The Prayer of Abraham (Part 4) - 0866)

The Prayer of Abraham

Part 4

'You Shall Have a Son'

Bro. Lee Vayle - October 29, 1966

a) Amen. Thanks Pricilla, I just noticed this little point here, His grace has brought me safe thus far, and I thought like Adam, he made it thus far? (Huh?) That will take you the rest of the week through. I've had a lot of cars that got me so far, and they didn’t get any further. I've had a lot of promises and went so far and didn't get any further. But I'll tell you that God will take us all away. "As He's done a good work in you, He will perform it or perfect it till the day of the Lord Jesus Christ." [Phil 1:6b] And as Paul said, "I know whom I have believed, I am persuaded that He is able to keep, and will keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." [2 Tim 1:12b]

And we find that every Word of God is full of power. I wish we really recognizes that. Our own words are not full of power. As far as that goes they give a promise and never and never fulfill it. We may be honest and think we're going to do something, we mean so well and never get it done. I'm terrible that way. You cannot say enough about God. (See?) God is a great God. He's great to be loved. "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord." [Ps 150:6b] That's in everything. That doesn't mean I'm going to stop somebody from praising God. And It says in the assembly you are to praise the Lord.

b) Everybody should praise the Lord. Praise Him while you’re singing, your testimonies, everything that has breath praise the Lord. Of course, you can't expect the rocks, and of course, rivers do praise the Lord, with that lovely little melody that springs before the rock. Neither do the dead. [Someone says something] Right, I'm glad you thought of that. I didn't say a word, I just said, “Neither do the dead.” If I'd have said that, that would be different. But it doesn't mean to be said. No! Now everybody living praise the Lord, and have much to praise the Lord for.

Now, we're going to continue tonight in our studies and taking illustrations from the first five Books of the Bible on prayer. And they're a little different perhaps than what you're heard for that's good. That's why I'm here, to see something a little bit different. Not different with the Word of God, but differing with traditions, because we want to know just what the Word says.

c) And it's so nice to find out what the Word does say. And it always thrills me after maybe having read the things so many times, and heard It so many times, and suddenly what was really said, comes out. That's most peculiar, because it's there all the time, and people just don't read it. Like much of what Bro. Branham brought out in preaching, it was there all the time. And you'd say, "Isn't that funny how nobody could see it." Well, that's meat in due season. Wasn't meant to be brought out before.

Now remember, last night we took the topic on 'God Answers According to Need'. The very first prayer in the Bible uttered we actually have a record of, where a man prays as he prays today to the great God is un-visible nonetheless real. And he came to God based upon the revelation. Which was, "I am your shield, and I am your reward." [Gen 15:1b] In other words, I am your Protector, and Provider. That took the care of Abraham out of his own hands, and put it in the hands of God. Now, to be really assured of that is a wonderful thing. Because if you're really sure that God is both your Provider and Protector, then He can't let you down.

d) Now, the Scripture says, "That a man doesn't care for his own house is worse than an infidel." [1 Tim 5:8] Now if you know then that God doesn't care for you, then He's got to be worse than an infidel. (See?) He's be worse than a devil, He'd be worse than His own Word. So, God's got to take care of it, because He's to have a great father relationship to the Lord God. Now, He wants to protect us. That's what's wrong with other Scripture. We have never learned to let God fight our battles.

The late Dr. [A.W.] Tozer is one of the very few men of this century who let God fight his battles. And I forget what his five great premises were as the controlling factor in his life. But one was, that he would never ever defend himself. No matter what anybody did. That's why the man was known and respected as one of the truly great Christians of all time. And why? Because he realized that God could do a much better job.

e) Now, if God's enabled me to know a lot of, of the theory of it. But I haven't allowed God to give me any need of it, too much. (See?) I realize that if you and I might be somebody's enemy, but we can't really do much. But, if God became man's enemy, how terrible. So, if you commit to

God, has a great purpose. First of all, it takes you out of the class of judging, and violating the precepts of God. And secondly, a much better job is done. So, everything is more satisfactory all the way around. Now, this doesn't make us vindictive. It makes us understanding and truthful, and in the proper position before the Lord. Committing all to God is a tremendous factor and force.

So, Abraham when he said, "Now, Lord, if You are really my protector and my provider, so happens I've got a need."

Now, God said, "What is your need."

And he said, "I need a son."

So, God said, "Well if you need a son, I think I'll give you six Cadillac cars, and four estates, and a yacht.

f) Well, why do people talk like that? Every place you go you find people say, "Well God, You think You know what You need and this and that." But God really knows, so therefore God You don't even bother to ask God. You know, kind of make God an idiot. You're an idiot, and God's an idiot too.

Now, Abraham had a need. He said, "I need a son."

God said, "Okay, a son you'll have."

So therefore, God answers according to our needs. (You see) And there's where faith is built, that I can have the answers to my need, and because I can have it, I will have it. (See?) Now, if you know that you can have it, then that's ninety percent of the battle. Because the other ten percent deals only with condition. And the condition is seen only with perhaps waiting. Which will bring out patience, or you doing something that you neglected to do, that God said you must do.

g) Now, as I said last night and I repeat again, I don't believe there's one single solitary person with an ounce of any type mental energy, or integrity. But if he knew that by meeting one certain, or two certain conditions, that he would act honestly, and a hundred percent get that thing. (See?) See, you couldn't stop him from seeing those things.

But, that's not the problem. He doesn't know that he can get it. Because he doesn't know God answers according to our needs. And I showed you that right in the life of Miriam. God answered the prayer for her leprosy when she brought it on herself. (See?)

h) Jesus took compassion on the people, because they were like sheep gone astray, they had a need. So that we learn, and God can't change. What He does once, He'll always do. The answer is based upon a need. God answers according to need. See, I've got a need. I can and will have it. Search the Scripture to see if there’s conditions. See the condition and they'll let out a scream of victory, and walk down the road. There you go. Because once you have obeyed, that's... There's no supreme court of appeal outside the Word of God. It's all over. (See?) We learned that last night.

Now, tonight we're going to Genesis 17: to continue our studies. And we've learned a lot of things here, that are very valuable to us. But before we start, let us pray.

Heavenly Father, again we bow our hearts and our minds in Your Presence tonight. Knowing, Lord, that we need first of all to be very humble to hear Your Word. And secondly, we need an open mind, opened and renewed by the Holy Ghost to get the truth of it. Now, Lord, this is a little bit of Scripture, and yet every Word that is powerful, because there is need in here, O God, from tonight. Now, help each one of us, Lord, in the lip and in the ear, to be in perfect harmony with You. Now, we yield ourselves to Your Spirit, knowing that we shall surely hear, and edified, and something's got to come out of it, Lord. Even though we may wait a little while. Wait for it, it's going to come, just what we teach in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen/

1. Beginning at [Genesis 17:] 1 reading for quite a few verses.

(1) And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be…perfect. (Or be sincere.)

(2) And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

(3) And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

(4) As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

(5) Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

(6) And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

(7) And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

(8) And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an ever- lasting possession; and I will be their God.

(9) And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant there- fore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.

(10) This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

(11) And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.

(12) And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.

(13) He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

(14) And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

(15) And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name.

(16) And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

(17) Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

(18) And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

(19) And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

(20) And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

(21) But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

2. Now, you notice in here 17 and 18, which is a prayer.

(17) (And) Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, (he's praying in his heart now) Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

(18) And Abraham said (to) God, (he talked right to God) O that Ishmael might live before thee!

Now, there are very few prayers of man or men, that`s set forth in the Book of Genesis thus far. And we're into about chapter 17. On the other hand, there are several revelations of God to man. We thus discover that God wants to talk to man more than twice as much as he wants man to talk to Him. From chapters 15: to 17: in Genesis, there are at least three revelations of God to man, telling man what God is going to do for him. While there is only one recorded prayer of a man saying what he wants God to do for him. Now, that doesn't mean that people weren't praying. But we have a Book that records what we need to know, and in what exact percentage.

Now, this leads us to conclusion of the fact of the revelation being more fruitful and more in numbers, abundant then the actual prayers of men. It leads them to conclude that God is a good God, and is working out things to our own good. In other words, His eyes are upon us in love and in good. He's telling us what He wants to do for us, and how He wants to bless us. It's not so much man going to God and saying, "God will You do something for me?" But, it is God, who has gone to man and said, "Look, I want to do something for you."

3. Now, this also gives us keen insight into faith. So that faith is not the ability to cause God to move on our behalf. But, it is actually more the ability for man to let God move on his behalf. That's actually the truth, you can see it here. Otherwise, if it were man dealing with God in order to get things, you'd find a book would be full of man saying to God, "Lord, give me this, Lord, do that. Lord, take care of this, and Lord think of the other thing. But, it's not that at all.

The Bible which is the accurate Word of God shows for here just naturally looking at the Word, that the revelation is more abundant then the prayer request. So, here again we see, might put it this way, have men been coming to God for help? The answer is evidently no.

So therefore, God is going to man to remind man that God is His source of help. And of course, this also explains the fact that of why we have many experience in life, which we don't seem to like. Because if we had everything the way we want it, so that we would never have to come to God…(see?) …for anything. Where God comes to put us in a place that we need God in order to attract our attention. (See?) So, no matter how you look at it, if you can see the Scripture shows here that that man of himself has a wrong idea of faith. It's not compelling God to do something. It's not the ability to get God to do something, but it's what it is what is putting yourself in position so that God will review, and fulfill these great revelations He has for us.

6. Now, since this is so, we can formulate the truth. That man ought to listen to God more than he talks to God. Now, this is something which characterizes the so called 'Pentecostal Move'. The people who listen the least to God, and those who talk about, talk to God the most. Our talking to God is necessary, we need to. But actually, if we were to examine the truth of the Word of God, we find that it is better to hear God, than to talk to God.

And that's not only here it the Book of Ecclesiastes 5:1-2, 4-7 where It says:

(1) Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.

(2) Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

And verse 4

(4) When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.

(5) (It is) better that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

(6) Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?

(7) For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God. (And so on.)

7. Now, He gives us a very strict judgment here, that man ought to say less and to hear more. In fact, the Bible says, "Be quick to hear, so less to talk." [Jas 1:19] And all know that the Scripture is redundant, It's just full of those very same thoughts. And you can see it right here, here's one recorded prayer through revelation. (See?) And yet today people are praying apart even from the revelation of God. Just pray, pray, pray, talk, talk, talk. (See?) The old verse that says that “the kingdom suffers violence, and the violent taketh by force.” They've got an idea, "Well, I'm going to go in there and fight with God. See, I'm going to storm heaven." You've heard that expression. "Storm heaven, hallelujah, yes sir!"

And then He talks about Jacob. They said, "Now Jacob wrestled with God. And he forced God, and bless God, we're going to wrestle in prayer, hallelujah, and we're going to make this thing work." And then they got in the last thing we found out they were going to pray and fast. "We're going to make God answer.” (See?) We're going to...

Now, isn't it strange you got to make God answer? They said, "Hey, Abraham down here, what's been going on, what’s going on, who do we hear about?"

"I'm God!"

"God? I wasn't even talking to You."

"I know, I'm talking to you. Get up and leave your home and all."

He did it.

8. Now, He said, "Abraham..." (See?) The revelation was I'm you're provider. Now, another revelation comes. (See?) I'm trying to show you that this business of man storming heaven is a hundred percent contrary to the Word of God. So, I say one the last things that after praying and fasting, they say, "Well, God, I’ll tell You, I’ll starve to death. You've got to answer my prayer." What I did I do. (See?) And they said, "Alright, we're going to go in the closet and close the door, come out with gifts." Yeah, sure they did, but they went contrary to the Word of God, because the Bible said, 'God is sovereign, and He gives gifts to whom He will. And you don't go into a clothes closet and shut the door, and storm heaven for it. (See?)

Showing you, our prayers though they are necessary, and it's right to pray. The fact remains that the revelation of God is superior to prayer, and it is better to say less and to hear more. (See?) In fact, we look at Scripture all through the written pages of the history of the church of God, and you're going to find that the revelation from God is so acceptable that the people of God who really were great servants of God didn't pray too much about anything. The just accepted what God said acted on it. And then when the cinch was on, they reminded of His promises, that ended it. (See?) Not that you have to remind God, but just let God know you're aware that just banking on it. (See?)

9. Now, there's something else we notice here as we go along. And that is we find that when God speaks to man, as He did to Abraham that He invariably repeats His promises in order to instill faith, and to give greater emphasis. In other words, He enlarges on His promises, and He gives this deeper understanding of the revelation. Now, there's something that you and I need to learn about prayer, because as the revelation increases, the faith becomes more dynamic. Because let's face it, faith is a revelation. And you can only get revelation through the Word and the Spirit, because they're one.

10. Now notice, let's just take this thought that the promises of God in Abraham's life that was seed. Let's go back to the seed. The first mention of this seed is in Genesis 3:15, Abraham is not even here. This is in the Garden of Eden.

(15) And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Now, let's go over to Genesis 12:7

(7) And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: ... (that's the second mention.)

Now, He said to the woman, "You're going to have a Seed." Now, He designates the Seed is going to come by way of one man. Because this is after the flood, when it's all one lump now, showing the election of God.

Now, go to [Genesis] 17:7 which we just read:

(7) And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, ...

Now, you'll notice here that God is speaking in terms of that Seed coming on down through generations. And in verse 19, He says that the Seed has got to come by Sarah. Ishmael is not seed.

11. Then in Genesis 22:18

(18) And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; ...

Now, you notice he's enlarging again upon this Seed which is going to come. And this goes on, chapter after chapter all through the Bible, coming up through David on down through, right in to the time of Mary when she conceived by the Holy Ghost.

12. And then the whole thing is brought out in the Book of Galatians 3:16

(16) Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, (plural) as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

Now, what I'm trying to show you here is, that people without meaning to, do not seek out Scripture for a full revelation. (See?) They take what they want, or they take casually, one thought and leave it. Now, the thought of the Seed here goes all the way through the Bible. And the more that you study about the Seed, the more you understand It by the Holy Ghost, the more dynamic will be your faith in your life. Now, the same thing has to do with healing. It's not the thinking and say, "I am the Lord that healeth all thy diseases."

The thing is to go from the very beginning to the very end, and to trace out healing as it is in the Word of God. The same things has to with a person who has problems with his finances. Go to the Word of God and find out exactly what the Bible says. And don't be satisfied with one verse of Scripture, but take every single thing that you can get your hands upon. Because it's the revelation of the Word by the Spirit brings on this attitude of reliance in God.

13. So, we see here when God keeps on dealing with Abraham concerning seed, what's He doing? He is constantly feeding Abraham Word revelation, so that he can bring forth the seed. One time would not have been enough. One thought would not have been enough. It was repetitive and it was enlarged until Abraham was imbued with the understanding that he would have seed. (See?) God meeting his needs. (See?) So therefore, he was not interested in looking at his own body, nor the body of Sarah the Bible says. Because that was not the clue, or the key to getting an answer. The key was, God providing. See, God doing it.

So, we see here, we ought to get all the truth we can about every single thing. Because anything else would not work. Faith cannot stand in a part of revelation, and especially in this last day, when God has sent a prophet to give us the complete revelation. (See?) There are too many people who say, "Well, I've got a part of Bro. Branham's Message." And that's good, I don't think that there'll be any hindrance, I believe they'll make it alright, because you can't understand beyond what you're given to understand.

14. But, I talk now about the casual person, more about the casual person. He sees a little bit, that's fine. Like multitudes saw Bro. Branham was a prophet. And if you have to say anything they'll say, "Well, I believe I believe he was a major prophet for our day. But that doesn't stop them for one minute believing that they've got it much right to revelation that Jesus had, so that they can produce it, and be on par with Him.

That's not true at all. No one is on par with Paul the apostle. And the man who is come in the last day he was going to have a super, super vindication, and they turned it down just as flat as they turned down Jesus. And the peculiar thing in turning down a super, super revelation, (which I'll maybe speak on Sunday) the super vindication, is actually turning down Jesus Christ. Because those that died under Moses' law, how much more shall they die under the last remnant of grace. (See?)

15. So, we need to have a real revelation. (See?) We need to really find out. (See?) It's just like this issue on taking Scripture, pitting Scripture against Scripture. The devil came along and said, "It is written, will thou cast thyself down." I heard you say, "If thy shall dash against a stone, that the Lord will hold thee up."

He said, "It is also written." (See?)

Now, the point is this, "This is written, this is written." Where do you reconcile the two? (See?) It says in one Scripture, "that women keep silent in the church." Another place It says, "Women shall prophesy." Now, don't tell me that women are going to go and prophesy down the road over a kitchen sink. They got to prophesy in church, so it’ll be judged.

Now, let's reconcile it. Right? Certainly reconcile. You don't pit Scripture against Scripture. You want to even know what the Greek says about the word 'silence'? It means 'to stop talking' since you already are talking. It's like 'hush'. Now, women keep silent it means there's a place where they've got to shut their mouths in church, and they don't dare open their mouths. What is it? On doctrine. And on teaching, let no woman ever teach a man. She can be taught. Follow me? Now, maybe you don't let's get the Bible. (See?)

16. All; these things, we must not allow ourselves to be half-baked this last day and take a chance. What if one sister had something from God, or one woman was held back? (Huh?) Are women nothing legalized prostitutes for men? No! Where are the Hannah's? She was praying in church. Wasn't she? Certainly, hanging onto a pillar. We mark down one of God's creation for one minute, we slam God right in His face. "In Christ there's neither male nor female, " when it come to the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. When it comes to the ministering and the taking, and no woman ever was an elder, she never was a deaconess, she never had one thing to do say about establishing doctrine, or judging.

Never, never can, she can't, because she's not qualified to do it. She's missing something spiritually. That doesn't make her inferior. The fork is not inferior to the spoon. Well, I'll tell you, you let a fork try to do the work with spoon, you watch what happens. That's what women did. They started to do the work where God didn't want them. (See?)

We've got to know what the Bible says. We don't pit Scripture against Scripture. (See?) "I'm the Lord that healeth thee." Let's get a good look at what this last day did by God giving a revelation. They took the gift of healing and went down the road, to take every sickness off everyone they could take off. Now, what if God had that sickness put on for two reasons? One reason could have been a man sinned, then God will waste him. Right? Amen. Then like the case of Job no sin, but God wants to train him. Right? Scripture, we know our Bibles. (See?)

17. Now, what do we have this last days? We have your so called Pentecostal theologian say that God doesn't put sickness on you. You say, "The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh." [Job 1:21b] But God Himself said, "Satan, you moved me against Job." God took the full responsibility. Now, supposing the person had something in his life because he had sinned, and something is put on therefore because he must be whipped for it. In other words, he's got to be chastened, he's got to be brought under the rod.

Now, here comes a man with the gift of healing take it off. No! A gift of healing can't go against the Scripture, that says, "Confess the sin." Now, I've got the tapes way back I don't know when. And one of the tapes way back when, I believe the angel of the Lord appeared more than once to Bro. Branham and say, "Have the people confess their sins."

18. Now, people come along and say you don't need to confess their sins, "I'll pray for you." What do they know about the Word of God? (See?) See, what I'm trying to get across tonight? And it's right here staring us in the face, you don't even need to read what's in the Bible, except in the sense of really understanding. Just read how many revelations, and how many times a man prayed. And you think because people have the right to pray, they can tell God, “Get off the board, I’m coming and taking over.” That’s what they act like. "I'm going to storm heaven, hallelujah, I'm going to storm heaven." [said sarcastically] Oh, you know how they get...[makes a noise]... that old Pentecostal spirit. That sounds more like the devil than does God. "I'm going to ascend up on high, bless God. I'm going to take the throne over show Him how it's done, bless the Lord. Hallelujah, I'm going to get in there and do things."

Maybe God wants you to stay home for six months and just sit there and listen. Maybe all your big flaming evangelists with ideas are not for today. (See?) See, what I'm driving at? And it shows right here, revelation powered on revelation, but God didn't see fit to record anymore than just one prayer over a period of a long, long number of years. But, I'll tell you one thing, He saw fit to record every revelation. And that revelation was the same revelation that went right back to the Garden concerning the Seed. And He added to it, and He added to it, and He added to it, and He added to it, till all came out just 'phew' perfect. You could miss it. See, we need to know

19. That's why Bro. Branham such a thorough teacher, you couldn't help it but appreciate him. Sounds like he was repetitious, take some of his sermons for the last time, he went over and over, and over, and over on the prophet. Over and over, and over on the prophet. And over and over on a certain verse of Scripture. And I was just like the rest, I sat down and I said, "Well, he said so." I said, "Well, can't figure it, but he said so, just let it rest.

Then one day God showed me what he really said, and It was in the Bible all these years. Sitting there, and I could have read It just like he did. When you read It, see It written under your nose and see what It says, you'll be amazed how right he was. Although he knew he was right. But when the revelation comes, then you say, "My God, we've had it, and it's already gone by and didn't know it. Oh, we knew we had it, but did we really know we had it. (See?)

20. You just don't know a little bit, you've got to know. (See?) A little learning is a dangerous thing. (See?) No, then we don't pit Scripture against Scripture. We've got to know what It said. What does It say? Men that fuss with men. We can fuss all we want, I've been challenged, I don't care. I had a man tell me that he understood, he said, "What's there to know about the Rapture?" Bro. Branham said it. You just tell anybody that the voice of the archangel, the dead come out of the graves. Just tell anybody without Scripture. Pooh, they'll laugh you right in the face.

And your faith is not built upon just a smattering of guess-so's. Your faith is built upon the knowledge that the Spirit of God makes clear, and He does. Why an explanation? Didn't God take time to thoroughly talk to Abraham and explain everything? He most certainly did. Just to show we've got a tremendous illustration here right in Scripture if I went no further. (See?)

21. Now, let's look at this, in this little prayer we're studying in Genesis 17: we find that Abraham prays according to a promise already given. Or the prayer of Abraham to God for a son, is based upon the promise already given, "You shall have a son." Now, he's praying from the heart, it's a very sincere question. When God said, "Abraham be sincere." Abraham was sincere. He was sincerely praying from the heart/

Now, this prayer was prayed because of what God put in the mind of Abraham. (See?) Now, listen carefully to what I said. I said, "This prayer was prayed, because of what God put in the mind of Abraham, not what Abraham's mind put there. Not what Abraham thought, but what God's Word put in his mind. Now, this is scriptural.

22. Turn to 2 Samuel7:27

(27) For thou, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house: therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee.

You see, the only reason we can pray is because there is a promise concerning it, or, a Word given to it. See, nothing else. (See?)

Now, that's how James told us to pray, and John told us to pray. For the Scripture says that, "This is the confidence we have in Him, if we ask anything concerning His will, we know that He hears us. (See?) And if we know that He hears us, we know that we have the petition. [1 Jn 5: 14-15] Now, that's based upon the will of God. What is God's will? The Word of God is the will of God. There's no place else that you can possibly know the will of God. It's in the Word of God. (See?)

23. Now, we have to find out what His will is in other words. Müller found this acceptable. Müller was a great man of God. Müller used to preach. And like a lot of preachers he just found material to preach on. One day he kind of got fed up with it. He said, "I'm going to find something to feed on." So, he began to reading his Bible to feed. And the minute he began to reading his Bible to feed, that minute he began to pray with a new kind of a faith. And from that time on, he never lost one answer to prayer, because it was based upon Word. Now, that's the right way to pray. Because you see, there's only one way that a prayer can be answered. And that is, to pray the right way. (you see?)

If you pray apart from God's promise, or God's will, you void the Word of God that says, "My Word have I exalted above My Name." [Ps 138:2b] (See?) He doesn't exalt your word above His Name.

Now, every prayer that you pray is prayed in Jesus' Name. Right? So therefore, every word that you pray is above that Name. Is that, correct? (Huh?) Well, He won't exalt your word above His Name. He'll exalt His Word above His Name. So, if you don't pray His Word, forget it. Is that, right? Certainly, it's right. And yet, when we were little kids we tried every time to pray. "Oh God, make Walling, for the capital of Connecticut. But that's what I wrote in my paper. "Now if Walling, is not the capital, I'm going to fail." And yet, you’re going to pray that way. Who was kind of kids I’m talking to? I used to ask God to make every capital of the Province, what I put in my paper. Of course, I wasn't saved or anything. (See?)

24. You don't offer to God your word. Because you've got to ask everything in Jesus' Name. And the only thing that can get above that Name, is His Own Word. You give back to God. As we’ll show you in Genesis 32: next when we get to preaching on It. See, that's the right way to pray. (See?) Because God does not exalt any man's word, (see?) above His Name.

That's why Jesus said, "Only what I hear, that's what I say." But He has exalted His Own Word above His Own Name, and He stands behind His Word to perform It. And furthermore, and this is something we learn right with this. Because this is sure and old fundamental, Pentecostal, and heaven knows what kind of a trick. It's an immature trick we all try. We should never use a prayer to bypass the Word of God. Oh, how we've tried, we pray in Jesus' Name, ...we try to flatter God. He said, "I'll cut it off the flattering lips." We don't think that means us. All it means is the other fellow. That's right, I know how people are, because I'm people. All I've got to do is know how my hearts reacts, and know how your heart reacts. Because that's all, we're all one lump, all the same old barrel of rotten apples. All one lump of clay. And we have all tried to bypass the Word of God by praying.

25. And that's really one of the best Pentecostal tricks I've ever learned. I tell you, I used Pentecostal tricks, because I was brought up in them Pentecostal churches. Independent church, because I know what they're like, know what they're all like. It's that old trick of the ...?... get down there, and storm heaven, bless God. Pray. Pray, pray, pray, pray, pray. Never mind what the Word says, just pray, pray, pray, pray, pray. And they prayed on themselves an anointing, being false seed, because everybody speak in tongues, they believe that if they believe if they kind of speak in tongues, everybody spoke in tongues, you can find in their lives, the majority are not in it at all. There's an anointing upon them sure. But not according to the Word of God. (See?) Because they have bypassed the Word of God.

Like the fellow I told you about years ago, that pulled...I don't mind it now, it sure burned me up the time he heard me. See, when I left town, he pulled a real good trick on me. He couldn't stand me face to face, waited till I was out of town. Oh, I wasn't going to stay out of town. He told me to say out of town, he didn't want me to come back and face him. Well, I wasn't about to stay out of town, because my wife and kids and everybody else was there. So, I just came on back and faced him.

And I said, "Why did you do this dirty trick." I said, "You wouldn't do it to a business man."

He said, “Yes, I would.”

And I asked him, "What kind of man are you."

"Well, (he said) I've prayed about it."

26. I said, "You don't pray about sin, bud, if you do, why don’t you pray for God to help you rob a bank. God ahead. Let’s take a heist, and take one down now.” (See?) Prayer doesn't bypass the Word of God. Prayer is based on the Word of God. Like the precept of giving. I don't want to keep on talking about giving, because, but the point is they're capable to understand, you can understand things that are brought out material, and where do you get the whole picture? It says, "Give and it shall be given." [Luke 6:38a] "Well, God I'm going to pray." No, no, no! Give and then pray, and say, "Lord, I've done it now, bless it, because I was sincere." And God will multiply it back to you. (See?)

We're not here to tell God, God tells us. There not many...you, there are very few prayers recorded in this Bible when you and I know that multitudes prayed millions and millions, and millions of prayers, and God says, "Pfft on the bunch of them. Just recorded a few of them. But, the revelation is right from Genesis to Revelation, and It keeps unfolding and unfolding, and unfolding. (See?) And we're expected to pray according to God's Word.

27. Now, if He says, "We can have it, we can have it. If He didn't say to have it, you better not want it. I see Balaam did it. You've got the same thing today, because God said the Balaam's would repeat and the Korah's would repeat. You get up and tell a woman, "Don't you dare go in that pulpit." She'll pray and pray, and pray, and hear God say, "Go in the pulpit." The Business men, the same way. Organize, it's the same stinking, Nicolaitaine spirit that hierarchy. They've been taken over by the Assemblies of God, let's face it. Everything that's going on is taken over. Teen Challenge’s been taken over, the Wilkerson group and all the rest. They've openly set up in Meyers town, where they took over, they said, "Now, we've got our hands on good thing going, don't let it get out of hand."

Now, what's the use of showing a man's flesh? You can imbue your kids to go to Bible school, until like my friend Glen Buhler, he finally saw the light of all this trying to win souls. Because if you really win souls, that's good. But if you just try to make a show in the flesh. Now, one day he said to a Seventh Day Adventist, "Now you leave that fellow alone, because He's coming." And I know you dealt with him, but I'm going to lead him to Christ, and he'll be mine. Now, what is all that talk? If he's ready, the Bible says, "He that sows, and he that waters is nothing. It is God that gives the increase. (See?)

28. We're not here to know just a little bit, we're here when the mysteries are wound up. They're full of revelation, what's this thing all about? (See?) That revelation hasn't come yet, because it’s the mind age is still to come. (See?) Puts on the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ. But my, just trying to bypass the Word of God by prayer, that’s an old dodge. Yes sir, that's an old one. "I'm going to get healed without confessing my faults." Maybe you got to confess your faults. (See?)

Now, we know that you can have it. If I prove it to you, we can have it, because God said so. You can have it. But don't try to get it any other way than God's way. (See?) "I'm going to pray. Pray and fast." That's good, that's good, I'm not against praying and fasting. But, don't try to make it do, without the Word of God. (See?)

Now, we find another truth here about God, as Abraham questions Him. And we notice that God is not impatient with him, but bears along with him, and inspires Him. See, now when Abraham is a little bit...looks like he's not exactly learning as fast as he should, God doesn't get angry. He sees Abraham trying. And so he's very patient loving him and caring for him.

29. Now, we go into prayer itself. Now, you notice here back in this chapter again, we go back to the Book of Genesis 17:17-18

(17) (And) Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

(18) And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! (See, now Abraham is praying.)

Now, I want to submit to you here that Abraham is not mocking God when he laughed in his heart. I don't believe it. And I'll show you by Scripture where my stand is taken. I believe that as Abraham was roughly one hundred years old, and the thought of having a son was now so diminished, that to hear God himself say once again, "Abraham, Abraham I even changed your name, you are going to have a son." It was such a tremendous prospect that even yet, (see?) "I'm going to have that son."

The Scripture says, "That who when hope was gone, hoped on down in faith." When there wasn't any use believing.

God said, "Abraham he's yours." And the prospect in the face of the condition was so over-whelming that he just laughed out in joy at the tremendous prospect, see the sheer joy that Sarah was actually going to give birth to a son. The force of such a wonderful thing made him laugh was it were, out loud. And for a moment his face ran in the realm of complete joy and realize, then suddenly doubt Him, and he stopped laughing. And he thought, “Oh, this is too good to be true.” And he said, "Oh, Ishmael might live."

30. Now, if you don't that this is true, I want you to turn right to the Book of Matthew 13: and I'll show you why I know that I'm right. You see, Cain could laugh in the face of God, but not Seed. True Seed never laughs in the face of God. In Matthew 13:20-21,It says,

(20) But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that (heard) the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; (See, with joy, he laughed, he was happy.)

(21) Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. (See?)

In other words, there is such a thing as receiving the Word with great joy, and then cutting [snaps his fingers] cold dead on it. And Abraham did. The prospect was so wonderful.

31. Now, I want to show you that many people have the same reaction. I have talked to sinners, I've seen them, and as they have sat there reviewing their terrible case before God. And sincerely taken Scripture after Scripture showing them what the Word says concerning him. I've seen their faces light up and just a burst of enthusiasm, and suddenly cloud. And they say, "Yeah but, that's not for me.? What did it? For one moment, they're full of joy. For a split second they said, "This is too wonderful." The prospect of being right with God shook them for a moment loose, then suddenly [makes a clap] dark.

Now, let's take a child of God. I've seen where people had served God, then backslid. I use that term, because that's the one we understand. We understand using it, without understanding grasp they were out of fellowship and all. Talk to them, showing them what the strong Word of God says concerning them.

I've seen the same reaction light up in a minute. "Well, is that right that I really am that child of God?" (See?) They all agree. And for one moment you can just see everything illuminate like a light, light up and then [makes a clap] they turn right away and darkness, to a lie. "Now, I don't know, I think I've must have done something too wrong, I just can't believe that's my portion."

32. You can talk to a man that's sick, and you can show him the Word of God as I've done in many a case. And that person with tremendous insight seems to reach out and power it, and just a complete transformation. Then in the next minute [makes a clap] there's not one vestige of that which was so real. (See?) Just like a bomb shell.

How has it been when you see yourself have sat there, and suddenly something hit you in a meeting. And for one split second you knew the reality of what that man was trying to tell you about a spirit of God. Oh my, it was so wonderful. You just could have burst, and suddenly [makes a clap] it was all gone. The devil took it [snaps fingers] like that. See, there was nothing wrong with Abraham, he was sincere. He laughed out of pure joy and exhilaration, that actually he was still going to have that son, because God was still planning on doing it. It wasn't out of God's plan, because the fellow got older and older, and everything got darker and darker. (See?)

33. Now, you can see the truth about prayer as I'm trying to bring this out. So many of the promises of God, (now get it) like Abraham's case. So many of the promises of God are so wonderful and yet so farfetched in the light of the view of our circumstances, that we rejoice in the possibility for a moment, and then forget the reality of them. They seem too good to be true, and we lose them. See, we do.

And we're willing like Abraham to settle for something less. Right? And what is it? Not His Word we settle for, but our word. (See?) "Oh, that Ishmael might live." [Gen17:18] Now, you can't find any promises of God as I say, but it's wonderful but it seems so farfetched in view of the actual condition.

Now, you see this is what I brought out last night. Here is where you got to say, "I can have it." (See?) I can have it. I don't care if ninety-nine years of age, and she's ninety years, I can have it. And I don't care if there are ten thousand miles between me and that thing, I can have it. And I don't care anybody says about cancer and emphysema, palsy and this and that being fatal, I can have it. I don't care about anybody saying that this can't be done, I can do it. See? So, we want to be on guard, because the prospect of God's goodness in the light of miserable condition, when presented to us by the Spirit will give us that goal, and the goal of faith.

34. How many times we've been in a meeting where Bro. Branham was where he said, "The Spirit was breaking over the building." And everybody got so excited, the two minutes later, then 'boom' they all went out of the building disappointed, didn't they? Was it not real? That he was there to heal? Absolutely. Was that sudden spurge of faith, was that not real? Absolutely.

But you see as it happened to Abraham, and it did, it can happen to you and me. That's the time you got to be warned. (See?) Because Abraham was fallible. Don’t give way that Ishmael might live. Don't try to put your word instead of God. Don't try to put your will there. What has God say about it? Search it out, and you'll find that verse after verse with Abraham your seed by Sarah. Your seed by Sarah. Your seed by Sarah. Encouraging and pounding Him. Exhorting Him.

35. Now, tonight we've got the very same thing as Abraham has, there all of us need help. There isn't any of us who doesn't need help, because that's the way God made it. Because if we didn't need help then, God couldn't do a thing for it. Salvation isn't too good those who need salvation. Baptism with the Holy Ghost that's been placed in the body of Christ is not too good, and not beyond the love of God no matter what a person is like. Healing is not too good to be true. New jobs are not too good to be true. Provision is not too good to be true. The freedom from worry, peace is not too good to be true. All of these things, not one thing in God's Word is too good to be true.

The fact is, it is true, because it's good. And because it is good it's got to be true. "Because every good and perfect gift come from above," [Jas1:17a] and God is true to His Word. I know that Abraham and Sarah were old there's no doubt about it, But God had made a promise. And remember the conditions don't have a thing to do with the promise, except if there weren't conditions there couldn't be a promise. But the conditions and the promise are separate. Let me show you that. Just like that clock is separate from that plant. (See?) And yet they're related by the fact they're both hang upon a wall. So are the conditions of life and the promises of God. They both hang in you and me. But they're different as day from night, and don’t have a thing to do with each other, except you're on a common mercy and ground, which is man.

36. The problems are here on earth, but the power lies with a sovereign God to do what He wants, and He'll do it. (See?) But you and I we take and try to make the wall... and the little plant and the clock all one thing. You can't do it. And you can't say they are of the same source. They're not of the same source. They hang upon a common wall, that's where it ends. And the promise and the conditions meet in man, but they're sources are not the same, because the promise is God Himself.

And the conditions are merely temporal things made by God running under a wall of God. But the promises of God are God Himself. and backed up by God. (See?) But they hang in man. And we have no right to look at conditions in a promise and then judge the promises by the condition. Nothing to do with it. You can put it into your blender, your mix-master. Mixer. You could put gold and silver, run them in the same fire. Put them in the same kettle. Put them right together, and the molecules of gold are not the molecules of silver. Never has been, never will be.

So, you can take the promises of God and the conditions of life and put them both in the mix-master. And if you don't know what I'm talking about now, you just go through life confused. Or you can look down your nose and you didn't say, "So what, you don't belong." You're merely a squatter, and there ain't no thing as God allowing a squatter in heaven. Your squatters' rights are all but over. (See?) You attach yourself to the promise.

37. Now, Lazarus was dead. And he was dead for four days. Now, Martha said, "If Thou hast been here, in that case he had not died, but now that he's dead, and now that you're here let's see some action." That's perfect. (See?)

What does it mean.? Promise and conditions met. What's got to go? Conditions got to go. You know something? You know something, they’re eventually going to go. Wouldn't it be nice to know that we believe God enough to lick conditions here instead of wages up there? Because you know, when you're dead every condition's done gone. And when the resurrection comes, you'll awaken in a new place entirely, and there won't be one condition. So therefore, the promise has licked every condition. Right? (Huh?)

38. You believe in a resurrection? Then you believe in every condition being met right now, because every condition goes. Every disease, every stroke of poverty. Every bit of tough luck. Everything goes. Everything adverse goes. Why? Because in Heaven there is no sorrow, there's no mourning. There are no tears. There is nothing to contend with. (See?)

Let me ask you a question, what went then, God or condition? The promises went on, but, the conditions went. Because why? There is going to be a new condition which is based in the promise itself. (See?) Follow me?

39. All right, here old Lazarus dead for four days. So, what? Let him be dead eight days. One of these days we're going to come out of the grave, and some of our dear friends have been there almost two thousand years. Paul is going to rise up, after being down there close to two thousand years. And if we're true Seed, we're going to see him when he comes out of the ground. Oh, he's going to shock some people. It's going to be interesting. It's going to be wonderful.

That's right, they're going to walk the earth like they did in the days of Christ. There's no doubt that they walked the earth for ten days. They were seen. Because when Jesus went back the first time and appeared minutes later, it was He said, "Touch me not because I ascend." He said, "We understand what the Blood is." There's something in there I don't understand, but he ascended and came right back. But He didn't take the others with Him, because they were seen walking the streets of Jerusalem. And they didn't even believe Jesus was raised again. How then, could they believe those fellows were raided? They could believe, they must have believed they've seeing an apparition.

40. So, Christ was raised, and gone up, and come down, and they walked the streets I believe for ten days. They had to, because He went up ten days later and He took them with him, or He took them with Him. How long are we going to see the dead here? Who knows? Who cares? I'm not going to worry about that, just I see the dead. Come out of the earth.

Say, "When's God going to heal? Who cares, (bless God) as long as He's going to heal me. Under what conditions? Who gives a hoot about that too? You people give offerings. People where ever I go, people they give me offerings. I don't worry who they come from. I don't care how they earned them. I'm not the least concerned, I thank them.

I eat in the restaurant. I don't run back in the restaurant and looking things over. Although sometimes it might pay for you to do it. Just to make sure you know what you're getting. I don't bother running back and worrying about it. Just eat the food. Got a pretty strong stomach, at least up to this point I’ve had. [laughter]

41. You just apply the same thing to God and His Word. Don't worry about conditions. It's a promise. Healing is not too good for it. It's ours. New jobs are not too good to be true. They are ours. Provision, anything we need. Sure, anything you can find to chasten the Word of God that’s yours, rejoice in it, because you're supposed to rejoice. What else is there to rejoice in? The only thing to makes you rejoice. That's with joy shout about it and receive it, don't suddenly let the devil throw a shadow over you. (See?) That's what counts.

Mary had to feed hundreds with no food, what did he do? He laid out the tables, said grace and pretty soon the trucks drove up and they all had plenty to eat. Not one word of God's Word failed, not a jot, nor a tittle. The cattle on a thousand hills are His, and that's how it works.

42. The lady, infirm for eighteen years bent over. The man at the pool was sick for thirty-eight years. The man at Beautiful Gate, had trouble for forty years. Another man had arthritis for forty years, but God healed them. (See?) So, the promise of God to Sarah and Abraham was based upon an impossibility. (See?) So are our promises. Impossible for us to solve them, so let God do it.

Now, I want you to know brother/sister, that...there are not circumstances around us that were meant to encourage us. That's one thing that's hard to learn, that's awful hard. Because we're looking for encouragement in circumstances. You'll not find one place in the Word of God, where God gave circumstances to encourage you. He gave promises and the promises manifested, encourage you, because you got them.

43. You'll find encouragement in only one place and that's in the Word. And the Scripture said, (and I'll preach on that sometime) "David encouraged himself in the Lord." [1 Samuel 30:6b] And the only way that you can encourage yourself is by the Word of God, because that's all you know about God and His ways. (See?)

Let me say again, there is no encouragement outside here in this world where the circumstances are, nor indeed are they meant to be encouraging. The Word encourages you. Do you know what the Word says about conditions? It says, "The very conditions against you, is an evident token of God working for you." Now, if you look at conditions you'll never believe that. You got to go to the Word, say, "Okay, condition let's shake hands, hallelujah. Now that I'm on good ground, maybe we won't be too long here together, that's all." You say, "I'm going to be glad see you go, but just don't feel bad about, just get going." (See?) God has spoken, He has a Word for us, and He stands behind His Word to perform it.

44. Now, that's the thought here about Abraham saying, "Oh, (he laughed) Sarah is going to have a child, oh praise God. See, ... they went out. Then you see in unbelief he got tricked, they got tricked by looking at himself, because the promise didn't have a thing to do with his body. Promises got only to do with God. Like I said, that clock, the promise, has nothing to do with that pattern, or condition. They're on the same wall, not a thing. The promise is in God. The condition only gives God a chance to work. The condition is a way where your faith can be tried. (See?) And Abraham forgot that, he looked at his body from an old... (he said) “Can Sarah bare a child?" And then he said, "Oh, that Ishmael might live." (See?) God look, Ishmael's already here. (See?)

"Now Lord, why don't You just go ahead and let me work this out on the ground that we just let Ishmael be it? (See?) Having people pray, "Now Lord, you know that I'm getting old, so I don't expect too much, only Lord, just let this one thing." You know that kind of prayer did a lot, for them? Lord, you know, this one, let me see, God is going to do a whole new thing for that man. Take him away and put him in a brand new place now.

"Oh, (he said) seeing I'm kind of scared, let me go to a little city. This is kind of city, see not much, let me have it." God said, "Okay."

45. Now, God won't do that with the real Seed. He's going to hold you to that Word. So, He held Abraham to the Word. But Abraham you see, he was willing to just take something he had. "Lord, Lord, just let this do." (See?) "Lord, let me look half way to the promise and get a pretty good thing out of it. (See?) "Oh Lord, You bless me according to my word." (See?) You're not going to get anywhere. And God said, "No sir." See how wrong he prayed? (See?) He was praying wrong, he prayed apart from the Word of God. He put his own word against God's Word. (See?) Then he put conditions against the promise. Never should have done it. Now, God wasn't mad.

He just came right back and said, "Abraham look, I'm going to be good to Ishmael, because you prayed for him, but he's not going to make it. I'm sorry, I don't want him." Now, isn't that a sad thing. I think he loved that boy. That was his own son. Make no mistake, it wasn't his neighbor's child. It was Abraham 's child. Now, he didn't have any love affair with Hagar. That was a pretty sordid a thing. But he loved the boy that came from the union. That was his child.

46. And he said, "Now, Lord let this live." You see, where that's coming to in the ecumenical day here? They're not going to leave organization. Oh, they've got little Ishmael's around the country. They've been fornicating down there. Oh yes, they have been. Because, organization is fornication, spiritual fornication is organization. According to the prophet, that's what the Bible teaches too. And they raised their bastard children, and they loved them. And they're not going to leave organization. No, and they're going to pray, "Oh, that Ishmael might live."

We don’t have that kind of prayer. "Oh, to Ishmael let him go." We were wrong in that setup. (See?) Now...we can't pray against them, we pray for them. "God is there some way to help?"

And He said, "A lot of them, sleeping virgin they're going to come out, when it's too late." They'll miss it, they'll die, but they'll make the Second Resurrection. (See?)

47. So, he was saying here, "Now Lord, I want You to take this and secure it for me. Let my words stand this time."

And God said, "No." He insisted on prayer according to His Word. (See?)

47. Now, from now on then we find that God's convent is based in Himself. (See?) They type being Isaac, and he had to come according to Word. (See?) Isaac came according to the Word, but Ishmael didn't. Now, tonight if we've got anything that's in our lives that's not according to the Word, chuck it. Because it won't stand the test.

They often wondered about the tent that Bro. Branham saw. People coming through that little cubby-hole thing, (you know) so perfect. They said, "Will everybody go through that line?"

He said, "No!"

"Well, who will go through the line, through that little tent?"

"Those who have the Word test. If they fail in the Word they can't go through."

Well, you know that's not tent, that's a type, it's a symbol. See, and they failed the Word test.

Bro. Branham went right back to the Word, and they said, "No." They weren't interested. They said, "Don't let him be a Word prophet." They wouldn't take it.

See, there is where man has always failed. "God let my word stand. Give me the promise according to the need as I see it, (see?) I'll work it out."

Now, where in the Word of God, sermons on the air, radio?" I'm not against it, but the methodology people use today is always based upon a program. (See?) God's not interested in any program. It's got to be according to His Word.

48. Now, if it's born of the Word, then it's going to survive. Now listen get this: I want to show you how strange people read...they don't even read their Bibles. I didn't read mine for years either, so, don't worry about it, talking about you.

1 Peter 1:23, It says:

(23) Being born again, not of corruptible (sperm, or) seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which (lives) and (abides) for ever.

Now, the way we read It is this: we say, "Peter said, alright you've been born of corruptible seed. Now, get born again of incorruptible."

It doesn't read that way. It says, "There's a rebirth for everybody, but you can be reborn either of corruptible seed, or incorruptible." That's what It says. Well come on, read it! It doesn't say what you thought It said. It says what It said. (See?)

Everybody gets born again that religious. Either you get born of corruptible seed, or incorruptible. What is an incorruptible Seed? It's the Word of God. Anything that's not the Word of God is corruptible seed, and you'll die with it.

49. Now, the same thing is what we've got with Abraham. What was his second prayer based on? The incorruptible, or the corruptible. They were based on the corruptible, let Ishmael live. God do it my way. "Lord preserve this, breathe on what I've giving you." (See?) No! You know what? The son that was born to him, Isaac did the very same thing with his own children. He loved Esau.

Esau was born of the corruptible, because when he had the chance for the birthright, he said, "What's to this Word of God anyway, and this birthright, forget it."

Jacob took it. He endangered his life to get it, he sold out to God. And Isaac tried to preserve Esau. When he found out it was Jacob he blessed, he knew it was God, he’d done the wrong thing, he said, "Yea, and he shall be blessed." He was running just like his daddy.

50. But when Jesus came on earth, it was nothing but Word, Word, Word, Word, Word. And when Paul came on the earth, it was Word, Word, Word, Word, Word, let him be accursed if that Word's changed. When William Branham came, he had only one Message, because It was an end time Message. Word, Word, Word, he that taketh shall be blotted out. And he that added shall be plagued. And there's only one group to hear that Message and that's the Message the group that precedes Great Tribulation, because only in the tribulation can the plagues be poured out. God doesn't raise the dead and then pour plagues on them.

It's Word, Word, Word. Are you born tonight by the Word of God? And you pray by the Word of God, you live by the Word of God, or are you born of corruptible seed? Or are you against the Word of God? There it is, it's that simple. "Oh, Ishmael might live." No, Ishmael is corruptible. Ishmael came by man. (See?)

51. What are these men going to do in this age who have trusted men? Gone around raising sums of money. Built their portal. What are they going to do? What the matter of raising seventy million dollars in ten years for university? What's it going to be? That's not the Word of God and you know it, that he knows it. The idea adopted to say to Bro. Branham, "Why are you teaching these things?" He said, "Let the pastor do it."

He said, "The pastors don't teach, that's why I teach it."

He said, "You are ruining your ministry."

He said, "Any man's ministry can be ruined by the Word of God, better be ruined."

What about the other men? He said, "He didn't have oil and blood you wouldn't make the Bride. But now the oil and the blood petered out, so now is it?"

But the Word tells you who’s in the Bride. Those born of the incorruptible Word of God. The corruptible word is a sperm and an egg. The life of man. Man lives by his own word. But, a Christian lives, by the Word of God. (See?)

52. So, my what a lesson we've learned tonight in prayer. You'd be surprised what you see, if you just looked. But it was all there. I never took something some, didn’t add to it. (See?) But, take heart tonight, certainly conditions looked bad. But God's got a promise. And when that Spirit of God witnesses, just hold on and don't budge. Just say, "Condition, you're not related."

You know, we're like some people, there's a joke told about it, that how we let people in our houses. (See?) He said, "I'll tell you one thing, my wife's uncle Willie, (he said) drove me crazy, just sit by the television set, drink my beer, smoke my cigarettes and do so and so."

And he said, "Do you know one day, I said, look (he said) if you don't tell your uncle Willie to leave my beer alone and my cigarettes and quit mocking me, (he said,) I'll keep my…”

"My, (she said) "I thought he was your uncle Willie?" [laughter]

You know, even the jokes of the world everything you look at, point up to your last day. And you can even show... even illuminates Scripture at times, but it's the truth. Here condition and promise are not related. (See?) The promise gets rid of it. Don't look at that condition, he's not your uncle. He's not your sweetheart. He's not your friend.

53. Christ the Word, is your friend. Don't acknowledge the condition and ignore the Life Giver. Ignore the condition. Abraham considered not his body now dead. Took him a while to do it. No longer consider. Never mind what you guy's got to say. I'm getting more and more convinced of it. See, all you got to do is start working in it. Work that a little bit, honor God a little bit, and show Him that you're sincere, He'll work it out. We don't need a lack. There's something moving in the mulberry bushes. (See?) One of these days the devil's going to be cast down. Bro. Branham taught it. It's on the tape. One of the tapes, a year ago this summer, when he came back, he positively taught that the twelfth chapter took place between the Resurrection and the Rapture.

And that's exactly what God showed me, and I forgot he said it, but there it was. Michael the archangel cast down. But before the devil becomes incarnate in flesh, they're going to be cast down here in earth, and we're going to go through the mill. Then that's when the Bride stops preaching, all pressure comes on her, but don't let it bother you.

54. We're like the Bride in the Song of Solomon. She heard His Voice, and she followed, and they abused her. And they did all kinds of mean rotten things to her. But she heard His Voice, and all she does is, follow that Voice. She's couldn’t see Him. But suddenly one day, she met Him. It was all over. (See?)

You're not born of corruptible sperm tonight. Give them the Word test. Oh my, isn't nice to see the how the prophet brought it out? See, this little talk about and give you a little illustration and did become that much more real. That's how we're in the Message, and know we're in the Message. Don't argue about this little point, that little point. We don't cap conflict, my no, there's no conflict. Don’t let Scripture fight, Scripture. "It is also written." See where it goes. (See?) Well, praise the Lord. Let you out early tonight. Tomorrow night we'll continue our little studies here just along these lines. Little things come out, some little nuggets to help you. But remember, the great thought tonight the condition and the promise are not related. They are merely like two things hanging on a common wall.

55. So, don't let the condition ever say, "I got you, you belong to me." Because that's a lie. Because that's exactly what Paul said would happen to you. He said, "Height and depth and death and making a sword and peril coming up and say you’re mine, I got you." And he said, "That's a lie because it can't separate from God." Because if it’s got you, you're separated from God. Not even death can separate from God. And the Word says, "You're mine.”

Now, if you're born of the right thing which is the Word, and say, "Hallelujah, I'm glad I’m in His condition. I'm not yours, I'm His, and He is mine." And as I've showed you keep in your mind the truth. I've told you the truth, because when you die and rise again, where's the condition? But where's Jesus? They that die in the Lord, (right?) are the blessed ones. From hence forth they cease from labor, hallelujah. You see, told you. I've proved every point I taught you, I'm left with one thing it's all covered. Now, you've got every ground to believe tonight, and say, "Devil I've had my fill of you.” Like Bro. Branham taught you. Say, "Leave me alone get out, you're defeated, in the Name of Jesus, I won't have a thing to do with you. So, don't even come around and talk to me." (See?)

Quote that Word, hit it back. (See?) Certainly. Amen. Let's rise. They tell me a lady got healed last night just sitting here. That's what I like to see, them healed. They're the Word of God believing, He answers according to need. Whatever your trouble is, you got a bad back like she had. Headaches, malaria, I don't care what it is. Doesn't matter, God's a healer.

Father, we thank You again for Your Word, the Word of God which is our Life. Amen. Which is our Light, hallelujah, because the Words that You speak are Spirit and Life. Glory be to God. We thank You, Lord, tonight for giving us the Word, and we have received You and it's encouraged our hearts. Hallelujah. We praise Thee, O God, glory, glory, glory, glory, glory, hallelujah. It is glory just to walk with Him, His Blood has ransomed me, hallelujah. And it is glory all the way. And I shall see Him face to face. Hallelujah. And it's all by grace, praise the Name of the Lord.

We worship You tonight. And thank You, my God, for the Living Word. We thank You for the prophet, Lord. We thank You, Lord, as we come together, the Word the prophet taught. It just dovetails, because It is the Word, becomes clearer, O God. Hallelujah tonight, by faith we see the stocks of grain hanging over us they're so heavy. And, O God, except You bring the thrashing machine, they fall to the ground, but they're not going to fall to the ground. Because the thrashing machine is going to come and lift up those heads. Hallelujah. Take them off the stock. But even if errors happen, Lord God, is going to be dead in Christ rise up.

Those grains that did fall in the ground are going to come back. Hallelujah. And we're going to see them and love them. And then, Lord, there is going to be such a desire to see You. And, Lord God, we just don't want to breathe anymore. We won't want to talk, we don't want to do anything, we just want to meet You, Lord. Oh, what a change. Hallelujah.

Ah, bless God, though the world doesn't know this, and organized religion doesn't know it. And like we may sound a little smug tonight, Lord. But we know it. Hallelujah. But, Lord, it's a little secret between the Bride and the Groom. Hallelujah. The ambience. Hallelujah. The betrothed, hallelujah.

But, O God, tonight we thank You, betrothal is the same as wedding with You. Lord, not one of these modern Twentieth Century that go around and promising and then ditch the girl, Lord. No sir, we got a God that says, "I love you, you're mine." In fact, we're already married to you, Lord, in Spirit, and pretty soon we're going to sit down at that great Wedding Supper, hallelujah.

And so, Father, thank You tonight. Let Your know, Lord, tonight, and we just pray and rebuke the devil, that he's not going to be able to come between us anymore, and make those conditions look like they were related to promise. Never again. No Sir! There's not going to be any old voice that say, "Let Ishmael in." No Sir! No Sir! There's no more of that. This is for real. This is for keeps.

And so, Lord, we thank You for lessons learned. And now Satan, we come against you by the Name of Jesus Christ, and by the power of the Holy Ghost in it. Satan, we command you to leave us, and you're not going to take away the thoughts we've learned tonight. I command you leave, I charge in Jesus’ Name, that you leave us. Leave us out. We plead the Blood of Jesus Christ. And now, Lord, we turn to You as though our Christ, the Holy Ghost in us. Thou blessed Spirit of God, You've done it, it is Your work, Lord, to bring all things to our remembrance. Amen. It's Your job, Lord. And we look to You now, You within us, Lord, to renew us, so that we who are born of the incorruptible Word may now grow by It. "For man shall not live by bread alone, but every Word." Now, Lord, we expect growth tonight. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

Eagle rise up within us. Hallelujah. For this same Spirit in the prophet, which was in Christ, is soon going to lift us unto realms of glory. Now, Father, bless each one, we sanctify them in the Name of Jesus Christ. We pronounce a blessing upon them. And we think, Lord, of those men who would dare to raise their fingers like a like a 'V' for victory sign, make a little funny movement and bless folks, we know it's nothing. But tonight, Lord, we know it's different here. Because when I bless them in the Name of Jesus Christ, it's real, because the Word has already gone forth. And we are confirming the blessing we have already received, because faith can't fail.

They are blessed, and they shall remain blessed. Hallelujah. Glory to God. And there shall be an new depth of reality, right down the line and rejoicing in our Savior from this time on as we have not known previously. Oh hallelujah, I believe it, Lord, that's the way it's got to be, because the way of the righteous groweth more and more to the perfect day brighter. Hallelujah.

And learning this, line upon line, precept upon precept, till we come to the fullness of the stature of that man of Christ. Christ in us. So, Lord, hallelujah, it's real. That's what You said. That's the way it is. Thank You Jesus. In thy Name we pray and praise. Thine is the glory. Amen. God bless you, praise the Lord.