Faith of Abraham # 1

 'Come on Out'

Bro. Lee Vayle   - July 11, 1973

	Kind Heavenly Father, we certainly need You, we know without You we are
nothing and can do nothing, for in You we live and move and have our
being, and our very breath is in Your hand, Lord. And yet, My God,
sometime we're very forgetful of this, because we have wills of our own,
we have strength You have given us which You have allowed us to use at
our own discretion, and many, many times we use it in folly. But forgive
us, Lord, for all of our undoing's, which we have committed mostly
against ourselves, not so much against You, because we know that You are
inviolate and holy, but against ourselves, Lord, we have sometimes
sinned and against others many times also. 

	We pray You'll forgive us, O God, even as You have forgiven us in 
Christ Jesus concerning that which is against Yourself. And help us,
Lord, to be one mind in the Spirit this morning to study Your Word, to
understand what this life is all about. What it is, Lord, to search the
Scripture and see ourselves therein. To understand what You desire of
us, and how You've set Your purpose for us, O God, that it must be
fulfilled. And so, Lord, we commend ourselves into Your hands this
morning and pray that that which is spoken shall be exactly right
according to truth, Lord. And may It be in such a way as to inspire our
hearts and minds, we pray in Jesus' Name. Amen. You may be seated.

1.	I think maybe last night, maybe the majority of you had a bit of
trouble understanding the first part of the message. Because I was
speaking of verse 3 in paralleling verse 17 of Romans 4. Now, what I was
trying to show you was simply this: that there is no Word of God that is
to be taken lightly, and without understanding. In one place you have
the word 'Elohim' which has various meanings to it, because it's a
compound title, eight compound titles. Wherein God is relating to man
what He is doing and with him and for him and so on.

	Then the next word where Abraham believed God the word is not
'Jehovah'. It is either 'Elohim' or it's one of the other words meaning
'master'. But, where Elomim is self-                   explanatory,
because there is eight compound meanings in It. The other word is 'not',
and so therefore there is a little phrase in there wherein God raises
the dead and calleth those things which are not as though they were. And
this is the revelation of God in that particular area.

2.	So, if you were to take and simply say the Scripture says Abraham
believed God, and then go down to verse 17, the Scripture saying,
"Abraham believed God," you will automatically lose what Abraham had to
know about God relative to himself in order to manifest faith at that
time. And where it comes to God raising the dead, that was God defined
Himself to be in relationship to Abraham. Now, right away your mind no
doubt down the road to where God said to Abraham, "destroy your son."
And Abraham believed God would raise him. You're wrong in your thinking.
Abraham didn't even have a son, and God was saying, "I'm a God who
raises the dead."

	Now, just look at It closely. What is the raising of the dead got to do
with Abraham? Because he was as good as dead, and so are we. Yet, God
will bring about a private resurrection enough without going to the
ground. Now, I hope you caught then what I was talking about. You get it
now? All right, sometimes you just can't explain it the way you want it,
so it's a good thing somebody asked…[tape quality normalizes] …what
in the world are you talking about, because I didn't get it?  So, don't
feel bad, I had a couple of real smart cookies ask me the question. One
was a boy that I consider very outstanding, and a lady that was formerly
a school teacher. So, the rest of you feel you're dumb bunnies, I wonder
myself what I'm talking about half the time. [Bro. Vayle chuckles] So,
don't you ever feel bad, I just know it's right, and I've got to keep
preaching it until the thing breaks. And once it breaks, then it's
alright. So, don't feel bad. 

3.	Now, we're going to continue the subject of Abraham's faith. And you
will find that it lines up with what we talked last night, but there
will be quite a different presentation of it, because it's in chapter 11
of Hebrews this time. We go to Hebrews 11:8-19.

		(8) 	By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which
					he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went
out, 					not knowing whither he went.

		(9) 	By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange
country, 					dwelling in tabernacles (or tents) with Isaac and Jacob,
the heirs 						with him of the same promise:

		(10) 	For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder
and 					maker is God.

		(11) 	Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive
seed, 						and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because
she 						judged him faithful who had promised.

		(12) 	Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so 
					many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is
						by the sea shore innumerable.

		(13) 	These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but
having 					seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced
them, 					and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the
earth.

		(14) 	For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a
country.

		(15) 	And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence 
					they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

	The actual translation is: had they had kept in mind the country, they
would have gone back. You want to look out now if you're hankering for
Pentecost. You've done going to go back. (See?) Think I showed you that
a couple of years ago in 'Negative Confession'. 

		(16) 	But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly:
wherefore 					God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath
prepared for 					them a city.

		(17) 	By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he
that 					had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

		(18) 	Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:

		(19) 	Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the
dead; 					from whence also he received him in a figure.

	You got…that's the same thing, the promise in Abraham, before the son
came was the same word that allowed him to have this faith that would
have brought about a resurrection. It's exactly why the resurrection of
faith that we have to put us in a Rapture, is the same faith that's
going to bring about a resurrection. "Because they without us cannot be
made perfect," and so on. [Heb 11:40] But that’s not my subject.

4.	Now, in this account verses 8 to 19, the faith of Abraham we have
here is historical. In other words, it's an actual life's sketch of how
he conducted himself as a child of faith. Yet, it is a spiritual study
of the very life that he lead, as a recipient of the covenant promises
of God. Actually, it's a covenant promise of God. His dedication lay in
understanding what the promise really was. It's over here in verse 9. It
said:

		(9) 	By faith he sojourned in the land of promise,..,

	In other words, Abraham was promised a land in which he was able to
reside.

	Now, how this title deed holder, Abraham, This title deed holder of the
original promise conducted himself is a lesson to all of us who claim to
be heirs of the same promise. Now, we must have the same revelation and
the same understanding in order to follow the pattern, because that is
commended us by God. It is not only commended, it is commanded us of
God.

5.	Now, this is seen in Galatians 3:6-9, (and I've many, many Scripture
to read this morning) 

		(6) 	Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for 			
		righteousness.

		(7) 	Know (you) therefore that they which are of faith, the same are
the 						children of Abraham.

		(8) 	And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen 
					through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, 			
		In thee shall all nations be blessed.

		(9) 	So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

	In other words, heir of the same promise.

 	Romans 4:12, (what you read last night)

		(2) 	And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the
circumcision 					only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of
our father Abraham, 					which he had being yet uncircumcised. (We are
to walk in His steps.)

6.	Also, in Hebrews 10:38-39

		(38) 	Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my
soul 						shall have no pleasure in him.

		(39) 	But we are not of them who draw back (to destruction;) but of
them 					that believe to the saving of the soul.

	And these two verses preface, or set the tenor for all the whole
chapter of Hebrews 11. 

	Now, notice carefully in Hebrews 11:8-9. 

		(8) 	By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which
					he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went
out, 					not knowing whither he went.

		(9) 	By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange
country, 					dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs
with him of 						the (very) same promise:

	Now, in verse 8, you'll notice that he's called to go out into a place
and he would inherit it. But see how the actual fulfillment came about,
or what actually came about as the fulfillment. In verse 9, he
sojourned. (See?) He was merely a sojourner according to these verses.
God called Abraham to go out and receive a land of promise. And he
actually got there and he lived in that land, he stayed in there. 

7.	Now, hold that in mind and we'll go to Genesis 12: because only by
studying this can we find out what inheriting the promise is all about,
and what our life's attitudes must be concerning it. Okay, verse 1.

		(1) 	Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country,			
		 and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that 	
			I will show thee:

	Now, verses 5-9

		(5) 	And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all
						their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they
had 						(begotten) in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land
of 						Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

		(6) 	And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto 
				the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.

		(7) 	And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said (unto him), Unto thy 	
			seed will I give this land: and there he builded  an altar unto the
LORD, 					who appeared unto him.

		(8) 	And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel,
					and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the
east: 					and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon
the name 					of the LORD.

		(9) 	And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.

8.	Genesis 13:1-4

		(1) 	And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he
						had, and Lot with him, into the south.

		(2) 	And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.

		(3) 	And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto 	
				the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel 	
				and Hai;

		(4) 	Unto the place of the altar, which he had make there at the
first: 						and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.

	Verse 12,

		(12) 	(And) Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in
the 					cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.

	Genesis 17:4-8

		(4) 	(And) 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 (the) 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
everlasting possession; 					and I will be their God.

	 	Now, from the Scripture which I have read here, it looks a if a
promise has been given, and a promise has been fulfilled. That God said
to Abraham, "You go to this land I've set before you, I'm going to give
it to you." But it is not a promise given and a promise received. 

9.	Not so, let's go to Acts 7:1-7, Stephen preaching:

		(2) 	And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of
glory 					appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia,
						before he dwelt in Charran,

		(3) 	And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy
kindred,					 and come into the land which I shall shew thee.

		(4) 	Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in
Charran: 					and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him
into this 					land, wherein (you) now dwell.

		(5) 	And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set
his 					foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a
possession, 					and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.

	So, it is not a promise that has been given and a promise received. It
is a promise that has been given, but is yet to be received. For Abraham
could not dwell in that land, he simply wandered about  in it, according
to what we read in Genesis.

10.	Now, let's go back in Hebrews again, chapter 11: beginning in again
in verses 8-10, 

		(8) 	By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which
					he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went
out, 					not knowing whither he went.

		(9) 	By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange
country, 					dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs
with him of 						the same promise:

		(10) 	For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder
and 					maker is God.

	Now, there we find the complete truth about God's promise and those who
are to share in it. In verse 8, Abraham was called out to a place that
he should after inherit. Not inherit it at the time, but later on. He
obeyed. That is, he came out of the Ur of the Chaldaeans, not knowing
where he was going, or not having any definite knowledge of the land
ahead of him, but he kept on moving. He made his stay in the Promised
Land, but the Promised Land was a strange country to him. He could not
accept it. 

11.	In other words, the country was not acceptable as his inheritance.
Neither could the country accept him. We go to Genesis 3: 17. Notice
what It said.

		(17) 	And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the
voice 					of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded
thee, 					saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for
thy sake; in 					sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

	You can see here that Abraham could not accept this Promised Land of
his inheritance, and neither could the land accept him. They were at
variance with each other. This was not the promise of God fulfilled as
many people think it was. He never made a permanent stop. He never built
a city, but the Bible said he was looking for one. In verse 10, It tells
us that. "He looked for a City that hath foundation." 

	You'll notice that Abraham had a definite revelation that his
inheritance in the earth, was not for the days of his present lifetime,
but It was for some later indefinite date which had not yet been set.
Now, that's the promise.

12.	Now, this same revelation was accepted by his heirs, who of course
would inherit God's gifts and promises to Abraham. For It says in verse
9, "That Abraham and Isaac were heirs of the very same promise." The
days of the sojourn of all the heirs are well defined in Acts 7: (which
I was in a second ago) and in verse 7, (and the last part of It)

		(7) 	And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge,
said 						God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in
this place.

	It's well defined that there is another time that God is going to be
with His people, according to His covenant promise. And then and only
then will the land be reconciled to them, and them reconciled  to the
land. God reconciled to them, and they reconciled to God and the service
will be perfectly acceptable. They would serve God as did Abraham. All
of these heirs, they would serve Him temporarily on earth. And later on
they would inherit, or get the  title deed to the possession that God
promised them. See, the same thing I preached last night we're bringing
right out again today.

13	Now then,  you see that it's exactly true by reading Hebrews 11:13

		(13) 	These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but
having 					seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced
them, 					and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the
earth. (See?) 

	Now, you can also see that every true child of God views the promise of
inheritance with Abraham in exactly the same light. Verse 14.

		(14) 	For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a
country.

	Now remember, that's what we're promised, that's our inheritance. With
It, verses 39-40.

		(39) 	And all these, having obtained a good report through faith,
received 					not the promise:

		(40)	 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without
us 					should not be made perfect. (See?) 

	And the promise is still sitting, sitting there. It's still standing
there. It is still to be received. The question now arises, what is the
promise  of God to Abraham? The promise of God to Abraham is actually
verse 10.

		(10) 	For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder
and 					maker is God.

	Now remember, the Maker of this universe fashion-wise, form-wise is not
God, it's the enemy. He's looking for a City wherein dwells
righteousness.

14.	Now, what is that place that Abraham is looking for that he's been
guaranteed by God that he'll receive?  It's Revelation  chapter 21:

		(1)	And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: (and) the first heaven 			
		and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

		(2) 	And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from 			
		God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

		(3) 	And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the
tabernacle 					of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and
they shall be 						his people, and God himself shall be with them, and
be their God.

		(4) 	And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there
shall 						be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall
there be 						any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

		(5) 	And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things
new. 					And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and
faithful.

		(6) 	And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the
beginning 					and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the
fountain of the 					water of life freely.

		(7) 	He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his
God, and 					he shall be my son.

		(8) 	But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, (the)
murderers, 					(the) whoremongers, (the) sorcerers, idolaters, and
liars, shall have 						their part in the lake which burneth with fire
and brimstone: which is 					the second death.

	Well see, that's what the land was like…Abraham was living there,
because the Canaanites were in the land. (See?) 

14.  Now: 

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

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

		(11) 	Having the glory of God: and (the) light was like unto a stone
most 					precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

		(12) 	And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the
gates 					twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names
of 						the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

		(13)	 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; the south
three 						gates; the west three gates.

		(14) 	And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, …

	There's your City. Abraham looking for the City which had foundation.
Abraham sojourning in a strange place. Abraham knowing the he would
receive the promise of God, which covenant promise of  Almighty God was:
that the heirs of Abraham would be New Jerusalem, you see It right here.
(And you read the rest for yourselves, I won't take time.)

15.	But, let's swing over to Revelation 20:4-6

		(4)	And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given 
				unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the 		
			witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, which had not worshipped 	
			the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon
their 					foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with
Christ a 					thousand years.

		(5) 	But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years
were 					finished. This is the first resurrection.

		(6) 	Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection:
on such 					the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests
of God and 					of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

16.	Revelation 5:9-10

		(9) 	And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the
book, 					and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast
redeemed 					us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue,
and people, 					and nation;

		(10) 	And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall
reign 					on the earth.

	See, there you are, the complete picture of the promise of Almighty God
to Abraham. Now listen, the promise of God to Abraham and the Royal Seed
is to inherit the earth by means of the  First Resurrection. And God
gave promise to Abraham, and we trace his history. We can see here by
Scripture that what promise that God gave to Abraham was this: that He
would give him a new life in the First Resurrection, and would place him
in the New Jerusalem, and in those things which we now hold very dear to
our hearts, but perhaps don't understand too much about them. Now, this
same earth we inhabit now and by promise actually own potentially is to
be ours according to the Word of God. 

17.	Let's go to Romans 8:19-23 

		(19) 	For the earnest expectation of …(creation, of this creation,
this 						earth waited for the unveiling of the sons of God. See, just
waiting 						for us.)   

		(20) 	For (creation) was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by
						reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

	What is the hope? Going to be brought back to the original.

		(21) 	Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the
bondage						 of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of
God.

		(22) 	For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in
pain 					together until now.

		(23) 	And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the
firstfruits of the 					Spirit, even we ourselves groan within
ourselves, waiting for the 						adoption, to wit, the redemption of
(the) body.

	Notice also, not only is it mentioned there, but in 2 Peter concerning
that God is going to re-create this earth. Now, don' t be a mixed up
here, remember, in the Millennium, (which we don't have time to discuss
before the Millennium) He merely refines the earth as in the days of
Noah to bring us back. But when it comes to some of these other
Scriptures He dissolves the elements, and it's completely a
re-recreation, but it has to do with the same people and the
inheritance. And you don't begin to get your inheritance until the First
Resurrection. The inheritance is merely in figure, it's a potential.

18.	All right 2 Peter 3:10-13

		(10) 	But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in
the 						which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, the
elements 						shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the
works that are 						therein shall be burned up.

		(11) 	Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what
manner 						of persons ought (you) to be in all holy (behavior) and
godliness,

		(12) 	Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God,
wherein 					the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the
elements shall 					melt with fervent heat?

		(13) 	Nevertheless we, according to his promise,…

	What's His promise? To inherit the earth. (See?) According to His
promise let the earth be dissolved. No problem we're dissolved. This
earthly tabernacle must also be dissolved. God's in the process of
dissolution.

	Now, after we're dissolved and come back, then God again will dissolve,
this time the earth. And He'll put an un-dissolvable people upon an
un-dissolvable world. Nevertheless, according to His promise.   

(13)	… look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth
righteousness.

	The promise of God is to those who inherit, will be under the banner of
righteousness. The Lord our Righteousness. Not this present earthly
situation under the God of this world. 

19.	Also, in Romans 4:13

		(13) 	For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world,…
(See?) 

	Heir of this earth, not just a little block in Palestine now, that's
merely a shadow of the real thing. That's merely where he had to stay.
Now, It says here by revelation God gave promise to Abraham that he is
going to be heir of the world. (See?) Was not to Abraham, or to his seed
through the law, but through the righteousness which is of faith.

	In other words, not something you can work into, but something God is
guaranteeing to give you, and you believe Him for that very thing.

 	Also notice, this same earth is our prison house as we typed in Acts
7:7, where each, Israel was in bondage to Egypt, based upon Genesis
3:17-19.  Wherein the earth is revolting against us, and holds us in
bondage even to the extent that we die and go back to the very ground.
We're in a prison house, we're in bondage. But notice, under the Sixth
Seal the earth is purged. And this Sixth Seal is prior to the First
Resurrection, wherein the earth is forced to give up its dead. I don't
say the Sixth Seal now, I said in the Resurrection it's forced to give
up its dead. 

20.	James 5:7

		(7) 	Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord.
Behold, 					the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth,
and hath 					long patience for it, until he receive the early and
latter rain.

		(8) 	Be ye (patient also); stablish your hearts: for the coming of the
Lord 					draweth nigh.

	It tells you here that the earth cannot any longer be the prison house
of these people who hold them captive and in bondage. Because now it's
time for them to come forth, and to receive their inheritance which will
be in the Millennium after the First Resurrection a purified earth. And
this purified earth is not hard to understand, it's laid out in the
Bible for  you. Because It tells you, "As it was in the days of Noah."
[Lk 17:26] And God purified the earth by a flood. He brought down huge
deposits of silt upon the land. He turned other land upside down. He
opened the waterways and various things like that.

	And so, when Noah came down upon the earth, there was the bones and the
human waste of mankind was completely covered.  (See?) Now the Scripture
says, "That we shall walk upon the ashes of the wicked." [Mal 4:3]
That's the very same thing. It doesn't say you're going to walk in them
where the ashes puff around your ankles like the dust out here, you're
going to walk over them. That's the way Noah did. (See?) 

 	Now, God's purifying the earth by fire, the volcanic eruptions. They
say the finest land in all the world is where the lava comes down. Very,
very fine with the minerals, and then the water is there. And you can
grow any vegetable under high-heaven. It's just marvelous what God is
going to do that for us. (See?) When He brings us into our inheritance,
which comes by way of the Resurrection, the First Resurrection.

21.	Now notice, we have taken some time to get around to what this
promise actually is. The promise of inheriting the earth, by means of
the First Resurrection. But only by doing so can we see that if we are
pressing into the promise, we are actually pressing into the
Resurrection. That's what we're doing. This is our whole life here to
press into the Resurrection, because that's what it's all about. (See?)
Calvary made it available to us. But now we're pressing into what has
been made available. And you don't stop with Calvary, because that's the
open door. That's where we're all misunderstood concerning this Message.
They don't understand there's a Word been given to us. And that
Word…and without that Word, Calvary loses its efficacy. (See?) 

	Now, in other words, the promise to Abraham and his heirs is the
promise of the Resurrection. Whereas immortal bodies in the image of
God, we go back to even a greater grandeur than the figure of Abraham.
For as we were of the earth earthy…rather through Adam of the earth
earthy, now we are in the image of the heavenly. And it's a far grander
figure.

22.	Now, it's a greater figure than being where Adam and Eve was in the
Garden of Eden. It's far greater. Let's go back and look at It again.
Genesis 1:26-29

		(26) 	(The Lord) God said, Let us make man in our image,…

	Now, when He made man in the image in this first time, spiritual, they
couldn't fall. When they were placed in the flesh they could fall, and
they did fall. Now, we've got to get back to that image. The image that
cannot fall. Now, in the image of God they have dominion, because
they're in the likeness of God. 

		(26) 	…(that) dominion over the fish of the sea…fowl of the
air…cattle, 						the (whole) earth, every creeping thing that
creepeth upon the earth. 					(See?) 

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

		(28) 	And God blessed them, and God said…Be fruitful, and multiply, 
					replenish the earth, and… (so on.)

	Then He said:

		(29)	 …Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, (that's)
upon 						the face of the earth, and every tree, in the which is the
fruit of a tree 					yielding seed; (and) it shall be (to you) for meat.

23.	Now, that was the beginning God giving dominion. But what's He going
to do in the Resurrection?  We go over here to Philippians 3:20  

		(20) 	For our (citizenship) is in heaven; (not conversation),
citizenship 						is in heaven) from whence also we look for the
Saviour, the Lord 						Jesus Christ:

		(21) 	Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like
unto 						his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is
able 						even to subdue all things (to) himself.

	Even those waiting for their transformation without death. He can do
it, He will do it. 

	Now, when Jesus came back here on earth what was He doing? He was
eating and drinking. He said, "Handle Me and see a spirit does not have
flesh and bone as you see Me have."             [Lk 24:39] He was doing
manual things. He was living as a human being yet glorified. So
therefore, you can see what lies ahead of it. They were looking forward
to the Resurrection to be in the complete image of Jesus Christ. No
longer a spiritual image only that will keep us in perfect harmony with
God, but this time a physical image having come out of the ground like
unto His body, so there'll be no contradiction, or discrepancy
whatsoever in this kingdom.

	Now, all we know today is contradiction and discrepancy. But in that
Kingdom there's nothing but perfect harmony wherein reigneth
righteousness. Now, after the Millennium we're going to come back in the
New Jerusalem, which Bro. Branham called, "The future home of the
heavenly Bridegroom and the earthly Bride." 

24.  Now, with this thought in mind that the faith of Abraham in Hebrews
11, is pressing into the Resurrection, let's study it and see that every
verse here that we're going to talk about has to do with the
understanding that a resurrection was to take place, and this was a
supreme  promise of God to them. Now, let's understand that, because I'm
afraid we've lost it in the Laodicean Church Age. I'm afraid we've got
the wrong concept, we're not battling hard enough against the criminal
attacks of the enemy, who would get our eyes off this fact that is press
into the Resurrection, or miss it.  And that this life that we lead is
all about pressing into a resurrection and is absolutely is nothing
else.

	Now, we'll take Scripture by Scripture and in there you will see the
temporal condition of man and the eternal condition of the Resurrection
which is set before us. Every birth bears it out. So if any man should
be mindful of anything concerning who and what he is in Christ, that
concern onfhis should be this as paramount, pressing in to the First
Resurrection.

25.	Now, we're not going to be with justification by faith, because,
(though that's the first step) because we all trust we're all justified.
But going to Hebrews 11: now, notice in verse 8. 

		(8) 	By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which
					he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went
out,						 not knowing whither he went.

	We discovered here that It said, "Abraham obeyed." Abraham obeyed God.
He went out.

26.	 Now, let's go to 1 Peter 1:2

		(2) 	Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through 	
				sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience…

	You want to identify with Abraham? Abraham speaks of election. You
notice the Bible said, Abraham went out. It says, he obeyed. That's what
It says here. Elect according to God's foreknowledge. The Spirit of God
leading a man. What into?  

		(2)	…obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace 		
			unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

	Now, he goes on and says this:

		(3) 	Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which 			
		according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a 					
lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

	Notice, what was the law Abraham obeyed in order to come into a
resurrection. Tells you right here. The lively hope, every act of
obedience, especially the initial obedience of coming unto Almighty God
in order to saved from your sins. Why are you being saved from those
sins? Why are you making an approach toward God? Why are you obeying
that Voice of the Spirit? It's for a lively hope. In other words, your
understanding of that which comes from God is this: I'll be in a
resurrection in His image. (See?) Absolutely. That's why the disciples
preached the Resurrection. That's why healing testifies to the
Resurrection. That's why Bro. Branham had his great campaign, 'A
Resurrection is at hand'.  Man that's born to die, shall live again.

27.	  Now, we keep reading:  

		(4) 	To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, …(there's your 
					New Jerusalem, there's your new life of earth) that fadeth not
away, 					reserved in (the) heaven(s) for you,

	Is it all up there? No! It's going to come down to earth. It's merely
reserved there for you until it comes down here. (See?) All right,
notice:

		(5) 	Who are kept by the power of God through faith…	

	What is your faith all about? It's to see that you're in the
Resurrection. To see that you don't fall short of this promise of God.
To see that you don't miss out in being one of those glorified
creatures. Ready to reveal in the last time. Certainly, ready to reveal.
Why? Because these sons must be manifested. God must bring them all out
of the ground. God must show who belongs to Him. Then will the earth be
changed, then will the earth shake off its death rack, and come out into
a place of liberty.

	Notice now:

		(6) 	Wherein (you) greatly rejoice, …

	What is the rejoicing in? The Resurrection. Oh brother/sister, if we
could only get this. I just wish that Bro. Branham could preach this
sermon, because though I know what I'm talking about, I can't put it
across with the conviction of experience that that man could being here;
and yet beyond the curtain of time knowing what I don't know. But, I
know I'm telling you the truth, and all you've got to do is hear my
voice. Remember how Bro. Branham spoke of that resurrection, "There's a
land beyond the river."  You'll know that I'm telling you exactly what
he said. That this is what counts. It's not what's down here, it's
what's coming down here, and are we able to meet it. 

28.	Now, It say: 

		(6)	…(you) rejoice, though now for a season, (sojourning) if need
be, 						(you) are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

		(7) 	That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of
gold 						that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found
unto 						praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

		(8) 	Whom having not seen, (you) love; in whom, though now (you) see 	
			him not, yet believing, (you) rejoice with joy unspeakable and full 	
				of glory:

		(9) 	Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your
souls.

	What's the salvation of souls, something merely here on earth for a
moment? No! It's to put you in that Resurrection. It's to put you in
Millennium Kingdom. To put you in the New Jerusalem. To put you where
God wants you. (See?)  Now, what is the first step toward the
Resurrection? Obedience. Right. He was called, he went out. He went out.


29.	 Now, let's look at It, let's go to these people who went out, and
has come out with Revelation 18:4-5   

		(4) 	And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her,
my 					people, that (you) be not partakers of her sins, and that (you)
receive 					not of her plagues.

	Now, the original coming out of her was Abraham. Where was he? He was
in bondage down there worshipping in a false religion. The Word of God
came to him. Where was the Word of God? It was not where Abraham was. It
was not were Abraham was. The Word of God was outside where Abraham was,
for He said, "Come on out." Now, he came out.

	Now, let's go to Matthew 25:1-6, we want to set a pattern here.

		(1) 	Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, 			
		which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

		(2) 	…five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

		(3) 	(And) they that were foolish took their lamps, and (had) no oil
with 					them:

		(4) 	But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

		(5) 	While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

		(6) 	…at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom, (not
						cometh, but behold the bridegroom, Not go out, but come)…out to 
					meet him.

	There's no such thing in the whole Bible ever said, "Go out." God was
not saying to Abraham, "Go out." God said, "Abraham, come out." So
therefore, if the same Holy Ghost would have said, "Go out," He would
have been a liar. The Holy Ghost would have done took up lying, because
He can only say what He only said the first time. And what He said the
first time, He says the last time. "Come out!"  (See?) It's a coming
out.

30.	Now, just hold that thought there, Ephesians 5:14

		(14) 	Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from
(among) 					the dead, and Christ shall give (you) light. (Come on out
from among 					the dead.)

	Okay, let's go to Galatians 4:19

		(19) 	My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until
Christ be 						formed in you,

		(20) 	I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for
I 						stand in doubt of you.

		(21) 	Tell me, (you) that desire to be under the law, do (you) not
hear 						the law?

		(22) 	For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, (let's get this
one) the 						one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.

		(23) 	(And) he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh;
(just 					like Cain was and all the rest of them) but he of the
freewoman was					 by promise. (See?) 

		(24) 	Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants;
the 						one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is
						Agar.

		(25) 	For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to
Jerusalem 					which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

		(26) 	But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is (our) mother…
(now, 					you cross out that where it says the mother of us all,
because that's 						wrong.)

	New Jerusalem is not the mother of the children of the bond woman. It's
our Mother. Certainly, you can tell that is a horrible translation. It
wouldn't make sense for a second. There'd be no allegory there at all if
New Jerusalem owned us all. Right! Right, let's know the Word. 

		(27) 	For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not;
(that's Sarah) 					break forth and cry, thou that travailest not:
(that’s Sarah, now notice:)  					for the desolate hath many more
children than she which hath an 						husband.

	Sarah had the husband and didn't have the children. Hagar didn't have
the husband, and got a whole flock of them. Now, let's see …?... 

31.	I'm still on my subject, don't worry:

		(28) 	Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
(Our 						mother then is Jerusalem above.)

		(29) 	But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that
was 					born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

		(30) 	Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman
and 					her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with
the son 					of the freewoman.

	Who got cast out of the marriage supper? The man without a garment on.
Who got cast out of the Marriage Supper? The man without a garment on.
That's right, who get's cast out? Those that aren't in New Jerusalem.
See, now: 

		(31) 	So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of 
					the free.

	Now listen,   [Galatians 5:]

		(1) 	Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us
free, 					and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

	Now, what am I trying to show you here? There never was anybody who
ever made the Bride, whoever came in the First Resurrection, but didn't
come out of something. That's why you've got a move at the last day here
preceding the First Resurrection which is a, "come out of her, my
people."  [Rev 18:4] 

	Now, there is absolutely no rebirth and no resurrection afforded any
man who doesn't have a coming out experience, because repentance itself
is a change of mind. In other words, you're in there and something
happened and you said, "Let's get out."

32.	Now, Abraham started with getting out of a heathen worship. Then it
must end the same way. Abraham got out of there, in order to be in a
resurrection. Then when It said in Revelation 18, "come out of her my
people," it's for the very same reason. There is a resurrection to be
attended. The Resurrection which is coming upon the earth.  In Haron,
Abraham's father was a moon worshipper, be it a heathen, or a Christian
religion. I care not if it's plumb heathen, idolatrous, or whether it's
simply Christianity gone to pot. There has to be a coming out, and there
always has been a coming out in every single Age. And the coming out is
necessary for a resurrection. Why? Because it types …?... coming out
of your bondage and your death in creeds with dogmas to the Life and
Resurrection of Christ the Word. 

	What was that Word given for my brother, my sister, but to bring forth
a resurrection.  That First Resurrection got a start in here. We've
already had a resurrection Bro. Branham said, from our creeds and our
dogmas. The grave clothes of Lazarus have been stripped off by the Voice
of Jesus Christ. "Come forth, come out of her." The first cry of the
First Age, I've showed you by Scripture why did God call Abraham?  He
called him for a resurrection.

	Why did He call you and me? For a resurrection. Why did He call anybody
through the Seven Church Ages? For a resurrection. What's He waiting
for?  He's waiting for a resurrection. (See?) That's our hope. That's
all of it. I said, "That's all of it!" 

33.	People look for this, and they look for that. They say, "Glory to
God, I met Jehovah Jireh, I get my provisions. Under Jehovah Rapha, I
get my healing. And under Jehovah the Shepherd, I get my care." That
sounds good and it is good. But you can have all of that and lose this.
(See?) Put first things first. That's what's wrong with this world. They
talk about a resurrection, but they don't know it's right around the
corner. Let me tell you my brother, my sister that Resurrection could
take place any thirty to sixty days.

	You say, "Why?" Because I don't know how long it's going to take when
that money system collapses before the Resurrection take place. And that
system can collapse any minute now, and you know it, and I know.
Certainly. The Resurrection.

34.	Now, yet when a man comes out, into what does he go? We go to verse
9 in the Book of Hebrews [11:] to get our picture.   

		(9) 	By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange
country, 					dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs
with him 						of the same promise:

	Now, God doesn't have a vacuum, He said, "Come on out." What's he going
to go into? He is in the very same world, (that's right) once he comes
out. He's in the same world. But now he is a new citizen and is awaiting
the new earth to come into manifestation.

	Now notice, you will see that the Bible calls a sojourning, verse 9.
What is a 'sojourn'? It is a temporary state. It is a visit. He is
allowed to visit only what is his actual inheritance. There again we see
the Resurrection and Eternal Life as the reality of God for man. Because
He said, "This is yours, but you can only stay here a little while." And
how is he going to get it forever? He's got to live again. I said every
verse which show the Resurrection. 

35.	Here's one that shows It: "You've got a sojourn here. This land is
yours, this is your home, I've given it to you, but you're only going to
be here a little while. You can walk up and down in it. You can work in
it, but the land and you are not reconciled."  Then how is it going to
be done? You're going to come back in a resurrection.

	Notice, it's called a strange country. People are not comfortable in a
strange country. Oh, how comfortable Laodicea is, rich, increased in
goods, and don't lack a thing. I want to tell you my brother, my sister
thank God for the convicting Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ that makes us
uncomfortable. There was a time I could go to my clothes closet and I
knew what suit I was going to wear, because I either didn’t' have one,
or had only one. Right now I'm goofier than a woman, like Jack Bell.
Let's confess it Jack, it's good for our soul. Go into our clothes
closet and got so many clothes you start giving them away. Not that you
buy them all, people give them to you too. I think nearly most of my
clothes are given to me. Even the stuff I wear was not given I'd buy
awful cheap, or don't buy. It's got to be a bargain, because I don't
believe in just throwing money away. (See?) 

36.	But listen, I'm trying to show you something here. We're increased
in goods, we don't really lack anything. We are too comfortable. (See?)
The gold of this world that signifies authority and power which only the
Holy Spirit and the Word should signify, have encroached upon our
domain, until we're not looking for a resurrection. Who needs one in the
face we've got so much now? We're not supposed to be comfortable. And
I'm going to tell you something, God's not going to let us be
comfortable.

	Oh, I know people have an idea that the squeeze won't come down. I
know, maybe misunderstood me last night, I thought talking about a
squeeze. You’ve got to wait for something to really happen here and
there. I never preached that, you misunderstood me. I told you what
we've got now, but listen, that squeeze must come down to get us off of
our perch, and don't think it won't, because the prophet said so. Don't
say for one minute that there's no squeeze's coming, it's coming.
Prophet said so. We're too much at home. We've got too much money. The
very fact you can build a building like this only proves you've got too
much money. I mean it, where's our store-front? Not criticizing it's
very good, I appreciate it. Bro. Branham said if you've got that kind of
money, don't let the devil get it, build a building. It's fine. (See?) 

37.	But, we're too comfortable. (See?) Where are the days, where are
those old days? Not saying now we shouldn't, we don't…we shouldn't be
comfortable. Just letting you know something, there's a spirit of this
age my brother, my sister. We become blind to the reality, that there's
a resurrection, and that's what this promise is all about. It is not you
and me having such good health. All of that's great. Not you and I
having so many fine things. Not you and I not being able to have so many
prayers answered and say, "Oh, look how great God is."

	The great thing is this: There is a God in heaven Who has promised us a
resurrection from the dead, and will put us in His glory to share it
with Him. Certainly that's the trouble, so don't misunderstand me here
when I'm talking now either. It's easy to twist a preacher's words, it's
on tape, you better hear them again. And if they sound wrong you write
me and I'll tell you what it really meant if you didn't get it.

38.	Now listen, it's a strange country. People aren't comfortable in a
strange country. They aren't meant to be comfortable in that strange
country. They want to get out of it. How many of us really want to get
out of it? (See?) The sojourning is something we want to get out of.
Certainly it should be. But we don't want to be without something in the
interim as Paul the apostle said in 2 Corinthians 5th chapter. He said,
"In this tabernacle we groan, which is going to be dissolved." Now he
said we want to get out of it. But we  don't want to get out of it, and
have nothing to go to.

	Now, in the interim God has a little building in heaven waiting for us,
a spirit body. Some-thing eternal up there, when we slide out of this
and go into that one. Then that comes down and picks up these mortal
bodies here, and puts us in a Millennium. (See?) We cannot be
comfortable here. We are not meant to be comfortable here.

	The Bible said they were heirs dwelling in tents. A tent means it's
very temporary. (See?) One might have to look to leave it at any time.
Yet, it is ours, that's all we've got. And this again shows the
Resurrection, because It says, "It's merely a tent, a temporary abode."
Well look, if we're only in a temporary abode, now that we're citizens
of Almighty God's Kingdom, what's coming? A resurrection, to put you in
a real one.  To put you in a right one, certainly.

39.	Now, let's go to [Hebrews 11:] verse 10

		(10) 	For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder
and 					maker is God.

	But, all the while we looked for a City who's Architect and Builder is
God, all the while we're here. See, in this, this satisfied life. In
this life of pressure as Peter said. We're tried. Yet, we in our trial
have a settled hope.  We have a satisfaction, we have something real.
Why? Because it's in the Resurrection. We don't have a permanent promise
here on this earth, let's get that now. How many times you're healed
doesn't mean [snaps fingers] that, you're going to die anyway, unless
Jesus comes and takes you away?

	How many times God supplies your needs? How many times He saves you
from embarrassment? There'll come a time my brother, my sister, unless
Jesus Christ descends to take you home, you will still be ashamed.
Because here you and I claim eternal life, we're going to go to that
ground. There's only one place where the promises of  God become real
and eternal, and that's in the Resurrection. And that's what this is all
about, it's too bad we've missed it. Too bad Laodicea is so frivolous.
Laodicea, the name of many women. What's more frivolous today then
women? One place they take too many clothes off, the next they put too
many on. You've got such …?... dissatisfaction in this age. You have
everybody thinks she's just right. They've lost sight of the fact
they'll be nothing right until the Resurrection. (See?) 

40.	Now, a City with permanent foundation. We don't have It yet. Abraham
looked for It. We should be looking for It. It's not here, and It's got
to come. What does It signify? It signifies the Resurrection. (I'm going
to bypass verse 11, because that deals with Sarah, not Abraham, but it's
fine) We go to the next verse then, [Hebrews 11:] 12.

		(12) 	Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, …
					(there you are, resurrection again.)

	How did Abraham have a child by Sarah? Because God renewed their body.
He actually brought forth a resurrection condition in a figure here on
earth. Which is now an allegory concerning you and me. As I said last
night, "waiting for that promised son." The church cannot bring forth
the promised son, because she's pregnant with the wrong word. She'll
bring forth only wind, which is doctrine and talk in it, testimony, but
we have reality. Amen!

	There's a difference between a woman who thinks she's pregnant, and one
who really is. You haven't got that Word of God, you haven't been with
Christ, you just think you've been with Christ. Yes sir. 

	Listen, here's the resurrection again. Abraham, him as good as dead.
That's right. There sprang from him one as many as the stars, the sky
and multitudes, and as the sand of the seashore innumerable. Here He's
speaking now, He puts us all in the Resurrection. Because it's that
springing from Him are those innumerable. Oh, what life must have been
in Abraham. What life was in him? "If the Spirit of God which raised up
Jesus dwell in you, that same Spirit will quicken your mortal body."
[Rom 8:11] And bring you out of  that dust. We present you faultless
before the Lord of glory. Yes sir, that's true

41.	Look at verse 13,

		(13) 	These all died in faith,…   

	They had it, but they didn't receive it. They were given the means
whereby they could possess it. That's right. What we have today is not
the promise itself, we have the means. Certainly. Now, 

		(13)	…(they) received the promises, but having seen them afar off,
and 						were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that 
					they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

		(14) 	(And) they that say such things declare…that they seek a
country.

	Now, verse 13, these all died in faith. All but believers are dying in
faith, or they're not believers. Oh you say, "Well, sure they're
believers."  Well, I could grant you they're believers, but they're not
true believers. They're believers, make believers, and unbelievers.
Yeah. There are those who think they're believers, they come pretty
close, but they've got a corrupt faith, which is called a reprobate
faith. Because they've got a corrupt mind. There is no such thing as
true faith outside of a true revelation. And a true revelation doesn't
come by simply examining Scripture, or anybody could have it. It doesn't
work that way.

42.	They all died in faith. They have kept on dying in faith, and none
of them received in the manifestation the promise of the resurrection to
inherit the earth. However, they will inherit the earth, because of that
potential which I just declared to you from Romans 8:11. "If that Spirit
that raised up Jesus dwell in you." Though your body is dead became of
sin, that same Spirit will raise that body into the likeness of Jesus
Christ.

	By the revelation they saw the promises. By the revelation they claim
the promises It says here. They all died in faith, they didn't receive
it, but they saw those promises. My brother, my sister, I want to say
this and I say to our embarrassment. And it is an embarrassment to us.
When we heard that prophet, we were stunned by his reality in Almighty
God. And what was it that stunned us? Because the thing that I'm talking
about today was so real, that that man had a policy of touch not, taste
not, nor be involved with anything but what pertained to the Kingdom.
Why? Because there's where his life was. He wasn't worried about this
life of sojourn here. 

43.	That's why he could be so sweet with the sickest disposition you
ever saw. I mean, physical disposition you ever saw. His own words were,
"I would sooner be in a terrible accident and crippled horribly, than to
have five minutes of suffering I go through."  The morning he preached
'The Anointed Ones at the End Time', and he asked me, "Did you see
something wrong?"

	I said, "I didn't see a thing, I enjoyed the Message." 

	He said, "I was so sick I could hardly stand up, I had to hang on the
pulpit."

	Yet, never once was that man ever offensive to anybody. Why? Because of
the reality God. Now, my brother, my sister, let's face it, the reality
of Almighty God based on these promises is the understanding of a
resurrection which in itself, though not an opiate, can become an opiate
to whatsoever bothers us. Whatsoever seems to harm us. In other words,
it's the Balm of Gilead. Let me put it that way, the Balm of Gilead. It
is a salve, it's the ointment of Almighty God. Knowing this that we have
in the Resurrection the true hope of Almighty God, but It's not here,
It's over there. We can only live in such a way as to know that our
inheritance lies over yonder. Let's live such a life that we can claim
it. That's right.

44.	By their confession they made it plain, that they were citizens of
God's Kingdom which would take place in a resurrection.  That's the kind
of testimony we need, so people realize that we're not living for the
present. You say, "Why do you live the kind of life you live?"  Because
there's a better one coming. "Why do you do the kind of things that you
do?" Because there's a better one coming. No problem, because those
people understood which Laodicea does not understand.

	I can pick up any book written in any other age. That's right, I can
pick  up any manual that somebody wrote. I can hear a sermon that
somebody preached. And I say in this age, where is the reality of the
Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, which brings it all into focus? 
(See?) Where is the joy? Why back in the hungry thirties it was more
real than it is today. Sure. 

45.	Now, verse 15

		(15) 	And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence
they 					came out,… (they would have gone back.) 

	Now, It tells you here, when God brings you out, what's He bring you
out for?  For the Resurrection . What's the way to miss It? Go on back
where your death was. Why did God take you out of your creeds and
dogmas? Why did God take you out of Pentecost? To go back and be a
shuck? Then why are people still worrying about having interpretation
and tongues and things on the floor? Bro. Branham said, "There's only
one time you can get away from that little building ministry," And he
didn't say you could do it even then. He said, "If it were possible, it
might be allowable at the end of a service to have a prophecy." When is
the end of the service? When the altar call has been concluded. When
every soul has been dealt with, when they're ready to shake hands and go
home, then you might say something. 

	Why are we mindful about going back? Why are we mindful about wanting
our own little ideas, because we thought God showed us something?  Let
me tell you something right now, if you and I do that, we'll never be in
the Resurrection, because nothing outside of this Message is going to
come to life. We came out, because we were wrong. We never came out to
get a breath of fresh air, we came out of our graves not breathing.
That's right. Something wrong with people somewhere they don't
understand this. It distinctly says, "That they came out." Why? In order
to be a part of that Bride.

46.	Now, if you want to go back to the Age in which you came out of, you
go back, you'll never make the Resurrection. Let me tell you this:
Abraham would not have made the Resurrection, he'd have given his hope
up. Israel going back to Egypt would have given up their hope. Luther to
Catholicism would have given up his hope. Wesley to Lutherism would have
given up hope. Pentecost to Wesley would have given up their hope. And
if you and I go back to Pentecost we give up our hope.

	The very fact that you and I stand clear this morning, stand clear of
our dead creeds and dogmas, show that we're on the risen side with Jesus
Christ. Because there is no other testimony, because we're standing here
on promise of Almighty God, and the promise is at hand. There's your
Resurrection. [Hebrews 11:] verse 16

		(16) 	But now they desire a better country,…

	Ha, it's the only one you know here. Where are you going to get a
better one? There's got to be a resurrection. Amen, hallelujah!  Glory
to God, hallelujah! I wish my soul could ring with it. I wish my body
could vibrate with it. I wish my senses could take it, that Bro. Branham
had. "There's a Land beyond the River that they call the Sweet Forever."
There's something wrong somewhere, I'm not blaming you. There's
something wrong somewhere that we can't see what this whole life is
about. It's the Resurrection coming up. Not what we are here, it's not
what we have here. All this is sham and …?..., what does it matter if
you're leader or something else?

47.	I get so sick and tired of the whole thing. I wish I had nothing
anymore, but a glass of water and a crust of bread. I could get my soul
fixed on that which is real. Because that is what this is all about the
'Faith of Abraham'. There's a Resurrection coming, there's nothing else
matters. We haven't got one promise here that's enduring. We haven't got
one thing that's for this earth, it's all beyond the river. 

	You say, "Bro. Vayle you taking away healing?"

	I didn't say that, that's going to die. 

	"Are you going to take away prophecy?"

	It's going to fail.

	"You going to take way tongues?"

	It's going to perish.

	Let me tell you something, there's a people who'll  never  perish.
Whose immortality lies in Jesus Christ, and that's a promise and that
can only take place in the First Resurrection. Yes, that's true.

48.	Now listen, verse 15 gave that warning. And verse 16 tells us here
there's only one place we can look for it. Something better, and that's
in the Resurrection.  It says:

		(16)	…wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God:…

	Ho, no wonder God's ashamed this morning. No wonder He's ready to
vomit. He's got a City prepared. And this is the apex. This is the
ultimate. This is the whole thing, and the people don't rise to the
occasion. They've got a hundred ideas , they got a million approaches.
And here the Lord God of glory stands and says, "This is It."

	And they say, "Well, that looks pretty nice, don't you see that'd be
for the time being. Oh, that's pretty, oh yes, that's alright, but over
here is so nice.

48.	Listen, that’s the whole thing. God's not ashamed to be called
their God, because they under-stand this: "I wonder if God is ashamed of
me this morning?"  I wouldn't be surprised, I'm ashamed of myself.
That's right. He's got a right to be ashamed. We put so little value on
that which is unseen when the Bible says, "Those things which are seen
of me, that which is unseen." [2 Cor 4:18] We put so little faith and
importance upon that which is the very substance, and we talk about so
much which is a shadow. God get us out of the shadow.

	According to Bro. Branham he said, "That hand must come closer, the
shadow must become closer and closer until it's the real thing." Well,
thank God, we've got one hope this morning if at least we've got a
repentive heart. At least we've got a cry, "there's something wrong." By
the grace of Almighty God we'll look to Him to see that He'll rectify
all of those things. And somehow He'll quicken it, and if it takes the
squeeze, then bring on the squeeze. And God bring it on, bring it on in
a hurry. O Lord, bring it on at your own time, because I'm not one to
tell God what to do. Certainly. Let us understand have important the
things of God are. Not these little things of time, which we seem to
think are so great.

49.	Now listen, they desire a better country. Surely, "Aw, let's just
change the Word a little bit, God won't mind."  They desire the best
thing there is, that City. Not just something better. Not just something
better. 

	"Oh, I came out of Lutherism, because Pentecostal's better. Hallelujah
I love the tongues." 

	Oh, I came out of Pentecost, glory to God, because the tongues bother
me, I'll get something quiet. I got something better."

	"No, I want the best. God doesn't mind me changing this to give you a
little thought here, they desire the best."

	They got tired of it all. Fed up with the whole thing. Now they want
what God has for them, the prepared City, hallelujah.

		(17) 	By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he
that 					had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

		(18) 	Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:

		(19) 	Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the
dead; 					from whence also he received him in a figure.

	Now, that doesn't need any explanation, that is the Resurrection, it's
simple. Nothing there to talk about. The trial of Abraham's faith, a
type of the Resurrection. Nothing matters but the Resurrection, and God
is going to have One for us. Certainly He will, we who walk in the steps
of Abraham. Our whole life, and all of our plans must center in that
Resurrection. We must get ready for It, according to what we see from
Abraham's life. All his life, all our life is a matter of one important
thing, see that we make the Resurrection. That's right.

50.	 Let's go to Revelation 5: again 6-7

		(6) 	And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and (one) of
the 						four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as
it had 						been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are
the seven 					Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

		(7) 	And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that
sat 					upon the throne.

	Revelation 10:1-2

		(1) 	And I saw another mighty (messenger) come down from heaven, 					
clothed with a cloud: a rainbow was upon his head, and his face 					
was as it were the sun, his feet as pillars of fire:

		(2)	And he had in his hand a little book open:…

	 The same Book, the Pillar of Fire brought down that same Book, the
same Book of what's that Book of Redemption? It's time to redeem the
earth. Why? For the Saints of God. It's time to redeem God's people.
What for? For a redeemed earth. It all lies in redemption, that's where
it is.

	[Revelation] 10:5-6  

		(5) 	And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea…(that's the Pillar
of 						Fire) lifted up his hand to heaven,

		(6) 	And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever,…

	Who did that? God did that. When did He do it? For Abraham when He
swore by Himself to Abraham, "I'm going to give it to you in a
Resurrection." If He's Alpha, He's got to be Omega. Once more He raises
that hand when election runs out. Because the purpose of God stands in
election. God is going to have a City based upon election. That's right.
There's no election, there's no City. God makes His purpose sure. God
makes His plan come to pass. "I'm going to have a people." And He has it
through election, foreknowledge upon which election and predestination
is based.

51.	Now, He says, 

		(6)	…time (will be) no longer.

	It's over, the election is over in this Age, at this time in the voice
of the prophet's time, when the first phase of the Rapture is going on,
time runs out. That's right. Election is over. (True) And let me say
this, when the last elected member of that Bride comes in, there's
nothing left but a Resurrection. Why? Because now God can make His
promise real that He gave to Abraham and His seed. He'll say, "Now, is
the time to inherit the earth." And that's what that Book of Redemption
is all about.

	That why Bro. Branham said the opening of those Seven Seals, now he
said, "Remember, It's opened." Sure. And he said, "The Bride would have
enough faith to put her in a Rapture." (See?) We have our picture and
very, very …?...

52.	Now quickly, go to Hebrews 6:13-15

		(13) 	For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear 			
		by no greater, he sware by himself,

		(14) 	Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I
will multiply 					thee.

	All right, how could Abraham be multiplied? He didn't have that many
children. No, it came by resurrection. How? Because when Abraham died,
his life carried over by his son. His life carried over by his son. His
life carried over by his son, and now down through the ages, God by
election bringing forth all of Abraham's children ready for the
Resurrection, putting us in the Millennium. There you are. Perfect and
beautiful picture. God has done it.

53.	 Now, [Hebrews  6:]15 

		(15) 	And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

	What promise did he obtain? The promise of the son, but not the promise
of the Resurrection  and the inheritance. Because though he was there,
God would not give him one foot of it. (See?) Now:

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

	Now listen, what was the oath of confirmation?  The oath of
confirmation was God raising His hand and swearing. That's right. Now
listen, when He raises His hand again it is another oath of
confirmation. What confirmation? The prophet's Message of  'Thus Saith
the Lord', bringing us the Resurrection into immediate view. That's
right. 

	Christ has taken the Book of Redemption. (See?) Those sealed in by Holy
Ghost, must now come out of the graves. And this is the promise of
Abraham, to Abraham and his seed. Time has run out, it is resurrection
season. Who knows when the great earthquake will take place? No one
knows. What a challenge to live like the Bride, like a true Bride in
this Laodicean Age. This so comfortable, it has everything, but is blind
to the fact of a resurrection. What a challenge to know we own it all.
That's right. We own it all. And we are about to take possession of it.
Surely that's right, but the world, the church carries on.

54.	Let's look at the condition of the church. Revelation 3:17

		(17) 	Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and 		
			have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and 			
		miserable, and poor, blind, and naked:

	Let's go to 1 Corinthians 15, let's look at verse 19

		(19) 	If in this (our) life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all
men 						most miserable.

	In other words, if you have Christ in your life, but you miss that
resurrection, you are a Laodicean and you're simply miserable, though
you think you have it all. How many people today have turned down that
Word? How many have taken the Message? Very few. How many had a chance?
Multitudes. Do you mean to tell me that when Bro. Branham's ministry
first came on the scene it didn't stir the world? It certainly did. You
can't have a little town like Jonesboro Arkansas, swell from six
thousand to thirty thousand in a week and not stir the world. You can't
have those miracles over there in South Africa, and also India, and not
stir the world. 

	You can't have what happened here in Canada, in British Columbia and
not stir the world. Because the greatest miracle I think in North
American continent outside of a few took place right in British
Columbia. But they were turned down, because nobody wanted the man,
because he wouldn't identify with their dead creeds and dogmas, because
he'd come out of the Baptist church. No, they didn't want it, where are
they today? 

	They have hope in Christ in this Light only. That's right. Because
they're going to miss the hope of the Resurrection, for nothing outside
of this Word will come to life. That's been proven, that's been
vindicated. Certainly.

55.	Let's look over here in Luke 16:14-17

		(14) 	And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these
things: 						and they derided him.

		(15) 	And he said… (You) are they which justify yourselves before
men; 					but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed
						among men is abomination in the sight of God.

		(16) 	The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the
kingdom 					of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

		(17) 	And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle
of the 						law to fail.

	What did Jesus come here and tell them when John the Baptist came and
Christ with a cataclysmic effect upon their religion? He said, "Press in
to the Resurrection." Why did come and preach? Press in to the
Resurrection.

	Now, this is just such an Age as where it is said, "They knew not until
the flood came and took them all away." [Mt 24:39] They were not acting
like sojourners in the days of Noah, and neither are they acting like
sojourners now. In fact you would think that their owners for their
building, buying and selling as though they owned it all.  

56.	Let me tell you this: there's nothing you can put your hope in
brother/sister. The economist will tell you there's nothing but gold
shares worth buying, (and they're not worth buying) because they'll take
it away from you. You're stuck. And yet, the church goes on acting like
a land owner.

	As Bro. Branham said, "The way they're building their churches and
they're having their big health schemes, public schemes, they talk about
Christ coming, why, he'd be a thousand years off yet."  And yet, here's
the man who came in order as John the Baptist to press into the Kingdom.
What Kingdom? The Kingdom of God in power, which is the Resurrection.
(See?) 

	Today great churches talk about the Resurrection, but their lives tell
another story. Oh beloved, God has called us to a resurrection, to a
Marriage Supper of the Lamb, to an inheritance of this earth. All else
must fail beside it. This is why men could take the spoiling of the
goods graciously, because they had stored up in Heaven a better an
enduring substance. Not fooled as this Laodicean Age is, who thinks that
money and popularity would do the work. (See?) 

57.	And this is why true believers want no authority over them, but the
dominion of the Word only. They don't want organization, and somebody
try to make himself somebody. You know, the most laughable thing in this
world is to see people jockeying for position in this so-called Message.
From some of you folk, you've got so many rose-colored glasses on, I
don't despise you, but I wonder where you've been living in the last few
years? I wonder if really are you awake to what's going on. That's
right, I wonder. If you can't see the jockeying for position to be
somebody, someone who has a vision about a man, so he's a great shot.
This one has something else.  

	Let me tell you something: William Branham put his signature on no man.
And when he went off the scene the Holy Ghost alone is our leader. God
has given you faithful  pastors, who are your Shepherd's.  That's right.
Oh, you're not alone, it's all over the world, it's in Europe too. It's
all over, somebody trying to be something. The Bride doesn't want any
authority, save the Holy Spirit over her.  She knows who her Husband is,
the rest might not, but the Bride knows. Certainly.

     This is why they die in faith. For they know as Bro. Branham said,
"There's a land beyond the river, that we call the sweet forever. And we
only reach that shore by faith's decree." Oh, what is that faith? That's
that faith of Abraham whose whole heart and soul long for that City
which hath foundation, whose Builder and Maker is God. You say, "Bro.
Vayle, do you long for that City?" Oh, sure I do, but on one condition,
the Builder and Maker is God, He's there running the whole thing. Amen.
That's what is going to make it good. There'll be no abomination enter
there, there'll be nothing we take with it shall make anything evil, but
only the righteousness of God. Let us walk through the valley of the
shadow of death brother/sister, with the full assurance of the faith
which we have been granted in this hour as a full assurance of faith. 

58.	 Now, the Shout has gone forth, that's your full assurance to accept
the Message which we have, means we're entering into a resurrection. How
do we know? Because it's resurrection season. Over here in Romans 11:15,
It says: 

		(15) 	For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world,
						what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

	The Bible tells you right here: when God allows Israel back in the
homeland and puts His stamp on her, that once more she is allowed there.
It says, "What is it?" It's time for the Resurrection, life from among
the dead.

	"Oh, (somebody says) that's Israel coming back from the dead." You
don't know your Bible. Israel's blind, and not dead! A blind man is not
a dead man. Life from the dead is resurrection season. Israel is back in
the homeland. We've had a messenger, bring us the revealed Word of God.
There's only one thing left to do, my brother, my sister during that
sixty days or whatever takes place, that Message has got to be handed
back. Who will do it? I don't know. No doubt, Elijah, Moses will do. I
don't know.

59.  The prophet said three times in his 'Rapture' tape, "Thus it has
been spoken, and thus it will be."  He said, "That 'Rapture' tape, 'Thus
it's spoken, Thus it will be', before there can be a Rapture, there's
got to be a resurrection."

	Who knows when those dead will come forth? I don't know, but they must.
I know, because He arose, we must also rise. All those sealed in will
come forth according to James 5:7. The earth must give forth its
precious harvest. Certainly we are in the hour of the Resurrection, we
surely are, there's no doubt about it. Looking at your lamp-stands
there's seven candle sticks, seven branches. The one furthest away was
number Four, which was the dark ages, and from that time on it has been
coming back, back. Though the darkness has been increased, so has the
light. Because in the Fifth Age came Luther. Sixth was Wesley. The
Seventh Age came the Pentecostal restoration of gifts and so on. Proving
there was a dynamism of the Holy Ghost, and now we have the revealed
Word, which is the 'Token', the baptism with the Holy Ghost.

60.	What for? Ready to be identified as those who go up in a Rapture,
making us now ready for a resurrection. There is no doubt about it,
every signs indicates it. Every Scripture vindicates it. The ministry of
God proved it, time and time again, until there's no shadow of a doubt.
This is resurrection day. 

	Let us press into it as the Scripture has said. Let us recall what the
prophet said to those who wanted to be with him in a great tent
ministry. And they said, "Bro. Branham, shall we sell all we have and
get a truck and join you in the ministry?"

	And he said, "See, that you're in the Resurrection."

61.	 My brother, my sister, let me close by reading Hebrews 11th
chapter. This great chapter on the Resurrection, this life of faith,
what's it's all about, beginning at verse 32.

		(32) 	And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of
						Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David 			
		also, and Samuel, and the prophets:

	You know, David's got to sit in that throne? Of course, it's going to
be a greater David that's going to do it. But you can't identify
David…Jesus with David, unless David is there too. He's got to be in
the Millennium, certainly.  Now:

		(33) 	Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, 					
obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. (That's all wonderful.)

		(34) 	Quenched the violence (with) fire, (that's great) escaped the
edge of 					the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant
in fight, 					turned to flight the armies of the aliens. (Now, that's
wonderful.)

		(35) 	Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were 
					tortured, (here's the best part of all) not accepting deliverance;
that 						they might obtain a better resurrection:

62.  Oh, brother/sister, Christ can heal us, I'm all for it. God knows
it's wonderful to have a Healer, because He said He was Jehovah the
Healer, and He will be. God is our Provider. Bro. Branham seemed to
indicate that the Spoken Word at the end time would be absolutely
creative in its power. It may be that someone with …?... necessity
being so dire by the Word of God will speak like Bro. Branham spoke a
squirrel into existence. I don't know. I only know that it could happen.
I know God's done it. And as far as I know there's nothing to stop him
again. But I know something greater than that, my brother, my sister, 
and that is, this facto, this can take place, and it can well take
place. Let us understand this above all: "That there's a land beyond the
river."

	Then when all these things are here…when you've have received people
back in your arms. When you see them raised from the dead. When you've
seen the mouths of lions stop. When you've seen fire quenched. When
you've seen armies routed. When you've seen wonderful things take place.
That all goes into history, which will never be recalled as far as I
know. But, brother/sister there as it is, an Eternal Life is beyond
there. And there is a better resurrection.

63.	What is that better resurrection? That better resurrection is what
Paul the apostle wanted. That he said, "'That I may attain to the
out-resurrection."  [Phil 3:11] Not the resurrection from the dead.
That's a wrong translation. It's the out-resurrection from among the
dead. That I may come out from among the dead before the general
resurrection, and be in that Bride in the marvelous and ineffable glory
of the Lord Jesus Christ.

	Oh yes, they obtained a better resurrection.  

		(36) 	…others had trial of cruel mockings and scourging… (they
had) 						bonds and imprisonment:

		(37) 	They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, (they) were tempted, 	
				(they) were slain…

	How come their prayers weren't answered? Oh, you talk about grace. "Oh,
we love to talk about grace." Here's a man, he comes out of prison. And
he gets saved, (I hope he was, I don't know, I'm not talking about
anybody in particular anyway, it wouldn't matter) but anyway, he comes
out, and he gives a testimony. 

	"Oh, thank God, I'm saved, I raped eighteen women."

	They say, "Oh, the grace of God, hallelujah."

	Where was the grace of God to those eighteen women that were raped?
Where's the grace of God, them screaming and waking up at night as
though another attack were perpetrated, perpetrated upon.  Where's the
grace of God that the husband when his wife was defiled couldn't take
it, walked out on her?  Oh, we better get down to what the real grace of
God is, my brother, my sister. "By grace are you saved through faith."
[Eph 2:8] 

68.	 That other grace is wonderful. I don't want to diminish it one
little bit, but I've got Bible here this morning I'm preaching. And in
this Bible I can see though you might have been saved from being sawn
asunder; though you might have been taken from your testing's; tough you
might have turned an army to flight; there's something a million times
greater, and that's to be a part in that First Resurrection. To be in
the Bride of Jesus Christ, and be in the New Jerusalem. There's
something to give us stamina. Something that gives us courage. Something
gives us power, and that's this fact: that all of the Word of God in the
promise of Abraham it's all down that line, my brother, my sister. 

	The great and muddy climax is at the end. Oh, thank God for daily
blessings. Thank God that He helped us overcome a trial. Thank God for
Jesus Christ, who in this life shows His glory. But if this life only we
have Christ as our hope, we're the most miserable of all. Because we
missed what lies ahead. "Oh Resurrection Light," that's what it should
be called. 

70.	That's why Jesus said, "I am the Resurrection and the Life." [Jn
11:25] He put that first, that we might understand this is what it's all
about. Calvary made it possible that we could be in a resurrection. He
opened that door by flooding it with His Blood. Raising us a on full
tide of blood to go over those walls that would keep us out.

	Oh, I love that New Jerusalem, beautiful twelve wonderful foundations.
But in my own heart I've got something better I'm resting on. And I'm
resting on that Word of promise in Jesus Christ this morning. What He
said is true. And I hope by the grace of God somehow we can rise to that
position of being worthy of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Then shall
we enter that Holy City which is built upon that solid foundation we
talked about. Because those twelve foundations could never be there
outside of that Word of God. Oh, here is your promise this morning.
Here's that life of Abraham. Here's that faith of Abraham, it is
resurrection. It's all about it, and I see nothing else but that.

		(37) 	They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tempted, 			
		were slain…they wandered about in goatskins and (in) sheepskins; 			
		(they were) destitute, (they were) afflicted, (they were) tormented; 

	The world wasn't worthy, it couldn't be, because the world hated Him.
The world is against us. It brings us thorns, it brings us briers. That
same world that was cursed back there, brought forth those thorns that
were placed upon Jesus' head. Back in the Garden we understood by the
very fact who that Son was. "He was a man of sorrows aquatinted with
grief." [Isa 53:3] 

71.	Oh, the world has nothing but sorrow for us. The earth system has
nothing but harm to us. There is nothing here that's worthwhile.

		(38)	 …(they weren't) worthy: they wandered in deserts, and in
mountains, 					and in dens and caves of the earth.

		(39) 	And these all, having obtained a good report through
faith,…(they did 					not) receive the promise: 

	But, they're going to brother/sister. We've got something better, let
me tell you than a positive Gospel. We've got something better than
simply a demonstration of William Branham coming on the scene and
showing that there is a great God. I didn't need to have God proven to
me, I knew there was a God. You didn’t need to tell me God could heal.
I was raised literally from the dead myself on the grounds of what God
did for me. My sister was first, I was later on. I didn't need a William
Branham to do all these things the people say he came to do. But I
needed a William Branham to come for one reason, to put my faith in the
Resurrection. Because that's what the Word of God is all about. 

72.	Let us not be of those who are miserable. Let us not be of those who
have Christ in this life only. Because, remember brother/sister, you
don't have Him in the White Throne judgment, you go through on a merit
system. 

	I want to be in that day as Bro. Branham spoke of that man. I forget
what the man's name was. But he knew that he was born again, and he knew
that he had a Savior. His life was taken from him, it came time not to
go before the Lord. And when he got up there to the Gates of Heaven,
they said, "What's your name?"

	And he told them the name.

	They said, "I'm sorry, there's no name here,"

	"Why, (he said) there's got to be." He was shocked. He said, "I've
known Christ most of my life. I've been a true and faithful servant of
His. I've served Him as a born again creation."

	They said, "Well, we'll look again. Your name's not here."

	"Oh, (he said) there's got to be some mistake."

	"Oh, (they said) there's only one person can rectify a mistake, you'll
have to stand before the White Throne judgment, the great White Throne."

	He said, "They took me to a place, and (he said) I stood before the
Presence of a great Light. And out of that Light there came a Voice."

	…?...  "Did you ever tell a lie?"

	And he said, "You know I always thought that I was honest." But he
said, "When I heard that Voice say, 'Did you ever tell a lie?' I knew
that I had been a liar."

	That Voice said, "Did you ever steal?"

	"I always thought I was man of integrity, but I wouldn't do wrong
things." But he said,           "I knew I wasn't that kind of a man."

	And so it went on, until he said he felt nothing but the bottomless pit
of destruction left for him. 

	And suddenly he heard a Voice behind him, sweeter than the voice of any
mother, father to me, and he said, "Father, this man stood for Me on
earth, I want to stand for him now."

73.	My brother, my sister this is the key this morning. If we are
looking for eternal life, we're going to look for it God's way. If we
want the things of God and what God says is best, then we're going to
have to believe it God's way. We can't have our own ideas, our own
understanding. So, when that prophet came he broke… that Seal…Seals
are broken to correct the error. To put us back on that path, to make
ready a Bride prepared for her Husband.

	Brother/sister, I see the faith of Abraham this morning. I see a
resurrection so close, there is this much I will say about my revelation
of the Resurrection at this moment. I see It very, very close. I see it
a matter of months. I don't know, I could be wrong. It could be years, I
have no idea. It could be days, it could be minutes. But I know one
thing: It's very, very close. 

	The time is at hand, but, "he that is filthy, is filthy still, and he
that is righteous is righteous still." [Rev 22:11] You have an
opportunity this morning to get into the ark. You have an opportunity
now to come to Jesus Christ. Not by coming to an altar, no, that won't
save you. Not by going to water, that won't save you. But by coming to
Him Who is the Word and doing what He said. And he said, "Repent and be
baptized everyone of you, in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, for the
remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost." [Acts 2:38]

74.	Brother/sister, can you come out of what your thoughts were? Can you
lay them all down? I speak to some of you this morning, because I've got
a personal knowledge of you. I've been in your churches, I've been
around. Let me say this: as sternly and lovingly as I can, it's too late
in the day to fool. It's too late in the day to play around. I'm not
telling you to make some decision to believe this, or believe that. I'm
telling you to make your decision to believe what the prophet said. Just
what he said, nothing added, nothing taken. Not your own ideas, just
what he said, and how he said it. Because he's the one that was
vindicated. He's the messenger, repent and come to Christ. Let us pray.

	Our kind Heavenly Father, this morning, Lord, we've taken a long time,
and yet we believe it's been well taken. That we should talk about this
which is right, and that is the Resurrection is at hand. The promise
that You made to Abraham and to his seed. Oh, we're sojourners here
only, but one day we're coming back. And it will be worth it all when we
come back.

	Lord, help Your people to have a rekindling of the glow. To have a
realization that the prophet had. Lord, what I would give to have that
realization that he had of that land beyond the river. That this is what
was all about. Why?  Because the Builder and Maker is God. And here is
the land in the midst and there's no need for a temple. This is it, O
God, no wonder of all of these other things pale into insignificance.
When we think of these Old Testament giants,  tortured, sawn in-sunder,
pulled apart by wild horses. Fed to lions,  thrown in piles. They didn't
mind, there was a spirit on them, and that spirit pointed to reality,
which was the promise of God, and a coming Kingdom.

	O Lord, God in Heaven as we look around about us, we're so sorry, Lord,
we failed You so miserably. And been so infantile and juvenile, babies
in our attitudes and understanding. Forgive us, O God, Lord don't let us
leave this meeting we pray, without a work of the Holy Spirit in our
lives. For You said You sent Him to show us the things of God. Lord,
though there's so really little said about it, yet there's more than
enough said about it when we realize that the prophet said, "Don't miss
it, don't miss that Resurrection."

	Lord God, I believe that He's coming up in us, in my mind there's no
doubt. And in my mind there's no doubt that  many more in the same age
are coming up with Him. Lord, may we be with Him also, not because we
want to be with Him, we just identify with Him, because You sent Him.
For you said, "Whosoever receives whomsoever I send receives Me." And we
know that You sent Him.  Lord, help us to identify by the Holy Spirit
revelation in our lives, with a man who is now beyond the river, and is
one day coming back with You to inherit the earth the promise of Abraham
fulfilled.

	O Lord, six thousand years have roughly gone by for this promise to
come into existence. And here it is now right on the door step. Cleanse
us from Laodicea, lest our blinded eyes should miss it. Turn us, O God,
and we shall be turned. Turn us, all the way into truth.

	Lord, I pray for those here if there be any that are unsaved. My Lord,
may they not miss the Resurrection. May they know that anytime at all,
it could take place. And where do they stand?         O God, help them.
While we're praying, our eyes are closed, I wouldn't dismiss this
meeting, ere        I give you a chance at least to share in our
prayers.

	Is there someone here to say, "Bro. Vayle, I am not born again. I've
never been baptized in water. Consequently, not having ever gone that
far, I'm not full of the Holy Spirit. I'm not one of those who knows
that I can be in that Resurrection. But, I want to be one of them. I'm
ready to confess my sins, to be baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus
Christ, and to receive the Holy Spirit, because I want to be a part of
that great Resurrection morning, when the First Resurrection takes
place.

	I want to be with Him, blessed and whole. I want what He says, that He
can give me. You raise  your hand, put it down again you've one of those
that don't have it yet. You've never been, all over the failures. 
Various hands raised up, you have it, been truly born again.  

	Listen to me: if you believe what I said, and believe me now, repent
and be baptized. In other words, change your mind. Make up your mind
that you want to be in the First Resurrection. Tell the world you're
through. Tell your church you're through. Tell your organization, your
system, tell it all, I'm through, I'm coming out. I'm dropping it all.
I'm finished with it. That's what we're asking you to do. 

	Then, ask Jesus Christ to forgive you of every single sin that you've
ever committed and He'll do it. And the next thing you do is be baptized
in water, in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And when you come out of
that water, you expect God to fill you with the Holy Spirit. That's all
God requires. Nothing more, and nothing less. "A wayfaring man, though a
fool could do it." [Isa 35:8]  If you were deaf and dumb, but you could
see, I could teach it to you even with deaf and dumb language, if were
necessary.

	This morning, I'm not speaking to anyone that's incapacitated I'm
speaking to those who can hear me. Then listen, flee from among the
dead. Leave the world, the church systems, your creeds and your dogmas,
or whatsoever you are found in.  Come out! Ask God to forgive you of
your sins, "and be baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and
you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." 

	[Service continues with singing]     

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