Divine Attrubutes

Divine Attributes

Bro. Lee Vayle - December 2, 1966

a)... and the meeting was open for people to attempt to contribute like what might beneficial to the welfare spiritually of those in attendance. And one dear brother of course, now I'm blaming him, because he was taught this way and he did have a great experience in the Holy Ghost, he believed that you spoke in tongues that was it. And that solved every problem, I've been a tongues talker for years and I didn't solve one of them. Now maybe I have the wrong tongue, I don't know. I believe if I'd have met that man a few years later he would have changed his mind. That doesn't solve it. According to Scripture it's the revelation that gives the church its power. And revelation is the know-so of God. It's the know-so of God. And you don’t even need to understand that is the mechanics of it.

You see, the mysteries always contain an element within them, which is not discernible to us, but we know that it works. See, that's a revelation by the Spirit of God. The revelation is why the Spirit was given. And if we wish to substitute that ministry for something else, we will deny ourselves the true benefits of the Spirit of God.

b) Now, this will take a complete new you, orientation to most Christians. You see. We saw the prophet. I don’t know if anybody even here outside of myself, or all that I know might be the only one. And my wife who saw him in '46 where everybody through the line was just like that. How many else saw that? Where you thing in the beginning? I saw... this sister over here, you're from up north and you've come down here to retire, live it out, nice eh? Well good. I've got to go back to the north country in a few weeks.

But, I saw Bro. Branham the night when he said, "I challenge you, bring me twenty-four of your worst cases, (Paul the apostle never even said that) and they'll be healed. Or let all pass through the line and sixty percent get healed."

But I saw I believe close to two thousand, and not one miss. Wonderful, oh that caught our attention. I was happy for the miracles, but there was something in the man that made me weep. I was not serving God at that time, having left the ministry and all, was sure trying to serve myself. And I was broken, I cried all that night, I was broken up. And I knew that I'd have to go back. I wasn't happy but I knew, that I'd have to go back. And so, I went back. But, the next step was the Word ministry. And people rejected it attempting to maintain a manifestation ministry. (See?)

c) Now, the same thing is here today. We have almost everybody, (if there were six hundred of us, with six hundred opinions) trying to maintain the 'I' ministry, instead of going on to the revelation ministry. Which is to get very, very quiet, and stop looking for signs and stop trying to figure things out. I can prove what I'm talking about if I go home and search it out my desk, I have a little note. And if I can't find it, Helen Borders will witness to it, that I wrote Bro. Branham in Tampa. And I said, "Bro. Branham, is it not true that the Seven Thunders, are seven major mysteries? And of those seven mysteries these are some of them."

And he wrote back and answered. "This is true, but hold your peace, the time is not yet." And his prayer on one of the tapes, (and it's in my car right out there now) I can tell you the exact tape it's on, he prayed to God that the day would be hastened, that the Bride would have within her the revelation of the seven mysteries. That's the mind age, we need a new orientation. If you have been counseled and have so diligently believed in your heart that his sign ministry was to attract you in order that you hear. Now, you must re-orient yourself that it is no longer hearing the other voice, (you still got it on tape, that's fine) but it is now the Spirit of Christ revealing and making real, because the Bride must have 'Thus Saith the Lord' within her. (See?)

d) This is tough. So, all this arguing and bickering, tense, or no tense. Is the tent going to stay if it did come, but if it didn’t come would you be lost? We might as well hit things right on the head, because I feel like doing that, I may not get another chance. You might be the very Elect that need to hear this. We need to get quiet within us and start seeking God for His Spirit to make God real, and the things of God real. And that means when God, and the things of God are real, these things round about us in contradistinction cannot, and will not be real. See, we're going back to restoration.

And Restoration means the things are going to be so real that men will not necessarily have to, but will be willing to, and some might sell everything they have and give it away as it were. Because not only can you not take it with you, Bro. Branham is correct, this money system is going to collapse. And you can try all you want to attempt to forestall that day, and figure out how you help yourself in the time of storm, there will be no cover, but the most High God, as our refuge. And I might have as little as any man here and I'm scared to death, because I've got so much. Less I'd be trusting in the arm of flesh.

e) Well, amen, I feel real good. Because I delivered my soul, you know where I stand now. You want to know what I felt about Bro. Branham, I'll tell you that fellow over in America, said, "Bro. Branham, I wouldn't necessarily walk across the street to see you raise the dead, except I know what kind of a man you are. I saw the Spirit of Christ in a man, that’s all I needed." Because anybody that can make Lee Vayle crawl on his face and weep like Jonathan Goforth did, maybe you've heard of him. That old Bailey of South Africa, that man's got to have God. So, I don't weep over nothing, or anybody hardly. Reality.

Let's just think this over for a second, supposing you and I get up in the resurrection when the dead come forth, and it’s our turn to be changed, providing we are part of that group. I'm getting kind of hard shell, I'm wondering an awful lot. Not about you, but about me. On that day when we change, you think we're going to go on around and imitate Christ on the grounds of performing miracles, or will we be satisfied as Job to be in His likeness? I think we ought to start setting our cap in that direction now. Because the whirling dervish type of ministry as far as I'm concerned is completely passé.

f) The Resurrection means we should be like Him. And that's the only time in my life I'm going to be satisfied. I'll be satisfied under one of two conditions. I mean it with all sincerity. Either I'm going to be like Him, or I'm or I want to be annihilated. I want to go back to a nothingness if that's where I came from. If I'm Elect, I came from Him. If I'm not, I want to go back to nothing. As though as I never were, because there will be no event, and no circumstance, and no program, and no place where there'd be paradise, or heaven, or you name it, I'll not be satisfied unless I'm in His likeness. And I've got an essence of Jesus Christ, that spells one thing as far as Lee Vayle is concerned, and that's character. (Uh?)

So, you can kind of see where I am I hope, because it's just around the corner. You haven't got a long to wait now, we've had the Message, it's the Resurrection. They're going to be upon earth, we'll see them if we're Elect. The world won't, I don't believe it, I believe it's a dimension. I doubt if the world is going to see Him. I'm not saying they won't, but I doubt. Jesus said, "I am going and you won't be seeing Me anymore, and the world won't see me." I'm glad He said, "The world won't see Me, but you'll see Me." And they did see Him for those days, about ten days, wasn't it? And forty days they waited. Well, this is the end brother/sister.

g) Funny I say this, thirty years ago God gave me a revelation of His Coming, very peculiar thing. He wanted me to know that He was God the Father, because I was a Trinitarian. I had the same vision that Ezekiel saw, I saw the likeness of the appearance of a man in the azure [deep blue] and green colors exactly as Ezekiel saw. Didn't understand it, till I was way up later in life. I had already accepted Oneness, but didn't know why I did it, because it was right, but I hadn't got the real revelation that the vision was supposed to give me. At that time, the Spirit of God picked me up in mid-air, held me for one second flat, threw me down to a concrete floor. I can prove this, I'm not just talking. Although I'm not happy about it, proud about it, I'm just telling you. My head hit a bench out of a two by ten plank. Either the bench should have split, or my head should have splattered.

No mother could lay her baby as gently on a pillow, as I was [BV claps his hands] thumped like that on a cement floor. Eighty people saw it, I've got names and addresses if you want it. But, there came out of that a prophecy, "Watch and pray, Jesus is coming soon."

h) I went around for six months, or more in a solemn hush, waiting for Christ to come around that corner. That was thirty-two years ago. He didn't come thirty-two years ago. But, I've got a guarantee, you see, I don't believe He'll wait seven, I know He won't wait thirty more. I saw time through the eyes of God. I'm seeing time to my own eyes. And it seems like Jesus come fifty years from now as far as I'm concerned. And I need a revelation of the Coming of Jesus Christ.

Because I can read all I want, and cry all I want, I don't get to first base. It's got to be the Holy Ghost, and that's why He was given. And I must be talking this way and keep pressing us on in order to help somebody to get you away from what you're thinking about those gifts that you saw manifested. I have dealt in gifts for years, until I could take ten couples...and this is the truth, I'll prove it again if you want it. I'll tell you I'll fly you the places I did this, but if I'm telling the truth and I'm wrong you pay the trip both ways, but I'll pay it if I'm wrong. See, I'm serious.

i) I've taken ten couples and known each one what they were doing down there by a gift ministry. If you don't believe that I had a little discernment you ask Sis. Branham. Bro. Branham said, "Lee, you had a little real discernment, but you didn't have it enough, don't do it anymore."

Ten couples, knowing what's going on. I never saw such carnality in all my life as came out of those groups. I finally had to preach a sermon, 'Thy Scepter O God is the Scepter of Righteousness' that the power of Christ lies in the righteousness of God. This is no time to be fooling, or living in sin.

Dear old German lady come up and said, "Bruder Vayle, I don't know what you preach about, but I know what I got."

I said, "Okay sister, God bless you, I hope you find out before it's over."

Two years she came sneaking back, she said, "Bruder Vayle, I tink I know now what you talk about."

j) True. After the 'I' age and he saw for us. Comes the revelation of what he saw. The mind, age. The mind, age. "Bro. Vayle, I don’t like that." I love it. Do you know why? "Where were you before the foundation of the earth?" [Job 38:4a] Come on, tell me, where were you? In the mind of God. So, I'm going back to the mind age honey, I got to be going back in pretty soon, if that's where I came from. And I'm going to be happy, and I won't be bothered with dirty old Lee Vayle, because he's the biggest problem I've got in my life. Sometimes I bring my wife for being my problems. She's, got a right to blame me, and she never does though. I've got but you know how it is, I'm my own problem. But I shall be satisfied when I wake in His likeness. And I'll be more and more satisfied, and I will be restored as much as I can be in this flesh through the revelation of the Spirit of the Living God.

And when you say, "Why is that so?" I'll tell you if you haven't guessed it. There isn't one action that you do, but what stems from your mind, because all your mechanisms are in the mind, voluntary and involuntary. And when your mind goes back to Him, you'll be producing the 'Amen' that lies in the Bride. Right? Is anybody confused? Or, am I getting across? You follow me? Honestly, see what I mean? You don't follow me? You pray about it, you will, see, because I can't do it.

k) One man came to me one night after I preached on 'Faith', and he said, "And I supposed you give the people the revelation of faith?"

And I caught him sweetly...thank God that night I was so tired I couldn't get riled up. Always thank God for everything. See, I'm an awful fast talker, and if I talk too fast my voice goes. You can be happy that I'm under a strain. I'll talk slower, see? But I do thank God for a bad throat, because then I've got to talk slow. You see.

And I was so tired, I couldn't get even hepped about the thing, I said, "Well, no sir, not any more than you who preach to the sinner can give him the revelation that he is a sinner, and Christ is his Savior." And he did a double take. The victory was completely mine through the Spirit of God, and there was nothing more said.

l) I can't give you revelation, I don't have it myself. I'm in this strictly Word saved. But you see, if the Seed is there, remember, 'Spoken Word is Original Seed' [62-03-18] if the Seed is there, the Spirit will water It and raise It up. (See?) We’re coming to it. The teaching era is over now, the rain falling will produce what the prophet taught. What did he teach? Oh my, the pyramid. Sure, see we're coming into that stature. Right? Praise the Lord. Now, I'm just beating around the bush sort of here, but it's alright. Revelation of faith, God has given each one of us the measure of His faith.

"See, Bro. Vayle, I don't see this." Well now, I admit that. But how many of you feel your hair? Oh, all the bald-headed people I see, women and all. You can't have any hair, if you don't feel it honey. Right? Except you have a little trouble feeling your kidney? How many feel your kidney? No kidney? No wonder you look so bad. Bald headed no kidney, people. (Uh?) Maybe, you've got a kidney that isn't working? You still got a kidney. Right? See what I mean? It's not based upon what you and I think or feel, it's based upon what He said. If God has dealt to every brother the measure of faith, and it's the measure of the faith of Jesus Christ, then you have tonight the faith of God, but the revelation missing is what's wrong. (See?)

m) So, we have the faith of God. And tonight, we're going to go a little further, and we're going to talk about the revelation of the 'Divine Attributes' in the out-working of this faith. It's the revelation now we go to. We're going to discuss the Word in relation to the out-working of this faith. And it has to do with the Divine Attributes, or characteristics and ways of God. Now, I know that could confuse you, but just let it sit, and we'll get into it. And before we do, let's pray to the Lord.

Gracious Heavenly Father, how sweet and good Thou art. For Thou has let us come together tonight, yea Thou has lead us, Lord, to this place and we know it is of God. This is Bethel, for surely this is the house of God. And it shall be also Bethlehem, the house of the bread of God. As we have the Spirit of the Lord to make real, this which is set before us.

Lord, tonight we are believing in Thee to give us an understanding beyond what we have ever had, until, Lord, line upon line, precept upon precept, go growing into it as Thy prophet has taught us in 'The Token' [63-09-01] we shall come into a maturity where it shall be the Word manifested, hallelujah, God bless each one tonight. Let every word spoken, Lord, be Your Word, even as your prophet said, "That the Word was altogether within the tongue." Proving it's not coming from man, but it's coming from God. Let every heart, Lord, with the same Spirit here and rejoice in receiving and multiplying Itself in Christ by the depth of revelation in Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

1. Now, we'll turn to the Book of Romans 4:13-22 (I suppose) and that might be enough, and we're reading a little bit in [Romans] 5.

(13) For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

(14) For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

(15) Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

(16) Therefore, it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

(17) (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

(18) Who against hope believed in hope, ...

I like Moffat's translation, who when hope was gone, hope gone in faith. I like my own translation, that he might become what God already said he was. Now, that's exactly right. (See?)

(19) And (Abraham not) being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:

(20) He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, (certainly, as the measure of faith) giving glory to God;

(21) And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

(22) And therefore, it was imputed to him for righteousness.

And then in [Romans] 5:1-5

(1) Therefore (having) being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

(2) By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

(3) And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

(4) And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

(5) And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

2. Now, if we were to look into a dictionary tonight for a definition of the word 'theology' we would find this: 'theology is the study of God, and the relation between God and the universe'. Now, I would say that is an excellent definition, because as Christian we cannot afford simply to study about God, but we must also study and know, and know God's relationship to His creation. Especially, His relationship to His supreme creation, man.

Now, I'm going to make a statement which may sound strange to you, but it is absolutely true, and it is this: How God deals with His universe. And especially how He deals with man, does not have its origin in man, but in God Himself. I repeat: How God deals with us, His dealings with us, do not have the origin in us, but in Himself.

In other words, a Creator God containing certain attributes characteristic and spiritual equality was in a position as Creator, (see, omnipotent Creator God) to create a then non-existent man. Man did not have one thing to do with his creation. And whatever the man was like, (see?) and what-ever the man did could in nowise change God, this sovereign God in complete control. See, thus we can see immediately that when man deals with God, (see?) then he has to deal according to God's own attributes characteristics and ways.

3. Now, let me show you this, you can produce nothing but what is inherently in you. (See?) That's all you can do. That years ago, they used to say, "Anybody can learn to draw and be an artist." I never heard such stupidity! The fellow that said it was naturally an artist. The same man didn't have enough brains, (that's right) to realize that with all the expert training in the world at his command, and of the hours of study that he could be an opera star, because he was a lousy singer, but a good artist. You can't produce but what's in you. You'll produce according to what you are. And furthermore, nobody can deal with you, or can you deal with anybody, except what is in you.

People do their dead level best to deal with their kids, but they can only deal their kids according with what's in them. Oh, I know you try to meet with what's in your children. Because you feel you're got to deal with them according to what's in them, and that's true, but that's not the real truth. The real truth is, you can only deal with them according to what's in you.

Now, God couldn't make a man other than what was in God. (See?) God being a Creator, Who was a Savior, it was necessary, in fact God couldn't do anything else than create a man, or predestinate a man who would be a sinner. God being a healer, He couldn't help but create a man who'd need healing. God being a Shepherd, He couldn't help by create a man who would need shepherding. (See?) God being a Provider, He couldn't help but create a man who would need provision. (See?) He had to do it that way. And God being what He is and cannot change, God does not deal with men according to what's in them, (though that's true) the major truth is, God deals with us according to what's in Him. Now, that's tough thinking, and it's just about a hundred percent I bet, many of you have ever heard in your life. But, it's God's Word and It's true.

4. Because I want to tell you, if God deals with any of us, other than what's in Him, then God of necessity must change. And the Scripture says, "He's an invariable God." Plus the fact, that whatsoever He doeth, it is done forever and no man can add to It, and no man can take of It, because God doeth it. That blows your theory of dispensations, higher than a kite. It came from a Jesuit priest anyway, and the just about kicked him out, and the Protestant took it up. They turn around and they say there are seven dispensations.

First of all, there was the dispensation of innocence. God man a man and He said, "It think I'll put that man in the Garden, and I'll just see how he turns out." And the devil came up and he tempted that man, and that man fell.

And God said, "Oh my, (tsk, tsk, tsk) this is awful. Well, (He said) that didn't work, so I'll just put him under 'conscience'. I'll just see what he'll do now that I put him out of the Garden, and see how his conscience works."

So, Cain came right along and killed his brother. And God said, "Um, um, um, this is fantastic. (Humph) Well, I'll go a step further, I'll put him under 'human government'." Well that failed ending in the flood.

He put him under 'promise' and that failed. And He put him under 'law', and that failed. And He put him under 'grace', and the whole world is going to follow the harlot system, and worship the antichrist. What a flop grace is. So, I've got God about a six-time loser.

5. Now, tell me honestly brother/sister, if you were a betting man that went to the races, would you bet on a horse that lost six races in a row? Well, would you? Could you believe that God has less intelligence than you? Would you put a little kitten in a great big cage with a boa constrictor and say, "Oh, pussy cat, see how you make out.” That's what God did in the Garden of Eden.

This idea of dispensations of God dealing with men according to periods, according to how they act is a fallacy of hell. Makes you dishonor a sovereign God who changes not. There aren't any dispensations, so called? Because God can't change. And God doesn’t deal with the way a man is, God deals with men the way God is. And that's the thing that you and I have got to learn in this day in which we live and quit trying to fool ourselves. Because when we don't, we get to God with flattering lips, and try to twist the arm of God. And brother/sister, nobody gets by with anything with God.

We must learn that God can only deal with us according to what's in Him, and He has set it forth in this Word. Therefore, it is mightily incumbent upon us to receive a revelation. Not only of God, (see?) in the sense that there is a God, but we must have a revelation of the way God acts. Because God can only act a certain way. (See?) If anybody is going to change, you and I are going to change, not God. See, that's people think that God changes His mind, don't you ever believe it. God never did.

6. Now, how can we get a revelation of the divine attributes, characteristics, and ways of God? You will not get it by the study of nature. The best that nature can do is to let you know that there is a God, but the kind of a God that God is, you can't tell by nature. Now, here in Tucson you've got nice weather. Up North it's cold and miserable, people die in blizzards. I can go to South Sea summer resort, where it's beautiful. The grapes are almost literally dropping into my mouth. The palm fronds, are gently blowing in the breeze. And I'm not even perspiring, it's beautiful.

And I say, "Isn't He wonderful. Oh, look at my lovely God, isn't He gracious, hallelujah." And before I get the words out of my mouth a typhoon comes two hundred miles per hour, dumps me in and everything else. I say, "What kind of a God is God anyway?"

You can't tell what kind of a God is from nature. Therefore, you cannot tell how God is by experience, it's impossible. You'll never get Him by your senses. You can't tell what kind of a God is, by the test tube, as it were, by science. Because science can't even tell what made that Cloud twenty-six miles high, and thirty miles across. Science can't tell what those blogs of the Light are. A lot of people go around saying they heard motors. They heard a noise, but it wasn't in the cloud. The Cloud of Light was an investigating angel. Call them flying saucers if you want, science doesn't even know that. Certainly, you can't find God by philosophy, because every philosopher's got a different idea.

7. There is only one way that you can find out about God or get a revelation. If you want to know exactly what that is, you'll turn to 1 Samuel 3:21 (or better still, let me read It to you.)

(21) And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: ...(Hallelujah)

Now, what's the word 'appear' sound like? Here's this book appears, is that right? The book appearing: "And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh: and the Lord revealed Himself, say, "Bless God, He whipped away the crowds and there stood God with big muscles, hallelujah, I saw Him."

Is that what It says? It says:

(21) ...for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.

8. There is only one place you'll ever get to know about God and that's in the Bible. There is no revelation that is acceptable, except in the Bible. There is no opinion of man that can be given credit. The Word of God is the only place, wherein God speaks of Himself and for Himself. And there isn't any other place under high heaven. And woe betide the man, that ever says one thing about God, except it coincides with this Book, because he's telling a lie.

When we ask the question: what kind of a God is God? There is only one answer, He is the kind of a God that the Bible says that He is. He is the God of the Bible. Now, if He is the God of the Bible, or a Bible kind of God, then our opinions and ideas and dogmatic assertions, or attestations don’t mean a thing. And right here is where I want to be very candid concerning us all. That the God of the Bible is in essence and character, I said, in essence and character, and in number. His essence, character, attributes, and action are so far from what the world believes Him to be, and even up the majority of Christians might be, that we are actually in rebellion against Him. You know that? We are actually in rebellion against Him.

9. A man may come in and say, "Vayle, you talk about a God who cast a man into hell. I don't have that kind of a God." You're right, you're right, the God that he serves is a god of his own imagination. He doesn't have the God of the Bible, because the God of the Bible does cast men into hell. More often say, even those who call themselves truly full of the Holy Ghost, "Vayle, shame on you saying that God who would reprobate one person, and elect another, my God wouldn’t do that."

I say, "You're right, your God wouldn't, but the God of the Bible does and did." (See?) What we have today is the God of the imaginations of the people, and therefore it will not be difficult, but it will be exactly appropriate to worship the antichrist as God. Certainly.

10. Now, to help you see what I'm trying to get at, and we're going to go around about this the long way, and it doesn't matter, because it's the only way I can do it. We're going to turn to the Word of God and take step by step, God's own revelation from His own mouth, of exactly what He is, and exactly what He is like. Now, that fair, because we ought to know.

We go to the very 1st chapter of Genesis 1:1-2

(1) In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

(2) And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

And in John 4:24, the Scripture says, "God is a one Spirit." Now, these verses describe the essence of God. They tell you exactly what God is made of. The Scripture says here that He is one Spirit. It is not God and Spirit, (as many people would say, not God and Spirit) but it is one God Who is a Spirit. This Spirit, God, describes Himself in His name. And His Name in 1:1 is 'Elohim'. Now, Elohim, or El Elyon, (which is the same) means, 'strength' or 'the strong one' who binds Himself by an oath. This Creator, Spirit God, is basically the strong One bound by His oath.

11. In plain English, this makes first revelation of this Creator God, whose Spirit is this, that He is both omnipotent, and immutable. That's the first revelation you get. And this is exactly correct, because It says over here in the Book of Revelation, (just hold your thumb in Genesis there) and in Revelation 19:6

(6) And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

Oh, people think that God's not reigning in His universe, but He's going to come back and prove that He is. And they're going to cry, "Hallelujah." We've going to cry, the rest of the world won't. Who is going to cry, "hallelujah," I told you He reigns, because my God's omnipotent. Certainly.

Now, let's just turn back to Revelation 1:8 now, and see the very same thing about our dear Jesus.

(8) I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Now, in the Old Testament the word 'omnipotent' is not used. But the word 'almighty' is, and it's found in there just about forty-eight or fifty times.

12. Now, let's turn to the Book of James 1:17, and hear It.

(17) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, (it's from above) and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, (not even a) shadow (not even a shadow) of turning. (See?)

Now, with it, in the Book of,

Hebrews 6:16-18 It says:

(16) For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.

(17) Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:

(18) That by two immutable things, (God and His Word, see,) in which it was impossible...

Listen brother/sister, this is not something were a man is standing still and saying, "Look folks, I give you my Word, honestly I won't change, bless your hearts I wouldn't do otherwise." This is somebody saying, "I've got to do it, because I can't do otherwise. It's impossible for God to lie. (See?) Impossible for God to change. Everybody is trying to change. That's right. Funniest thing in the world. The impossible, to lie.

(18) ...(that) we might have a strong consolation, ...

We think our strength is bending God's ear, so we'll twist His arm. The hope we have in God is, ‘Thou changeth not’. Amen. (See?) See, how we need revelation? We've been reading our Bibles wrong, been kidding ourselves. There again is the thing that I loved about the great man of God's ministry for this Age. He's stuck with that Word. Word, Word, Word. And isn't it what we ought to do, if it's the Word that made it all, and It's upheld by the same Word, what best to get stuck with? My, we've got it made, hallelujah. He needs that revelation.

13. Now, but exactly what does this revelation of an immutable, omnipotent Creator, Spirit God mean to us? Except for a further revelation we can only draw one conclusion, and that is, that He is a great impersonal Spirit Creator God, Who having created all things and established the laws of the universe, now stands back and says, "Let's see what happens."

Oh, that's exactly what the devil wanted us to believe, and that's exactly what we've got by dispensation. God's going to stand back now and see what happens. Oh brother/sister, you can't stop there, God does not have only a little involvement with His creation. If my Bible is right, He has a minute and tremendous involvement with His creation. Because listen to what the Bible says, (keep your finger there in the Book of Genesis) and let’s turn to the Book of Colossians 1:15-16

(15) Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of ... (all creation.)

(16) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (And by Him all things are maintained.)

14. He didn't just make it, He keeps it, He upholds it. And that's exactly what the Book of Hebrews said, if you want to turn there in chapter 1:3, and It says:

(3) Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, ...

If you saw somebody downtown the express of Lee Vayle who would it be? Lee Vayle. If He'd have express image of God, Who is He? He's God in flesh. "Amen!" Notice,

(3) ...upholding all things by the word of his power, ...

What Word of His power? The Word that created it, is the same Word that's upholding it, the God that made it, is the God that's keeping it. And then these folks talk about an atomic bomb going to rock us off a course and so on. Oh brother/sister, not unless God wants it that way.

15. Now, not only is God involved with His impersonal, or inanimate creation, but He is irrevocably and minutely involved with His most personal creation man, who was made in His image. As a matter of fact, there are actually very few words written about God as Creator. Did you know that? Very few words. And the devil tricks us, he just keeps us harping about this great Creator God, great Creator God, great Creator God.

But, there are thousands of words written about Him in His relationship to man, as His sustainer. It can be truthfully said, and I mean this, "That God is but verily, but verily involved with any of His creations, save man who is described as the works of His hands. That He fondly and in love brought into existence. God's utter involvement, or put it man's utter involvement with God, is set forth in the Book of Acts. Paul preaching on Mars Hill, in chapter [Acts]17:24-28,

(24) God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

(25) Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

(26) And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

(27) That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

(28) For in him we live, and move, and have our being; ...

Every single child that's born in this world has his beginning in Adam, then got mixed up, it’s the same time roughly, with the serpent. But God had made it all. And that life is that same life that is passed on.

16. Now, that God was not about to let man dwell on His Creator-ial powers rather than His maintaining and ministering power to His Own creation, is seen in the revelation that God gave of Himself to Abraham the father of the faithful. For in Genesis 14:22. Abraham said, knowing that God is Creator, he said,

(22) ...I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth,

17. Now, Abraham is calling God 'Creator God'. His concept of God is Creator. (See?) I'll prove it to you. Over here in the Book of Romans, (I could have used another Scripture, but we'll use this one in 36. "For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things." [Romans 11:36] In other words, God by reason of Creator is the possessor of heaven and earth. Therefore, the possessor is the Creator, and Abraham is saying, "I know the Creator."

Now, God is not going to accept this revelation. Because the revelation of a Creator without any further revelation brings on fear. (See?) That's why when the people...we call them heathen, see a blast of lightening the sky, they say, "that's God." When they see an earthquake, they say, 'Well, the god of the earthquake is here, we've got to appease him. (See?) They don't understand. God as Creator is not a revelation that you can live on. Because it will not produce faith, it produces fear. Because what kind of a God is He? He owns it all, He's got it all, then what's He want out of me? What's going on here? (See?)

18. It does not bring a relationship which is satisfactory, we must have a further revelation. And what does God do in [Genesis] 15:1

(1) After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, ... (notice, the Word of the Lord came in a vision saying,) Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

What does this mean? The shield in an instrument of defense, and a reward is an act of provision. So, God is now saying, "Abraham, your revelation of Me as Creator can only bring fear. I don't want you to fear Me, I want you to love Me and understand Me. So, I'm revealing to you that I am your Protector and your Provider." What more can anybody want? What could you want other than protection and provision? And notice the order it is given in, because protection means more than provision. Because if I've got provision and no protection... But God says, "I am your Protector, and I'm your Provider.

And if every one of us tonight knew that by revelation, we would never ever doubt the fact, "My God shall supply all of your needs, by His riches and glory." [Phil 4:19] And you are complete in Him and our faith would take the faith of the wings of an angel. And we'd soar over the mountains of difficulty with the power of God, but the revelation is missing. But, I'm going to tell you some-thing: when Abraham heard from God, the Spirit leaped in him and implanted that revelation right on his heart, and he said, "Yes, God is my defense, and God is my provider." (See?) That's...it's not enough to have a revelation of a great Creator Spirit God. That brings fear. (See?) We've got to go beyond that revelation.

19. Now notice, we could stop there and say, "Well, that's fine." But God did not do that, for It says in Genesis 17:1 It says,

(1) ...when Abram was (ninety- nine years old), the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; I am the Almighty God. See?) walk before me, ...

See, it was good for God to say, "I am your protection, provider." What is a protector and provider? It's the husband. (See?) It's the husband relationship as the head. (See?) But now the next step, God goes further, and He said, "I am 'El Shaddai'. (See?) The almighty. 'El' means 'burly, strong, rough, power, inexhaustible'. But 'Shad' means 'breath', or 'the giving of satisfaction through nourishment'.

This is a picture of power in condescension. It is God saying to Abraham, "I am your sufficiency, I can and will meet all your problems. I will care for you as though you were a week and defenseless child." Now, this is a wonderful revelation of God. By God Himself concerning this personal relationship to man,

20. Here we see an omnipotent, immutable God, whose interest and desire is toward mankind. This great One had made Himself available as a mother has to her own baby. Now, that's a wonderful revelation. You say, "Do you mean God wants to care for me as a child?" Except you come as a little child and believe.

"Well, Bro. Vayle, that makes me defenseless." That's exactly right, because God is your defense. (See?) As long as we fight our own battles God will never fight our battles. As long as we try to provide for ourselves, God will never provide for us. Because God wants to be God, and it's not the relationship of a Creator to a zombie or an automaton it's this breasted One of condescendtion, God wanting to do it. See, like a mother for her little children.

21. Now, once more we can stop and say, "Well bless God, that's got to be it, I've got it, and I can say will all my heart, 'Christ is the answer'." And in fact, the majority of us do stop there, and we sing a beautiful song saying, "Christ is the answer to every problem, and Christ is the answer to all of our needs." Now, I have to admit that that is true, according to the revelation we have received at this point. But, according to experience (see?) the best we can say is, "That Christ is potentially the answer." He can answer, but for some reason men fail to avail themselves to all the answers that He wants to give.

Now, what's the matter? (See?) the matter is the answer to what is the matter is evident. We are still lacking in a revelation of the characteristics and the ways of God. Since God is all powerful, never changing, and sustaining, and protecting, and providing for His people, then the fault must be in man. (See?) That is all there can be to it. It is man expecting God to deal with Him according to what's in the man, not reaching out by the Spirit for a revelation of God in His ways so we'll know. You see, how to look to God, so that He can deal with us. See, always man gets the cart before the horse, always. And it's not the way that God wants it, but, we've got to go on. And I want you to notice at this point the Scripture distinctly says concerning man and God, they have always erred in their hearts. "They have never known My ways." You know that?

22. What was it destroyed Israel? "They have never known My ways." What was it that destroyed Jerusalem? "Oh, Jerusalem if you'd only known, but you didn't know." And now many of us have ever taken time to find out from Scripture how God does think? "No, we found out, hallelujah, come up and get the Holy Ghost, talk in tongues, put on an act of power. Satan, come out of him, bless God, rise up in Jesus' Name, hallelujah." Aw, shut up! I'm sick of that, it hasn't worked for ninety-nine times out of a hundred.

Get your biggest prayer line in America. And all the men lined up in one great big tent meeting. And bring in only fifty crippled, and I guarantee there won't be ten of them get up and really walk. We have attempted to take the power of God and do what we want with it. And it's most unsatisfactory and annoying, and it has brought death to every generation. There is only one people who are really known of God, and they are they who know God by the Holy Ghost, and the revelation comes by the Spirit of God. And we must learn tonight to go on and find out, what is the answer, and where are we missing? What is there about God and His ways that this generation hasn't learned about receiving and putting into action the faith of God within us.?

23. Now, the Scripture distinctly said, "That faith is the assurance of things hoped for." [Heb11:1] Faith is my assurance that I can get what God says that I can have in His Word. Now, if I've got it what's wrong? What in the world is going on? Why can't I get this thing working? You know what? Because you say, "I'm going to get this thing from God and you watch me use it." Men going into clothes closets and saying, "God, I'm going to stay here, or die like this gift of healing." And they all walked out, prostituted it. They put up their great big old tents, with their great big old money programs, raising millions of dollars for universities and pointing out enormous pocket books, lying about ordinances. Everything had been exactly opposite to the Word of God. There's been no revelation.

Well, what about the people that are sincere and honest? The trouble is, they haven't had a revelation. They don't know about the ways of God. And to be born again doesn’t necessarily mean that you know God's ways. (See?) It takes the Spirit of God to show us.

24. Now, let's take our example of Abraham, we read about in the Book of Romans. Here we are with the measure of faith. Here we are with the guarantee. What's wrong? A man comes to God, he has a need, that's Abraham. He said, "God, I need a son." And God gives him a promise, because God made Abraham to have a need, so that God can satisfy. (See?)

Now, how does Abraham get this need satisfied? Because remember, every need is satisfied in Christ. If God fails to meet one need, then He can't be God. It's got to be enough. See, let's put it where it belongs. "Thy Word is true, let every man be a liar." [Rom 3:4a]

All right, the promise is given. "Abraham, you need a son? I'll be glad to give you a son." Now, this should take care of the problem. No sir, the next step is faith in God.

Now you say, "Well, that's taken care of too. I've got the measure of faith, the divine assurance of every promise." Well, hallelujah." You say, "Now I've got it, I believe Him, that takes care of it. He won't lie, that's it." But that's not it. Because you see, in the majority of cases the promise doesn't come and we forget the Bible says, "To walk in the steps of faithful Abraham." He took certain steps.

25. Now, let's go to those in Romans 4: again, and we're going to read them. Because there's something here I know that is true, and we are missing it. This is something that we can all have tonight. And this does not require God to show us, (so it is in this sermon) because we'll learn tonight what we need to know. Notice again in [Romans 4:]16

(16) Therefore, it is of faith, that it might be (a free gift, see?) to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; ...

This faith that we have is our guarantee that everyone of God's promises is ours. Make no mistake brother/sister, judgment day will prove it. Make no mistake. Because God doesn't lie. You know when He's going to come back? And on His breast the very first thing you'll see when you see Christ appear, faithful and true what it's going to be.

He said, "I've lived up to it, I didn't lie." (See?) You never put your finger on God. Never doubt about God, begin to find out about God.

26. The expert who comes in to solve your business problems, the doctor who comes to you, the lawyer, they come, my brother, my sister as experts and they point away. Now, that's what we learned tonight, the way of God. We're going to find out about it. In dealing with faith, where have we failed to learn about God and His ways concerning the measure of faith that`s bound to work.

It says here: [Romans 4:]16-17

(16) ...but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

(17) (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

Now listen, who did Abraham go to, to get a promise? It was God, correct? In whom did Abraham believe? God. Did he get his promise? Yes! But listen, when Abraham first stood before God and he said, "I know the Creator God Who talked to me." That wasn't enough. (See?) Wasn't enough. Abraham had to know certain things about God in His characteristics and ways relative to faith in God. (See?)

All you say, "Oh Thou great Creator God, I know that Thou hast made all things, hallelujah, oh the heavens and the earth, and You can do anything, praise God. Glory to God, You're my Creator. " Oh, we go on. You know what that is? That's nothing but the flattering lips that God's going to cut off. Sure, it is. Because you don't address God as Creator, if His Creator-ial powers are not in question, or in demand. Just like no child could go to his father and say, "Father, be a son with me." Father can't be a son. This talk about a father being a son is ridiculous. A father's a father.

27. Now, no woman would ever allow her husband, to minister to the children as a husband. He's father. She claims all the right as husband. And we as Christians don't even begin to understand this in relationship to God. As Creator God, that's not it. There's something about God in relationship to ministering to us in faith that we missed.

I'm going to show you how we've missed it. Let's turn to this Book again and turn to [Romans 4: verse 17

(17) (As it is written, (the promise) I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him (that's God,) whom (Abraham) believed, even God, who (quickens) the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

Now listen to me: here's what we do, we don’t mean to it, but we do it. We cross out those two phrases, "who quickens the dead, and calls things which be not as though they were." Now, why do we do it? You believe that the whole Word of God is in here, or do you believe that we can take out part of it? (See?)

28. Now, here's to where we're driving at. There is the crux of the whole thing, why this faith of God is inactive in the majority of us. Because we don't believe what God said about Himself in relation to placing faith in Him. I could say to you tonight, "Go on down the street there and bring back my Chevrolet. It's a green Chevrolet with a white top."

And you say, "Well Vayle wants a Chevrolet car, well this here has got a black top and a green body, that ought to do, bless God, crank it up and bring it back."

You know the majority of Christians do that. They don't give a hoot what the Bible says about the God of faith. "Oh, believe God, amen, hallelujah, bless God." And they say, "Oh Thou great Creator God, hallelujah, Lord..." And God says just, "Quiet, quiet, quiet. I know what you're trying to do, you're trying to bypass My Word. You're just trying to get around Me, and I just won`t go for it.`` And you can flatter all day long you want.

29. The Bible has made certain things in reference to placing faith in God, that we've got to dig out of Scripture what it means, or we're never going to get our answers. (See?) We've got a little sign on the slot machine down there for the gum, for the newspaper. Oh, we obey it, we say, "Well, let's read the sign." As the instructions on the box said, when the coin manufacture sent it out, he said, "Now, that failed in all else, will you read the directions?" But man wouldn't do that, he's got a better scheme. "Well, I'm going to go into the closet, bless God, Bro. Vayle, I'm just demand of God, hallelujah, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, violence taketh by force, I'm violent, bless God."

Okay Balaam, okay Judas go ahead. Three million fell in the desert because they wouldn't know the way of God. "They have never known My Ways, they have all erred." [Psalms 95:10] And the Bible said, "it was unbelief." So, we're dealing on a very good subject.

30. Why does God qualify Himself as a God who raises the dead and calleth things which are not as though they were, when it comes to dealing with God in faith? There's got to be a reason for it. Why? Because this tells us what God's ways are in the answer to prayer, based upon the Word of God when we give faith in the measure of faith He gave us. And unless we understand this what it really means, we're not going to begin to exercise this faith, now it`s that simple. See, every Word of God is powerful. No Word is void of power, and there isn't one word in there that they can't pay attention to, because, "not one jot or tittle will fail." [Mt 5:18b]

So therefore, when Abraham believed in a God, he believing in God, there were certain things said about this God, that you've got to understand and act in, otherwise God's ways will never come pass. Why? Because God can only deal with us according to His ways, and not ours.

Now, I realize that ours has a lot to do with it, because God made it that way. But the primary thing is man lines up to God. God won't line up to man. It's repent or perish. Spirit of Christ in the earth, or you're reprobate. That's right. Don't say, "Oh come on people, if you be nice to me, I'll be nice to you. Come let us reason together and I can forgive a little bit, if you can let loose a little bit too."

No, He said, "Come let us reason." [Isa 1:18a] And He sets the tenor of the reasoning, "Though your sins be like crimson, though they be red like scarlet, (He said) I'll make them as white as snow." [Isa 1:18:] On the grounds of the Blood. It's the Blood, or perish, because it's the Life that was in the Blood, and the Blood was God's Blood. (Right?)

31. All right then brother/sister, if this is true then we had better know from the Word of God what is there about God, that's found in these two phrases, when you deal with God in faith, He raises the dead:

(17) ...and (calls) things which (are) not as though they were.

Well, thank God, the Bible explains Itself. Because if It didn't, I'd have to stay here tonight and tear my hair, and you can tear yours with it. But It tells us in 2 Corinthians 1:8-10

(8) (But) we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

(9) But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which (raises) the dead:

(10) Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

Here is what's wrong with people and their faith. When they go to God and pray and things get worse they stop and they say, "Oh God, I'm not getting an answer." When the Bible says, "That's the time that you know that you are getting the answer."

Because, let me tell you brother/sister, if God raises the dead, somebody's got to die. The first revelation of the faith of God in the Bible was this: "For I say unto you that who so ever shall as to this mountain, 'Be thou moved'." [Mk 11:23a]

32. Brother/sister, if the faith of God moves mountains, let me assure you you're going to have a mountain to move. But you know what we're doing? We're all the time saying, "Oh Lord, far be it from You, Lord, to let this terrible thing happen." And then it happens, "Oh my God, it's happened, oh my God, it's happened, oh Lord, what will I do now?" I prayed, Lord, that my business wouldn’t fail, but it failed God. Oh Lord, I prayed that the presses wouldn't because break down, but they broke down." Sure, sure, well, come on.

Paul said we were pressed out of measure, we despaired even of life. Right? We despaired even of life. But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we weren't trusting in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead. Let the business go flop, God will build another business.

Oh, how this applies to the church and I've been a pastor. When the going gets rough what are the people doing? If you've done this, it's going to hit you and you deserve it. You desert the ship like a bunch of rats. I don't mean you do now, but I mean that's the way most churches are. Never rising to the occasion saying, "Hallelujah." The Word of God says, "That which can be shaken must be shaken." [Heb 12:37b] (Uh?) Until it be moved out of the way, but we hate the shaking, don't we? We want to trust in ourselves.

33. We want to stay to the place like Abraham did there, when he got a little shaky. And he said, "Oh Lord, let Ishmael live." He said, "He going to have to live, as far as I'm concerned. Oh, he'll live out there and I'll make him a lot of tribes, I don’t mind all of that, because the world. Give them what they want. If that's what they want, give them cake, give them bread, give them wine, who cares? But, I'm dealing with you Abraham, and I said it's going to be out of your loins with Sarah and nobody else."

"But God, I'm dead."

"Oh hallelujah, I'll raise the dead, don't you believe in a resurrection?"

Oh, Abraham day by day began getting weaker. Sure, he could, he was getting weaker too. But he knew this about God, that God raises the dead. And I'm going to tell you brother/sister, we have taken too many of our own ideas about the Word of God. "Oh, we like Psalms 23: "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want, He makes me to lie down in the green pastures. He leads me by still waters. He restoreth my soul." (Let's quit there.) No, It goes beyond that: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me."

34. Oh, we still love the Scripture that says: "Oh, when I walketh through the waters, tippy-tippy toe, they'll not overflow. "Tippy..." Oh yes, and the Bible said, "When they put their foot in the waters they roll back." But the Bible wasn't talking about you. It says, "When thou passeth through the water a flood will come down." [Isa 43:2a] But it's not going to overflow.

"Oh but Lord, far be it from Thee, Thou great Creator God, hallelujah, holding the world in balance, Thou can do this, and Thou can keep the waters back." Oh, forget it, your flattering lips are cut off, you missed the boat.

You've got promise boxes haven't you. Kick them out of your house they stink. Because they cut the Word of God in two. It's by suffering and persecution unto the Kingdom of God. But every-body wants to pray and say, "Oh Lord, don't let me get sick. And if I get sick, well, hmm, let's see, appendicitis, well not bad, but not hepatitis, oh no, no." (Uh?) Drawing boundaries all the time.

35. A lady came to me in Ohio, and she came for that reason, because God wants me to talk about her, wherever I go, I don't even know her name. It's not gossip by true. She came and she had terrible thick glasses. I knew that she was going blind by the looks of her glasses. So, I asked the Lord to show me something else wrong with her and pray for it. She had trouble with her arms, I said, "You can't raise your arms."

She said, "That's right."

I said, "We'll pray and you'll raise it." And I prayed and she raised her arm.

She said, "But that's not why I'm here."

I said, "I know it, I don't need a revelation to know that your eyes are so bad, you need help."

She said, "That's right."

I laid hands on her, and I might as well have prayed for this glass case to be turned to a grand piano. It was hard, and it was awful pressed around my heart. And I thought well this is really a tough case. And I prayed again. And it got worse, and I prayed the third time. It got so abysmally black, I went to God and said, "God, what is going on here?

36. And this is what came out of the whole thing as God spoke in me and to her.

And is said, "Sister, you've been to a doctor."

And she said, "That's correct."

And he has said that, "You're going blind."

She said, "That's true, Bro. Vayle."

But, I said, "He went further, he said you will be blind if something doesn't happen to you."

She said, "That's correct."

And I said, "Sister, when you are prepared to believe God, that you will be well as thoroughly as you have believed the doctor you're going to be blind. you will be healed. Please come back next Sunday after praying."

She never came back. You know why?

"Because (she said) when I am blind that ends it."

My Bible says, "God opens blind eyes." But nobody wants to go that far. Everybody wants to pray, "Dear Lord, please keep me from it." God says you're going to go through it.

37. Oh, we like to read Romans 8:35-39, don't we? Oh, we love that, because you see we put our own interpretation on It. And that says:

[Rom. 8:35]

(35) (What) shall separate us from the love of (God?) shall tribulation, ...

Why, certainly not, because there won't be any... Ho, ho, ho, I've got it all figured out.

"Shall nakedness?"

Certainly not, because He gives me so many clothes.

"Shall distress?"

Oh, we'll never be distressed.

"Oh, shall life? "

Oh, well no, no!

"And death?"

Oh, come, come. Well, come on. Why do we do it?

"Bro. Vayle, Bro. Vayle, we'll you see my face gets the promises."

Hogwash! You mean the promise box. The promise box that cuts God's Word in ribbons. By some bird sold you a false theory on how God answers prayer. My brother, my sister, if God raises the dead somebody has got to die. If God moves mountains, somebody's got a mountain right on his chest. If God will take you right through the valley, somebody's got to go through the valley. And if we're going to get answers from God, we must know that God raises the dead. Which means, He has the right, because He gave us the measure of faith to put us into any extreme conditions He wants us, and we've got what it is to stand back by the peace of faith, and the rest of faith and say, "Hallelujah. This will have the way God wants it, and it'll come out the way God said it. Because I know I've got the sentence of death in myself, so why should I trust anybody but God, for He raises the dead."

38. Lord, if my business fails, let it fail. If my sons go haywire, there is one thing true, if I brought them up right, You'll bring them back. If my daughter messes up, there some path to glory yet. If my health fails, there's still healing, hallelujah! I lift up my head unto God. David said, "I can run through a troop and jump over a wall." [Psalms 18:29] We say, "Oh heaven forbid, I'll run through a troop and flop over the wall." True, isn't it?

Now, you flattering lips, what Bro. Vayle said. "Oh, Thou great Creator God, far be it from Thee do such a thing."

He said, "Is this far be it from me?"

He said, "I've got news for you, this is the kind of thing I do."

What are God's ways my brother, my sister? To lead us through tribulation. Because tribulation, worketh patience, and patience, character. And without character you can't rule and reign with Him. But, He said, "I want you to rule and reign." And God's way of bringing a man to glory is by suffering. And if God gave you faith to stop you from suffering, He'd defeat His Own promise.

39. That's why Bro. Branham said, "How can I take it off of you, if God put it on you?" Now, do you see, how carnal impersonators are raised up? Because they didn't give a rip about the Word of God. And frankly I'm afraid tonight, most of us don't give a hoot about it either. I said I'd prove you were in rebellion against God by not knowing really about Him and His ways, because we rebel. When the pressure came on this guy quit preaching. I'm not quit preaching now.

I did say one thing, "I'll never go to Tucson till God sends me. He sent me. I wouldn't have been here. "Well, don't you like Tucson?" Love the city as far as people and all things are concerned. I wouldn't come unless God told me to go, that's one thing I wouldn't. I`ll go around it. I'm going through it this time. Because I learned one thing brother/sister, you don't duck God. (See?) Don't...if you listen tonight, you believe the Scripture that says, "I am the Lord that healeth you." How many believe that promise? Really believe it? Then somebody's got to get sick. How are you going to get healed? They are holding no position. (See?)

40. Do we believe in a restoration coming, and a literal kingdom? Do we believe in reigning? Then you've got to suffer. Do you believe in answered prayer? Then you've got to believe in a God who raises the dead. And that means that the time that you put your faith in God, God has reserved to Himself, the right to test you to the extreme limit, and He's already warned you.

Now, brother/sister, if we can take one half of the promise, and we've got to take the other half of the promise. Because to take God's Word and divide it, is to take away your part and mine, out of the Book of Life. (See?) God raises the dead. Are we going through trying times? Just the way that God wants it. Our ...?... just a little bit naked, just the way God's wants it. Are we distressed? Just the way God's wants it.

41. Do you want to hear how Paul talks about it, (let me see if I can find It for you over here) and Paul said, We are troubled on every side, yet we're not distressed about it; we're perplexed, but, oh man we're not despaired." [2 Cor 4:8]

But, so many people got into despair because of the perplexity of this day, when we look so much to one man, we forgot his admonition, "Look to God." He [Paul] never ever said, 'Look unto me." One thing he didn't say. He said a lot of things but not that. One thing we do know, persecuted, but not forsaken. Oh Lord, I'm forsaken Lord, You must don't love me anymore, Lord, because I'm persecuted." Why fiddle-dee, It says right here, "Persecuted, but not forsaken: cast down, but not destroyed." [2 Cor 4:9] More for that as though we were killed. (Uh?)

42. Remember Job, he said, "My stroke is worse than my groaning." Our groaning is always worse than our stroke. (Uh?) We make more grumps and groans then a professional wrestler. And they're a fake and you know it. (Uh?) See, we need stirring up. Maybe we do need...we don't need a revelation on this brother/sister, we just need to take God's Word and see It, that's all. This needs no revelation.

I'll tell you how I know, because here is where my life has been a failure. (See?) Not knowing that I've got to deal with God, the way God is. (See?) Or God can't answer, because God can't change, but I can. And the minute that I get a thankful heart and begin to see that gift things in all things, because this is the will of God concerning you (see?) I'll get somewhere.

But let's stop ripping the promises of God in two. Because the promise of God to Abraham was, "I'm going to give you a son." But Abraham, forget it, you're going to die, and he did die seminally speaking. He couldn't even perform the act, his own wife admitted it. When you're that far gone, you better go to the orphanage. They'll turn you down, because you're still too old to raise somebody else's child. You know what I'm talking about. But Abraham believed God. He said, "Well, hallelujah, don't you know what I know about God? That's the kind of a God He is, He raises the dead, so we've got to die honey." Certainly. (See?)

43. What's the next thing that you've got to know about God and answer to prayer? "He calleth things which are not as though they were." [Romans 4:17b] Oh, that's a tough one, because see, that makes us liars.

"Abraham, what have you got to say about this?"

"Well, I'll put it this way, (said Abraham) you know my name was Abram, which is 'high father'." But he said, "Really, all I wasn`t…I had a son, which was really illegitimate, in the fact that I shouldn`t have had him that way." Although I suppose that multiple marriages are okay, although God only counted Sarah, his wife, and then Keturah later on. Multiple marriages seemed to come in a little later. That is as far as God denying, was concerned.

And he said, "I was high-father, but I didn’t have (you know) what was satisfying my heart as a son by Sarah."

"Well, what this business of you dealing with God?"

"Well, if the truth of the matter is, God did tell me that we`d have a son."

"Well, didn't I hear something about your name being changed?"

"Yes sir, you certainly did. You see, it's this way that God said, 'Your name is Abraham now, because you're going to be a father of multitudes'."

"Oh, (they said) now, well that's strange. And what exactly occurred?"

"Well, it was this way, when I dealt with Him, or He was dealing with me, He said, 'Don't you ever call yourself Abram anymore, because see, I have made you a father of multitudes' and I will multiply."

"Well, Abraham, what did you do? You surely didn't change your name, until you became the father of Isaac."

"Oh, but I did."

"Oh, why that's ridiculous, for you to call yourself what you're not, that's lying."

"So, then God's a liar." (Uh?)

It's got to be. So, you see we're smart and he's not.

"Oh, he's so wonderful, now far be it for me Lord, to say I'm healed." Anybody, ho, ho, ho, he can tell I'm not healed. (Sure.)

Oh, that's humanity, that's it. "Why we wouldn't dare act as though we had it." That would be a smile on our face. Wasn't it?

44. See why we're not getting answers? "God calleth things which are not as though they were." because God can't lie. He said, "By whose stripes you were healed." [1 Peter 2:24b] It doesn't say you're going to be healed. You already were healed two thousand years ago, and all you need is a revelation of it. Believe me brother/sister, when you and I get the revelation we have been healed, there's nothing will ever stop us from getting results, Because God said, "See, I have made you and I will multiply."

"Look Abraham it is good as done, you can rest on it, it's all over. See, I said so, just keep walking and you'll meet it."

And Abraham day by day getting bent over and over and over, until one day he suddenly stood straight up and his eyes were blue again, and his hair was black and curly, and his beard was dark and curly and he walked with strength of a young man, his wife was more beautiful than she'd ever been. They were young. Why? Because he counted the work done, instead of going around. Abraham perceived not his own body. That means didn’t look it over thoroughly, yet the deadness of Sarah's womb.

45. Why? Because faith is the conviction my brother/sister, of things not yet seen in your possession. This faith of God is the power, to look of very problem right in the face, and say, "Problem, you're defeated on the grounds of God's Word." That the answer was already there before the problem, and now I praise God that it will be manifested that I have you licked.

That's not a thing to do with the mind brother/sister, that's God's Word. You see, we don't understand, just like the first part that he calls it done. (See?) God doesn't say, "Now look, I'm going to do a new thing." No, it's already been done. Because what God has done cannot be added to, nor taken from, because God doeth it and it's forever.

But this is a difficult thing for the human mind. The human mind thinks, "Well, if I'm healed, then bless my heart I've got to be a liar, because you see you can tell." But that's not the point. The point is you call because God said so, "by His stripes we have been healed." [Isa 53:5b] And He said, "See, look it, see what's in Me, perceive, look, can't you understand I've done it? And I will make it manifest it was done. You were healed two thousand years ago. (See?) And this faith of God will bring it to pass. But get the thought tonight. See, God has done it. It's right, I have been healed, I have been healed two thousand years ago.

And bless God that now it has been done, I'll keep walking, and it will be manifested. Because the Scripture says, "Abraham became what God said he already was." We have already been healed, and it will be manifested on the grounds that we count God true and say, "Yes, it is done." This is not bluff brother/sister, this is a human spirit subjecting itself to God saying, "This is God's way."

46. Every time Israel rebelled, they were leaving Egypt under the blood. They had seen the mighty works of Almighty God, but the minute they came to the Red Sea, they rebelled. And they said, "Oh Lord, this is too much." And God was angry, even at Moses. "What are you crying for, stretch forth that rod." (See?) They never learned My ways.

What's the way of God in your faith tonight brother/sister? This measure of faith? This measure of faith that can move mountains. God will not allow to move ant hills. This measure of faith that raises the dead God will not allow to simple cure a little toe nail ache, or a headache. Although He does it, this faith of God demands what God said it would do. And therefore, there's got to be somebody die. That means the extreme condition must obtain, and mountains are literally a problem descend upon it, but we're able for it all.

So, what do we do? We just say, "Now Lord, don't let it happen. Lord don't let it come." We spend ninety percent of our time in praying. Not to fortify ourselves with this Word, and with the revelation, but ninety percent praying, "Oh God, don't let me get in a mess, because I'm going to get in it, and Oh God, get me out of it."

47. Lord, have Thy way. Which is what? Letting Him have His way. If He's... God that will not let His love depart through nakedness, that means, "Lord, you still love me?" Let nakedness come, we want to say, "Oh, far be it from You Lord." (See?)

Jesus said, "Can I not presently call for those angels?" [Mt 26:53] But, He didn't do it. (You see) I can rebel against God, brother/sister, and work out my own program. And it seems too many are doing it. But you see, when you're deal with God, you must know God's way of how He does it.

When how many times did the angel of God appear to Bro. Branham and warn him, "Have the people confess their sins." Billy, I think it's two at least as far as I know, because I heard tapes. Two times the commission came, "Have them confess their sins, they must do it." Did the people do it?

48. No, they had the boldness even in Southern Pines, two preachers living in the utmost of adultery and wickedness that came before him that very day on the platform. And he simply prayed, well nothing's happened. He warned others. I remember the day in Beaumont, he said, "Brother, (we won't mention his name, he said,) you know what you must do." To sister, "You know what you must do, and you'll get out of your wheel chair, you'll leave your crutches." The one died, because he wouldn't do it. (See?)

You just don't deal with God according to your needs as though, "Well, I've got a need." And that's true, God answers according to needs. But, we just don't say, "Lord, look I've got a problem, now You answer it my way." We look to see if the Word of God covers the problem, sees what God says about it, perform it in faith. That's it.

As he said on various occasions, "If we will confess our faults, call the elders, let them anoint, it's over." When are you going to get the answers? Who knows? But you've got it, you did what he said. (See?) God's way. You follow me? "They have never known My ways." The Scripture says in the Psalms, that Israel saw the acts of God. They saw what God could do, but they never learned His ways. You got the same thing right today in the carnal impersonators. They can demonstrate the might acts, but the ways of God they haven't known.

49. As they turned to Bro. Branham, and one man said, Bro. Branham, you're ruining your ministry, by preaching the Word."

He said, "Any ministry that can be ruined by the Word, had better be ruined."

They have not known My way. What are the ways of God in faith? He said it, about Himself, "I raise the dead." Then somebody's got to die. In other words, the extreme condition will come. But don't worry, don't worry, you can be cast down, but not destroyed. See, I`m cast down and destroyed. No, you're not destroyed, you just cast down. (See?) Right, certainly. But we want to say opposite. Don't say opposite, just believe it. (See?)

Now, what did he say? "I call things which aren't, as though they were." You know, when you get a revelation on that brother/sister, it's so real, I want to tell you it works. I know that you know what I'm talking about. Because there are times in our lives when we know that we know. And nobody could tell you different.

50. When God told me years ago concerning the loss, I didn’t have any money to finish paying the car off, go on the road. And I said, "Lord, I haven't got the money." And He said to me, He said, "Don't tell a soul, but I'm giving it to you."

You know, you could have taken a shotgun and blown my head off, I wouldn't have turned from that. I knew that I have the money. I didn't know who was giving, I didn't tell my wife. But I have the money. Didn't have one cent, but I had it. Who cares where it came from. I like the old lady, "Oh God, give me bread." Lord gave her a couple of kids heard her. "Oh, (they said) we'll just give her some bread." Went downtown and bought a loaf of bread.

And she said, "Thank you Lord for bread."

They knocked on the door and they said, "We'll have you know, we brought the bread."

"Well, (she said) I don't care who brought it, (even the devil) I know the Lord sent it."

51. I knew it, and within three days a man said, "Lee, what do you owe on your car?"

And I said, "Too much."

"Well, (he said) what do you owe?"

I said, "Maybe more than you and I got." That was kind of silly, because he had plenty. I was the one was broke.

He said, "Quit teasing me now, what do you owe."

I said, "Twelve hundred dollars."

He said, "It'll be in the mail."

And it was, just like that. (See?) And God wants us to know...listen... that should be my experience in every prayer. "Calling those things which are not." Why? If I go to Him with this faith, and I've laid it on the table, isn't that the same as me going to your store, and say, "Sir, here's the money give me the article."

And the minute that you lay the money down, you say, "the article's mine."

"Well, it hasn't even got into your hand."

"Well, so what, it's my article."

Haven't we got His faith? It's not that we don't pray in faith. It's when the testing comes, we say, "Oh, oh, oh." No don't "Oh, oh, oh," If this is the time now to go through the water. Right? You see now? (Uh?)

52. Well listen, this should help you from now on. I mean it, from now on, don't fuss and don't kick. I'm talking to you, and I'm talking to myself, now more than even you. Let's stop all fussing and all kicking. We've got to face this work. We've got the promise that never fails. We've got a God Who can't lie. And we've got a God who thank God can't change, but we can. And from now on, it's Lord, when I pray, it's done, hallelujah, forget it. Walk off. And the next time that you're going down the road it gets harder and worse, say, "Hallelujah."

I was expecting you...I was expecting you water, just go ahead and rise, you're not overflow. Get up to my nose, it's got to put up a straw in my mouth God, I'll breath above the water. It's okay.

53. Do you know, listen, do you realize I'm not lying to you. Abraham took his son, and God said, "Abraham, take this son for a sacrifice." And he set him upon an altar, and he wasn't just going to jab a knife into his heart, and shed the blood. He had fire at that altar, he was going to reduce the body to a handful of ashes and bones, and say, "God, raise him!" Because one day I testify in the Name of Jesus Christ according to the Word. This is ''Thus Saith the Lord', we're going to raise in the Resurrection, brother/sister, from a handful of ashes and bones. Should Christ tarry.

What is going to bring us out of the graves? The faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, we're living by. Right? Well I see, we ought to rejoice a little bit. Because folk, I've got news, it's going to get rough. You know the Songs of Solomon? I told you, this is one of my nicest stories to keep you, because I feel good.

You know the Song of Solomon? "She heard His voice, and she said, "He's beautiful, He`s lovely."

"Well, you haven't even seen him."

"I know, but I heard His voice. Oh, He's got to be out there."

She went out in the darkness through that door and the dogs chased her and people tried to molest her and they took her clothes to shreds, she said, "I heard His voice." And she suffered through the dark night until He appeared before her. And oh, she said, "He's more beautiful than I thought He'd be."

He looked down and He said, "Isn't she beautiful." She still loved Him.

54. We're going to come into that brother/sister, because we've heard His Voice. "He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit said to the prophets." [Rev 2:29] Now, are we going to keep going? You're going to have it rough brother/sister. Yeah, I'm not lying. Sure.

What are we going to do? Are we going to understand God ways tonight? He raises the dead, somebody's got to die. That's not a quaint, it's not a little quaint saying, "Isn't it cute, the Bible is so crazy, He says in there He raises the dead. Oh of course, that's...isn't that beautiful?"

Have you ever been through it? Has your heart been torn to shreds? (Uh?) If it happens, you're going to come brother/sister. You'll never sing the song of the redeemed until your heart's been cut to ribbons. You'll never know, 'Amazing Grace' that every ounce of your body has cried out. Not far be it, that's what He said. But it doesn't separate, it'll leads us on. Follow me now? (Uh?) You see why the prayers have gone unanswered?

55. Because we said, "God, I'm going to change Your mind about this thing. I'm going to see You don't let this happen."

God says, "Hold it, I'm sovereign."

You know what Nebuchadnezzar went through? Nebuchadnezzar defied God. He was turned into an animal literally, (you know) like an animal for years. When he snapped out of it, he said, "There's one thing I've learned that He's sovereign. He does in the armies of heaven and earth, what He wants to do. He raises up whom He wants, He pulls down whom He wants, and God does what He wants, and I'm going to let Him do it."

And as the world says, "If you can't lick them, join them." And that's exactly with God, because He doesn't say, "I'm on your side, (He said) who's on my side?" (Uh?) It's true.

56. All right, let's ask Him, from now on when we pray, it'll get darker, it's alright. But He's working out character in order that we might reign with Him, or be worthy of a ministry He may give us. Look on the field today amongst the men that you know, who, had the character to stand in a Holy Ghost power ministry, except one man that we knew and loved.

I hate to say this, because I'm not here preaching William Branham, because not my savior. But, I'm going to tell you one thing, old Lee Vayle is smart enough to know that when he sees fourteen carat gold he's not going to be taken in by two-bit brass. I've never seen a three-dollar bill yet, that wasn't phony. They could both come out as off the same press, as it were. (See?) And listen brother/sister, if you think I'm kidding, get this, and get it straight from the Word of God, when those people withstood the prophet Moses, remember, and they burned incense, remember, God did not destroy the incense burner, He destroyed the men. The gifts are real, (you follow me?) but the men lack the character.

57. Tonight, if God gave you a gift of healing could you stand it? I use to pray, I thank God I prayed wrong, or He didn't answer that prayer. Because as I look back in my heart, years ago I said, "Oh God, what a tragic mess it would have been if You had given me a gift of healing. I'd have been the most miserable, overbearing, presumptuous, obnoxious and you name it, and I would have been it. Amen. I need suffering, I need character. I need God's way. Well, I could preach all night, but I've got to let you go home, the tapes run out, you're here. It's a good thing it was only eighteen hundred, instead of twenty-four.

But, I hope will all my heart though kind of factiously said that factiously, I hope that some-thing has happened in your heart tonight. With all my heart, I hope that we have somehow by the Spirit of God gotten through to all of us, because this is the Word of God. We must know that God can't deal with us according to our ways, we can only have dealings according to His, because God said it. Then if He said it let's have it. You've all suffered, now perhaps you know the reason why. You've had all unanswered prayer, perhaps now you've got a little bit of help. (See?) Now, you can go ahead with fresh hope and say, "Well, I do have that faith, and now I see, now we're going to go ahead. Amen. Let's rise.

Dear Jesus, how we bless Thy holy Name, for Thou art good, and Thou doest good which is something that we must learn too. O Lord, we would not be presumptuous, we wouldn't dare to tell you a thing. Lord, we would only listen to You, and receive from You the benefit of revelation, the fullness... [tape ends]