The Power of the Cross

The Power of the Cross

Bro. Lee Vayle - October ?? 1966

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a. ... So therefore, the Holy Spirit and the Father are one. Scripture teaches that there is one God and He is Spirit. That same Spirit came and indwelt man. Where people get puzzled, they don't realize that when God indwelt Jesus, or the Christ indwelt this body, they don't realize that heaven was not empty. They believe because in the fullness of the Godhead dwelt bodily in Christ. They don't realize that all that God was in His relationship to man in the Jehovah titles was poured into Christ. But you won't find any place where Christ literally created, or He acted on His own volition. Showing that there was as it were a portion, it was held in abeyance. Difficult to understand, but it still true, He said, "I came from God, and I go back to God."

When John looked in the revelation of Christ there was One seated upon the Throne. Most people don't realize that much of the Bible, in fact, all of the Bible is written the way It would have to do it so man could understand It. It's written in our terminology in many ways. But You're seated at the right hand of the majesty on high. "Sit Thou at My right hand." How could He say to Himself, "Sit Thou at My right hand?"

b. All He has to do is understand the language of the day. That every man of great honor who had proved himself was put on the right hand of the host. Christ proved Himself, so therefore could be said of Him, and it was said of Him, "Sit Thou at My right hand." [Mt 22:44a] Wasn't that there was a right hand to sit upon, but He had proved Himself as He did, because He met every temptation, died upon the Cross and rose again.

It just takes a little time to get into Scripture to understand how God presents truth. But, there is one God and He was manifested in flesh. He was made in the likeness of sinful flesh, He didn't take upon Himself sinful flesh, He was just made in that likeness. (See?) He was made of course in that likeness, because He had to be the sacrifice. And you don't get blood out of a spirit. Now, we know that Spirit life was is the Blood, the life Christ did leave Him, and then of course came back upon us. That's how we're baptized with the Holy Ghost.

c. But, there's not too many great mysteries at least in the sense that we have to puzzle as to what the truth is. We have the last day revelation and remember, everything in the last day must be made clear. Not that we're going to know it in every utmost detail. That is not our privilege, it's not our prerogative, we'll only know as we're known when we become like Him in the Resurrection. And then even then I doubt if we're going to know everything.

I don't know any place where the Scripture says, "We become deity." I don't know that, I believe we came from God. I believe that we were in the mind of God. The thoughts of God, we become the Word for our day, because a word is a thought expressed, then we are to express God in this day. But I don't think it goes beyond that.

d. So, if there's a little degree of mystery left, there's nothing too much to worry about. Because the Bible mentions that there is a mystery, and where we get in this day, the fullest explanation which is possible. And that explanation we know we have, because the man who brought it was vindicated. And he was vindicated according to Scripture. Now, many men try to make themselves vindicated apart from Scripture. They say, "Well, it's got to be right, because we believe it." Well, that isn't any criterion. I submit to you the devil knows more about God except a prophet. So, that puts all the theologians to shame. So, why should we respect what they have to say? You know that people stood face to face with Jesus Christ and called Him the devil.

Now, if we've got this little manifestation of God in this day, which is true we have, because it's so pitiful, that He's outside the church knocking to get back in again. And these fellows that won't let Him in again, try to explain them, well you forget it honey, because you're in trouble. "Blind leaders of the blind, they both fall in the ditch." [Matthew 15:14b] We need revelation. I can't even figure latter-rain, they say they're full of the Holy Ghost. And I've been in their conventions, been around them for years. They're all the time prophesying laying on of hands, and God knows what. And everybody is different from the other fellow. How are you going to get forty people with forty different ideas?

e. They talk about bringing union in the last days, revealing the fullness of Christ now. Come on now. They've got a mind alright, but it's not the mind of Christ. I think they ought to humble themselves. That sounds to me like an undue attitude. Where is their vindication? We had vindication, praise the Lord. And the vindication will prove itself, because this is the end of the time.

Now, we know we're in the last days, and either the Word of God is true and It will all come to pass, or we've been sold a bill of goods somewhere. And not just we, but all ages, because Israel is back in the homeland. The times of the Gentiles is all but over, and that's your great criteria.

f. So, we're in the last day. And remember, the last day revelation was that this One is revealing Himself as the I Am, the faithful and true witness. The Alpha and Omega, that He is all of It, there isn't anything beside Him. He's the only wise God, the great Potentate. So, if you haven't been baptized in His Name, you're supposed to be.

The Scripture says, he baptized in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. What is the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost? Is Lord Jesus Christ. Because Father and Son and Holy Ghost are not names, but we know that Lord Jesus Christ is. He said, "I came in My Father's Name, and you received Me not."

g. What was His Name? His Name shall be called "Jesus." His Name is Emmanuel, God with us. God was with Him, and that is who It is. If you read the [Codex] Sinaiticus which is the oldest manuscript known in history, you will find that the apostles said that no one could...rather he said that everyone should be baptized correctly, which was: In the Name of Father, Son and Holy Ghost. And right away there is someone who'd say, "Now that's the right way." Just read a little further. And you'll find in there It says, "You cannot even take communion, or the Lords' supper. You can't take part in that, in that part of worship unless you've been baptized in the Name of the Lord.

So, they knew what the Name of the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost was. It was Lord Jesus Christ. The ancient manuscript threw It out. Now, we don't know how old that manuscript is, but it is said to be anywhere from 80AD to about 200.

h. Now, of course we're going to find this, but our learned scholars will keep putting it back. The next thing you'll here, it wasn't from 80AD, you'll find it was written about the Fourth Century… oh, you’re bound to. (See?) In other words, they'll put it right out of picture. Somehow, they try get rid of all the truth, where we have the evidence of a water baptism in 180AD, because it carried by Time Magazine. And it's in the blue book on the Church Ages where there was a literal baptism in water, and It was in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And you know that's important, and many people think it's not important, but it is important. God demands what He wants done be done in His way. (See?) The Scripture is full of it.

What has God said? And what God has said is perfect. Now, I realize that we've been talking about revelation and none of us here tonight claim to have full revelation. But at least we're going in the right direction. We know the truth, we're open to the truth. We're glad to receive the truth. But now we want the truth made real. We want it to be so dynamic that everything else is eclipsed by it. Just like a person gets so hungry all he can think of is food. And it's not enough to go to bed at night and dream you're eating, because next morning you wake up hungry as ever.

i. Like a man cold, it's not good enough to go to bed and dream you put your hands over fire, and you find yourself shivering with the cold. We're not that kind. We're not going to be left unsatisfied, because there's got to come a restoration. God said, "I will restore." And He's going to restore. It took the prophets to build it, it takes the prophets to ascertain the present day. But we praise the Lord we're going in the right direction, we have a Message which has been brought to us, teaching us the rudiments, the true rudiments and that's what we need. The true rudiments of the Word of God, God's Spirit will make It real, and whatever we need to know thereafter and there upon the Spirit of God will teach us, because He was sent to do that.

Now, if you just get your minds off the Spirit of God trying to make you a whirlwind for God, and trying to give you a big gift ministry, and trying to get you prophesying over, and be prophesied over and fifteen hundred things. And get in an established tremendous divine revelation by His Spirit we'll be on the right ground.

j. Now, that's the thing we need to do, because then in the days to come as the Spirit of God will surely manifest amongst His children. It's got to come, because It came at Pentecost, that manifestation will be right in line. Remember, manifestation can be out of line. Now, you don't put it away and destroy it, and say, "Well, no more manifestation. You put it in its proper order. (You see?)

But, how can you put a thing in order apart from proper teaching? (You see?) So therefore, the teaching is superior to the manifestation. You follow me? That's why the Bible teaches thus in revelation it actually its greatest evidence of the Holy Spirit. And that revelation is whereby the Word of God becomes so real, that's the realest thing in a person's life. And what is most real to that man who cannot help but follow to it.

k. Now, tonight we're going to talk about "The Power of the Cross'. This is a revelation of the power that lies in the Cross as is expressed in the lives of God's Own chosen people. It's a message I believe that will be a great importance to us, especially after last night when we attempted to show you man's union with God. Because when God joins Himself to man, it produced the Cross. And I cannot conceive that man still joined to God will not produce a Cross. A majority of people don't want that. In this day of positive thinking and this Laodicean Age, where men have every-thing and lack nothing. There is something wrong.

Particularly when Christ said, "to come and buy me gold tried in the fire." [Rev 3:18a] And gold tried in the fire is the trial of our faith by suffering. It seems that this Laodicean Age has put away suffering entirely. Even our President has determined that God was wrong. God said that you have the poor with you always. But, Mr. Johnson is convinced we can't tolerate that, we're going to have the great society. So, you can see where politics are going. They're going to the lake of fire, to the world system, which is life.

l. Men will attempt to bring in a Millennium. They'll do it, they'll try to do it. But it will not be in enthroning God, it will be enthroning the devil. The whole thing will go to pieces even as the Scripture said. Man cannot put away the Cross. In this day when people have forgotten about the Cross, it's important to know about the Cross. It's important to know what the Bible says about the Cross. It's important to know what the Bible says in relation to what It will produce, that our understanding may be thoroughly open.

So, we will study this tonight. And I will not at this moment read a verse of Scripture, because I read many, many verses of Scripture relative to our subject. But, before we do, let us pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the privilege of allowing us to gather together in Thy Name, in this place to look to Thee, O God, we don't know how long it's going to last. That there will come a time when this little building will not be available to the people. Or whatever little building they may call a church, even though they might pay for it, and say 'this is ours in this land of freedom'. Because even as that Roman church many, many years ago for bad people just took all their conventicler, a place of worship, or a church.

Even so, we know that's going to be forbidden again. And men without organization who do not subscribe to what a hierarchy says. As though it were truly 'Thus Saith the Lord', even though it comes out of their own hearts, they are going to be forbidden, even to give comfort to those nearby who need comfort. And if the try, they will feel their comforting with their own lives, their blood flowing out, because men of power will have that authority to destroy.

And we know, Lord God, that they are going to be calling upon Your Name while they are doing it. And they are going to think that they doing You a service. So, Lord, help us to be prepared against that day. Help us to be ready, Lord, when the great persecution begins. When the old enemy will come down amongst the people and hungering and thirsting to destroy them. Do all that he can do to accomplish that end.

Now, Lord, tonight we know it's coming, but we want to be fortified with might by Your Spirit in the inner man. We want to realize Your Presence with us. "That, greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world." And to Christ Who strengthens us inwardly we can do all things. Yea, we are more than propitious, because He is that great One within us. Not that we're carrying Him, but that He is carrying us. He is our life, and our all in All.

So, our Father, we give ourselves over to You undeservingly feeling Your sweet Presence tonight, and knowing that You will instruct us out of Your Word. And, Lord, even more so, Your instruction shall be that of greater than any teacher. Because, Lord, we have that many teachers and they have taught us what is right. But there had to be something in us whether we can go right or not. But, Lord, You are the kind that in Your teaching by giving a revelation will be there in that capacity because of revelation, by Thy Own Spirit teaching we will go right. We will, Lord, tonight enter into it a deeper depth and a higher way of living, all pleasing unto God. So, that surely the people will know that we are the Word for this day. That we are living epistles read and known of all men. And glorify God, that is being manifested in and through us by the Spirit.

So, Father we thank You for this truth, because It is Your Word. We have not said, Lord, what is not Your Word, but having brought back Your Word to us in You, we believe we have the petition we desire of You, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

1. Now, this subject tonight is a very enlightening one, because we have not previously, we may say, thoroughly understood the aspects of the power which lies in the Cross. Now, the reasons are fourfold that we have not understood the power which lies in the Cross.

First one: The first reason is that we have considered the Cross to be a negative instrument. We have said, "Well, the crucifixion is over, the Blood has been shed, It has been sprinkled upon the Mercy Seat. And now therefore, the Cross is passive. For Its work having been done, the aspects are now quiescent [inactive] and do not particularly obtain as concerning a dynamic life.

2. Secondly: And this is perhaps the greatest reason we have not realized the power of the Cross, is that we have thought and expressed the Resurrection in such terms of power that we have not even begun to think that the Cross has any dynamism for today. But it's the Resurrection that holds forth the dynamism which we so greatly need at this time.

3. And Thirdly: the third reason is that we have not distinguished between the power of the Resurrection, and the power of the Cross. Now, there is a distinction and the difference between the power that lies in the Cross, and the power that lies in the Resurrection. And if you'll turn with me to the Book of Colossians 1:20-23 we will see something here of importance.

(20) And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; I say, by him whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

(21) And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

(22) In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

(23) If (you) continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which (you) have heard, (and so on.)

4. Now, you will notice here that Paul distinctly set for us, that the Cross had a tremendous depth of power within It, for It was able through his death, (that was in the flesh) to present us holy and unblameable and unreprovable in the sight of God.

4. Now, with that we turn to Colossians 2:13-15 and here is what It says:

(13) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

(14) Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and (he) took it out of the way, nailing it to (the) cross;

(15) And (to this same cross a) spoiled principalities and powers, (and) he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Now, you will notice in here that Jesus spoiled principalities and powers not in the Resurrection. But the principalities and powers and the great triumph over the forces of darkness did not lie in the Resurrection. The power of triumphing over evil and over the forces of darkness, and in principalities was accomplished by means of the Cross which of course was His death.

5. Now also, in 1 Corinthians 1:18

(18) For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

Now, you'll notice here that Paul says, "The preaching of the Cross is the power of God." Now, let me ask you this question: does the preaching of anything of necessity guarantee power? No sir! You can preach the death of anybody you want and it guarantees no power. All it will do is signify, "that it is appointed unto men once to die, (and as the Scripture says) after that the judgment." [Heb 9:27]

But It says here, "that the preaching of the Cross," is a power. The preaching is not what gives the power. Because if the Cross didn't have any power you can preach all you wanted and nothing would come of it. So, if the preaching of the Cross is power, then the Cross itself is power. Because as somebody once said, "Saying, doesn't make it so." It's got to be so, then you can talk all you want because it is so.

6. So therefore, the Cross itself the instrument must be full of power, otherwise the preaching would be vain. Just exactly what Paul said. "If we preach that raised Jesus from the dead, but He be not raised from the dead, then the preaching is absolutely vain." [1 Cor 15:14]

So therefore, if there be a message of the Cross and the preaching that message is one of power, then the Cross has to have power. You follow me? That's true, the Cross definitely is an instrument of power, and therefore if it's an instrument of power, then it is not passive, it is not quiescent, it is not something which you look in the past and say, "There is it, it's over, let's march on now." You just don't forget it. You do not put it out of the way. Now, this is the power of the Cross sent forth in what it accomplished.

7. Now, let's look at the power of the Resurrection in the Book of Romans 1:3-4 we find these gracious words written.

(3) Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

(4) And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

8. Now, over in Ephesians (and there are many more Scripture, and we're not going to take them, I merely bring these to your attention.) In Ephesians 1:15-20

(15) Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

(16) Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

(17) That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

(18) The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; (that's what it means to have a revelation from God about by His Spirit) that (you) may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

(19) And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, (that's God mighty power, the power of the Spirit.)

(20) Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised... (that dead body from the grave.)

Now, it wasn't only the raising of the dead body, it was the Spirit of God descending into hell, or hades, where the soul of Christ was. "Thou will not leave my soul in hell." [Psalms 16-10a] But the Spirit of God raised the soul from hades, and the body from the grave. Giving Him a glorified body, (which we shall also have) and bringing Him forth as a true first-fruit of the Resurrection. Now, the Scripture says here that this same power that raise Him from the dead is to us-ward who believe.

9. Now, you will notice here if you have...listen carefully, that there is a difference between the power of the Cross, and the power of the Resurrection. Because it is on the Cross that the power of the Son is manifested. There isn't one thing said about God manifesting on the Cross. Now, we're talking in terms of course in relation to God disembodied. Because God manifest in flesh is the sacrificial Lamb upon the Cross. You see, Christ differentiated.

Nicodemus came and said, "We know that You are a teacher sent from God." [Jn 3:2]

He said, "Nicodemus, except a man be born again." [Jn 3:3] That’s the sacrificial Lamb, denying at that moment that He was the Holy Ghost, He was teacher.

Why? Because He was emphasizing now, the son-ship, the Son of man, (you see) not the Son of God quality. This was the sacrifice now upon Calvary, the Son. Unto us, a Son is given, God manifest in flesh. This time He is acting upon the Cross.

So, therefore to help us to understand we designated the way God designates concerning Himself, that this is the Son acting. Because It's the Son acting upon the Cross, that the despoiled principalities, and unhinges as it were, the gates of hell, and laid Satan down in darkness, spoiling him and robbing him of his power. That's true, because that's what the Bible teaches us. But, you will notice that in the Power of the Resurrection, it is the Father acting, because it's the Father raising Him from the dead. You follow me? That's exactly what the Bible teaches.

10. Now, the 'Fourth' reason is: that we have negated the power of the Cross, and we have not known that how to make the Cross real in our lives, is because the power of the Cross precedes the power of the Resurrection. And that's where I showed you Laodicean people of the last age are all wrong. You sold out for a mess of pottage. So that anybody with a healing ministry, anybody with a healing ministry, or any manifestation is all hunky-dory with you. And you'll follow any crowd that bypassed the power of the Cross. Just what Judas did. (See?) Judas with a shortcut. He wanted no part of it, although in remorse he did commit suicide.

Peter had the same idea. He said, "Far be it from You Lord to suffer."

He said, "Get thee behind me Satan." [Mk 8:33b]

The Son must act first upon the Cross. We are now talking in terms of the manifestation of God in human life. This One must first act upon the Cross in a power, so defective, that men have been completely sold through the ages. And it said, "Well, that spirit in atonement." The Cross doesn't have the effect that we're looking for. We're looking for power, we want Pentecost. But you don't get Pentecost without a Cross. And unless the Son first acts on the Cross, there can be no true manifestation of the body. There are no shortcuts.

11. Now, with this in mind, if we can study tonight by the help of God, and the inspiration, or the revelatory power of the Holy Ghost, we ought to be able to empower our lives with the same power of the Cross, and then, those lives empowered through the Holy Spirit can manifest God of whom we speak so well. I mean, not well in the sense as though we're well able, but we speak so much.

Now, to do this we must recognize the factor of the Cross in our lives just as much as we recognize the factor of the Holy Ghost. In Matthew 10:38, It distinctly says, in this Word, cannot be changed. Now remember, no Word of God be void of power. You can't take this out of your Bible, It says,

(38) ... he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

And Matthew 16:24 said,

(24) ...If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

This cannot be a matter of encumbrance. [burden] Oh ho, I know we think it is. We think the Cross encumbers us. The Bible says, "…lay aside every weight, that would (encumbereth)." [Heb 12:1] How can God tell us to take up a cross, if it presages encumbrance, rather than ability to help us walk with God? (See?) Certainly. As the song writer said:

Must Jesus bear the Cross alone,

And all the world go free?

No, there's a Cross for everyone,

And there's a Cross for me.

12. As I quoted you just a little portion here, in the Book of Hebrews 12:

(1) Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, (everyone of whom took up his cross) let us lay aside every weight, ...

Every weight, every imagination we had concerning the Cross of Christ and our own cross, lay it aside. But don't lay the Cross aside:

(1) ...and the sin which doth so easily beset us, (that's unbelief) and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

(2) Looking unto Jesus the author and (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, (He endured the Cross) despising the shame, ...

And what did He get out of it? He became established. For that's what it means to be set down. Why are Christians today not established? They negated the Cross. They repudiated the Cross. They haven't wanted It. They’ve made every attempt they can to get by It. Certainly. That's why we are not an established people. Christ Himself became established. The permanency of God was in Him on the grounds of the Cross. Isn’t that what the Bible says? Oh, come on, read It. I didn't write the Book. This is written by the Holy Ghost. We talk about having the Holy Ghost, let's see what the Holy Ghost would teach us. Let's see what He would reveal to us. He does not withhold the revelation of the Cross. The centrality of the Cross is more to His setting forth, or His teaching.

13. It says [Hebrews 1:2]

(2) ...the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, ... (connected with It, and because of that, He was established and in) the throne...

What does it mean to be in the throne? It means to be ruler. Not tossed about, not controlled, but controlling. Now, that's the thing we've been talking about for years. That's the thing we've been told about for years. "Get the Holy Ghost and you'll be in the driver's seat." How much driver's seat, are you in tonight my Holy Ghost brother and sister?

I'll be honest with you now, how much control do you really have? How much real power have you got? Where is the peace in the valley we talk about, and hear about? Where is this calm? "Yea, though I walk through the valley of shadow of death. I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me." [Ps 23:4a]

Where is the apostolic optimism that we read in the Bible and we yearn for and hunger for? Instead of being established and have a doctrine of establishment, we are the greatest dis… (what do you call it), ‘disestablishmentarians’ in the world it seems. This age is not to be congratulated because of its stability. America alone, the majority of people are going to bed taking sleeping tablets. And in the morning, they wake up taking pep pills. That doesn't sound like this Scripture that I'm talking about. That doesn't sound like authority and power, that sound like anything else but it.

14. Now, to begin, or to understand in measure the true, the truly great power that lies in the Cross which every Christian must face, I think we should study the Word of God concerning that Cross. In the Book of Colossians which to me is the Book of the Cross. Now, let's leave out the salutation and start in [Colossians 1:] 9-14

(9) For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that (you) might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

Notice it, God doesn't want you tonight to simply know what His will is, He wants you to understand why It's His will. (See?) That's where tradition is so wrong and organized religion. They just sit in there and say, "You obey the church, you this, you that; don't ask questions, don't have to understand it." But, God wants us to understand, the spiritual understanding. Notice he say, "Spiritual understanding." It's a revelation.

(10) That (you) might walk ...(notice,) worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, (that's what we've been talking about. See? and) being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the know- ledge of God; (See?)

There's growing up into the full stature, that measure of that full stature.

(11) Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

(12) Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

(13) Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

(14) In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

15. Now, will you notice this? It said here, that we are: "strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness." [Colossians 1:11] Now, this in not Pentecost, this is the Cross. You talk about Pentecost, you talk right away about the fact... alright...here's dynamism, "Such as we have, we give unto you." [Acts 3:6a] This is demonstration, all filled with the Holy Ghost, began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them language, utterance.

This is dynamism, a man going down there into Samaria, a man caught away by the Spirit down there in Gaza. But in this verse, he is talking about the strengthening which is by patience, under patience and longsuffering. It's the Cross he's talking about here. He's talking about people suffering. He's talking about persecution, trials and tribulation, because that is the Cross. The Cross talks about suffering. And It says here: "And remember, this is unto patience." And you can't have patience apart from persecution. You cannot have patience apart from tribulation. "Because tribulation worketh patience." [Rom 5:3b] But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entirely lacking nothing. This is not the demonstration of Pentecost, this is the demonstration of the Cross.

16. Now, Paul is speaking here and says, "That you might walk worthy of all pleasing, fruitful in every good work." [Col 1:10a] And getting to know God as you've never known Him. "

"Strengthened with His might." [Col 1:11a] On what grounds? Upon the grounds of the power of the Cross working out in men's lives. There cannot possibly be a full revelation of Jesus Christ. There cannot be a knowledge of patience. It will not come apart from longsuffering. You put down the Cross in any man's life, and his understanding of God in the ways of God is so childish, it's pitiful.

Israel could never take the chastening power of the Lord. They could never understand the way God dealt, all they want was loaves, and fishes, and miracles. We've got the same thing right today. Their lives were powerless. They couldn't manifest God, because they never learned it.

17. Now listen, It says, "Giving thanks unto the Father, which has made us meet, to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son: In whom we have redemption through His Blood, even the forgiveness of sins." [Col 1:12-14]

Listen, let me show you what comes by the Cross. It said here that God delivers us from the power of darkness, and translates us into the Kingdom His dear son through the redemption by the Blood, which is the Cross. Why is it that so many people are in darkness today? They're in dark-ness, the thing I talked about, this nervous condition, this frustration that's in life, because they turned aside the Cross. It was only the Cross of Jesus Christ that delivers us, (as the Scripture says here) from the power of darkness, and puts us into reigning with His Son. But the Bible says, "If you don't suffer with Him, you can't reign with Him." And our minds are continually darkened, because, we've been sold a bill of goods above what the Holy Ghost will do. Come on to Pentecost, never mind Calvary it's a dead thing, it doesn't matter anymore.

18. Let me assure you this, that before God, (as it were) the Father begins to work. First of all, the work of the Son must be accomplished by the Cross and that's death. You begin to see what the Token is all about now? Play the Token over. Play it over, you'll begin to see what it is all about.

Sometimes you think Bro. Branham preaches in riddles. He didn't preach in riddles, I'm not preaching in riddles. The fact It says right here was by the redemption through the Blood, which is Calvary's Cross, that He was able to deliver us from the power of darkness, and translate us into the reign, and that's exactly how we do today. There can be no reigning and ruling with Christ according to Romans 8: except we suffer with Him. And men and woman will never come out of darkness into light, until they suffer with Him. They take the abuse, the slap on the face, the taking away of merchandizing and goods, the loss of our family's children and God knows what, you'll never come to light?

19. Why? Because as long as you fight the buffeting, and the Cross of Christ, you'll never come into light. You'll be frustrated as long as you live. But the moment that you pick up the Cross of Jesus Christ and begin to suffer, you'll come out of your darkness, and you'll walk right into the Light of Almighty God. Men and women there, cannot be the Light of God by the Holy Ghost, until we take up the Cross. Because the Cross is the only way that you step from darkness to light. This is the darkness age that the world has ever seen. And it's the one age that people won't suffer, don't want to suffer, and all we can talk about is people's rights.

What about God's rights? God's right says that, we suffer with Him, we'll reign with Him. And It says, "By much persecution we'll enter into the kingdom of God." [2 Tim 3:12] And Peter speaking said, "That after you suffer awhile, the God of heaven establish and make you perfect." [1 Pet 5:10b] But, I submit tonight and I know the truth, that we are in darkness, because we're rebelling against the Cross of Christ. We are rebelling against that's in our lives. And that rebellion keeps us in darkness, because rebellion is a sin of witchcraft, and we're all caught up in them. Because we've been sold a bill of goods without Pentecost. "Hallelujah, come and get the fire, come on, bless God, speak in tongues. All you need is gift of healing. Hallelujah."

20. Oh no, my brother my sister, the Father does not act, that's Pentecostal. First of all, the Son acted upon the Cross. And if the acting upon the Cross, that He took authority over powers of darkness and sin and defeat. See, you don't fight. That's the thing that's wrong. We're all fighters, all a bunch of bantam rooster fighters. Don't want the Cross, and we're denying ourselves the very fact of God intervening and fighting for us, and performing His miraculous deeds, because we turned down the power of the Cross. See, the power of the Cross is real. It's not a dead instrument.

Notice what It says, It is said that there is a translation, a literal picking up, and taking out of. When men and women begin to submit to the mighty hand of God, the Bible says, "Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God." [1 Pet 5:6a] The Bible says, "That Jesus Christ humbled Himself on the hand of God, (Isn't that, right?) even to the death of the Cross." [Phil 8:8]

21. Brother/sister, can't you see what I'm talking to you tonight? The important thing tonight is not to say, "Oh, I'm going to sneak in and get the Holy Ghost." Although that's true. Now you say, "If I haven't got the Holy Ghost, you haven't got God period." I know that, but I'm talking now to you as a Christian, who are full of the Holy Ghost. It's not going on and say, "I've got to get fuller now, it's got to have this, it's got to have that manifestation." But it's submission to God, and submission is Cross. But the Cross doesn't destroy you. The only and very thing that will lift us up and translate us from our futility to the power of God is the Cross, and we don't want to get upon It and die. Because we think, "Well, if I do, then I'm made impotent.

If I do that then, I'm hamstrung. If I do that, then what is there? If that was the attitude that Jesus Christ took, were would it have gotten Him? He said, "Don't you know even now I can call twelve legions of angels?" [Mt 26:53] And that's the one thing that you and I are trying to do too much. We're trying to call twelve legions of angels, when it's not time for twelve legions of angels. He didn't need the twelve legions of angels.

22. Why? Because God glorified Him by raising Him from the dead. The Son acted where? Upon the Cross! When you and I get upon that Cross and allow ourselves to be pinioned there you watch what God will do for us, and not before. Let me assure you brother/sister the only enlightened men the whole Word of God, and in all the church history, you read it. The only enlightened dynamic men of every generation in the whole scope of God, are those who hung upon the Cross with Christ and died. Even as Paul said, "I die daily, I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless, I live." [Gal 2:20a] Because he knew there's where real life was, when He was pinioned upon the Cross. There's where the power was.

Notice, It says, "From dark to light." You know what our problem with sin is? We're too busy fighting. Do you know why we're busy fighting? Because of what people do to us. Right? Now, you and I don't sin of our own accord, it’s what people do to us. I know that's a fact. If you're a true born again Christian, the Bible distinctly says, "He that is born of God does not (initiate) sin." [1 Jn 3:9a] He doesn't start things.

23. If you've got somebody in your church always starting things, just pat him on the back, be sweet, no, he's going plumb to hell and that's where he is going to be. Because he hasn't got a thing from God. Because a trouble maker never was born again. Don't tell me he was, brother/sister, because, I know my Bible, I don' t know what you know about yours, but I know mine. Trouble makers don't have it. A true Christian doesn't start things, he doesn't initiate it, the other fellow does.

Now, are we going to get upon the Cross and die? Because the Bible says, "He submitted Himself to death, even the death of the Cross. Wherefore God hath highly exalted Him, above every name that's named". [Phil 2:8-9] (See?)

The only way to overcome sin is by death, let him do it to you. Don't retaliate. "I want to reign over sin, I want to reign like Him." And there's only one way that you can reign like Him and that's let Him crucify you. The world wants to take your coat, give him your coat. Want to take your eyes out, let them put your eyes out. Wants to bust up your home, let him bust it up. Take your business, let him take it.

24. You say, "Bro. Vayle, that's sure easy to talk." You bet it's easy to talk. But until we're ready to put where our life where our mouth is, and see this thing and do it right. Don't talk about the power of Pentecost, where God reaches down and does mighty things. Because that's nothing but a ... but, as far as I'm concerned, a Judas and a Balaam. Because Balaam and Judas didn't want to go by way of the Cross, not those boys. Because Christ has said, "Take up your cross and follow Me." [Lk 9:23b] He said, "Nothing doing, I'll get thirty pieces of silver."

Now, Balaam said, "Now Lord, you wouldn't do me out of all that money and prestige, would You?"

"Balaam, take up your cross. Balaam put down the things of this world you love."

He said, "Nothing doing, and I won’t do it." He went right on to power.

When you bypass the Son, brother/sister, there's trouble. Because there isn't one thing that's granted to anybody outside of that step of the Son, which is by way of the Cross.

25. Yes, it is. Over the Book of Matthew 5: let's look at It. Sermon on the Mountain, that's a good place to look, because Christ brought out some very important and truths. In Matthew 5:17-19

(17) Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

(18) For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

(19) Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

See, these people always try to bypass to get where they want to go. You can't do it, you can't bypass the Cross of Jesus Christ.

25. Now, let's read back in Colossians [1:] 15-23

(15) Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: (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:

(17) And he is before all things, and by him all things ... (are kept up and maintained. The word 'consist' means, 'maintained' or 'kept up'.)

(18) And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence.

(19) For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

Now, notice:

(20) And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by (faith), I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

(21) And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

(22) In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

That's the very thing that God says we're to be like. (See?)

(23) If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

26. Now, you will notice here that the Bible says, "That Jesus Christ by the Cross was able to reconcile man to God. [Col 1:20] Now listen to me, God was never reconciled to man, because He didn't need to be reconciled to man. Man needed to be reconciled to God. God was propitiated. (See?) The death upon Calvary. Now notice, It said It was the Cross that reconciled man. Now listen to me, you all heard the story of the two old ladies that fought and argued in church. And they'd come in, and one would sit on this side, and one on that side, they never spoke for twenty-five years. And the church never had anybody saved. The church never had any move of the Spirit of God.

Until one morning the Spirit of God, I supposed after the sincere reference of many people, finally broke upon those two old reprobates, (I call them that, although perhaps I shouldn't) and they kissed and they hugged, and they made it, they were reconciled, they buried the hatchet. Then God gave the church some blessings.

27. I'm going to tell you this, there never was two people made up, unless somebody goes by way of the Cross. Somebody's got to take the first step. Somebody's got to humble themselves and say, "I was wrong." Even if he wasn't wrong. Somebody's got to turn around and that's the only way that we'll ever get reconciled is by way of the Cross. And that's the way people can only get reconciled in this filthy world, where we were made to trained by persecution, because you can't develop character except by persecution.

That's why the Bible distinctly says, when we are being assaulted, the Bible says, "Agree with thine adversary while thou art in the way with him." Now It says, "You agree with the fellow that took a slug at you." You agree with the fellow that took a poke at you. In other words, he started it, and you don't finish it. You let him carry off the entire victory, by saying, "I'm sorry, I don't know what was in me that made you hit me, but you had to hit me for some reason, so I must have had it coming to me. Now I'm sorry I caused you to flare up, please forgive me." Because the Bible says, "If you don't do it, God will put you in prison until you pay the utmost farthing." [Mt 5:26]

28. You say, "Somebody's got to be crazy." Now sir, you can't call God crazy. That's the way of the Cross. Because nobody ever gets reconciled till somebody steps down and walks in the mud. God Himself came down and walked in the mud. And you know what it did? It reconciled you and me. We got reconciled to God. Ever see people weep over the Lord's Supper, and blubber because they wondered why it was that God died for them?

Let them stop and think, was this pure psychology? Call it what you want, it's the way of God doing it. And man was reconciled to God by way of the Cross. And the Bible says that He humbled Himself, that's what the Cross is. It's humiliation, but nobody wants to be humble. Nobody wants to, no! And they talk about Pentecost. Forget it. Forget it Judas, forget it Balaam. If they're Balaam's and Judas' we got to take it tonight, that's the way it's written. And if we're sincere Christians, but we're wrong. And remember, "…judgment begins at the house of God." [1 Pet 4:17a] And if a sinner has to repent once, how much more does a Christian need to repent? Every day, perhaps.

29. "Well, where are the people they say, I'm wrong?" You got a difference right here in this community without telling any secrets out of class. You all know, somebody's got to make reconciliation. We'll never, till we get together. Perhaps never get together. But who is going to say, "I'm wrong?" There's maybe someone prophesied for all I know. We've had some kind of... “They, did it?” I wouldn't give you a dime a dozen to you or anybody else, for any vision you had apart from the Word of God. I'm not taking your hair off now. I'll be rough on anybody.

I stand here condemned as any man. I haven't made my reconciliation. Many a time, because I wouldn't take up my cross and follow God. That's where the power is missing. See, brother/sister, there's a power in that Cross. There's a power in a man saying, "Forgive me, I'm wrong." There's power in a man saying, "Look, I'll bear the brunt of it. I don't care who started it, I'm going to finish it. God be merciful, I'm engaged in this thing, now get me out of it Lord, I'll take all the blame, I'll go all the way."

The Bible said, "How good and how blessed it is for brethren together in unity." [Ps 133:1] Somebody had to make reconciliation to get unity, don't ever think he didn't. That's just like the precious ointment over Aaron's head, flowing down, hallelujah. You don't get the oil flowing down without reconciliation brother/sister. Do you want God to move in Pentecostal power? You got to go back to the Cross. Because except the power of the Cross be effective, there can be no power of the Holy Ghost, except the Son first act. And remember we are sons of God, we are sons of God by way of the flesh. Sure, we are, we are born in flesh. Manifested sons of God don't mean a thing to me, and that kooky doctrine. I don't know where they got it, and care less where they got it. I know my Bible a truly manifested son of God in one who can say, "I'll take the way of the Cross."

30. We can talk all we want, I'll take the way of the Lord's despised few. We weep around, and get maudlin, and get sentimental. But that's not the answer! There's only one answer, bless God, the Lord's despised few say, "I’m wrong." Jesus Christ wasn't wrong, but he became wrong. He wasn't sinful, but He became sin. He never even had our own stinking flesh which was made in the likeness.

In other words, He looked like us, so He said, "Oh God, I'll take all the blame." When we look like we're wrong, but we're not wrong, (say) but I'll take all the blame anyway." I'm preaching Lee Vayle, I'm not hitting you, don't worry. Sure, the Bible says so. It said right here, I've read it: "And He reconciled, everything on earth, and everything in heaven is reconciled by Somebody stepping down and saying, “I'll take the blame."

You know what is going to happen when you and I stand before God? If we had to stand before God and our name was in dispute, there is only one Person could stand and say, "I'll take all the blame." That's Jesus the Son of God by way of the Cross. (See?) How can we reconcile anybody without the Cross?

31. In [Colossians 1:] verses 24-29

(24) Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, (now, no, oh my, my, what's the Cross here? Listen to It: And when I) rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:

"Oh, I'm going to set the world on fire, bless God, give me fifteen wonderful gifts, give me your money boys, I'll make your tonight and if I can't get your twenty-four one way, I'll get another way, I'll set the world on fire, hallelujah, glory!" Aw, shut up! What's the Bible say?

Maybe I yell too loud and got you off beat. You know what I'm yelling at? I'm yelling at the fact men and woman take every way they think they can induce God to move. Which you can't induce God to move, except by the Cross.

32. Listen to what I read: Who now rejoice in my sufferings, my ability to move ...?.... Not my ability to put on programs, to talk about visions, and fifteen hundred thousand things. But He said,

(24) Who now rejoice in my sufferings ...and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:

We need men who’ll get up and suffer today, for the church's sake. No, they're going to pass the hat, and so they're going to build great big beautiful rest homes, and say, "Now people, look how sweet we are. We've got a rest home here cost three hundred thousand dollars. We'll put dear mammy and pappy there. We'll build an orphanage or two."

Come on, I lost the folk a little while ago, and I just …[blank spot] Paul said, "For the Gospel's sake men must suffer." And he said, "God sent us apostles for those who must suffer most." But now we've got preachers. "Well, the preachers deserve the best."

33. I want to tell you one thing, if I got shot with buck shot a little over bonfire, that's about the best I deserve. And I'm not humble tonight, that's just the truth. Because I don't believe in lying behind the sacred desk. I was God's children deserve the best, they're only going to get the best by way of the Cross. Paul said,

(24) (We fill up those suffering which are left, for the sake of the church.)

(25) Whereof I am a minister, …

"I'm a minster in the church. And part of my ministry is suffering according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you to fulfill the Word of God." You suffer, and fulfill the Word of God. If you don't suffer, you don't fulfill the Word of God. And you don't fulfill the Word of God, the Token can't act, which is the Holy Ghost.

Is that what the prophet said? It is, come on. Certainly, come on. Hear the tape again. Oh, we're getting revelation, hallelujah. It's not what we want. Oh no, it's the last day Message brother/ sister. Was discussing this with Bro. Sutter, just didn't know how I'd hold out, and let him go on, a certain thing to happen, I would be caught really, in a rut. There is only one way to make it easy against that day. Start your suffering now, and see what and see what God will do for you.

34. Listen, it takes more than an academic understanding of God's Word, to cause you and me to rejoice when the chips are down. And the shout, and to dance, scream, “Hallelujah.” When the eagle screams when the storm comes, oh they love it. But us poor old vultures, we say, “Ooh, bless God. We have a storm, the storm is coming. That's why every place you go you see the eagle motif. It’s on tumblers, it's on doors, it's on door bells, it's on pictures and every place you go. And as my wife said, "There are five stars." Elijah came five times, the eagle fifth time coming up. Certainly. The eagle. They ride upon the storms, they drift with those currents. The storm is the Cross.

Now listen, [1 Colossians 1:]

(27) To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, ...

Notice Paul said, "They’re suffering." The mystery of Christ in us, is the mystery of suffering. Oh, how they love each other, and look at those Christians. I don't understand she'll go through anything for the Name of Jesus. "Look, he doesn't care what happens. There's something wrong with that fellow, he shouts and he glorifies God when things are at their worse, I don't figure him." No, "the mystery of Christ in you:

(27) ... the hope of glory:

(28) (Which) we preach, warning every man, teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

(29) Whereunto I also labor, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

35. Listen, the way of the shame and persecution, the way of the Cross is the way to perfect the Church, but you heard different. You said, "Give us the gifts, we'll perfect the church. Come on, lay on hands and prophesy."

Would you be surprised to know that a lady with evidently a wrong spirit laid hands on me when I was only twenty-two years of age and did all kinds of prophesying? And I'm fifty-two, and that's thirty years ago. You never heard the stuff you hearing now. You thought that was new, didn't new at all, it's old as the hills.

You know back in the days of the early, early church, in the First Century, a man named Marcus went around and prophesied, and he laid hands on them and said, "Partake of my spirit." And then he said, "Say what enters your mind." Have you ever heard that? Oh, come on. Oh, you haven't, where you been? That's part of that latter-day training so called. I've got to instruct what's going on in the world. Oh yeah, he said that, they're saying it right today. "Speak to what comes to thy mind and all." This is antichrist today as well. When men are lifted up with pride, that's not the way of God, the church doesn't get perfected that way. (Huh?)

Come on, open your eyes, and if you've been in doubt whether William Branham is right or not, I want to show you he was right. The man with the greatest power, took the greatest abuse, and held truth. And little men went screaming like Korah's and the Abiram's and Dathan’s, "We've got some too." Nobody said that they didn't have it.

36. Now listen, to what It says here. It says, "Paul by suffering. Paul by suffering, these afflictions, he was made a minister in order to be an example." And to what end? It says, "Which is Christ in you the hope of glory." [Col 1:27b] In other words, the manifestation of Christ, and the Christ Spirit, (now listen, get this) the manifestation of the Christ Spirit in flesh was what? You say, "Miracles" No sir, no sir. Oh, I know we've been taught that, but it's not.

You show me one place in the Bible where the manifestation of Christ's Spirit according to the prophet was the man of miracles, it was the man of death upon Calvary. (Uh?) Oh, come on. I'm ready to stand corrected, I think there's a man going to come back and correct me. But he's sure there's three gods, and I'm sure there's one. Well, I'm ready for him.

Now, tonight will somebody correct me, if there's anybody here, any voice, the atmosphere, any place else? Correct me, where do you find in Scripture of a Christ who was to appear, and do the mighty miracles? But, you'll find that He was to come and die upon Calvary. Christ manifested was in death. Because He took upon Himself the form of a man for a sacrifice. It was God manifest in flesh. Why? To the end of His suffered and died. And He suffered and He died.

37. And let me tell you brother/sister His suffering before the Cross was more than what He endured on the Cross. And you know there's where you and I suffer the most? Thinking, "Oh God, what will I go through?" Go through it, there won't be one half as bad as you think. For the Lord is with me. Certainly, that's our problem. But notice, He was manifested and Paul was manifesting Christ. How? "I was determined to know nothing among you, save Christ and Him (what?) crucified." [1 Cor 2:2]

"Oh Bro. Vayle, now you know the way to bring back Christ is to give everybody a great healing ministry. We'll have the gift of miracles, bless God, we'll turn the world upside down." Oh, will you?

Let's go back and read our Bibles again. Let's go back and read church history. What great gift did old Jonathan Goforth [1859-1936] have back there in China? (Huh?) What great gift was in operation when Jonathan Edwards preached that day after fasting and praying for forty-eight hours. And they very nearsighted, barely can see through his glasses and he was in preaching and reading his sermons, 'Sinners in the hands of an angry God'. And they're being moved by the Holy Ghost. Held on to the pillars and screamed, "But, Mr. Edwards there's been no hope." Somebody's been sold a bill of goods. I only wish I really had the Spirit of God in my own life to testify of the preaching, because this is real. As I have never seen reality in the life of any man, except the man who bore the Cross, except the man who died.

38. There has been too much talk about the power of the Resurrection. And there has been no talk about the power of the Cross. Listen to it, going on, in [Colossians ] 2:1-9

(1) For I would that (you) knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; (conflict, Notice the word 'conflict' the Cross.)

(2) That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

(3) In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

(4) And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.

(5) For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith ... (What's the stedfastness? The trial of your faith, that's the Cross.)

(6) As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him:

(7) Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as (you've) been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

"In all things give thanksgiving, this is the will of God concerning you." [1 Th 5:2]

(8) Beware (said Paul again) lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

(9) For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

Now, you will notice in here that Paul is speaking of the fact that many men become beguiled by the philosophy of men. The philosophy of man has always been don't mind what God said, but get the very best you can out of life by getting rid of what bothers you. The philosophy of man has always been one of utopia. Pull yourself up, make it easy for yourself. Don't be involved, live the best you can. The Bible says, "She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth." [1 Tim 5:6] But we don't seem to believe that.

39. It's the suffering, the philosophy of men would beguile us. But the philosophy of God in the Scripture distinctly sets forth that man must suffer. (See?) He's got to be perfect. And we have seen here that unless God power is in us, in the way of the Cross there can never be the power of the Resurrection, because believe me God can't raise anybody from the dead unless somebody dies. Men don't want to suffer. And as I said that the spirit of this age. It's the spirit of this age when man asserts his rights, and he hasn't got any. God's got the rights. "The Lord doeth in the armies of heaven and earth, what He wants to do." [Ps 115:3]

But every place you go, men are raising up against God, and they're saying we can do what we want. And in the last day when God has warned and warned and sent a prophet, "don't be embroiled in organizations, they're going right to it" And they're going to be caught and they're going to die, because they're not going to want to suffer.

Now, in [Colossians 2:] verse 9 of that chapter, It says,

(9) For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

40. Now let's just do something here if you've got your Bibles, put your thumb there, and turn back now verse 19 of chapter 1, and It says here:

(19) For it pleased the Father that in him should (dwell) all fulness dwell;

Now, it pleased Him that it should dwell, It doesn't say that it did dwell. Now let's watch it. I told you awhile ago that when Jesus came under the Jehovah title, He had everything in Him that God had except sovereignty, He could only say what He heard the Father say.

Now, if that's hard on you men and you women, listen, have you women ever told your husband something you'd never tell your kids if you died? Well then, you never gave your kids all of you, you just part of you. There's a part of you reserved. And that's the way the husband is with the wife, and he never tell the kids those things if he had to die for it. And that's the way it was with God.

When Jesus Christ came in the flesh, poured into Him was not the sovereignty of God. He had to listen to what the Eternal Spirit has said way back there in the in the mind, and He couldn't do anything, but what the Eternal Spirit let Him do. Right?

41. So therefore, before the Cross it was that in this One should dwell all fullness. But notice in chapter 2: after the Cross, all fullness did dwell. "I came from God, and I go back to God and fullness dwells in Me." Right back to Almighty God again. You follow it? Oh, it's a little bit deep, think it over you'll get it, the tapes here.

Fullness dwells. I'm not reading to you a bedtime story. I read it to you. "It pleased that in Him should dwell all fullness." But over here after dying upon the Cross and rising again, It says, "Then the fullness comes." Now, you understand why Bro. Branham said, "You go into the Holy Ghost." Now, we read your Token, and hear your Token again. I can't tell you to read it, because I've got the original manuscripts and they’re not ready for publication, …maybe they are, I don't know. But you'd be surprise on how much good you get out of reading, what's in the little books Roy Borders is printing, because here are your tapes to get the emphasis.

42. There is such a thing as being baptized with the Holy Ghost, which places you a son, and still miss the fullness of the Holy Ghost. Because it's not in gifts and manifestation brother/sister, because they aren't what really counts. The fullness can only come when men are producing the fruit, because that's Jesus said in ...?... . He said, "The branch gets pruned to bear fruit not gifts." (See?)

"If you abide in Me, if you are at home in Me, and My Words are at home in you, then you can ask what you will." [Jn 15:7] The mighty tremendous fullness of God depends upon what? The way of the Cross first, because God's fullness should in each one of us. But it can't be in each one of us until we're truly surrendered by way of the Cross, because there's too much of us and not enough of God. You follow it? It says, "In Him should dwell the fullness." But after the Cross, in Him does dwell the fullness. John saw what? One, seated upon the Throne. His relationship to man.

43. Now, notice It said in, [Colossians 2:] 10

(10) And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

(11) In whom also (you) are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of (Jesus) Christ:

(12) Buried with him in baptism, wherein also (you) are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, (which) raised him from the dead.

(13) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

Now, if you'll notice in here the truth of the incarnation as I brought out, Christ complete elevation with Godhead showing that He was God. Now, there is no way for Christ to be complete in us. There is no way for Christ to be complete in us, He is the head of all principality and power, except by circumcision made without hands. In other words, this is not something that is simply done in the flesh, and circumcision in the flesh was done to all males. But it is that which was done by the cutting off to the circumstances which are in our lives. Because unless men are truly circumcised in heart and ears, unless there is spiritual circumcision truly buried with Christ there can never be a resurrection.

44. Remember, water is only symbolical. And remember also, your identification with Christ that you died with Him and rose with Him, must also be performed in this life. You still got to die with Him to rise with Him. You just don't talk about it. Because remember, what is in Christ and we have, must be worked out to prove that we are children of God. Because...it's not true and I'm ,telling you brother/sister, then believe me. every single person is born again, or it’s got God on the grounds of Jesus Christ died and rose again. But it's not so. No sir, you just don't talk about Scripture, it's got to be experience.

As I said last night, Jesus Christ on that Throne, because He died, He died for us sins and rose again for our justification. Because he's Intercessor, all those things, don't mean one thing unless Christ is in you. Now, we can talk all we want about being identified with Jesus Christ in death. That's good, that took place upon Calvary when He died we died. When He arose, we arose. That's true, because He can't keep dying, and He can't keep rising. And Paul said, "I've been crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; and yet not I, but Christ lives in me: The life that I live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God." [Gal 2:20] What faith? Faith is there to bring you over your trials. I'm manifested, I show forth Christ by the fact that I can die, that He may raise me up. All the apostles understood this, and the whole Word of God is full of it.

45. Now, you'll notice what It says, "That you are complete in Him." [Colossians 2:10a] I don't believe from the Scripture as I see It, I cannot find that anybody can truly be a complete Christian, except by ways of the Cross.

Now, notice in [Colossians 2:] 14-15

(14) Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

(15) And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a (show) of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Now, let's just stop here a minute and see what Christ did the way of the Cross. And if you think that the Cross doesn't have power, notice what It said. "He blotted out the handwriting which was against us." Now, do what you want to do, just pick up your Scofield, and pick up your manuals, and pick your teacher's quarterlies. Pick up anything you want, and I'll tell you before you read it, what you're going to read. You're going to read, that the handwriting and ordinances which was against you, was the Jewish ceremonial law that they hated. You're going to find everyone telling you about it, the fact that they had to kill the lamb, they had to do this, and had to do that.

46. Well, I've got news for you, the Jewish ceremonial law was not against you, it was for you. Because it was the killing of the lamb that delivered them from sin. What handwriting, what place in the Bible that you know that any handwriting was against man? The Ten Commandments.

You say, "Bro. Vayle, they weren't against man." I beg your pardon, they were against man. Because Paul said, "I've not known sin, except the law said, 'Thou shall not covet'." [Rom 7:7] And he said, "What I thought was holy, (and it was holy) and what I thought brought me life, brought me death, because I was caught under the crossfire of the Ten Commandments."

Now, the Bible says here, that Jesus upon Calvary blotted out the Ten Commandments. Sure, He did. Because the law is not made for a righteous man, but for a sinner. And when you pass from death unto life and you became a Christian, a child of God, those Ten Commandments didn’t obtain anymore, because you don't want via a commandment, you walk by a law of faith which is in Christ Jesus. For the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, the law of faith, the law of love. You know that as well as I do.

47. Now, you'll notice what the Bible says here. It says, that Jesus upon the Cross blotted out the handwriting that was against us and was contrary to us. And He took what was contrary to Him, and He got it out of the way by nailing it to a Cross. Now, here you and I are fighting. We do, we're struggling, and we're struggling to be Christians. We struggle to stand approved. We get taken and clobbered, day by day by circumstances and we hate it, and we hate ourselves. And we don't know how to get rid of it.

You know how to get rid of it? Just let them do it. That's right. Do you read your Bibles the way I read mine? It says, "He took out of the way what is contrary by the Cross." The Cross is...He submitted Himself the Bible said, "He humbled Himself to death, even the death of the Cross." [Phil 2:8b] The cross was a lingering death. You didn’t just die like that on a cross, you lingered. Furthermore, the blood didn't flow too fast, because the hands that are bleeding and feet that are bleeding, (my brother/sister) the blood has a chance to coagulate. It's the shock that gets you. It's the shock that gets you. It's the shock that gets us too. Shock, of being hit. Persecute, buffet, adverse condition. But the Bible says, you get them out of the way by what? Submitting, just dying to it, just do it.

The very thing that torments us is destroyed. How? Not by killing the thing, but putting it out of the way but, by your own death. That's right. Now, you see what I've been saying. People haven’t known the power of the Cross. They've all heard the power of Pentecost. Hallelujah, Resurrection, bless God. I was taught in the same school you were taught. That's why I preach this way, because it didn't work. I didn't work, because it can't work. Because it's not Bible. You can't take out of context the way God has put us in. No sir! Now, there is only one way to be complete in Him. There is only one way to have the victory, and that is by way of the Cross. And that way of the Cross is daily.

48. Now, going further, we don't have time to read the whole chapter, because we don't need to. Beginning in [Colossians ] 3:1-2

(1) If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, (mind those things which are above) where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

(2) Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Why do you see, that's part of the Cross. Sure, it's part of the Cross. Taking joyfully the spoiling of your goods, because you know that in Heaven there is a better and enduring substance. Mind the things that are above. Don't mind what they say. Jesus said, "Listen you disciples, when they said, 'Lord, we've been having a rough time, we left a lot of things'."

He said, "I want to tell you there's not one of you who left your fathers and mothers." He didn't say your wives. I never found that in the Bible. I know a lot of men kind of think that way, shame on them. It says, father, mother, sister, brother, but not your wives. Peter took his along with him. Paul said it was legal. Right thing to do.

49. And he said, "Lands." You see, He never said a hundred wives. But He said, "a hundred sisters a hundred brothers, a hundred fathers, a hundred acres. [Mk 10:30] You know that where I've gone I found... Well I don't know been too happy this stuff, but I have found dear old sainted women who’re just like a mother to me. Wonderful people. I've had a lot of real sister and brothers, and I've have some real rough ones too. That I thought they were, and I'm sorry I thought they were. But I've had some tremendous sisters and brothers. And I mean they're just as real as my own. In fact, they're realer. Of course, I've been away from home all these years. The last time I saw my folks was ten years ago. Some of them living and my...last time my wife saw some of her folk was about sixteen years ago, fourteen, fifteen.

But you know, we've had people we see more of, than we do of our blood relations. See, because God said so. You give it up. The Lord told me when my mother was dying, He said, "You are not to go and see her again, she will die shortly after you're gone. Don't even come back for her funeral." I never came back for her funeral. You say, "Bro. Vayle, you're hard hearted.” Nope, no, I'm not hard hearted. God knows a whole lot more about things than I do.

50. When my wife's sister died, everybody thought she'd was to go and see her.

They said, '"Well if you haven't got the money, we'll give it to you."

Bro. Branham said, "Lee, I'll give you the money."

I said, "No, I've talked to God, He said, 'don't go'."

Said, "Why shouldn't she go and see her sister?"

Sister's dead, they have little kids left. Do you know what would happen? One of two things, either she would have brought the kids back and destroyed their home, or been there too long and destroyed ours. Sure, you pay a price, there's a Cross. I'm going to tell you one thing, if you don't walk in that way of the Cross, don't ask God to back you up, but He's not going to do it.

The Son must first die. You know you're a child of God, but you're still a son of man. And you'll never be manifested as a Son of God till first of all you as the son of man die, so that the Son of God can come forth out of you. Just what the Scripture teaches us.

51. Now, we go further. Now It says, "For you are dead and your life is hid."

"Oh, you mean, I can't bring my life forth?"

No sir! No, it's been hidden. Man, I want to fight that guy, because he said some dirty things. And he can't do it. Your life is hidden. It’s with Christ in God.

Now, but when Christ who is our Life shall appear, then you're going to appear with Him, if your life is hid with Christ in God.

"Well, Bro. Vayle that means I'm born again."

Oh, come on now. That's like saying, "I've got a son and he's a little teensy-weensy baby, and I'm just…that’s all that counts he's born."

Well, aren't you going to feed him and take care for him and make him grow up a man?

"Oh no got a little son, hallelujah, that's good."

That's what's wrong today. You've got the evangelists going out. He's been a big shot, he's been a big fellow. He opens up a little briefcase, comes to take a check, tell us a promise, tell us a bed time story. Casts the net, all about dear mother and dear father, and they come running in, a bunch of goats.

You make him ten times more than the man your pastor. It's your pastor is the man that counts because he feeds you. And he corrects you. And if he's a real pastor, he's going he is going to be like the shepherd. The shepherd in the Orient got a crook, and he leans on the crook. But he also uses the crook to reach down when the sheep are too far down, grab him by the leg and pull him up. Because it's too stupid to get there.

And when the sheep got going to the wrong pasture, he's got a sling shot and he bounces a stone off near their nose, that's a warning. And the next time they don't listen he bounces one off their nose. And they'll listen. And if they still don't listen, he takes the sheep and he breaks its leg, then sets it. And the sheep becomes a pet.

52. Oh Bro. Vayle, don't preach that way, bless God, you scare me. No sir! The Bible said, "Feed my sheep, feed my sheep, feed my sheep." Like fun It says, "Rule my sheep, feed my sheep, rule my sheep." The Catholic Bible says, "Rule my sheep, rule my sheep, rule my sheep." But they're both wrong, It's rule my sheep, feed my sheep, rule my sheep." There's a feed in there, there's a rule in there. And you do it, how you do it you rule by feeding the Word of God, and they have to obey it, or they’ll come to task. It's the same thing with every Christian there's a way of the Cross. And I like to sit with Christ in God.

Now, It says, "Mortify your members which are upon the earth." [Colossians 3:5a] Have you ever been mortified? I've been mortified. That doesn't mean put them to death, it means 'stifle them'. It means to 'deaden them', in the sense of quieting them down (you know) put them under. No, this one means to literally deaden, this one here means to definitely means to quiet down. Because this one has to do with fornication and so on and so on.

53. Now, anger, malice, lying on one another, put off the old man. (See?)

[Colossians 3:10-21]

(10) And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

(11) Where there is neither Greek (or Barbarian and so on, right on down.)

(12) ...therefore, elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness ...meekness, ...

You see, what's meekness? Taking the lower place.

(13) (Long suffering) forbearing one another, forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do (you).

(14) And above all these things put on (the bonds of love), which is the bond of perfectness.

(15 ...let the peace of God rule in your hearts, (and mind, so you maybe, because you are) one body; be ye thankful (about it).

(16) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts...

(17) (Whatever you) do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, ...

(18) Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as is fit in the Lord.

It says, "Fit in the Lord." A lot of people got the idea going around, women do what their husband say and that does it. No sir! If any man tells his wife to do something against the Word of God, she’d better not do that. Some people have an idea that prophet of God taught, that the women make it by the man. That's a lie. I any man tells his wife not to go to church and not read the Bible and not pray, she hasn't got anything to do by forsake him, or at least, kicks her out. She's got no choice.

(20) Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing (to God.)

(21) Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, ...(and so on.)

And right on down the line. He's showing in here that men and women must be willing to take the place of lowliness. Sure, it's crucifixion. Sure, that's what God wants.

54. Now, you can see why it is from what I have taught tonight, that Jesus Christ said, "Take the Lord's Supper. Take the emblems of the wine and the bread. (See?) Because when you do, you show forth the Lord's death till he comes. (See?) It means death. (See?)

I want you to read the Book of Acts sometimes. And I want you to see how many tremendous revivals are mentioned, and then compare how many times the people got beat up and they had trouble. People have used Hollywood glamor, until we have Hollywood religion. That's why the West Coast is going to sink under the waves, maybe before the Sixth Seal, because we've got Hollywood religion. We’ve got the glamour boys in the pulpits. Just tell me how popular any church in America be by preaching suffering. But the Bible said, "As often you come together and drink this cup, and eat this bread, you do show forth death." [1 Cor 11:26]

Why? It's to remind you that without death, there isn't any life. Without the Cross, there can be no Pentecost. Attempt to get Pentecost without the Cross, and you know what you got? A Laodicean church, just what we got today. Let me prove my point by my one last Scripture.

55. Please turn with me to the opening of the Seals in Revelation 5:1-5

(1) And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on (a) throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.

(2) And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?

(3) And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to (even look upon) the book, (let alone open It.)

(4) And I wept much, because (there wasn't) found (anybody) worthy (strong enough) to read the book, (or, even) …look thereon.

(5) And one of the elders (said) unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals...

My that made him happy. Why, he said, "Here's the One with the power, like the mighty king of the jungle. Symbol of the majesty and strength of creation. Here's this One, the Lion of the tribe of Judah roaring with a mighty voice. He'll come and open the seals, here's the One with power, it's fantastic, it's amazing. My, John he was all eyes, and he was all ears. And (you know) he looked towards where that mighty Voice was. And he was all of God, going to see the greatest power the world has ever seen. And going to see the mighty... and the mighty Lion, jumping forth to open those seals displaying a power for lack, that's never been seen before. And as He looked, behold the Lion was a Lamb bleeding and dying.

56. Who is coming? The Lion of the tribe of Judah. But who is He? Just a Lamb, crucified from the foundation of the world. Who would open the Seals for us, to whom will God give a Message in the Laodicean Age in the Twentieth Century? Oh, He'll give it to the pope? A great theologian? The promoter? A great organizer? No, He gave it to the humblest man that you'd ever imagine. The greatest man in the time of Moses, the first great Exodus, upon which we base our exodus was the meekest man that ever lived.

And when everybody was wrong but Moses, he said, "Lord, if you block them out, you got to take me too." And the meekest man of the Twentieth Century preached the ['Second Coming of the Lord' 57-04-17] And he said, "Oh God, what can I be to get this people ready?"

Because he was too meek he absolutely deceived the people. And yet he was the one man who could stand up against any man since the time of Paul, or Peter, or God knows whom, maybe Christ, Himself. And he said, "I challenge you to bring before me the worst cripple in this world, and he'll be delivered."

57. The man with the greatest power with the most self-effacing meekest man of this generation, if not one of the greatest meekest of all the world. But that man died upon a Cross. Oh, not a card across in '65, that's ridiculous nonsense by a bunch of cultists. But he died upon his own daily cross, until you could literally see Christ coming out of that man. And you know what? It wasn't because he had gifts. Naw…No sir. No, no, no. It wasn't because he had the greatest healing the world's seen the time of Christ. Nothing ...?... It wasn't that at all.

The reason that people saw Christ, is because he could humble himself. And he was humble, every moment of his life. All you saw was humility. All you saw was the death of a man called William Branham, so that Christ might be thoroughly the one who came forth.

58. We’ve talked about Pentecost, we’ve talked about power to turn the world upside down for God. But, we've forgotten the greatest power there is. Because brother/sister, there can be no two before there is one. There can be no three before there is one. There can be no four before there is one. There can be no infinite before there is one. There can be no roof, there can be no capstone before there is a foundation. There can be no true Pentecost until first of all there is a Cross, somebody missed that.

Before the Father, or God will act by mighty Spirit outpouring, there must first of all come the action of the Son. And He became as Son, what? That He might die upon Calvary. If there had not been the death of the Son, there would not have been Pentecost. And until you and I receive the revelation of the power that lies in the Cross, we're going to keep going on saying, "I'm going seek God for power, hallelujah."

59. A man locked himself in a closet and he said, "I'm going to stay here God till I die." And he came out saying, God had talked to him and he now had a gift. But the minute the chips were down, they said, "You're drunk, you're so drunk you can't even walk a line." He posted his thousand-dollar bond, and left the State.

And he said, "Why didn't you come back and to tell the men that you weren't drunk?"

He said, “I would have lost my pension and my trucks.”

Let any man lose his pension, his trucks if that's what it takes, let him die. Let him stand up and prove that he's a man.

60. Another man build his [blank spot]... and he said, "William Branham, you're destroying your ministry, because you teach the controversial Word of God." He said, "Why don't you leave it to the pastors to teach what you're teaching?"

And he said, "Because the pastors won't teach it, I've got to teach it."

And he said, "You're ruining your ministry."

And Bro. Branham said, "If a man's ministry can be ruined by the Word of God, let it be ruined."

We've been sold every bill of goods about winning the world for Christ and to bring back the King. My Bible says, "You're not going to win the world for Christ, because at the last day it's going to be like the days of Lot and the days of Noah, there's going to be a handful in that Rapture." But you see, those men don't preach the way of the Cross. But they preach the way of the anointed pocketbook. Send me ten dollars and you'll get a hundred.

"I'm going to the mountain to pray this week, and to fast. Tell me your needs and I'll pray for them." At the bottom it said, "How much can you give this month?" That must have paid off so good, because three months later he did it again. Oh, that's his business, his business. See, men are looking everywhere, they don't want the Cross. Because they don't know Its power.

61. Now, if we had a revelation it was power... Have you ever heard of this fellow named Dr. [John] Williamson [1907-1958] out of Canada? If you haven't heard him, you don't know much about diamonds. Because Dr. Williamson is the richest individual man, single man in this world. He even almost put De Beers under, this one man, because he found the biggest diamond mine the world's ever seen, up to this day, so they found on the coast. And the suck them up by siphoning off the ocean bottom now.

But Williamson has money that no man knows how much he had. (See?) Because he is a billionaire in diamonds. But you know what he did? He all but died to gain the diamond mine. He literally was so taken with malaria with no money, with fatigue, with absolute hunger unto starvation, that they picked him up one time and he was literally dead, almost dead. But he came around and he still found the diamond mine.

62. And the Bible speaks of a man who finds a treasure in a field, and he sells everything he has to get the treasure. [Mt 13:44] See? Something dies. Now, we know that something’s got to die to bring forth something that's good.

Don't tell me that [Jascha] Heifetz merely had a talent, and he said, "I'm a great a great violinist, so I'll play once every month. But like [Fritz] Kreisler, he said, "Tell you one thing, we must (as Kreisler said) if I miss practice one day, I know it. If I miss it two days by wife knows it. I if miss is one week the critics know it. And if I miss it one month the public knows it'." (See?) Die daily. Kreisler had to give up something to become that great violinist. (See?)

63. Do we want the power of God in our lives brother/sister? Do we want it? Well, you can't go from two without one, you see. The fullness of Godhead. (See?) The literal demonstration outpouring is as it was with Christ in Him should dwell. It should. Now will you meet that Cross, Son of God?

The Bible said that He fought with Himself till He shed drops of Blood, fighting with Himself. The drops of Blood that He shed before the Cross, I submit to you was tremendous compared to what He shed upon Calvary. Because He fought with Himself, He died. And He said, "Lord, I'd like to miss this, but if I can't, Your will's got to be done." In Him should dwell, not all of it, He had to leave a part of it. But when He died and rose again, in Him dwelt all fullness. This same One you crucified, is both Lord and Christ.

Look, if Jesus is both Lord and Christ, (watch my three fingers) if this Jesus is both Lord and Christ, and He's all of them, one God. A Name above every name. And the very last day when they wanted to look once more upon His humanity, get it? Who is going to open the Seal? The revelation is missing, part of it missing. What is it? Who's going to do it?

They said, "Oh, it's going to take a Lion." And the Lion roared and behold He was a bleeding Lamb in the midst of the Throne. And the bleeding Lamb revealed the greatest revelation which was the Third Pull, and the opening of the Seals to the humble little man, that nobody could quite understand. Because they thought a good man was to take what God gave you, bless God, roll up your sleeves and get in there.

64. If we can understand that, we'll be prepared for Pentecost. We'll be prepared for the latter rain. If we don't understand it, I'm sorry for us all. You follow me tonight? Understand? Before the Father will act, the Son must act. But the Son acts in death. You are a son of man, and yet a son of God. And before the Son of God can come out of you, that son, right now has got to die, and then God will do the rest. But there's a big price, it's worth it. It's the treasure that’s in the field. It's a great pearl of great price. It's the Throne of God. It's a demonstration, the Holy Ghost you've been praying for, but haven't understood. Because you see, praying and fasting doesn't do it. It's the revelation and then, walking in it. God help us tonight. Shall we rise to be dismissed.

Gracious Heavenly Father, we thank You for the help You've given us to bring the Word. To teach the Word, and for people to heard the Word. And, Lord, I don't believe there's anybody here that put It aside. I don't believe there is one person here tonight, O God, that's resisting the Holy Ghost. I don't believe that there is any of us, Lord, tonight that is truly uncircumcised, and highly resisting You. But, Lord, we have to admit that we're confused. It seems the light’s just barely flickering in darkness. And I believe everyone of us tonight wants, O God, to see the power of the Cross manifested.

I don't believe there's one here tonight, Lord, not even a child that wants to be under obedience to You. That's crying within the heart, O God, let me go all the way. Let me know what it is, Lord, to die, when people revile, to not revile back. When they judge not to criticize, when they molest to just apologize for getting in their way. When they do evil, to do or say some good thing.

Lord, all we can say is, "except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it." God You've got to come on the scene and give us revelation. You've got to let us know, Lord, by Your Spirit about those things that are laid up in Heaven. God, You’ve got to do something, because tonight, O Christ, all we can say is, "we're undone, and it's unclean thing, or we have seen Your glory, and we're so far it and it's pitiful."

We've seen Your glory in a little man that was just human. Born of flesh just like we are. But we saw God in him, because of the humility of his life. We appreciated the miracles, Lord. I know I did, they were nice, but, Lord, I'm not lying to You as I've prayed for me and these people here tonight. You know my heart, Lord, what I admire was the man's humility. The man who could die to self, so that God could come forth. Lord, I believe that's what they saw in Paul. And I know, Jesus, if I saw You, I'd see the same thing, because John saw that Lamb.

Lord, I've been ranting and maybe raving against people that are all wrong. I know that we're wrong too, I'm especially wrong. I know, Lord, there's been a great abuse of power. Now, Lord, that we've seen it, help us to just...never mind looking that way anymore to know just where it is. But to get our eyes on You, because You said, “Looking unto Jesus the Author and perfect of our faith." Who but the joy was sent before him... endured the Cross, despising the shame, though He were a Son, He learned obedience by the things He suffered is now established.

Now, Lord, we know what's wrong, and we know what's right. God, by Your Spirit, don't forsake us now, Lord. But give us the revelation of this above all else, that before the Father acts, the Son must act, but the Son must act. God, tonight we prostrated ourselves spiritually before You in our hearts, and God, say, want to die, please help to die, Lord. Because it's so hard to die. God help us, so that You can come forth, that within us there will come forth the fullness.

Now, Lord, I don’t know what else to say, but I'm trying to believe, it is going to happen. Now, unto the King Eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be all power and honor, and especially in measureable glory while You work out Your Life, through these dead lives, that are hid with Christ in God. Amen. God bless you.