The Prayer of Abraham (Part 3) -

The Prayer of Abraham

(Part 3)

'God Answers Prayer according to Need'

Bro. Lee Vayle - October ?? 1966

a) For years I've be up against thought amongst the dead fundamentalists. You see, they don't believe that you can have needs met. If you're sick, you stay sick. You glorify God by being sick. Now, that's not really true. The only way that anybody can truly glorify God, is by being completely submissive to His will. And the will of God is to heal people. Oh, if there's a lesson to learn in the sickness which we can learn, oh isn't strange that dead fundamentalists want us to learn or lessons all our lives. Well, that certainly is a pretty poor analysis, or accreditation, you want to say that to the Christian. Because, he's got to be sick all his life, because he can't learn his lesson. Well, that sure doesn't look very good for the Christian, doesn't look very good for God. That looks okay for Israel out in the wilderness, because they were the wrong seed.

They said, they didn't always err, they had never learned. They were simply carriers, they weren't real, just three out of the three million are for real. So, if we're talking about a bunch of hybrids, sure that's okay. But if you're talking about children of God, we're ordained to the end, that we learn the ways of God, and we grow up into Christ. And we learn our lessons, and show forth the praise of God.

b) So, we learned last night then as well as well as the first night that God answers not only according to need, but that is already set forth in His Word as a promise. And if there's a promise in there, remember, Paul says that we must not fall short of those promises. They're ours, and we believe in them and we receive them.

Now, and we also brought out last night that many people don't realize what they're doing in prayer. And that is magnify their own prayer above the Word of God. You see, every prayer that you utter is above the Name of Jesus. Because you say, "Lord do this, Lord, do that, give me this, and praise You for this," and so on. And you say, "In Jesus' Name."

c) Well, everything then you say is above the Name. And so, you're magnifying that Word above the Name, because that's what it is. Now, there's only one Word that's magnified above the Name of Jesus, and that is the Word of God. See, nothing else is magnified above It. So, when the Word is magnified above the Name of Jesus, the only way that anyone can correctly and sincerely and in faith pray in the Name of Jesus, is to give back to God His Own Word. (See?)

But, a lot of people will attempt to exalt their own word above the Word of God. (See?) That's why you've got all the trouble today, because in the Twentieth Century day, which is the culmination of the antichrist spirit, and with the binding up of the tares, and the garnering of the little wheat, you know that we're in harvest time.

And so, harvest time, if the seed that's bringing the harvest to this end day started in Eve rejecting the Word. One little Word, then this age will end in the people almost totally rejecting just about everything in the Word. See, they only keep what they want. And you can see what we've coming to. And this thing has been in the Pentecostal church in a most fantastic manner. They'll reject the Word of God in favor of their own word. And they'll pray their way through.

d) As I mentioned to you and showed you the conclusively that, that this last day there are many people that are anointed. And they're anointed, because they bulldoze their way through to these things on the grounds that Scripture says, "The Kingdom of God suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." [Mt 11:12b] And so they pray up a real storm, and they literally whip themselves into a place where they demand of God, (like Balaam) and they get from God those things which God said are in His sovereign jurisdiction.

Now then, if God said, "Everyone in the body of the Lord Jesus Christ that is placed there, has gifts or manifestation that were individually given him in the sovereign will of God, then anybody who goes to God and get gifts and manifestations apart from the sovereign act of God, those people cannot be seed." Because Seed receives only in the sovereignty of God. Now, if Seed receives only in the sovereignty of God, then those like Balaam receiving outside of sovereignty, tells us what they are, and the world is full of it.

e) Now, this next thing that came to pass with it, was the next step of bypassing the Word of God through prayer. And you've got that today. All you've got to do is pray in the Name. And if you pray long enough and hard enough you'll feel in yourself, well bless God, I prayed three hours, I prayed four hours, I prayed all just exactly right, and you're putting emphasis on the duration of prayer when Christ said don't do it. He said, "Your long prayers don’t count, it's your sincerity." But, I know what these prayer rooms are like, and all. And that long intense praying and all, then they smile at them and say, "Hallelujah, I got an answer from God." And it's a hundred percent off of God's Word.

Well, you can't bypass the Word of God by prayer, and people do it all the time. (See?) So, when we learn these lessons from the Bible in conjunction with prayer, it should help us so that before we pray we have already got our attitudes right. Because a wrong attitude before God will only bring chaos. See, now that's one thing we must learn, so many, many things in the Word of God we simply bypass and say, "Well, I pray about it." So, we prayed about it, well, that takes care of it." It does not.

f) There's only one plumb line and that's the Word of God. There's only one revelation, and that's the Word of God. There's only one way to know the will of God, that's the Word of God. And many people say, "I'm going to seek God." How are you going to seek God? "I'm going to pray, pray, pray." Okay, sure makes you think you're awful smart. Because Paul didn't get to seek God that way. God sought him and gave him revelation. You can only seek God by way of His Word. (See?) And that's true.

But most of you say, "I'm going to seek God."

How are you going to do it?

"Oh, I'm going to pray, I'm going to, fast."

Oh, I want to find that in the Bible. I'm not against praying and fasting. Praying and fasting is alright. But you don't bypass the Word in doing it. (See?) Like not long ago there's a... and I remember meeting a man in California, and this was a real nice sweet boy, but he was all mixed up in latter-rain and all. And he said when he got the oil upon his hand, (which he sought for) he became a very sweet, consecrated person.

g) Now, I'd like to find that in the Word. Just one teensy-weensy, little jot, or tittle about that in the Word. Now, if I can find it, I'll go for it. But, I don't find that in the Bible. What's he got? I don't know what he's got, I care less. What it is, I don't want, because It doesn't stand the test of the Word. It's the Word test is what counts. (See?) But, he prayed.

I know I preach like a... "Bro. Vayle is against prayer." Now, let me put this straight, if we have any spiritual... (I won't name the word tonight here) ...let me tell you, I am not against prayer, because I pray daily. There isn't a day go by that I mention the folk in Connecticut, unless some-thing happened where... but I'd sure get out of kilter somewhere, every day you're brought up before the Lord. I pray. But I'm going to tell you one thing, you can backslide praying as quick as anything I know. Because if you go to God a wrong way, and you're not believing properly, and you're right, and the answer doesn't come, you can get hard in your unbelief.

And there is only one way to pray and that's according to the Word. And when you do that's according to Spirit. You're praying in the Spirit, when you're praying in that Word. I’ve seen a lot of folk that claim they're praying in the Holy Ghost, talking in tongues, and getting a feeling and they're a million miles away from the Word. Right?

h) So, you see, we got to...the more we learn about prayer from illustration, and in the Word, the better off we're going to be. (See?) If there's anything in this Word God says you can have, you can have it. That takes care of it. That ends it. It's yours. Conditions to meet? Fine, meet them. Then close the Book, and God will give you that very thing, because He's bound to. Because He says He stands behind His Word to perform it.

If at any time you fulfill the conditions of this Word concerning one need, and God doesn't do it, you have proven God a liar. And when God won't do it for you, He'll send an angel and tell you. Just like He told Paul, William Branham and all the rest. He'll grant a special dispensation, and lets you know why. So, until you've heard from God by mighty Pillar of Fire, or an angel, you just take every Word and don't have one doubt, or one fear and say, "that's mine, that's mine, that's mine, that's mine." When I meet the conditions, it's all over. When it comes? I don't know when it comes, but it's coming. In fact, it’s as good as here. Close the record. Don't talk about it again, except, every day say, “Thank You Lord. Thank You for that.” (See?) It's all over. When people learn to do that they're really getting somewhere.

i) Now, we have a little lesson again tonight, and we go to and it's in Genesis 18: (it's in the next chapter from what we studied last night.) We get studying these Scriptures here, we're going to find ourselves built up so that we believe God. Now, let's bow our heads in prayer.

Heavenly Father, we approach Thy Throne again tonight in the Name of Jesus Christ. Knowing, Lord God, that without the Spirit of revelation there just isn't anything that is going to be given to me and to them, Lord, by way of what we have in our heart in this time. For, Lord God, we know that it takes Your Spirit to do it. And now, Lord, tonight we believe we’re in one accord here, because we're gathered together in Thy Name, for to hear Thy Word. And not to hear Thy Word, Lord, but to have Thy Word fulfilled in us.

Now grant, my God, that each one of us shall be so moved upon by Your Spirit, that every thought that we have shall be put out of the way. And every preconceived idea which is anti-Word to be revealed as anti-Christ. And then, Lord, we shall surely repent, and make ourselves open, Lord, to the truth, so we will not be led astray.

Now, Father, we have the guarantee of Your Spirit you've given Him to us, that we might be sealed in. And that we might be absolutely right. And that's what we want to be, Lord, we don't want to be wrong. Father, we are earnest, because too long now we have been in this place where we have not seen the reality as it should be. There's been little mercy drops here and there falling, but now for the showers we plead. We're looking to enter into the real abundance.

So, Lord, make this Word very, very real to us. O God, give liberty. And now, Lord, we know that all things are of You, and we're satisfied concerning the truth You have heard our prayers. Because asked it according to Your Word. And we give Thee glory thanking You that it's all ours, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

1. Now, we read here in the first five verses of Genesis 18:1-8

(1) And the LORD appeared unto (Abraham) in the plains of Mamre: and (Abraham) sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

(2) And (Abraham) lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

(3) And said, My LORD, if now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

(4) Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:

(5) And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort (to) your hearts; after that (you) shall pass on: for therefore are (you) come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

(6) And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.

(7) And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.

(8) And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

2. Now, you will notice here, (of course the first five verses are the ones that we have in mind, wherein Abraham is speaking, in verses 3-5. And he said,

(3) ...My LORD, if now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

(4) Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:

(5) And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

Now, first of all here, it has always amazed me why it is that Abraham was able to recognize the Presence of God so quickly. It's absolutely amazing to me that this man was sitting in the door of his tent. And he saw three men coming down the road, and he recognized One, and he ran toward that Person, and he said, "My Lord."

3. Now, of course this is exactly right. Because as a father of the faithful dealing with God by faith, the first One that you put your eyes on, as being a child of Abraham, is God. The first thing that everyone of us should look to, in every condition, in every situation, in every moment of our life, is God. Because the Scripture says, "In Him we live and move and have our being." [Acts 17:28] Now, as these three people who all appeared to be men approached unto Abraham, he was able to recognize One of them in the midst of two, as being God. So, Abraham surely was looking for God in order to recognize Him. Because you have to be looking for the specific thing in order to recognize it. It just doesn't come by happenstance.

Now, as I think of this particular situation, I look back at the lives of the Pharisees. Now, they were literally looking for Messiah. When Jesus confronted them in John 12: He spoke concerning the fact that He would be lifted up. And they said, "Now, how is it that this lifting up is going to take place? We have read in Scripture and the law that when Messiah cometh, He abideth forever." [Jn 12:34]

4. Now, they actually knew in Scripture from the Book of Isaiah, from the Psalms, from Genesis 3: from every one of their prophets that there was positively going to be a Redeemer stand upon the earth. And there He was standing before them, and they did not recognize Him under any situation whatsoever. The very time they were singing the Psalms concerning Psalms 22: and His crucifixion, as Christ was hanging upon the tree. They failed to recognize Him, though they were putting Him to death, even as the Scripture said they would do that very same thing.

Now, not only did the Pharisees fail to recognize Jesus Christ, but it is absolutely amazing as you think in fact, of Mary. Now, Mary with the two women had come to the tomb to anoint His body. And they were so sorrowful and weighted down in their hearts, because they wanted to look upon Him and put those spices around about His body on that morning of the...that would be the morning of the fourth day, because there's three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

5. But, as they came to the tomb Jesus stood beside her. And this Mary was one of whom He had cast the devils. This is the one who had been so vile all her life. And this is the one who had loved Him so tremendously. And now when she stands face to face to Him, she doesn't even recognize Him. It's also very strange that the apostles didn't recognize Him.

Remember, that He had said, "I am going to meet you in Galilee." And even told Mary and warned them, I'm going to meet them in Galilee. And yet as they went to Galilee to fish and he stood upon the bank they never recognized Him. They were not able to recognize Him. On the road to Emmaus in the Resurrection, they were not able to recognize Him. And the reason is, because they were not looking for Him. You see? They didn't have an outlook concerning it. They had lost their interest, they had lost their sharpness. They were thinking in terms of other things, rather than the Lord Jesus Christ.

6. Now, think for a moment concerning the thief upon the cross. Here was a man dying, crucified, as I explained last time I was here and showed you. How that this man was pressing in a crucified and dying Savior. Isn't it strange that this thief who was himself clinging upon a cross and saw One that was do high and so mighty, as to perform the utmost and terrific miracles as to have the most tremendous ministry, the world has ever seen, and now they've took Him and crucified Him like a malefactor. And yet as he looked upon Him, he saw what the rest couldn't see which was God.

Now, you can see if this man recognized God, from that which in itself. Which in itself, should under no consideration of the heart and mind of man, ever did begin to portray God. And it behooved us to realize that our trouble today is that we have not been looking for God, nor what God says should come in this last day. We have the same thing right today in the churches.

7. God sent us a prophet, a messenger prophet. He sent him a hundred percent according to the Word. He did absolutely everything the Word said he would do. He was not only indicated in the Word, he was vindicated by the mighty acts, he was absolutely authenticated by the Pillar of Fire. And those things which God did in the realm of science, as they would be the Pillar of Fire, not only seen by five thousand. Not only taken upon a camera on several occasions. Also seen on several occasions, but the cloud of angels which came to give him the Word, and the opening of the Seals, and absolutely vindicated on every single hand by the mighty visions and miracles wrought his ministry, so that nobody from the time of Jesus Christ had a ministry like unto his.

And even the very man, Bro. Bosworth who prayed for forty years for Almighty God to return the ministry of Christ to this earth. They did not recognize who he was. And here he was walking amongst them fulfilling the very Word of Almighty God, doing everything that God said, and they missed it. They did not recognize the man of the hour. Those same people do not recognize the Message of the hour, anymore than the Scribes and the Pharisees did. And what is it? They are not in faith. Because faith is in the Word. And when you look according to that Word, you are going to be bound to see Almighty God in that Word.

8. Now, I look at ourselves tonight, and I wonder if we are recognizing God? I'm not going to particularly indicate this is concerning Scripture, because we have seen the prophet. We knew who he was, we certainly saw and understood that there is something else we bring to our attention. Are we recognizing God everyday in our lives? I wonder, if we have come to the place where we recognize God even as Daniel did? If before Him, the three Hebrew children about to be destroyed in the fiery furnace.

And the king said, "Now, you three children, I want you to know this. If you will just fall down and worship, then you will be able to escape the fiery furnace."

And they said, "There's one thing we don't know whether God is going deliver us or not, but there is one thing that we do know, we recognize God in this thing, because God is testing us and trying us because you couldn't this thing apart from God." And because that is true, there is nothing that comes apart from God. Most of us don't want to realize that, because we have been trained too often in the negative fundamental method of trying to impute everything to the devil.

9. Well, nobody can tell me that God lets the devil take care of His children. Nobody can tell me the devil is to train us. It is God who does it. And It was God who was doing the mighty works. And they saw God in that very thing. That here was an opportunity to see what God would do in relying upon Him.

We see Daniel with the very same thing. Now, they said, "You're going to fall down and worship the statue, or you are going to God the lion's den."

And he said, "I'm not going to be too careful in giving you an answer O king." In other words, study this thing out. I'm going to tell you right to your face." If it's lion's den, it’s lion's den. That's is all there is to it.

But, you see, he saw God in it. And our problem is, we have not learned to see God in every-thing. The Scripture distinctly says, "That the trials of this life are a manifest token of God's approval."

10. Now, Jesus understood that. When the Scripture says, "The Spirit of God led Him to be tested of the devil." Now, the Spirit of God is leading Him, and the devil is throwing the barbs. Now, if the Spirit of God hadn't led Him, and the devil threw the barbs, then He'd be in bad shape. You see, that's what I showed you. The Spirit of God leads us, the devil can throw the barbs. That's legitimate, that's perfectly alright.

Now, He was tested in that time of the devil. And the devil said, "If Thou be the Son of God what are you doing in a place like this? Why don’t you make those stones bread because you're hungry?"

And He said, "It is written, man shall not live by bread alone." [Matthew 4:4a] In other words, you can see here that Jesus Christ was recognizing, and seeing God in the adverse conditions of life.

In other words, does this man Abraham could stand in the door of the tent, because of his revelation of God through the Word, His perception was so keen, because He was living and moving in God by faith, he said, "That's God." Now, I wonder how many times we missed God? I know that we missed God many, many times, because we weren't looking for Him. We just didn't see Jesus.

11. You know, the Bible tells us in chapter 12 of Hebrews that, "Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith." [Heb12:2a] Why do you do that? Because we're compassed about with all the trials of life. And everybody has trials. You can come to a place where everybody in this building have a lot of trouble and trials. What's it going to do? And now of course, if something happens in the church that really hits our hearts, and causes us all kinds of overflowing of grief and all, and many people get discouraged, and run away, because they don't see God in it. (See?)

Why? Because God is in everything. (See?) Just recognize the Presence of God. And recognize that nothing can come by chance, because if God wants to stop it, He'll stop it. Now David understood that. Where Shimei cursed him, but his own son turned against him. He was chased out of the city, said, "The rejected king." Fleeing for his very life. Shimei cursed him. And the general said, "Well, I'll go over and kill him, I'll stop his cursing."

12. And David said, "You let him curse, because God told him to curse." [2 Sam 16:11b] He under-stood how God does. Why would God tell him to curse?" Because this man David had to learn till the day he died, the hand of God in his life. And there is only one way that God deals, and we know in his last day particularly God has only one way of dealing. And He said, "As many as I love, I rebuke and I chasten be zealous therefore and repent." [Revelation 3:19] God is dealing in this last day. And as God has dealt in every day. And it's up to us to see God in everything. Not just in something, because the Bible says, "In all things give thanks, for this is the will of God concerning you." [1 Th 5:18] (See?)

David understood, he said, "Though I make my bed in hell, He's there." [Psalms 139:8] "If I take the wings of the morning and fly away, He is there." [Psalms 139:9] He said, "This thing is altogether too wonderful." He knew that the God with whom to do could be seen in every single event and eventuality, and circumstance, and personality, so he just lets everything in the hands of God. (See?)

13. Now, let us notice the next thing here. The Bible says that he ran to meet Him. He ran to meet Him. Now, this is beautiful here that you'll notice that this man Abraham instantly ran to meet

God. Now, we are a peculiar people. It seems that when we come to the place of prayer, it’s as the last resort. Now, that's not the way it should be. It should be the first resort. (See?) "Well, I finally got to trust God."

No, the man of faith is constantly trusting in God. He is garrisoned by his faith and trust in God. And this understanding of Abraham reveals what a man if insight he was, because he knew it's, "not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit." [Zech 4:6b] And in man, is going to overcome only, and he is going to be victorious, only by the might and power of God, the Spirit of God. Then the Spirit of God should not be sought last, but should be sought first. (See?) It seems that we go around life trying every single avenue. And then finally when we bump our heads against a wall enough, and we've been hammered on everything, we say, "Well, I guess I really better trust God."

14. The children of faith don't do that. The children of faith are aware like Abraham, that we put our trust in God. And we don't look around trying to put our trust in something else. The Bible says, "Cursed is man that put his trust in man, and maketh flesh his arm." [Jer 17:5a] He said, "He shall be like the heath in the desert, and they'll not see when good cometh." [Jer 17:6a] In other words, the good things of God can be there, but because people are not looking for God and His goodness, judging by appearance and not running toward God in all things. No sir! They never learn.

Look at Jonah running away from God. Our eyes are not to be made up of lives of fear. Just like Adam and Eve, what did they do? The first thing they did is run away from God. (See?) Man has a propensity to run away from God. And that's not the way it should be. (See?) We should be quick to recognize God in everything. No matter what happens, recognize Him, and then lean hard upon God, and let God do it. This fleeing from God causes us a great deal of trouble.

I don't believe there is one of us here tonight that doesn’t understand that, because we've had a lot of troubles by running away from God. We've had a lot of trouble of not putting God first, by leaving it in the hands of God. But you see how quickly that the Scripture says, "He ran." (See?) He ran, he hastened to God. What he did concerning God he did in a hurry. In other words, he was on the alert to keep himself fully in the realm of the Spirit of God. Now, most of us aren't that way. (See?) And that's exactly why we say we have these various troubles. And we just don't get along as we ought to get along.

15. All right, another thought I see about the fact that Abraham ran to meet God. I look in here how many of us are quick to buy up the opportunity to come our way. You know, that you can't buy any opportunity up, except you understand that one man problem is your opportunity? I never thought that there would come a day when I would be able to say just a fraction of what Paul said. I can't even quote just exactly what he said. But, he brings out in 2 Corinthians, I believe is, about the fact that when somebody has a problem it becomes your blessing. Because if they didn't have a problem, you couldn't be by being a blessing by solving the problem. And that's the way God is.

If we didn't have problems, we'd never know the God who solves problems. It took...we had to be sinners for God to save us. We had to be sick for God to heal us. We had to be broke for God to give us care. We had to be friendly before God could be our friend. And all of these things.

16. I here is somebody, and I just learned the last little while, because I found it is much easier to get money then it is to give money. I don't know what you people are like. But, I find it harder to give away, then it is to get it. There was a time that I thought of both. It was awful hard to get it, but it was twice as hard to give it away. It wasn't the I had syrup on my fingers, but I had a sticky heart. And every time my money went, my heart bled. [laughter] It bled money.

But finally, it come to the place now where I been so happy, and I hate to tell a fellow this, because I'm not going to let him know who gives him the money. Because it’s none of his business, where he gets it. I can talk to you, because you never meet the fellow. But I now about a man in this Message, left a good job in Texas, went back to Mexico with his wife and children. They have not even forks and knives in their home, they have no dishes so eat off the cornhusks. They have no floor in the house, so they live on the bare ground. They don't have anything to eat, so they take heart out of the cactus. And I got very happy about it. You say, "How can you be happy about it?" Because I'm going to do something about it. (See?) And I did do something about it. I'm glad to hear when there is somebody who really needs, because now I can meet his needs. (See?)

17. Now, that's what we need to understand about running toward God. Be quick to buy up the opportunity. (See?) Not to show off or anything. No, that's not it at all. But, I've got to talk strong this way, and I make it person, because there is no use talking about Joe Bush doing it. That's no value to me. It's only if I myself know something of this thing. That's what Paul said. How he said, "The only way that you can comfort anybody else, is with the comfort whereby you were comforted, of God when you got in trouble. (See?)

So therefore, people have problems, and God has met those problems then you can say, "Praise the Lord, I'll tell you how it's done." (See?) It's got to be a practical, know so, workable bases. And let's face it, to God it was so practical to know how to put this world here, and hang it upon nothing and keep it spinning, that Word of His better be practical too. Because that's the Word to produce it. (See?)

18. Now, we can look back and say, "What a wonderful Word, He can do these things in, and we're certainly in the Word." So, we ought to be anxious to do things, to grasp the opportunity. As I said, not to be vain glory. Too often times don't you do it and so on. No, no, no, God give us opportunity daily. If fact the Scripture says, "Many have entertained angels unaware." [Heb 13:2b] And in fact we know by the visions that are taking place in this earth here, as it was in the time of dear Saint Thomas when he was a soldier, and he was still a catechumen [religious pupil] as they say, barely converted, learning the Word of God, that when the beggar was in the street dying of cold and hunger, (and you can read him in the Carthusian fathers, and various books, it's all extant today) and when he saw him lying there and he couldn't give him his own coat, (because he couldn’t live without it) so he cut the coat in two. And he gave half the coat to the beggar, wrapped him up, and that gave him the warmth to live for the night. Otherwise he would have died.

And that night the Lord appeared in a vision and said, "Thomas, ..." (Though he is a catechumen, in other words though he was inexperienced, and though he was just learning, he was acting like a mature Christian. You See? "When I was in want, He gave me." It's the same Scripture says, "I was naked and you clothed me." [Mt 25:36a]

19. And so it is, that God gives the opportunity. So, we should never feel bad that when trouble happens to us, because it is giving God an opportunity. (See?) And we should rejoice that God is now able to do something for us. And we can also keep a ‘weather’ eye open, to see if we can help somebody, and rejoice we've got the opportunity. Why? Because you can't give anything but God gives it back. You're laying up in store, you're also setting up the thought of when you showed compassion, someone else will show compassion on you. I can show you by Scripture that if you don't show compassion, some...you'll never have compassion shown upon you. (See?) And Abraham ran, he ran to meet God. He ran to buy up the opportunities. A glass of cold water given in His Name shall not leave his reward. (See?)

Now, notice also when he ran to God, he was fulfilling the Scripture that says, "Without Me, you can do nothing." [Jn 15:5b] Most of us as I say we try to work on our own little bit and see how it works out. It's going to fail. It just isn't going to work. (See?)

20. Anything done without the Spirit of God is a dead loss. That's why this last day and age is such a dead loss. They all talk about having the Holy Ghost, but the Bible distinctly says, "You need to come to Me for gold, for raiment, for the eye-salve, and anoint the eyes with eye-salve." [Rev 3:18] Proving that they don't have the Holy Ghost, so why should He say, "Come for it?”

Now, if you already had the Holy Ghost, He couldn't say, "Come and get it." Because when He says, "Come and get it," means he hadn't got it. Now, they can talk all they want about having the Holy Ghost, but they haven't got it. (See?) Because why? They're not depending on the Holy Ghost, they're depending on money. (See?) Sure, it is. They're depending on prestige. See, your great societies depend upon men with doctorates, and they're great fine men. And yet you look in the magazine, whether it's is 'Life', or 'Look', I don’t know what it is, looked the other night. And here is this fellow with a 'rock and roll' ministry. And he knows that in this dead church that he's in, that he wants to get away from dead academic, understanding. (See?) Yet the churches insist on the dead academic, understanding of the Word. But he knows it doesn't work. But the churches that are fundamental today with dead fundamentalism, (even the Pentecostal's) they're yearning to show the world how wonderful they are, and they fit.

21. Well, when you fit with the world, you don't fit with God. Because they don't walk together. Light and darkness don't have any fellowship period. Now, you can't tell them that. And that's exactly why they're going to get stuck right in the ecumenical society. And they can talk in tongues and prophesy and manifest all they want, and have their altar calls, but it’s ''Thus Saith the Lord' they're going to go back, because it's right in the Bible. Because light and darkness don't mix. (See?) And they're right in there. (See?) No, they have turned from God. They turned from God the minute they organized, they turned from God.

Because... God said, "I'm going to be your Protector, Provider." But they say, “I'll tell you want we'll do, we'll protect and provide for ourselves. Now, we'll protect ourselves by getting together and forming a fellowship. We'll write a little book, and then we'll keep out evil."

22. Oh, keep out evil? Do you think your doctrine will keep out evil? Why, your churches can subscribe to the purest doctrine, and the preachers live in the vilest sin. I bet you when the priest takes an oath, you don't find that the oath saying one solitary thing about that man living in sin. And yet we know the priests for ages have lived in diabolical sin. Although now they clean themselves up to win the masses. We know that's right in history. There's no controversy concerning it, we absolutely know the truth.

All you've got to do is read history to see how vile the popes were. How they filled their papal choirs with their paramours and bastard sons. It's right there, and even how a woman fooled the whole bunch, and she had a baby in the street. And she... had been ordained the pope, she fooled...whether she’s homosexual or not, I don't know. But I know one thing, the records run out. That's why they undress and everything else now days. Organization doesn't do one thing keeping it clean. The minute that you run any direction but straight towards God and everything it's the whole story of Adam and Eve running away from God.

23. It’s going toward God. This man ran toward God. And when a person instantly takes a step towards Him, it shows the absence of fear. It shows perfect trust. It shows they know the way of abundant life. (See?) Because the Scripture says, "God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of love of a sound mind."[2 Tim 1:7]

And again, we know the Scripture that says in Luke 1:74, I believe It is, speaking concerning the fact that we may serve Him without fear. I think Zechariah is using that term.

Now, the disciples knew that, when they took them in jail and whipped them. They didn't come out running from God, they immediately went to God. And they said, "Lord, we can see Your hand in all this, let Your hand move, O God, but You back us up with Your signs and wonders."

24. Now, the next thing you notice here, the Scripture says that Abraham ran and he bowed himself to the ground. Now, this is an act of recognition of God's greatness, because it's a humility which we need to extend toward God. As the Scripture says concerning Christ, "Though He were a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things that He suffered." [Heb 5:8] And He knew the way of the Cross, as the Scripture says in Romans 12: "Every man ought to think soberly, not according to his own thought, but to think soberly." And we are sons of God, but there ought not be any pride about it. For what have we today, except we received it? And what are we except God made it? So therefore, if any man glory let him glory in the Lord.

And so, as Abraham ran and bowed himself, we see this in humility. And this humility today is lacking. It is lacking mainly because of a gift ministry so called. Everybody is vying to be what they think somebody ought to acclaim them for.

25. Now, this is a Corinthian situation, because in the old days, "I'm of Paul, I'm of Cephas, I'm of so and so." [1 Cor 1:12b] And Paul said, "That is wrong." And then he went so far as to say, "Shame on you, (he said) the whole bunch of you lie in sin, because (he said) you are examining yourselves and you are comparing yourselves." [2 Cor10:12b]

And we've got comparison today. "I've got the biggest tent. I got the greatest ministry. I said the most. I talk the best. I've been nearest the prophet. I've had this, I've had that." Carnality on every hand. (See?) That's not it at all. It's a life of humility, which is the life of meekness, is the life of God has great love and respect for.

26. And this man Abraham, the father of the faithful are those he literally could have stood up and talk to God eye to eye, lip to lip, which is fine. You’ll notice that he ran and he fell at His feet. The Scripture says, "The eye shall not say, because I am the eye, and I'm not the foot, I'm just a fine person. and the fingers shall not say, because I'm just a finger, and I'm not the eye I am nothing."

No sir! Because every part, every part is ordained of God, and the uncomely parts have some-thing given to them to make up for those that seem to have more effective ministry. Prayer is not the power to call down the flames of fire upon the adversary. But prayer, most of the time is our way of going to God to humble ourselves so that God can do anything He wants to do for us, and with us. We kind of think that prayer is going to God and making God do something. If we understand this thoroughly, and understand the way of humility we'll understand that this is grace.

27. Because over in Romans 4:16, It says, "It is of grace that it might be by faith, that the promise might be sure to all the Seed." (See?) Grace is a humble thing. It's not that you deserved it. It's not that you told God to do it. It's not that you've bargained with God to do it. It's the fact as you put yourselves in a place for God to do what He said He would do. And that means humility. Because as I said a while back and keep talking about every now and then, the conditions that have to do with the promise. Like, "I am the Lord that healeth thee." [Ex 15:26] That's true, but He also said, "To humble ourselves." [Jas 4:10a] And He also said, "To confess our faults." [Jas 5:16a] (See?)

And we need to learn those things. And humility is a tremendous part of Christianity. Humbling ourselves even unto the Cross, and the way of the chastening of Almighty God. Yielding to God. (See?)

Now, you will notice here that he ran and he worshipped God. He did. You notice he said, "I pray Thee, don't pass from the sight of Thy servant. Let me come and bring You some water, and wash Your feet." [Genesis 18:3-4] In other words, what is this man doing? He is making much of the Presence of God. You see? Making much of the Presence of God.

28. Now, what was it? Let's just take an instance of our own experience here in this day, because we're in last day. We know that the Pillar of Fire, descended which was the Angel of the Covenant, which was Jesus Christ. The One who descended with a Shout, (the Message) was Jesus Christ. It wasn't William Branham. He merely took the Message and became the mouth piece for God. That's all it amounted to. Because of William Branham produced it, from anything that William Branham had, let me assure you, what you heard William Branham say, (phfft!) to that! It’s not worth a nickel. Because you can't live on what William Branham said. It's got to be God.

That's why the Bible said, "The Lord Himself descends with the Shout." [1 Thessalonians 4:16a] And the Lord Himself did descend, and bring the Message. But, we've not been prophets we couldn't hear It. But when we heard It on his lips, It was God speaking to us. Now, I'm not saying that William Branham was God, I said God spoke to us. Remember, God took Balaam's ass and talked too. (See?) But God uses prophets. So therefore, we heard God speak in the prophet.

Direct from the Pillar of Fire gave him just what God gave Moses, and what God gave Paul. Now, we know that to be true. Now, the thing is this: remember that night after night, Bro. Branham with the sign of Messiah would say, "He's here." And he warned us, if we could only really believe, then, the people would be healed. But, you know something? Too many people made too much of the man. And they made far too much of signs, but they didn't realize they're right in the Presence of the Pillar of Fire hanging though invisible. And they didn’t' make a lot of God. And they should have.

29. The worship of God in his meetings was pitiful. And I know, it literally broke his heart to see it. Because as soon as the meeting is over, they'd all rush like mad dogs to the exits. Didn't much matter. The very fact that he had the great power of God, and with that prophet vindicated by God so people would hear him speak, the minute that he stopped doing the great miracles, and gifts the way that Jesus did it, then right away the crowd left him. They weren't there to worship God. (See?)

The people of faith worship God. Everything that is done in their lives is an open door to the Presence of God to worship God. To make much of God. To exalt God. Now, it's fine to worship God in the man, now that's good. Most people never saw God in the man. They didn't know God was in the man, but God's in you and me too. Paul said, "They worship God in me." He also said, "Under a special anointing, people will worship God in you."

30. The song that says, "Let other see Jesus in me," is not a lie. It's true. Because the Son of man should be revealed in us. And when the people saw God revealed in the man, the peculiar thing is, how come, they didn't receive him as a messenger of God and the revelation, when they knew that all that they could produce they'd never see an ounce of God in the whole bunch of what they saw in William Branham? Because, my own testimony has always been, right in His Presence. And I wouldn't say behind his back and not to him, because I said it personally. I love miracles, but I wouldn't be interested to see him. I wouldn't walk across the street with any great relish to see him raise the dead, except I knew what kind of a man he was. I could see something in him that was real. (See?)

That's where it should be with us. (See?) And that worship of God is a secret so the people can see God in us. Because if ever a man was sincere about God he was. Now, that's what God said to Abraham the first the father would say. But, be sincere, (see?) and he was sincere. Now, we need a sincerity. We are in despite need of sincerity. (See?) Make much of the Presence of God.

The very fact tonight we have Scripture saying, "Where two or three gathered in My Name, there am I in the midst." [Mt 18:20] The Scripture goes right on to say that, "No man can do a miracle in the Name Jesus and then speak lightly of Him." [Mk 9:39] And you'll find that every man that has a miracle ministry exalts Jesus Christ like Christ said he would. In other words, they talk about Him, they exalt Him in the sense of the words of their lips and all. But they don't speak evil against Him. But the act evil against Him, because they go right against this Word, in about anything they do. (See?)

31. Now, if Christ is in our midst tonight by the fact that He said He was, then we ought to make much of God, and worship God and realize it. (See?) That's the main factor here, don't get carried away in the letter of the Word. (See?) I don't even care if a woman should even preach or not, and she did get out of order. I don't want my heart to rebel against her and fuss and this and that. Just have a real spirit and worship God, say, "Hallelujah." Well, there'll be a perfect church someday. It might be in the Resurrection, I don't know. Don't get fooled with the letter of the Word. I do this, and you do that. See, we're okay now. I know, the letter killeth, it's in the Spirit. Christ is here. (See?)

And if He is here, then He's here forgiving as well as He is leading. As someone should have a little error, let the little error be, don't fuss about it too much, try to correct in a sweet way and see what happens, but lean on the Lord. The one thing that Bro. Branham warned of the last day, "Don't fuss over anything," But we've been doing it. I didn't go to the June meetings, because he warned me not to go. I was all prepared to go and sit down with my brethren, and admit I said certain things. I shouldn't said it, I know that, a big blabber mouth. They did it, but I shouldn't have said it. Let him do it. No man can do, so I don't feel too bad now. Not up to me to talk about the man. As Bro. Bill said, “He had many strikes against him.” But I did. I knew that I said it. I was willing to go there, lay it all on the line. God said, "Don’t go." Would have caused division.

32. Our job is to forget what is done against us. Never mind, what they do, you try to help the other guy, because he's in a bad fix if you do a thing like that. But I blew my stack, I didn't like it. And I talked about it. For the first thing you know, I got a nice letter from Africa telling all about me. I should read it to you. I didn't know that I was that kind of a guy. But it served me right, I had it coming. Bible says, "Criticize not, but they'll criticize you." I could retaliate, no point.

As I said, I'm not like Moses, he had forty years to mess around in, forty years to learn, and forty years to make good. I'm fifty-two I'm not going to get another eighty years, as far as seventy years as I know to learn. I've had my forty to mess around in, but I'm not getting forty to learn in. [Laughter] It's just like the case, God's got to do a quick work in this boy. [laughter] That's that problem. See, we're not learning as we ought to learn, and we've got to.

33. Now, looking at this fact of humility again, and making much of the Presence of Almighty God. We ought to examine our hearts tonight. And let's really be honest under this ministry that we're looking for. What are we looking for? All right, supposing we look for a tent with a great miracle ministry. What is that going to do for it? I thought we were looking for Jesus. (See?) I just can't see concerning many things people believe about. I can't get myself all fussed up about it, and I refuse to do it. Because that's...this is once more in the class where he missed the boat. What is it? Is it Christ, or Christ's work? Now, let me assure you, Christ works are no avail, it's Christ! (See?)

The Bible doesn't say that if you now look to your own works, the works of Christ are no avail. It says, "You that are under law, Christ has become of none effect." (See?) Doesn't say one thing about the works of Christ. Let's put it right down the line, Christ is His works. Because everything that you and I do is us. Because we can't do anything else but what is us. (See?) So, it is with Christ.

34. Now, [A.B] Simpson [1843-1919] wrote the song: [From the hymn 'Himself ']

Once it was the gift, and now it's the giver.

Once it was a blessing, and now it's a blesser.

Once it was the attributes of life, and now it's the life itself. (See, and so on.)

We have been great for manifestation. But now it's for the Manifestor. Who is the Manifestor? He's the Word. When 'Thus Saith the Lord' is in the Bride, is because the Word is fully formed in the Bride, then Christ is fully formed in the Bride, because Christ and the Word are one. (See?)

Man can't be satisfied with answers. Well, I've got a thousand answers, and I'm not satisfied with it. It leaves you cold. A Christian religion without Christ really, truly manifested in a real revelation by the Spirit is just like this modern day and age, when parents say, "I don't understand my kids. I've gave them everything they wanted, and look what they've done." Fifteen-year old boy raped a girl and killed her. Millionaire in New York is living with a girl who also had a lot of money, gave her an overdose of drugs, killed her. Right here I believe, what is it, Connecticut itself where these rich New Yorkers came out, and you've got somewhere near here, you've got a wild bunch of kids, they knocked down homes, they invaded parties, they've done every rotten thing. They've got wife swapping amongst their parents, and God knows what they do. What did it? Just the same Christianity’s got today. They've been looking for manifestation, apart from Manifestor.

35. Abraham didn’t say, "Oh, here's God, hallelujah, now I can milk them dry, bless God, glory to God, let's see something from God. Oh glory, give a fee back, and forth. Come on boy, come on quick." They worship God. Come on now, that's the modern Twentieth Century spirit, "let's hold a big tent meeting, hallelujah. I'm going to go to that church, I hear there's gifts, glory to God, oh boy, you watch I'll get some done... whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo, glory." Oh yeah, I know, I've been all through it myself.

What's it going to do for you? I never saw such carnality today. The man with the biggest tent in America stands up and he laughs in your face, and he said I want twenty, twenties in Harrisburg. You don't believe it, we'll go and see the guy and see if I'm right or not. All my friends told me the same story, said, "I want twenty, twenties." And nobody made a move. He said, "You Pentecostal's, (he said) you make me laugh, (he said) you're the easiest ones to sucker. I'll get my twenty." Laughed in his face.

36. He took his microphone and a big long cord and walked down, and said, "Hey, you in the blue shirt, you're going to give me twenty, aren't you?" Because he said, "You know what's wrong with you?" He told them all about himself, and the guy looked at him and came forth to give him twenty dollars, you’re going to get something now. Never mind about the giver, let's get the gift."

And before you could say, "Jack Robinson, (especially, Rabbi Jack Robin, [BV chuckles] did I say that?) and their ushers are on the rug right beside the fellow on either hand. And they were pouring out of the audience with their purses to give a twenty-dollar bill. Now, I want to find just one teensy-weensy, weensy, weensy place in the Bible, where that's the Word. But nobody will deny that God will produce those manifestations, because they can't, they’re there.

37. But Abraham didn't run and say, "Let's get the manifestation." What puzzles me, is in the midst of manifestation, that this fellow could pick out the real One. Because there were three men manifested. One was angel, the middle One was God Himself. There's only one God. He said, "My Lord," not lords, and here on the other side was an angel. We know it, because two of them went down to Sodom, they're angels.

And here was Abraham, he could go right to the One that was God. Oh, there shall come many false prophets in the last days, but there's got to be a real one. And I’m not feeling proud that I knew which was which. But I'll tell you one thing, my heart was closed to those men before I ever met Bro. Branham. Because our first time together in '53, and I don't hold anything back from anybody, because I don't give a rip. I'm just that stupid, and that big a fool.

And I said, "Bro. Branham, I can't see these tent meetings lasting, and I can't see the revival center, because I can't see what they're doing as of God."

And he looked at me kind of funny, and then he said, "You're right, exactly right, because that's not right." But it wasn't till over ten years later that he preached that sermon of 'The Anointed Ones at the End Time' [65-07-25]

38. You know, we can't be satisfied with the pretty packages the bread comes in. There's a time that you've got to have bread. And we cannot be satisfied any more than Abraham without God. But can we recognize Him like Abraham? Because let's face it, if God could stand face to face with mankind, and mankind couldn't recognize God. But it took and old crucified thief to recognize Him. All the rest failed. They even had revelation, they'd whooped it up and said, "Thou art the Christ." And they all walked off.

But, this old thief dying, he said, "You're God," and he stuck with it. And he must have been a child of Abraham, because he saw God and he stuck with God, and he said, "You're God, I can tell You're God." In other words, You're real. The reality is what we want, it's in the person that's real.

39. Now notice, let's go to [Genesis 18:] verse 4 and 5 now,

(4) Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:

(5) And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that (you'll) pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as (you’ve said, go ahead and do that.)

Now, you'll notice here that Abraham has a personal relationship to God by service. The Scripture says, "When thou prayeth enter into thy closet." [Mt 6:6a] We should do that. But we should never, ever expect prayer to take the place of a service. Like as I said a while ago, there are too many people attempt to bypass the Word of God by praying. Now, we cannot bypass the Word, the action of the Word by praying. (See?) The only thing to do is to obey the Word of God. As one person once said, "Back up your prayers by putting feet on them." And we understand that in its right sense, it doesn't mean now that you prayed, answer your own prayers. It means that when you prayed about a certain thing and there's some condition to meet, something to do, then do it.

. Now, God wants us to worship Him. But He doesn't want anybody thinking for a minute that the service lies in the hierarchy, or it lies in somebody else. Because everybody has something to do in the things of God.

40. Now, you can see that here, because it mentions these ministries in 12th chapter of the Book of Romans. We'll just take a look at this for a second to get a little picture of It. Now, this is the Book on Abraham. Now, he says here in [Romans] 12:4-8

(4) For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:

You see, not that the same office means 'duties'. (See?) Because that's...why have an office if there's no duty? What's the office of a mayor? The duties of a mayor. What's the office of an accountant? The duties of an accountant. (See?) Now,

(4) For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: (or the same function.)

(5) So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. (We can't get along with each other.)

(6) Having then gifts differing (of)… the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, (we) prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

(7) Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;

(8) Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. (And so on.)

You see, right on down the line, it shows that everybody has a function in the body of Christ.

41. Now, prayer does not bypass it. (See?) Prayer is a function in the life of everybody. Now, we have often heard of people that are called intercessors. And when we do we say, "Oh goodie, they're doing all the praying, that'll just let me out." Ever hear of someone, he's got a ministry of giving. Oh, goodie, let him go down, that lets me out. And there's somebody doing this. Oh goodie. He'll do that, that lets me out. (See?) And there's too much, ‘passing the buck’, in plain English. Now, a lot of us have had this propensity to say, "Well, I'm praying about it." (See?) Rather than to do something about it.

Now, the Word of God says about the man that needs help, you don't say, "Well, I'll pray for you." Do something for him. (See?) Now, that's what Abraham said. (See?) He worshipped God, but he acted, before God. And that's what we need. We need action.

42. Now if there is something that should be done, Paul says, "Do it!" That if you know there's something that should be manifested, like the taking up of the offering. He said, "Now you've all agreed, you want to help the poor folk in Jerusalem, (he said) take it up, do it, don't just talk about it." (See?) You don't examine yourself and say, "Can I afford it." No, there's no problem there.

The point is, is there something that can be done, do it! (See?) And that what this is, and what I see in Abraham, ran to worship Him. But just didn't worship Him and bow down. He said, "I want to do something for you."

Now remember, in doing for people, you're doing for God. Because, "If you've done it to the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto Me." [Mt 25:40b] But notice, on top of that: not only do we do things, but we minister to God. Now, here's something that we have not done much of in the last few years. We have not ministered to God. We have been very slack in giving our time in pure worship to God.

43. Now, I don't mean the kind that Peter, "Here, amen, hallelujah, raise your arms, praise God. Where's John? Raise your arms, praise God!" That's a time I want to sit on my hands and say, "Shut up bud." Because when you can tell me to get down on my face and weep, that's the time I'll listen to you. (See?)

But the people should praise God! One fellow down south calls me a dead theologian. Because I'm not going to make people whump up. But I've had it in my sermons, time after time, even seven [hundred and] fifty, and more, seven [hundred and] fifty, more than that. Stand to their feet when nobody said one word and raise their hands and praised God for half, to one hour. But I never tell a man stand up and praise God. Because if you don't want to worship God, my telling you to worship God isn’t worth a nickel, it’s psychology, emotion. And I'm going to stick with the Word honey, [taps on the Bible] because there's only one way.

But I repeat, one of the things that we have are failing to do is ministering to God. If I say again, that's why William Branham's ministry was so absolutely fabulous was because of his constant ministering to God. He loved the Lord, and he worshipped the Lord. And you can tell when that man sang, he didn't need a beautiful voice. He had the most beautiful voice in the world, because there's nothing more beautiful than the spirit of holiness, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. So, he could sing in a way that no one could approximate, because it was in the Spirit of Almighty God. And he preached in the Spirit of God.

44. You can even hear those tapes yet today, that are absolutely confusing as far as wondering exactly what he said. But you know, he said something so real that you'd die for it. You didn't know what he said. It's takes a long time to figure some of those tapes out. It's hard. Because he seems to say one thing exactly opposite to what he said a breath ago. But it wasn't it at all. Wasn't exactly opposite. (See?) It was just because we're slow to understanding. But to minister to God. See, to worship God. There ought to be more personal worshipping of God. (See?) Singing praise, making melody in the heart. Everything that has breath praise the Lord and all, all these things. (See?)

We worship God in a service, we worship God by ministering. And the Scripture distinctly says, "We are high priests unto God, we're ministers unto God." And which we surely do. We offer the...the Bible says, "The calf of our lips." [Hos 14:2b] Which is the sacrifice of our lips. In other words, It's like people years ago would take an animal and slay it. But now we don’t, we worship God, and we praise Him.

45. Now, you'll notice in here, (this chapter which I read from) [Gen]18: go back to It, and He said here, now watch it:

(5) ...I will fetch a morsel of (meat, I love) bread, and comfort your hearts; after that (you) shall pass on: for therefore are (you) come to your servant...

Now, you notice what Abraham said here. He said, "The reason that you came, the reason that you came to this service, the reason God, why You're meeting me here, and why You've come into my presence, the reason that You did it was in order for You to be worshipped and served."

Now, that's exactly what God said to Israel when they were in Egypt. He said, "Take them out, but they didn't even worship Me." And they worshipped God. Then He said, " Now lead them out so that that they'll serve Me. I brought you out to serve Me." (See?) Now, that's exactly what Abraham knew.

46. Now, we know that that's right, because It's in the Word. God wants us to worship Him and to serve Him. It's not to serve others, it's to serve God. And whatever we do is in service toward God. And the Scripture says, and Abraham said it, the father of the faithful, he said, "The reason You're here is that we might worship You and serve You."

Now, every single vision that God ever gives anybody, or any revelation God gives anybody, or any meeting where God’s Presence is manifested is to the very end that we worship God and serve Him better then when we came in. That we know Him better, worship Him better, and serve Him better.

Now, every meeting that God manifested Himself when Bro. Branham was here, was to the very end that people really worshipped God. But they didn't, except for a few. And to go away and serve Him better, but they didn't. The served their organization and served their own end. When Christ was upon earth actually He came to the very end to give people a revelation of God, and to that end they might worship Him. And He said, "They that worships God must worship in Spirit and in truth." [Jn 4:24] And then also not to just worship, but to be of service. (See?) But how many did it? (See?)

47. Now, we come together. And every single meeting that we come together in, is to what? Is to meet with God. Why meet with God? Why do you want to meet with God for? Figure it out. To get something? No, we've been taught that, though haven't we? And the last day tent meetings have surely been the ones to put the seal on it. Come and get the most.

One fellow says, "Now, everybody says the same thing, signs, wonders, miracles." The only signs you see are dollars signs, and you wonder where the miracles are." [laughter] That’s about all I can say about the whole shamozzle. You see one or two things happen, sure. But will you come to serve and worship? God no, …we come to look at a man's minister of gifts and give him a lot of money. But he can boast, I get a new Cadillac every year, he says. Well, so what? I can have a Cadillac too, not a new one of course. [laughter] I'm not interested. Almost anybody could if they really set their mind.

48. You can take any law of faith and make it work. Your witch doctor makes the law of faith work too. But they watch the man, but that's not it. But every service should be what? A service consecrated to the real worship of God. An empathy, he called it.

It's not just as it were just the flow, but it's a merging and a flowing into, so that we will not know where God starts, and man leaves off, or man leaves off and so on. They've got a divine flow to really minister to God. To love Him, to worship Him, and then to come away to serve Him better. Why? Because the Bible says, "To forsake not the assembling yourselves together in the last day; and so much the more as you see the day approach, but provoke each other" [Heb 10:25]

That word 'provoke' means; to 'stir up', to literally excite to paroxysm [outburst] you see. To works of good, and works of love and all. In other words, to get people stirred up, to serve God by showing Him forth to mankind, doing everything that's good and kind and righteous. (See?)

49. Now, do our meetings have that? Well, It says right here, that this man worship God to the end. That’s knelt before God and pray to the end, that God might be worshipped in a new and living way, and that He might serve all the better. And he said, "Lord, the very reason that You came here is that we might worship You.

Now, if the says, "That we might worship Him in Spirit and in truth, and He gave us the Spirit, then the reason that God come in the Holy Ghost is that we worship God." (See?) Make much of God. And then what does He say? Without Me it means nothing? So, the next step then is to what? Serve Him. Why is there a church meeting? Not just because we heard a prophet, if that the way it is, forget it. I can take Bro. Branham's tapes and memorize them. If I've got a good memorizing mind, I can turn out just like a Baptist, Presbyterian, Nazarene, Methodist, you name it. I can be way in the Message and know as much as Bro. Branham, and miss it a million miles. Got to have more than that, it's got to be the Spirit that was in him. It's got to be the love, and understanding. See to worship. For why? Why did God send a prophet? So, that we'd worship God, get us back to God.

50. And then what we serve God. (See?) And we've got the strength, we've got the Holy Ghost. We've got the Word to go by He led us back for you, if you can say and do anything you want. If it's apart from that Word it's not God, say what you want. Because God and His Word is one.

So, why are we here even tonight? Why is God in our midst? You say, "I don't know it either, but He's got to be, because where two or three are gathered in His Name. Just in His Name alone He's got to be there. But why is He here? He's here that we may worship Him. And then leave Him, serving Him better. Better servants.

51. Now, let us go over the whole thing for a minute. The fact that Abraham prayed, and we see it he recognized God. Right? How can you recognize God? Three men coming down the road, just that simple. He knew, he had a sharp eye for God. Furthermore, I want to tell you, it's a pretty dumb kid that his father can fool. God was Abraham's Father. And Abraham was sharp. God couldn't fool him. In fact, He didn't try to fool him. He wasn't trying to fool anybody.

You know God is not as mysterious as people think. He can't be. Because He's got to be knowable. If He wants us to know Him, then He must be knowable. And Abraham said, "There's God." The other fellow looked around, “I don’t see Him.” Sure. The children of Abraham were in the flesh only, they stood before the very God Himself, that He had become flesh. And one man said, "Thou art the Christ."

And they said, "That fellow the Christ, you've got to be sick, He's the other fellow. See, He's not the woman's Seed. He's Satan's seed. Serpent seed."

52. You've got the same thing right today. People are going to recognize God in the ecumenical sign and they're going to produce antichrist. Because It says, "there's one who’s going to come in his own name, and him you will receive." [Jn 5:43b] Going to be just like He said, recognizing God. These men around the world they can't recognize God. They have tongues and they equate tongues to God. They say, "You receive the Holy Ghost by speaking in tongues." Which is a lie.

The only thing you could say which would even begin come near Scripture is this: you receive the Holy Ghost and then speak in tongues. But they don't say it anymore. Of course, I don't believe that, because you all don't speak in tongues. If you're going to talk in tongues and God wants you to talk in tongues, or you desperately want to, you receive the Holy Ghost first, then you speak in tongues. But these people say, "You receive the Holy Ghost by speaking in tongues. (See?) They don't care what the Bible says. Recognizing God? They don't. You can only recognize God, by recognizing His Message for the day. They don't recognize the Message today.

53. Now, where is the immediate worship in humility and beauty? All they saw in him was a drawing card, just like they saw in Christ. When they looked they said, "Ah ha, this is the man we're looking for, I think this will be the one who will take everybody's eye, and will raise up and take the whole thing over." The Pentecostal saw Bro. Branham do the same thing and they said, "Oh boy, just came on our side to take the whole thing over." He filled their churches up to the brim. But, they missed God. (See?)

What is our job? To worship God in beauty and in humility. And then what? The desire for continued relationship with God to make much of His Presence. Because he said, "Lord, I can't let You go away."

"Let's go to church tonight, then at ten o'clock we'll go home, bless God, and that will take care of it, done our duty." Go back to doing something else. That's the way life is. Isn't it? The carnality. (See?)

Now, with Bro. Branham gone, let's look for somebody else. "Hey Josh, where are you." And that Josh down in the south now. I heard a tape the other day where this fellow down south just ate one of my dear friends out from Arizona. Took him up one side and down the other. And he said, "I asked Him, where is your word for it? Where is the Word of God for it?"

And this brother said, "I don't have any Word."

And he said, "That I'll prove to you a Word greater than you got." Then he turned around and he said, "Bro. Brown, when you wrote that article on Joshua on Bro. Junior..."

54. What did I say to you, when I said for you to write, and you said you couldn't write. And what did I say? I said, "You go out there and you seek God and write. And didn't you see him the next day and say what you had written God took a hold of your pen?"

That's not in the Bible, ...?... I'm not fussing about that fellow. But it's kind of strange, isn't it? He can say anything he wanted. It's got to be Bible, because he said so. But nobody could say any-thing, because it goes against. What a mess. What a funny situation. I think today we really need to get our eyes on God, and begin looking for God. I'm not looking for any prophets or anything else. Either this is it, or forget it. I'm satisfied. I'm satisfied no man living could make the Word of God dovetail like that man made It dovetail. No, but the desire for continued worship.

55. Not looking for someone else now, we saw God. We saw God revealed in the flesh of a man. Now, we're going to go ahead and just wait on God. Because now it's going to be many members reveal Him more. We missed it, it's got to be somebody else.

And every service, and every time we come together, what is it? It's to engage ourselves in a higher order of prayer, and a greater efficiency of serving God by ministering to Him, and ministering to others.

"Lord, I'm going back to that place to get charged up, so that I can serve You better by worship, and I can serve my fellow man better. I'm coming together in order to praise Your great Name, and hear from everybody what God's doing so I can go out and find another way to serve God a little better." (See?)

56. I'm not against testimony, I’m for them. He had God so something for you, and you've seen a way to serve God, not to bring out your pet doctrine and some pet theory. And maybe some little Scripture say, "Look, the Scripture works. And I'll tell you how it works in my life, hallelujah."

Nobody is trying to tell you preach your doctrine. He just trying to show you the Word of God the Word. There's no doctrine, the Bible says, "Give and it shall given to you." [Lk 6:38a] That’s not doctrine the Bible says, "Give and it shall be given." That's not doctrine as we understand doctrine, on justification, sanctification, that’s just a natural little old teaching. Why, it is actually a precept. a principle. It's an action, it's a working concept, give and forgive, say, "Bless God, I want to tell you, I've been seeking how to...I just felt I've loved for many, many years. On the quiet I've been doing something, I've been deliberately trying to show people love. And you know, why I didn't know any better, but a little kid went up and threw his arms around me and just loved me."

So, thank God it's coming back. (See?) Well the Bible says that’ll happen to you. I'm not saying it happened to me, but that's the way that people ought to talk. (See?)

57. And encourage people until they want to see God served in a higher order. And the highest order is the more you can dovetail with this Word until you and the Word is one. And that's exactly what you see here in this 18th chapter. He said, "You came for this very reason." Why many ask you why did you recognize God the night, the time when you were born again? How come you recognize God? Was strange, wasn't it? But suddenly God was there to recognized and made real.

Now why? First of all, see that you love Him. Worship Him. And the next thing you really should be doing something about it. Every meeting should be the same way. Now, it’s not coming, and say, "I'm going to learn a little bit more about that Message.? It intrigues me. That's one of my faults, I've got to admit, before God, I got really intrigued. I admit it, I wouldn't lie to you for one minute. You see, I had...it's...To me it's a great thing, it's my nature. The analytical, ability in my life. It’s just part of my life. I didn't ask to be made this way. I'd certainly be made some other way, as far as I'm concerned.

58. You think that I like be the helpless stupid nut, I am? You know, if you tell me to take a clock apart, I'll take that clock apart and I'd have enough left over for one more clock, I don't know what to do with it. I have absolutely no talent in my life, except two little miserable things in the sense of the word that are intrinsic, I am literary minded, plus the fact that I am analytical. What can you do with that? You can't even scrub a floor. Can't dig a decent ditch. But that's what God gave me. But I can serve God by it. Certainly, I can. And I'll serve God by what I got. And that's all I got, that's all that I can offer God and it's all His. Because I have absolutely no rights outside of the analysis of God's Word, seeing how It dovetails, see how beautifully It fits.

See, even the prophets said, it's so rich and so real, or they'll miss It a million miles by the Book. He hit it right on the head by the Spirit of God. That's what scares me in this. But that's real, then I can serve God that way and serve my fellow man. And... but, I've got to do something else about it, so, I've got to see God becomes real too. See, because He's a living Person and He's real. (See?)

Why do we meet this morning? Why do we meet with God here? We don't meet with each other, what good does that do? Why we might as well join the bridge club. The Elks, the Shriner's. Now, that won't do any good, except you have a little tête-à-tête, a little fun. Eat a hotdog. Eat the wrong hotdog, you bust a tooth out, and get sued for it. A few things like that. Like, Connie had a little trouble. You’re not all off our clubs and I'll offer you.

59. But not a church. The church is not a club. It's a living organism. It's the type of Christ. It's the shadow of Christ, and yet it's the only reality of God the world will ever know. So, why are we here? Why are we here? We're here to see God. Sure, we’re here to meet with God, He's here. Let's look around for Him. Open up your hearts. (See?) That make you feel better towards people, around the bush, you're not so fussy now are you? As you were awhile ago about who does what, whether a lady should do this, or wear a hat, or wear …?... what do you care?

That's not going to make the way clear anything else. You be right with God. You be sweet. (See?) You look for God. I could look, actually look for the hole in Swiss cheese and miss the cheese. [laughter] If I look for cheese, who cares about the holes. I'll tell you one thing about it, if there’s cheese and a few holes it doesn't matter. It's still cheese.

60. We come for God, we live for God. God's got to be here. He said He was here. Where two or three gather in My Name, He's got to be here. Then begin looking. Abraham, had a sharp eye, and he recognized them too. Now recognize Him.

60. Many people don't recognize God. The get mad when the preacher says a certain thing. And then sometimes they don't recognize God, take them few years, but that's okay, as long as the recognize God. As long as they listen. But Abraham recognized Him, and he ran, and he bowed himself. He was humble. He said, "We’re clear, now that we're here, let's get it all clear, worship God. We worship Him, and he said, "Now, Lord, You came in order to worship and to serve You better. And that's what we're here for. (See?) We leave this place without serving Him better, because He just didn't come in vain time. We only got half of it.

Because Abraham said, "For this reason are You here, in order to worship and serve You." What did He say? Israel, I'm going to take them out so they'll worship Me, and I lead you in to serve Me. I led you out to serve Me. Is that, right? Bible dovetails. (See?)

61. What are we to do? Worship and serve Him. Right? So, may God help us from this moment on. To marvel Abraham and say, "Lord, if I'm a child of Abraham, let my perfection be that clear." Then let me begin to see You, that clear. And I can see you coming down the street, it's in every occurrence in every ...?... let me see God in it all. Because if I live and move and have my being in God, then everything has got to be just right, I don’t care what you say. I'm going to see God in everything. And especially in our services. To worship You sweetly, put every care aside, every thought aside, worship, and then say, "Thank God, because I'll serve Him better."

And anybody talks, know your words be lifted up to show them what is being done in Christ. (See?) Just imitate me, Paul said, "Imitate me, like I imitate Christ." Amen. That's right, praise God. We have a little lesson here tonight for our Scripture. Let's rise.

Father, we thank You again tonight that we have been here to learn, Lord, and there perhaps tonight those who have had problems and some bitter experiences. And now they know, Lord, that not only does this experience do something for them, because it makes them grow in grace and in character. But it gives others a chance in do something for them to meet needs. That they also would be acting Christ like, and thereby gaining a crown. And so, Lord, therefore surely all things work together for good. It just couldn’t get otherwise. For those, Lord God, who are in trouble, can learn Your grace, and the goodness of Your people, and those who can afford and give, and help them, they are learning the outreach of love. And so, Lord, there it is. It doesn't matter what it is, all things are working together for them that love the Lord, and it's just exactly right, and we praise You for it.

And now, Lord, tonight I just hope and pray in our hearts. And why not, because in two words we can expect it to happen and we're going to be like Abraham. That we're going to start really looking for You. And in every meeting, we come together to really worship You, Lord. To have something not that speak ... just have a little dissertation upon, but somebody who would just listen to Christ like Your prophet did. Who, Lord, made You so real. And it just wasn't shadow any more, it was substance. It was reality.

O God, not type, but antitype. And then, Lord, people could leave and serve with that much better. Lord, from now on we don't want to just say, "We heard a Message and that's right." But, O God, You're kind of reality just doesn't say, “Let there be light”, that's the thing to do, It brings light. And Your kind of life Lord, just doesn't bring life and just doesn't say, “Well that's the right kind of life, It produces”. So, Lord, tonight we're looking for a production.

So, bless each of our brothers and sisters tonight, my God, bless them, O Lord, in a mighty and a tremendous way as they've never been blessed before. To just say, "I’m following Abraham I see it clearly, this is example that I've looked for, and this is the only example I'm going to worry about from now on, a sharp eye to see God in everything. To bow myself humbly, to run to Him, to take every opportunity. To worship and to serve Him, because that's why He's come."

O God, tonight it's all so clear, and Lord, because it is, we believe we have It, and thank You for It, and praise You for It, in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen. God, bless.