right. You don't serve that kind of a God. You got a God of your own imagination. You're just fair play for the antichrist.

He'll come along and say, "I agree with you honey. There's three gods and I'm the real God, come on down. I want to tell you too, that stuff in the Bible, election seed, why you can all come to me after all I'm God." You'll all go in too.

World's ready for Bible is going to come brother/sister, don't you doubt that for one minute.

You say, "The prophet said otherwise."

I'm going to contradict the prophet. Not really, because he's right. There is no revival. They're the biggest phony false revival the world's ever seen in on the scene right now. And it's going to get bigger and bigger. Sure. Tongues are going to be in there. Holy Ghost manifestation so called, and they will be too. Oh, yes sir, there's a mighty sound in the air right now, revival, but it's not God. The world's revival. Church revival. Sure, there's a revival, a real revival's going on the Bride. She's getting revived, waking from amongst the dead.

38. Now, notice It says here, "There's no unrighteousness:"

(15) For he (said) to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

(16) So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

(17) For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up,...

And yet people go around and say, "The only trouble with this world is bless God, if we'd of prayed hard enough and gone and seen Stalin we would have got him converted." You would have got Stalin converted? Who are you trying to kid?

"Well, we could have prayed for Hitler."

And Bro. Branham turns around and said, "America, I'm through praying for you. You're finished."

So, poor Bro. Branham, he must have been the biggest hypocrite in all the ages, because he could get right to God, have visions, and know the truth from the beginning to the end, and see it all laid out. Even trace a man's spirit and where it is right to this minute, down there in some special place where God puts. Trace your generation five generations back, and then he turns around and says, "Well, I don't even pray for America it's finished." Oh brother, and people say they believe the Word of God, and know the Word of God. Come on, not that kind of stuff goes on. It's the strangest talk that knows God, because God talks the strange language.

39. He said, "My ways are not your ways, and My thoughts are not your thoughts." [Isa 55:8]

Well, if His thoughts are not our thoughts, then His Words are not our words either. See?

He said,

(17) ...I raised thee up, (for this cause, with reason to show) my power in (you), that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. (And it sure was too.)

(18) Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

(19) Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

(20) Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? (There's your choice. God making choice. Having made choice. See?) Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

"I'm challenging Your wisdom God." You better not. You better not. "I'm challenging Your ways." You better not. Perfect wisdom with perfect power can only bring one result. Perfect manifestation. See?

"Nay, O man, don't reply against God." [Rom 9:20]

(21) Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the (very) same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

(22) What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

The Greek's say, "Hold it there Bro. Vayle, the word in the Greek says, 'they fitted themselves'. That's alright honey, I've done agree with you already. Just read the next verse first though, before you shoot too much steam, oblivious not going to make it down the road. For It said:

(23) ...that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he (God) had afore prepared unto glory,

I don't doubt these vessels unto dishonor had declared themselves. I don't doubt it at all. And I don't doubt equally, even more I don't doubt the fact that God prepared the Bride. So they can say what they want. Doesn't hurt my subject one little bit.

Now notice, [Romans 9:]

(6) Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:

Why doesn't the Word of God take effect on everybody? See? How come that Word of God, "The sheep hear My Voice?" It's only sheep that hear the Voice. See? It's not that the Word of God doesn't have effect. The Word of God could save everybody, but everybody is not to be saved.

"Believe in God? You say that Christ died upon the Cross and faith heals, why they are in a worse mess, forget your stupid religion and come out here and join us atheists. Let us be a Buddhist."

The Bible tells you It isn't that the Word of God doesn't have power. Certainly not, got all the power in the world. It's God Himself. What is it? They are not all to hear It. They are not all to have It. Tells you right there see?

40. Now, let's just take this through and see it, because they are not all Word. They are not all Word in the beginning. See? They are not all Seed in the beginning.

Let's go to the Book of Luke for a minute, and get the picture again. Lk 3:23-24. Now watch this:

(23) And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years (old), being as was supposed the son of Joseph, (and so on...)

Now, let's go back to verses 37-38.

(37) Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan,

(38) Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.

Now, let's go back to Genesis 4:1.

(1) And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.

And she again bared his brother Abel, and Abel ...?...

Now, Genesis 5:4.

(4) And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth (see, which is in the genealogy. See? Now watch, after he had begotten Seth,) were eight hundred years: (and Adam) begat sons and daughters: (You hear ...?... he had sons and daughters.)

Now, right here, you have three distinctive things brought to your attention. Adam was out of God. Right? So he must have been in Christ. He was, because the Bible said, "Let us make man in Our image," and that image was Adam that came out. Right? So he was in the original plan of God. Is that correct? Part of this, mighty manifestation of God.

Now, notice next though. A son Cain is born. You can't even find him in the genealogy. He's washed out. Seth is born. He is in the genealogy. But Adam had other sons and they are not in the genealogy. How come? They weren't in that original plan. You follow me?

41. All right: if God had a choice before creation, then there must have been many to choose from. The chosen were in Christ. They were in union with Him. They were a part of Him, His actual attributes. This is why we see two descriptions of Adamic life. The chosen were in Christ. They were in union with Him. They were a part of Him, His actual attributes. This is why we see two descriptions of Adamic life. The Seth line, and the other line of sons and daughters. You see it?

Now watch this: You see also Cain. Cain was what? Serpent seed. Right?

Seth was what? The true seed.

What were those other sons? A form of life of the same lump, but not in the election. (See?)

Now, where do you think then that Cain got his wife? Of the non-election, but human beings.

Now then, who were the first ones to get messed up with serpent seed? These sons of the Adam. These daughters of the Adam. But they are not in the election. They generated those voluptuous figures, had some big brawny men. Long eyelashes, like cows had, you know. [laughter] Beautiful eyes. Oh my, so sexy. They made the trap between serpent seed per se, and the true seed of God. Because by the time the sixth chapter comes into view of Genesis, even the Seth line was corrupted. See?

42. So, this is God's plan. See? He knew what was going to be on earth. He ordained it. It was all laid out. And His choice had to be toward Himself, because He alone had the perfection. So those were in Him. See? He chooses, but remember, life line comes down from Adam and Eve just the same. I know it's kind of hard to get, but that's the best I can teach it.

Here is your Lamb's Book of Life, and your Book of Life, and life with no record. See? Now, this is all part of what we're talking about the plan. ...just hold in mind, I'm not on my subject yet. The Lamb's Book of Life. Lamb life came first. Then came life. See? With it came serpent life. Then there came the mixture.

Rev 20:12,15,

(12) And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: (that's another book, same book. Why? Because it's the same planning. One lump. See? What comes out of it?) and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the book, according to their works.

(15) And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

I believe brother/sister, not only are names taken off the Book of Life, but when Jesus said, "I never ever knew you," I doubt if their names ever were in the Book. Now you can dither with me on this, because I don't pretend I'm right. I believe there are the three:

The Lamb's Book of Life group.

The Book of Life. Yet some gets their names off.

Then those with no record at all.

43. Now, on the other hand, you can simply believe and you can be well informed as I am, to believe in the Book of Life and the Lamb's Book of Life. And those he said, "I never knew," had their names off. I don't argue it. To me, I see three. Things go in three's. Book of Life, Lamb's Book, no record of life.

I see no record or reason for Cain to have a record. Maybe he had, I'm just putting this to you. But I want you to see where the choices came from, that this was in the master plan of God. That's why He could say to Esau, "I hated you before you were born." [Rom 9:13] It did one thing. What is hatred? It's not our kind of hatred. Look, if election is love, then reprobation is hatred. It's that simple.

Now, all of this was in the mind of God as necessary to the purpose, but only a part was in union with Him. Only a part chosen for the Bride, because that is Eph 5:22-32, the mystery of the union of Christ and the Bride, He had to choose of her, and She was chosen. See?

Now remember, Adam never chose Eve. He had to have her, because that was simply his. Now there's a good type here, but there's no choice there. See? There was no choice. Later on the Bible said, they began choosing such as whom they would. See, it's twice as involved. But when you come to God It said, "Before the foundation they were chosen." Showing that God had in His mind all the rest out here, but that Bride would be amongst her. See? And She would be this one for that purpose. Christ and the Bride are one. In that She was in Him, as Eve was in Adam. See? That's why you've got the fight without the choice.

Eve was Adam's own creation as it were, his own offspring, or daughter, she was in him and became separated by the flesh. Therefore, a part of Adam's life was missing, separated by that flesh. That is exactly as the Bride. She was in Him and became separated by the flesh, but one day She will get back to Him, or He will get Her back. See? That is why Christ had to become flesh in order to get Her back.

44. Now, once more we go to Rom 9:6-7, and we'll notice in here, where Paul is speaking and he said concerning Israel:

(6) Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:

(7) Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.

Now listen: Right today you have people transplanting hearts and organs. The people are dying, because the body rejects other organs. You've got the same thing today with the Bride. The Bride is the only one that can take the Word, because She's already got something in here from that pre-beginning up there, see that pre-existence, that would let Her take the Word.

Jesus said to those Pharisees that were born of Abraham, just like their brother's were born, all born of Abraham. And He said, "The reason you can't hear My Words, because there's no place in you for that Word." See, It's foreign to them. Now, you see where election is? Paul said to Israel, "Why, (he said,) all Israel." Sure. Taking all traces of genealogy back. Sure.

45. Listen: Every Baptist will go back to Smith. Sure. Presbyterians, go right back to Knox. Great. Methodist, you go right back to Wesley. Lutherans, you go right back to Luther. Branhamites, go right back to Branham. That doesn't prove a thing. That won't prove a thing.

"I believe William Branham great prophet of God, bless God this, bless God that." Sure.

"How about going to church so much?"

"Aw, church is over, yes sir."

"...why?"

"Don't you believe that church is over?"

"Yep. Only teach facts, no more church."

You're a Branhamite alright. You're a seed of William Branham, no doubt about it. He called you kids. You're my kids. You don't think those Pharisees were Abraham's kids? You better read the Book of James. Sure, Abraham's kids. Takes you right back. Brother/sister, it's by election. It's whether foreknown of God according to that Seed. And if you are a Seed, then that Word of God will take. If you're not Seed the Word of God won't take. You see that's why they're falling off now around the country. That's why you see a lot of old time faith's(?) you don't see any more. Sure.

That's why a lot of folk are coming in and you know they're not getting it. Not that we're any judges. We're not judging anybody. We're not some type of royal priesthood that says, you come in and you don't. Nobody pretending that we know the infinite mind of God. But I mean, look, you and I know enough by being Christians, being serious to know what rings a bell and what doesn't ring a bell. See?

46. Jesus stood there and He said, "Sure you're Abraham's seed, sure I get that."

Paul said, "You came down from Abraham," and I get that too. But he said, "All Israel is not Israel," [Rom 9:6] See? It's in the seed. What seed? That which the Word of God affect. Why? Because it's Word calling to Word. It's that which God foreknew in the beginning and said how He'd get them back.

"You were my thoughts. You were in Me. I put you down as My Word. I'm going to call you back to the same place, (See,) I'm going to bring you back."

Now, the Word of God only affects the Bride, nobody else. He is the Word. Christ is the Word. Now, if we were part of Him, we are also Word. The Word of God, the plan of God. Or the purpose of God, is only in effect in the Seed, which is in Him, Christ, and released through Adam into the human race, and then got back by foreknowledge and election based upon decree. Oh, that was a good one. I hope you're not getting too sleepy are you? You see, God released the Seed in Adam through the human race by His foreknowledge and election tracing It, and bringing It back. See?

47. Now watch: Acts 13:48, I like these good strong verses, ('till I lose my teeth, I like something to chew on). It says,

(48) And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, (and what did they do? they) glorified the word of the Lord: (They didn't jump up and down and scream and have a good time. Although, that's alright. They glorified the Word of the Lord.) and as many as were ordained (or commanded) to eternal life believed.

Now, It didn't say they believed, and then they got ordained to eternal life. It said they were already ordained to eternal life, and that's the reason they believed. Now, if you're ordained to eternal life, you're decreed to it. Now where does that leave sloppy election? Ain't no such animal. It's personal. See? Belief of the truth. Belief of the truth, it's what Paul called in Thessalonians, which is election.

Now, this is your Lamb's Book of Life, because Lamb Life is original. Adam was the son of God, or came out of God. God was His source. Then to Adam was given ability to produce life which actually only God can do. So when Adam came down, two lines. Those born after the will of God and those born after the will of man, but nevertheless in the same channel.

48. Let's go back to John 1:11-13, and find It. I know this is heavy on election, but that's the way I want it.

(11) He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

(12) But as many as received him, (now, who received Him? Only the elect.) to them gave he the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

(13) Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Now, watch it. It said they were not born of blood. Let's prove it. Isaac married his cousin I believe it was. This is Rebekah. Same blood lines, right? Absolutely. Two children, one right, one wrong. Blood won't do it.

All right, they were not of the will of the flesh. Many are born by the will of the flesh. In fact, actually I was supposed one hundred percent of all born are born by pure sexual desire. Nor of the will of man. There are those who absolutely plan for a birth, but not one of those three will do it. His blood lines will not guarantee it. Lust of the flesh even won't mean that it's going to come, or won't come. You're planning to have that child in the flesh to serve God, doesn't mean you'll get it.

There is absolutely no way that a child of God can be begotten unto God, unless he was first of all foreknown and even before the foundation of the world, and comes down by one of these sources and then God picks it out. Why? Because it already was there. And he responds to God because he's got something in there to respond to God. A Word. He was of the Word to begin with. See?

49. Notice:

(14) ...the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (See? The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. That was Jesus Christ, which He was, made flesh and dwelt among us.) and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,...

Now listen: The same thing happens in the Bride. It also is Word made flesh. And on the days to come this Bride will manifest the absolute glory of Almighty God. Why? Because He'll be glorified amongst the Saints. "For He is the fullness which filleth all in all," [Eph 1:23] and God gave Him the Head to the Church which is His Bride.

Now, you can see Rom 9:11, where maybe you couldn't see It before, where Paul goes into the very strong election of Almighty God. Now just remember Romans, I don't read It to you, because it takes so much time, and my time has all but run out.

50. So, let's go back here to Gen 3:14-15. I have to keep going back and forth to bring this out as strong as I can, to show you where we stand today, and what this is all about, election.

(14) And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

(15) And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, between her seed and thy seed; (and so on.)

Now, with this Gen 3:16-20, this is where Adam...the woman is not cursed now, but her sorrow is multiplied, which is said is multiplied, her desire is to her husband, he rules over her. And to Adam because he hearkened, he must go to tilling the soil, which of course is cursed for his sake.

Now, you can see where it started. God wants to have this Bride, this great tremendous Masterpiece. Right? Now, He makes choice, because this Masterpiece has got to reflect all His wisdom and all His glory, and so on.

Now, we see it come down here. We see how it came out: Adam, the serpent, Seth line, Adam's other line; you don't know who they are. They're out there but they're not in the Election. Now, Adam...not Adam but rather Cain's line was cursed, not the Adamic line.

51. Now, let's go to Matthew 25, I won't read It, because it takes too long. But when the Son of man comes in all His glory, remember that Bride is in the Throne. Right? She is not judged. No sir. She is the Masterpiece. The Bible says in Revelation, "In that day She's going to be admired by the whole world." He said, "They're going to know who I love, my Elect." Right? He's in the Throne, judging the world. But who's before them. Those in the Book of Life, and those without names in the Book of Life.

And to some He said, "Come you blessed of My Father, because you were good to My Bride, come on in the Kingdom." To the rest He said, "Depart from Me you cursed, I never knew you." See?

Now, you can see here Election. You can see what? Election, whosoever, and chaff. Right. Election, whosoever and chaff. Election is the Bride. The whosoever comes in, the chaff is burnt up. "Depart, you that work iniquity." Now, that's the serpent seed. As I said, we cannot trace this by natural means. I've just done my best to show it to you.

52. Now, we're going to go further: Here is where the Bride starts to be the showcase, not before, no sir. She is the most run down, downtrodden, despised and picked on, and rejected, and ...?... God has ever put in this earth. She's hated of all men for the sake of Jesus Christ. But on this day, and from henceforth, She becomes the showcase, see?

Now, All of God's manifested glory and wisdom and so on, is shown in Her as He sits there with Her as the Head. Now, that's what the Bible teaches. The manifold wisdom of God's full wisdom coming into the manifestation in the Bride, that said, He brought to Himself we're going to see this great wisdom.

Now, She is sitting there, see? Displayed before the world. Now watch this: the world is judged by Her. Not by Christ. That's true, the world is judged by Him, but remember, Paul said, "The Bride judges the world." See? He said, "You judge angels,"(?) He's there with Her, He's the Head.

Now, in this judging, I say, is where you start to see the multi-facet wisdom of God and that Bride. Because remember, it's all the wisdom of God. God sayeth, just creates it, that's fine, that's one facet. God does it, that's another facet. See? Manifesting what He is. But how could God through that Bride without choice, demonstrate all His multi-facet wisdom? He couldn't do it. See?

53. Now, remember Bro. Branham said, "God had it in Him to be a healer." Is that right? So there had to be sick people. See? How could God ever demonstrate that He's a healer unless they're sick? How could God demonstrated He's a Savior unless there's sinners? How could God demonstrate He's a Provider unless there's a means? How could God demonstrate there's a Judge now, (see, watch this:) how could God demonstrate He's a Judge? Now He could heal the Bride. He could save the Bride? See? Right. He could provide for the Bride. Sure. He raised the Bride from the dead. He's the Resurrection. He's the Life. That's good He can do that. But how is He going to demonstrate He's a Judge? Bride can't be judged. How is He going to demonstrate He avenges iniquity with anger? Oh, you can't be angry with the Bride, because God says in His Word, "Therefore having been justified by faith we have peace with God." [Rom 5:1] God's not mad anymore. God's can't get mad, because the Blood's there. God can't judge see? Can't do it. See?

Now, how can God be all of these things. Look: He's got anger. He's got wrath. He's got judgment, as well as mercy. All of these facets of God. There's only one way it could come into being. See? And that is by God having a plan of election which is choice.

54. So, He creates a Pharaoh. Why? To raise up a Moses. Right? He brings an Ishmael. Why? To persecute an Isaac. He raises up a fornicator like Esau. Why? To bring out a Jacob. See? He raises up all these, and remember, remember Cain's name was never on that Book. He was not a human being. Just partly. Serpent was not a human being, his name was not in the Book. I say they weren't. You may believe they were, that's up to you. I don't see it. They weren't in the Book. Why? Because God said, "For this cause can I raise you up and curse you." See?

Now then, see the multi-facet wisdom. Here is God, and He said, "I'm going to demonstrate through all ages the glories of My perfection." And all those perfections of what God is by His Righteousness, His love, and all the ability, He puts in that Bride. There's She is, beauty, beautiful, actually One like Him. His glory will shine. That's what the Psalmist said too.

55. Now watch: watch all these out here. Watch God's mercy. God's care. God's provision. God's goodness. All of these things, can only be shown, because of these others out here. What does He do then? All these are out here, God showing His love and all to the Bride. Now on Judgment Day these come up and whatsoever. Now listen, Whosoever, now watch, who didn't have Light, God said, "Judge about by Light, what they have." They that... did good to the Church of God, He said, "Bring them on in." See? Those that didn't have the gospel, they're ...?... judged without the gospel. See? According to what they had, God shows His multi-facets.

My brother/sister, I'm going to close with these few words here. In the end-time God is doing something great by wisdom once more. I'll have to set aside the rest of my notes, because it's up to you, you know the rest of course. Let me tell you how that God has demonstrated all the other factors out here, but channeled it toward the Bride. Through all ages they may see it all worked out of here.

56. Listen, in the end time God in His wisdom Who had decreed that, "Even so that in Adam all died, even so in Christ all are made alive." [1 Cor 15:22] He has decreed that even as Christ was planned, even so raised, we are planned to raise with Him. He has decreed at the end-time there'll be a Rapture in which there will be a Bride that will not see death, but will... come to the full Resurrection without dying. Do you understand me? Without dying.

Remember, the glorified body has to have a death. If you're going to have a body like Christ, the Scripture sets forth you've got to die to have It. But in His wisdom, God says, "No, there's going to be a little group." A little group that won't die, they're going to walk right into It.

57. Now you see the world, they're looking for many things to happen. The world is crying for great revival. God's Word says, "You cannot have revival, because when I come it's going to be such a time that if I don't send Elijah, I'll just curse the whole bunch of you idiots." See?

They're looking for a mighty manifestation in the Millennium. Where Israel will just walk in the Millennium and take over. And the other nations that were good to Israel will come on in. The Bible say, "The whole world goes against Israel." So God just gets rid of them all. The Bible says, "The righteous will walk upon the ashes of the wicked." [Mal 4:3]

The world doesn't believe that. No siree, they don't see that at all. They say, "It's going to be a great thing, God is going to do a great thing. See? God has hidden His wisdom in the end-time. He has sent a prophet.

58. Now look, if that prophet didn't come, let's just say God worked according to their plan, the Word of God would not be fulfilled. And the glory of God would not be revealed in the Bride. There would not be a little group at this end-time, brother sister, restored who will stand up like a little wheat berry. Just like God. Just like Christ stood at the end-time, She'll show all His perfection and His glory standing right here in the flesh. See?

The church has missed It. They say, "Oh, there's going to be a great Rapture. We're going to be caught up it's all over." See?

But God said, "I'm going to see My glory in that Bride." And just before this Bride is taken according to the prophet of God, according to the Word of God there's going to be a little Bride here that stands in the complete revelation of Jesus Christ.

They are going to be so thoroughly Word, so thoroughly identified that they will be the complete manifestation, many membered of the Lord Jesus Christ. They will have the Word of God and know what to do with that Word. They will speak the creative Word of God, It'll come into being. It will not be a circus. It will not be a sideshow. It'll be for the total loss of the world, and for the complete edification and the good of the Bride. They will be down literally in a corner, undercover, and in It once more you'll see the complete wisdom of Almighty God.

59. Brother/sister, believe me this morning. I know this subject. It's a nice subject, it's hard for the human mind to get, because we have looked so long at the Word of God through the bias of a hindered intellectual concept. It is time to get out from under it. I speak for myself as well as I speak to you. I speak myself. It is time to get out from under it, and to believe what God has said about the Bride. It is time to stop running ourselves down. Right. And wondering if we're going to make it, or what's going to be here, what's going to be there. The purpose of God stands in election. God said, "I've got a plan. I've got a plan, and that plan is a group of people in whom I will reveal my mighty attributes of all My manifested wisdom poured into one group for all ages."

Brother/sister, that's you and me. That's right. That's you and I. And it's time to believe It. Why? Because God said, "That's My purpose". Now do you believe God can fail? You believe there'll be a Bride? There's got to be, He said so.

60. Now listen, what's He going to get it out of? The end-time Bride comes out of a Laodicean Church Age. Miserable, wretched, naked, blind, doesn't even know it. Staggering and fumbling, she is so far duped and gone away from God the Scripture said, "She cannot even tell righteousness from wickedness."

You get a little lady on TV here all the way from Pittsburg, and she'll be there all made up on that TV, and she'll tell you the truth about a God who can heal and save. That's right. And she has one of the greatest most satisfying ministries in this world until men, the Full Gospel Business Men, and men all over are looking up to her. And yet according to God's Word she cannot preach. And she'll get up there and defy Almighty God by taking up the Bible and putting on a TV program, "on Thursday we have Bible study."

And this Laodicean Age doesn't even know that that's iniquity. And at the end-time God will save His part from you working. "But Lord, I heal the sick."

"Depart, you that work iniquity." God said that see? And God in His wisdom at this end-time has given us the ability in this age to know why left hand by right hand to know wrong from righteous. ...?... God in His wisdom. Now brother/sister, if God did that for us, don't you think He's going to do the rest? The Lord bless you, there is a plan. We are that plan. Let's rise and be dismissed.

Gracious Heavenly Father, how good it is, Lord Jesus, to have Your people who love Your Word above all else in this world. And, Lord, that's where we stand today. Many times we look at It and we might wonder a little bit and say, "This is too good to be true. How could You ever accept me?"

Lord, this morning may the people, and I'm including myself, I'm including everybody, Lord, that calls upon Thy Name according to revelation at the end-time. May they finally get their hearts and minds understanding that God did not choose us now, he chose us before there was a speck of star dust, and that settled it.

God, this morning let the clouds of the be devil seen Let every bit of unbelief be circumcised from these hearts as we gain the truth as we never did it before. We are Your showpiece, and it started before the foundation of the world, and will one day take us right back.

God, this morning help me to see It. Help me, Lord, to live and breathe It, that everyone, Lord, that believes this Message. That believe It, and live and breathe It in the Name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.