God Identifying Himself # 2 Bro. Lee Vayle - June 19, 1985 Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we're very grateful again to be allowed the privilege of coming to worship together, Lord, and "so much the more as we see the day approach." Although we perhaps don't fulfill that order of Yours so good as we ought to, more associating with each other. More in the Word together, Lord. And we pray if that's really what You want, we know it is what You want, that You'll put it in our hearts, O God, to please You by coming more and more often, Lord, and speaking more and more one to another concerning this end-time Word, Lord, building ourselves up in the most holy faith as it is in Christ Jesus. Give us we pray illuminated minds tonight, Lord, freedom of understanding, unencumbered, Lord, by the things which we have previously known. But to know this Truth is fresh Manna from heaven, Lord, and to partake therein with that understanding. Guide and direct us into all Truth tonight, and help us to be obedient servants of Thine in Jesus' Name we pray. Amen. You may be seated. 1. Now, we'll just try to maybe what they say change horses in midstream, which means I'm going to go back again where we were on Sunday morning. We'd already finished the study of God is Identified by His Characteristics, but there was a portion in there that intrigues me very much, because of the fact I just don't believe it's being caught what the prophet was actually saying, because of our own previous understanding which was misunderstanding of the Word of God. Now, he said: "God is identified by His Characteristics." First of all, the word 'character', means 'distinctive mark', distinctive trait, quality, or attribute'. 'Characteristic' is distinguishing trait, or feature, quality or peculiarity helps to identify, because it's peculiar to that thing. All right, then if you're going to really believe that Word 'characteristic', or 'characteristics', you'll find here then these are the very distinguishing features, qualities, or peculiarities that identify whatever it is you're talking about, or looking at, because that characteristic, or that quality is peculiar to that person or thing. So, that's what you're looking at. And you have to understand that, or you... well, if you don't understand the meaning of words or how are you going to get anywhere? If you don't know east is east, and west is west, well what will you do? Maybe you thought east was north. Well, it might be someplace, but it's not here. So, you have to understand then whether Bro. Branham is talking about something that is completely unique to God, and when you see that, you know that it has to be God. 2. All right. Now, going down the bottom of page nine, paragraph 63, [God is Identified by His Characteristics 03-11-64] [22] "My characteristics shall do in him just as it did in Me. And if I do not the works of My Father, then don't believe Me. But if I do the works, and you can't believe Me, then believe the works, because it's spoken of; it must be." Now, right off the bat of course many people have the understanding that when Jesus came on to the earth here in the human form born, (and you know) the attributes of God reduced down to a sperm and an egg, that was the fullness of the attributes of Godhead bodily, then God came in and indwelt that person Jesus Christ. Now, He had to do that, because "a prophet should the Lord your God raise up unto you like unto me, and him you'll listen to." [Deut 18:15] Now, God was in the prophet. So therefore God had to come in and take on that human vessel. No other way He could do it. How would he be a prophet? Now you see, let your minds go and get eased up, because if you don't ease your minds up, you're right back in denominations and organizations which is exactly what the devil wants. See? That's the trouble. So, you've got to understand he's talking in terms of prophet. 3. Now, and they say, "Well, just a minute, let me see every single work produced." You don't have to see every single work produced. The identifying characteristics have been previously shown through the prophets in the ages. So therefore, when you start moving up through the prophets you can see everything that God actually wants done from raising the dead to multiplying substances, to calming storms, you name it. But it doesn't say that everyone has to do the same thing. See, every prophet. Doesn't say that. Elijah came on the scene with so many miracles, Elisha came and doubled them. So, you look at the thought here that there is something Bro. Branham is going to bring to our attention for this hour particularly. See? The distinguishing characteristics for this hour. Not for back in the days of Moses when he multiplied flies and flies, and brought forth frogs and made dark and this and that. But there'll be something that God alone can do. God in that person. Now, that's what you're looking at. But He said, "If I do the works you can't believe me, then believe the works, because it's spoken of it must be." [Jn 10:38] Well, that's exactly true by the prophet. There's a definition concerning him, that he speaks words that humanly cannot be fulfilled outside of a Source outside of him, which would be a sovereign force. So when you hear the Words of God in a man's mouth, on a man's lips and those things come to pass, you're not dealing with a man anymore, you're dealing with God, because God's in the prophet. See? 4. Now, keep that in mind, God is in the Son. ...?... Now He said, "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and they are they that tell you who I am." [Jn 5:39] Now, He didn't deny the fact that in them lay Eternal Life. He said, "You're looking for Eternal Life and what you're doing you study the Scriptures of the prophets, but what you don't know I am in there and you're missing Me, and therefore, you're missing Eternal Life." I hope you caught what I just said. Now, they were looking for Him, but they missed Him. And they thought they had Him. Now Bro. Branham brought that out, when Jesus was with Mary and Joseph at the temple, He was happy and excited to be there with the Scribes and the different ones and put Him on the spot. And so they thought that He was in the caravan and they began going home, and suddenly they said, "Where's Jesus, where's the boy?" Well, nobody knows. Now, you see, the thing is that they thought that he was with them, and he wasn't with them, but they were smart enough to search for him sorrowing, and they found him. And they went back to the place where they left him. Well, a lot of people leave God and they don't realize they got to go back to the place where they left Him. The bullet always got to go back to where it went off course. Now, you say, "It doesn't say that the Eternal Life isn't in them." Because He was in them and He was their Eternal Life, but they couldn't find It. Now, He said, "You are looking for Eternal Life. And those Scriptures tell about Me, I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." [Jn 14:6] So therefore, if you're going to identify life, (now, listen carefully) he said, if you're going to identify life, Eternal Life, you had better know the Scripture that refers to It, and what It is in this hour, because remember, He never loses the role of prophet. God's His Own prophet. Bro. Branham made some very tremendous remarks, you just got to live with them until they come out here like tremendous diamonds. 5. Now: That was Jesus (See?), God manifested, showing Himself. Now, Jesus is Jehovah Savior, that's Joshua, Jehovah, same word. God manifested. So, Jesus was God manifest, Who showing Himself? Not Jesus, but God showing Himself. You follow? Because Jesus was visible in front of them, and He wasn't showing Himself. He's very, very humble, very meek and withdrawn. "They testify Who I am." That makes Hebrews 1: now, Not using that word 'now', just well now, let's look at this now this, now that He's talking of now. Now, this hour. All right. That makes Hebrews 1:1, now, "God in sundry times spake by the prophets," clearly identifying the characteristic now of the resurrection of His Son. God spoke by the prophets then, through His Son now. They say, "Well then He's..." Shut up, He's not talking that's a lie. Now, what did William Branham say that Jesus Christ was? Hebrews 13:8. How did he describe Him? If He's risen from the dead, and He's here in the form of the Holy Spirit He will now do what in the form of the Holy Spirit what He did when He was here in the flesh. Now, what was He here today? Pillar of Fire. He's the Pillar of Fire. All right then, when he speaks of Jesus then he's not talking of the body, that's why he simply called it body to differentiate... It kind of offended me for awhile but I'm over it, I can see why, (you know,) we've got to be right with the prophet. He said, "Now, (he said,) the body's there." Now, he spoke of the Son. If Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever and risen from the dead, He will now do in the form of the Holy Spirit in a Pillar of Fire what He did when He was here upon earth. So all right, you've got the Pillar of Fire, you have the Holy Spirit in that Pillar of Fire. Now, what's he doing again? He's talking concerning his own ministry and himself as the prophet of God. See, that's the whole thing in a nutshell we're looking at here. All right, he said, "Now you're looking at Scripture and God manifesting Himself. And here He is right today in a Pillar of Fire." Now reading on: The unchangeable God, the same characteristic, "The works that I do, shall you also." Now, who is he talking about? He's not talking about you and me. This is where Pentecost went off, all haywire. The prophet is not discussing anything but God identifying Himself with the prophet. God in human flesh. And God in human flesh is when that man's lips are saying are the things, the Word of God and God brings It to pass. That is God in human flesh. That's the definition. You follow me? All right, you're right with me then. 6. Then it says here in Desperations. [09-01-63] [10] And now, the entire Holy Spirit visits the church making God in human flesh as He did before Sodom... Now, when you see an identifying characteristic, 'God manifested in a prophet', because the prophet is living Word of God manifested. See? You got something you have to look at, and you know you better look at it carefully, because you've got God on the scene. 7. [God is Identified by His Characteristics 03-11-64] [22] The unchangeable God, the same characteristic, "The works that I do, shall you also." God known by His identified characteristic. And that's how you know. Now watch, how the people respond. Now this respond here can throw you for a loop, because the next paragraph then will take you right away from the thought of the singular and put it on the plural. Now, if I'm talking about one chicken, I'm not talking about a dozen chickens. When I'm talking about a prophet, I was dealing with the prophet. I'm not dealing with the people. Now, if you want to know what I'm saying there, let's just go over to our Bible's in 1 Corinthians 14:36. (36) What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? (37) If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge the things that I write unto you the commandments of the Lord. And Bro. Branham categorically said, "A prophet cannot be judged, because he is the judge." I added, "because he is the judge" myself. Because, that's what a judge is, he's a revealer of the Word, the discerner. The decider. The one that puts it together. All right, he tells you this here then. 8. Now, listen carefully: You say, "Well, I tell you this; we sing this, we do this, and we do." That's not what I'm talking about. And I forgot he said that, but I said it for him. Was in my subconscious by grace. Sure not talking about what you think and what you're doing, and what you're into as a group of people. Bride of Christ, body of Christ. This that, and what do you call yourself. Listen to what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the Word, that's Logos, not just this now, that's printed page. Because this doesn't manifest itself, no way, shape and form. Say, "Okay, manifest yourself, go ahead, go ahead manifest yourself. Well, show me the one, I'll swim." Ha! With faces like yours and mine...shall we make a Bible swim? Come on. It's not going to swim, it's going to sink. Logos, this is the printed page, this is the guide Book. This is what you're reading, so you know identification there, when God begins to fulfill It, then the Spirit that wrote the Book has gone into manifestation and working through human beings. Because he doesn't choose the sun, the star and all these things. Now, I'm talking about the Word made manifest, identifying this Life. What's he talking about? Life! What life? Jesus' Life. Right? Because that's what shedding comes back upon us. Remember, that Life is an emptying Itself when the entire Holy Spirit visits the Church. I'm talking about 'the Word'. That's Logos, made manifest, and identifying this Life. See? Something's moving, something's going on. God in the prophets. So, he's talking about a prophet and God. He's not talking about you and me. See? 9. Now: [23] The Pharisees knew that Bible as good as anybody, better than any of us clergymen know ours today. They had to live by It. Their great-great-grandfather were priests. They studied It, day and night, and they failed to see that identified Word. Now, what did Bro. Branham say the Bible was from cover to cover? The revelation of Jesus Christ, Christ in the Word. And he said, "If you don't see It in every Word, read It again till you do, because He's in the history of it." That's more or less what God said through a prophet, how the people took it, what they did with it, didn't do with it, and how God acted; then how they acted. And back and forth just like this all the time. But He was in it. See? He foreknew, and predestinated to. They studied It, day and night, and they failed to see that identified Word. They failed to see the Logos identifying Himself, and it was right here in the Book. Now, you've got two witnesses, so you can't escape from God. You've got a written Word that you say you know, and you've got a manifestation out here that proves itself, that you haven't got what it's got. Then if you can't even recognize what you're supposed to be looking for, how are you going to know it? Now listen, that's not... that's just not a double talk and a conundrum, that's serious. Somebody better shut up and sit down and listen. We'd never have that in a church meeting don't worry. 10. Now: Today, Luther said, "When you believe, you've got It." The Methodist say, "When you shout, you got It." The Pentecostal said, "When you spoke in tongues, you had It." Had what? What's It? Life! Now remember, Bro. Branham said, "You Lutheran's potentially had the Holy Ghost." Right? "You Methodist potentially had the Holy Ghost." Potential is not the real thing, you're building toward it. Then they didn't have the Holy Ghost. You say, "Well, Bro. Vayle, they weren't full of the Holy Ghost." I didn't say that. That's the people that are saying. I said that before the prophet died, the last chapter of the Book of Church Ages proves that out. I said, "Bro. Branham, you weren't trying to tell us Lutheran's didn't have the Holy Ghost, Luther wasn't baptized with the Holy Ghost." He said, "No sir, no way." I said, "I thought not, because how could he be Bride, if Jesus Christ, and be where Luther was without the Baptism of the Holy Ghost?" Why, it's ridiculous. A man, prophet at the end-time come along and say, "Well, the first age are full of the Holy Ghost, the last age full of the Holy Ghost, in between, no Holy Ghost." Hogwash. I can't believe that one minute. The prophet's got to line with the Word. "By one Spirit you are all baptized into one body, [1 Cor 12:13] and they without us cannot be made perfect." [Heb 11:40] Then if the first Church Age had it, and this Church Age has it, it didn't say that. Oh, that's true. He's not talking about the baptism. He said, "You say." He said, "That's not what I'm talking about. "But we sing, we do this, we do that." In other words, "We believe, we shout, we speak in tongues, therefore we know that our group, this is the age we have the Holy Ghost." Justification gives way to sanctification. Sanctification gave way to the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. And the Baptism of the Holy Ghost gave way to the Holy Ghost Himself. So therefore, if the Pillar of Fire did at the beginning, He has done through the ages baptizing every believer in the body of Jesus Christ, but He never Appeared to a prophet as the Pillar of Fire, spoke face to face since the time of Paul to now. William Branham said it. It's right on a tape. And I've got more right to say it than any man living, because a tape was given to me personally. But some kind of a spirit got out there in the world. I don't mind, I'm glad it's out there, because it added some confusion to some little thing that I'm very happy about. 11. You say, "You're a mean man Bro. Vayle." No, I'm not mean at all. I just get happy. When I'm happy I'm not mean. I mean to be happy too. You said, "You see Lee, we hadn't had a prophet that spoke face to face with God like Moses, for two thousand years since the time of Paul till now." And there's a type of prophet that God speaks in visions and dreams, and maybe an inner voice. But when you speak face to face with God, there you are. Now, face to face with God, somebody's face had got to get down here, not up here, because a prophet doesn't go up there. You say, "Well, Bro. Branham was caught away Bro. Vayle in some...maybe a vision. Maybe not, caught up there." That's true, but that was 'Beyond the Curtain of Time', and he wasn't face to face, he saw the people. So, you got to watch everything that's said here. Otherwise we can find ourselves going astray, and we don't want to go astray do we? 12. All right, now he said: Some of them said, "The fruit of the Spirit's got It." And it's wrong. The only evidence is, is when the a-vindication, when God Himself identifies Himself in the promised Word of the hour. There it is. But, five Church Ages didn't have a prophet. They had reformers. "Justification gave way to sanctification, and sanctification gave way to the Baptism and Baptism gave way to the Holy Ghost Himself." And the fullness of the entire Holy Spirit visits the Church today, the same as He did back in Ephesus. And we've got to get back to where Ephesus was before she was a fallen woman. That's what Bro. Branham said, "Ephesus repeats." And it does. I said that before I knew he said it, but it must have been my subconscious, because I heard the very sermon it was preached in. I'm going to tell you something: The Holy Ghost is faithful to bring everything to your remembrance you need to know. You see, you don't need every single quote in the Bible. You just need to have an understanding, and they'll all line up. 13. Now, he said: Who had any more fruits of the Spirit than them kind old priests, circumcised the children, and blessed them, and everything else? [24] And here this guy Jesus was, come around, kicked over their sacrifice blocks, looked upon them with anger, beat them, run them out, no identification of nothing. That means He didn't have a fellowship card, didn't know Who He was. He had identification, you bet your life He did. But not the identification they wanted. "Come and join our fellowship. Say what we say." And you wonder why Bro. Branham liked Micaiah so much? Because there was four hundred priests anointed. Israelite priests and a lying devil got in them. And Micaiah stood right there and he just battled those four hundred priests. [1 Kings 4:] All carried identification cards. All ate at the king's table. Fat and sassy. Boy, they had time to study the Word needed. While old Bro. Bill was out there climbing poles and being a game warden and everything else to make a little bit of money. Wouldn't take an offering. Tried to take an offering one time and he saw the poor old widow there trying to squeak out a nickel or dime. "Oh, I was just kidding, (he said,) put it away." (Just see if you'd do it.) 14. Oh, I don't know if that was really what...I don't know what you'd call it, little white lie, or just a little test or something. [Bro. Vayle chuckles] I don't mind, nothing shocks me. I thought his humility was... certainly brought out when he did that. Just take the whole load himself. What did he work, seventeen solid years, or twenty or something? Seventeen or more? I think seventeen is one of the better numbers that run through his life. ...no identification card. The Scripture is His identification. Watch, and go back to the Word, see.) He had no fellowship card; (That's what I was talking about.) He belonged to no organization. But God spoke of Him; that was His identification. Then, what was spoken would have to come to pass for the hour in which He was there to have it come to pass, and He was a lamb, that is a lamb to the slaughter. He was a Prophet. Now, "He's the same yesterday, today and forever," He still a Lamb and He's still a Prophet. See? People want to change everything all the time. They don't understand His preexistence, He's back there in the beginning like a Light. A Light. Sure there's things I can't understand. I'll preach them, I want to understand them, but I think I understand this. At least some of it, part of it. Miniscule part, who knows? 15. Now: That's the genuine identification of God in any hour, is His identification. (Doesn't say, you and me.) Was God here and did they miss Him? No man can see God and live, He's a Spirit, nobody can see Him. How do you get to see Him? Only through a prophet. Not a reformer, although that will do in time. That's alright. The Gospel always goes out and catches a fish. Don't ever worry about that. It'll ...?... do it. No problem. But we're talking of something else, we're talking of restoration at the end time. A reformer doesn't do it, because he can't do it. See? Those Seal's got to be opened. Thunder's got to come forth. Who's going to do it? Well, it's in the Book, because you can't add or take. Then who's going to find out where it is? A college of cardinals or students? Oh, for land's sake that's the last bunch to go to. They barbecue any honest guy coming near the thoughts of God, they've got to have their own thoughts. And the Bible says, "Your thoughts are not my thoughts for as high as the heavens is above the earth, so are My thoughts and My ways above yours?" [Isa 55:8-9] Then He said, "As rain cometh upon the grass, (He says) so My Word comes down from heaven." [Deut 32:2] He just bypasses man entirely. See? Except in His Own way of doing it. And He bypasses that man, because that man can't think His Own thoughts, he's in a tube. 16. Now: That's the genuine identification of God in any hour, is His identification. That's what it is, the Scriptures that's promised made identified by the characteristic of the promise which is God, and God is the Word. In other words, he said, "You see it right here, and suddenly there It is right in front of you in human flesh." Because God is operating through a prophet. As they said to Bro. Branham, "Are you the Son of man?" He said, "No, I'm not the Son of man." He said, "Well, that's fine, I thought the Pillar of Fire was the Son of man?" He said, "The Pillar of Fire is not the Son of man." He said, "It's in the form of the Holy Spirit." See? He said, "The prophet or the messenger is not the Son of man, he reveals the Son of man." God manifested in human flesh is a prophet. People don't want to recognize that. Yet, you said, "What have you got the Holy Ghost?" "Sure." "Then that's God in you." "Sure, I've got God, yes sir amen, hallelujah, I got God." Which is very, very true. Then if you've got God, why deny the prophet? Because that brings you down. Then you ain't got the Holy Ghost, you've got something from the devil, because pride lifted him up. Fell by reason of pride. Let's get down to nitty-gritty. Don't try to be somebody when you ain't. Till your own. If you've got a row to fill, then don't tread on somebody else's toes. Keep on your own feet, and let him till his row. See? That's what the body does. Oh, come on, some day bless God, there'll be ten people together and they'll get there. You say, "Bro. Vayle, you give up." Well, so does the donkey. Don't think it's maybe too hopeless, but again I think it is hopeless. But God's got a Bride somewhere. If it's not us, it's somebody else. 17. All right. ...and God is the Word. And the characteristic of that promise being identified, that makes the believer. Now what? You're standing there and watching God manifest Himself. And you believe in that manifestation, which is according to the Scripture that says, "That and that alone makes you a believer." See? Not you identifying God, (as though you did something) but God identifying Himself and you seeing It and you believing It, proves that you are a believer. Now, God worked through the reformers, that's as far as they could go. But in this hour He's got a prophet, and Christ is here in the Pillar of Fire in the form of the Holy Spirit, and that's "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever," fulfilling Matthew 12. Which He's obligated to do for the Gentiles what He did for the Israelites. But He's here in the form of the Holy Spirit. And how is He going to do this? Through a prophet. And you believe It, that makes you a believer. Then therefore, you've got It, that part of that Life. You don't have that Life, and the prophet didn't have that Life, only temporarily was that Life in him. When did Moses struggle and say, "I've got God in me all the time?" Paul said, "I've got God in me all the time. I'm God manifested." Hogwash! When you carry it that far, but he was manifesting God. Bro. Branham categorically said, "What Moses had, was veiling the Word, he was God to the people, when he's giving the Word out he was just Moses again." So was Bro. Branham. 18. Now, when you can identify, let's say, you're not born again, and you come by and see a meeting, you see something going on; I don't care, under the reformers, it could be the very same thing, because a believer is a believer. That's why Bro. Branham took the Church Ages first before the Seals. And he showed how that the Seals were running with them. Now, let's say that you're just an ordinary paganistic type of Gentile, you're a pagan Christian, which is a veritable mule. He's all crossed up. But anyway, you see This and you can identify right there, know that thing is real. You're a believer right there and potentially able to receive the Holy Ghost, and you will. Because all you are required to do is repent from that point, now change your mind, be baptized, and God will fill you. But now, you say, "I'm full of the Holy Ghost." And then call That a devil? [pointing to the Pillar of Fire picture] How much Holy Ghost have you got? Now, I'm not talking to you people here, let's get this flat. I got the unfortunate problems sending tapes get all over the country. Maybe someone will hear, I don't know. That's God's business and their business. Now, years ago a Pentecostal preacher down in West Palm Beach, he said, "My organist goes there, I'll just..." He wouldn't let her go. When you're an organist that's fine, shouldn't have to go. I don't know if she'll miss the heavenly chorus or not, that's her business and God's. I'm not her judge... I could stand here as a judge tonight with this Word and declare the prophet's word, when you call a man of William Branham's stature one with a familiar spirit, you have missed It. You have blasphemed the Holy Ghost according to what the prophet said. Do what you want with it. You say, "Well, Bro. Branham made a mistake." Well fine, why believe him at all? You know what they say about a man that eats too much? Put a knife to your throat. The man that blasphemes the Holy Ghost, put a shot-gun to your ears; in case you blaspheme more. You see, this is a serious business. 19. And the characteristic of that promise being identified, that makes the believer. Jesus said so, and that settles it. Amen. On what grounds? Matthew 16. Who are you? "Who do men say that I the Son of man am?" Why they didn't even want Him declared as the Son of man. You say, "What is that crazy expression mean anyway? What does that mean?" Well, it meant the prophet of course. Ezekiel, son of man. See? Oh, who do you say? "Thou art the Christ." "Flesh and blood did not reveal It to you." And they went on to the Baptism with the Holy Ghost. And every true Seed of God will always identify the Word of his hour. Seven Church Ages, Seven messengers, Seven distinct messages. Now, don't try to go back in your mind and figure out and say, "I think I'd like to prove it." You just done lost out with the prophet, the Word of God and everybody. Just go on home now, before you sin further. That's none of your business what happened yesterday. What is going on now! You say, "I believe a prophet." Then believe now! Why do you worry about Wesley's day? That's what Bro. Branham said, "Moses could not come preaching Noah's message, we'll float an ark down the river, over the Red Sea, we'll get to the Promised Land." Phooey, on that, God open the waters. Not bring more water, ...?... send him back. You know what God did? The same thing He did in the beginning. The earth was all covered with water when those glaciers that melted down. He said that divide the waters. There's no trick, no trouble God dividing the waters. But notice, it's a characteristic of God dividing the waters. Note, it was a characteristic of God to put gasses together and make water. What if one day He decided to unmake it? H20 as Bro. Branham said, hydrogen and oxygen. That will blow you higher than a kite. They're both explosives I believe. Hydrogen is, isn't? I just know what they put on...that's not explosive, but hydrogen is explosive. Oxygen is deadly. You got to have it, you take too much it'll burn you to pieces. It'll oxidize you. 20. All right: ...that makes the believer. Jesus said so, and that settles it. Amen. Now, the prophet put an "Amen," to it. He said, "So, let it be, that's it, that subject is closed." See? ...now we find out, the characteristics identify Him. As He said, "If it doesn't do it, then don't believe Me." Now, Jesus spoke that it would identify Him. And now remember... in these days, these last days, Hebrews 1:1, "God in sundry times and divers manners, spoke to the fathers through the prophets. In this last day has spoke to us through His Son, Jesus Christ." Now, people don't want that. No way they want It. And they say they want God. They say they want God's way, and they substitute the ways of God what with? Gifts and virtues, and fruit. But Jesus said one day to all those Pharisees, "If I had not done the works of My...no man hath done, they've not sinned, but now they've both seen and hated both Me and My Father." [Jn 15:24] And churches out there hate Him like fury. "Oh," they say, "we love the Lord, we love Jesus. Hallelujah." Shut up your hallelujah. It doesn't get past you nose anyway. Only puts you in debt. 21. You cannot worship God in spirit and in truth (that's what He demands) unless you believe the Word of the hour. "See, that you refuse not Him that speaketh." [Heb 12:25] When did He stop speaking? Oh, God have pity, the second to the last chapter of the Book of Hebrews. And people stop at verse 1. [Hebrews 1:] (1) God, at sundry times and in divers manners (spoke) in the fathers (in) the prophets, (2) Hath in these last days spoken (unto) us by his Son... (So, that ends it, hallelujah, nothing more.) Where do they say John got the revelation? Where did Paul get his? The Pillar of Fire came and he said, "Who are you Lord?" He said, "I'm Jesus!" "...?... did you say? Oh, You couldn't be Jesus, because after all He's been crucified, laid in a tomb, and the disciples stole Him ,and all that miserable junk going on, that's why I'm rushing down to Damascus." Did he argue like that? Did you say, "You couldn't be Jesus?" "Well, you see, we forget that Jesus isn't Jesus." What do you think It is? Jesus is Jehovah Savior. It's the same word 'Joshua'. And even the Book of Hebrews is translated wrong. It said, "Joshua could have given them rest, they didn't have to wait." But they put Jesus in there instead of Joshua. So everybody gets confused. Jesus give us rest. Joshua doesn't give us rest. We're talking about two men now. He said to the Pillar of Fire, "Who are you?" The Pillar of Fire said, "I'm Jesus." "Oh," he said, "You couldn't be, because it's the real truth, is the real truth as Your disciples say, You're up there at the right hand of the Majesty. Now Who are You anyway?" Oh, let that do something for your thinking right there. Bro. Branham said, "He's risen from the dead." In Hebrews 13:8, that makes Mark 16 peripheral. Because that's just a little part of It. Oh, yes sir, the Same One here my brother/sister, that came down to give Message to the prophet, is here at the head of the Church to raise the dead. You say, "I think somebody else..." You go join the Catholic's, or the Baptist, whatever, have presbyters and all that. Fine, still a Greek word that comes from Satan. 22. [Hebrews 1:] (1) God, who at sundry times and in divers manners (spoke through) the fathers (through) the prophets, (2) Hath in these last days spoken (to) us (through the) Son, (Jesus Christ)... What Son? Pillar of Fire. You say, "Just a minute..." Don't just a minute me, because Bro. Branham said, "When that Pillar of Fire came down at the time of Moses, see, there was a sacrifice there. He had to have blood." And he said, "That was fatherhood." But he said, "The Pillar of Fire today is 'Son-hood'," or Son-ship. God in three offices. What offices is He in? Son of God Office. What's it represent then? Son of man Office. Son of man, Son of God, Son of man, Son of David. Where's the Son of man role? Right here, Spirit of God working through a prophet. Every prophet has a role. What's his role? Elijah! Elijah of this hour is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Not man God, but it comes through a man: prophet. There you are, laying it right there, the prophet said it, I didn't. Because I'm not a prophet. See, I'm glad I'm not. [25] ...same characteristic... He's the same yesterday, today, and forever 23. Now, I'm going to read this carefully: In these last days, He spoke to us through His Son Jesus Christ. See, identification of God Himself. God speaking through Son-ship. Pillar of Fire. Holy Spirit, the same One that walked in a human body, now in a prophet, who is a part of the Word and manifest part of the Word which is revelatory, oh let's face it, God was manifested. He's manifested in this hour. Now: [25] See, the identification of God Himself manifested in the same manner as He did in foretime, using His same characteristic. Amen. Notice Hebrews 13:8 says He's the same yesterday (sundry times),(that's one of the times today) today, and forever the same. His same manner, His same way, His same characteristic, everything is the same. God, the unchangeable God can no more get away from that characteristic than He get away from His Commandments. "See," they said, "you're a man making yourself God." He said, "If I do not the works of My Father, then believe Me not." [Jn 10:37] Now, He said, "John was a bright and shining light. You like to walk in his light for a season." [Jn 5:35] 24. Now, John said, "I must go out, He must increase." [Jn 3:30] William Branham said the same thing. Oh, who is going to increase? Why he said, "I'm just setting it up for some great One to come." Then he said someplace in one tape, (I forget where it was) he said, "If that's the man, then I wasn't that prophet." I wasn't that forerunner, or something like that. (I think he might have said I wasn't that prophet. Can't remember that quote exactly.) But he said, "He must increase and I must decrease." If he was a John the Baptist, I can tell you one thing, that's true. [20] He was the Light of the world... And William Branham was a bright and shining light and they rejoiced in his light for a season which was the manifestation, the hand, the discernment and the miracles and all that, but when he got to the Word, forget him. And that was the real Word. They didn't want that Light at all, "and they crucified to themselves the Son of God afresh." [Heb 6:6] See, He must increase. That's God. He was the Light of the world, (Because He was vindicated, identified Word, Logos, right according to this that they said was their guide and their map, and their revelation.) ...made flesh. See? He was God with us. What's God with us? It's Immanuel. What's that? That's one of His Names. Don't go banding around for a name. Isaiah said, "His name shall be called: Wonderful, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." [Isa 9:6] He's Immanuel, God with us. And then Gabriel came and said, "Now you're going to call His name Jesus, because He's going to save His people from sin." [Mt 1:21] That's what he was going to do with the Lamb, but He was all of those in the beginning, and He still is. And if He's here, what is He? Immanuel. See? 25. Lutheran's didn't have Him. Their message couldn't bring Him. The Wesleyan's, the Methodist couldn't do it. Pentecost couldn't do it. And proven by the fact they all denominated and organized. They said, "This is It." It wasn't It! Luther was looking for It, the Pillar of Fire Bro. Branham said. Wesley was looking for It the Pillar of Fire. Pentecost thought they had It, because they saw certain reflections and things. They had miracles and all the rest of it. Why, Lutheran's that bunch didn't have the glory Pentecost had. As Bro. Branham said, "The Catholic's gloried and they had their reformers and they were good people. The Catholic church wasn't destitute through those ages, there was something that was in it until Luther moved out, and it was all over. Why? Because they turned it all down flat. Dead, dead, dead. Now, that was the glory Luther had, far greater than the Catholic church had. Now, Wesleyan's come along and they have a far greater glory than Luther. And Pentecost comes along, and it's got a far greater glory. But he said, "This glory never fades." Then what kind of a glory is it? It's God Himself. You do what you want with It. Now, I taught that in Ephesians series, 'the God of glory'. The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory. The entire source of glory. The entire source of a true assessment of character. "The same yesterday, today and forever," never changes. So the same glory that means 'weight'. That shows you His preeminence, His power. The One that sitteth upon the hill and weigheth the nation as the dust in a fine balance. The great chemist that's going to bring every cell together that's in your body right from the dust and glorified. You bet He'll do it. You'll be here, but you'll be changed. The Father of glory. What glory is it? One that never fades. We're going from glory to glory. It comes in clouds of what? Glory. ...?... Revelation... let your thinking go that's the way. Don't try to take this kind of sermonizing back to where you came from. You know, out of your organization, it won't work. Got to let your minds go. See? 26. All right: [20] The prophets were God with them. Jesus said so. He said, "If you call them who the Word of God come to, 'gods,' how can you condemn Me when I say I'm the Son of God?" See? [21] So where the Word that's been spoken by God is vindicated, then that is God making Himself known by His characteristic,(that's the vindication part and lining with the Word that He wrote) fulfilling His Word. It needs no interpretation. It's already interpreted Itself, proves what It is. (That's why he said, "This Bible need no interpretation, because God interprets Himself by bringing it to pass.") Now then, when we saw a manifestation which was clearly from God, we should have stopped in our tracks and said, "What is going on, what has that man got to say?" Not trying to be somebody you want to keep impressing you, but I was on the right track way back in '47. When I said... "If you listen to any man, that's the man to listen to." Why? He wasn't a theologian. But one day I did get to talk with him, back in 1953 about August when the hunting season was on. We found we had a lot in common. We were a couple of crazy Calvinist's. They didn't believe in the lake of fire forever and ever and ever, knew we were secured in Him. That Jesus had paid a price, and that price was sufficient. God didn't say, "Now I paid a price, now you way a price." Dutch treat? Where do you find in the Bible "Dutch-treat?" Fap! 27. All right: It needs no interpretation. It's already been interpreted, proves what It is. Just the same as He said, "Let there be light" and there was light; you don't have to say, "Well, what did that mean?" It means just... There it is; that proves it. It's already come to pass. Now, Jesus said that, "If I do not the works of My Father," or other words, "if I don't have the characteristic (that's identifying characteristics) of My Father, don't believe it. (If I had not done the works no other man did.) John said, "The works of Jesus unwritten, all the libraries the world couldn't hold what would be written if people wrote it." [Jn 21:25] And Bro. Branham said, "He had more success in my ministry in Jeffersonville, than He did in His Own in Nazareth." The history books categorically, if they're honest Christian historians, or religious historians, they'll admit that no man since the time of Jesus Christ had what William Branham had. They've already admitted it. Now they want to (you know) to chicken out on this. Well, God doesn't change, let the historian's change. They have nothing anyway. See, you're looking at a bunch of dead rocks that like to trash light. Now, Jesus said that, "If I do not the works of My Father," or other words, "if I don't have the characteristic of My Father, don't believe it. They identify My character, Who I am. If you can't believe Me, then believe the identification that God has given. If My character doesn't identify My position, then don't believe My claims." Now you see, back and forth on the Word, and back and forth on the acts. Now, the big thing is you see, the people that denigrated Bro. Branham, they could not produce what he produced. Now he had what they didn't have, because no man could lay a finger on his character. Nobody could. Anything he ever got wrong, he made right. See? Real fine Christian. He had the fruit. He had the Word. Now, they didn't like the Word at all, but he had what they didn't have, because he could prove he had something they didn't have. Now, if you say you're a Christian, and this man over here hasn't got what you've got and yet Pat Lee's got far more than you got, you got end up calling him a devil, or being sly as Herod the fox, trying to wash your hands, (as Pilate washed his hands, all the same group.) "Oh, I just don't think I have anything to do with that, I just don't know." That's isn't going to do you a bit of good on Judgment Day, because a man with sense would know that you'd find out. 28. The Book of Luke 1:17. (17) And he shall go before (the Lord God of Israel) in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, (even) the disobedient to the wisdom of the just... And that person in disobedience means the ignorant. God's children in ignorance to the wisdom of the just. Who's the Just One? Jesus. Who is He? God manifested in flesh. Could have given Him an insight on the foreknowledge of God which has now been brought into predestination right under your faces. See? (17) ...to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Notice, to make ready a prepared people. Dinner is prepared, it is ready to be served. That's another story. You think, "well, a prepared people, is a ready people." Uh, uh, no way, shape and form. These are the prepared vessels unto glory. For God said, "If I don't send Elijah, I'll destroy everything." [Mal 4:5] Moses had the same experience back there. God said, "Step aside I'll kill them all but you." Could He step aside and kill them all but you? If you're try to tell me only one person prepared to meet God? Well, what about John the Baptist, who else met God but John the Baptist to recognize Him and worshipped? How are you going to worship God in Spirit and Truth don't even know when He's out there large as life. Because It is Life. 29. Do you think Wesley would have missed this? Not by a jug full. Do you think Luther? No way, shape and form. Two great scholars. Luther was the great scholar. Wesley didn't have much scholarly punch. He carried his weight by his sincerity and his drive. What I've read of the two men, I would take Luther any day of the week, and yet the glory of Wesley superseded the glory of Luther's. Pentecost came along, they were the closest to the 'ragamuffins'. Yet, they had brilliant men amongst them too. And their glory exceeded the Methodist. The Methodist looked down their nose, bunch of tripe they think the Pentecostal's are. Now Word, we're the tripie ones. And yet we've got brilliant men in our midst. And we've got the ragataggles.(?) I'm in the ragataggles. I've got no PhD, and I don't want one. What would I do if I have one? What do, sleep on it, or eat on it? [laughter] (17) ...to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. So, it doesn't matter. I don't care how good they were and wonderful people. I don't care how educated they were. I don't care how many signs and miracles they had. It still takes somebody to get the people ready. They don't even know the Bridegroom. Come on, only one person knew the Bridegroom. You say, "Well, I think a lot of people knew the Bridegroom." Oh no they didn't. Not this way. Bro. Branham said, "You got to come again." There's got to be an introduction to the Bridegroom, the revealed Word of God. Not just this word 'revealed', you're talking about Logos. You got to take his whole ministry into consideration. The vindication all of it. It's right there in the same Book, It's going to do the job. Now, I understand that, don't you, we're going to get the job done, because we understand what this is all about. 30. Now, John 14:12. (12) ...He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; Now look, "He that believeth on me a true believer." Now, you know, Jesus said, "I am the true bread that came down from heaven. A man that eats this shall live forever." [Jn 6:51] They said, "Show us that true bread, we want it." He said, "You're looking at It." [Jn 6:36] What is a true believer? "Well there's believer's there." But this is true believer. This is back to Ephesus. 31. Let's go back to Ephesus. Ephesians 1. Now they're full of the Holy Ghost. (15) Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, (16) Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; (17) That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: Now notice, they had faith and they had love. And Paul said on the basis of that, the church in divine order with the divine Word, she had not fallen at this point. He said now the next thing is, you have reached the climax of where it can be capped by the Spirit, the Head of the church. At that time there will be a Resurrection, after the revelation, and there is going to be a catching away of the Bride. I'm going to tell you something: They had not got to that place. They were just entering in, and the church fell. They left their first love. What was their first love? They were the ones that stopped the false apostles. And said, "You don't say apostle, you're false, out of here." They stood with that Word. Bro. Branham said so. I'm not ...?... I'm saying what he said, that's all. They left It. They began walking from the revelation. Why? Because people entered in. ...?... Bro. Branham said they would. Oh come on, Peter says the same thing. 32. Paul said to the elders: [Acts 20:] (27) For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. (28) Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. (29) For (this I know,) that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. (Now, who are they? Wolves in sheep's clothing, Matthew 7.) (30) Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Now, if you think that people haven't got that kind of a spirit to deliberately come and try to take a people in bondage, you don't know your Bible, and you don't know humanity. You're just too nice for this world. Now one day, old Foxy Loxy is going to come by and take you Henny Penny, because an acorn fell on your head and you thought the world caved in. Yep, just like that. Takes all the Henny Penny's and Goosey Loosey's she'll take them in. And all the pigeons thought they were doves. The Bible categorically states, in the last days there'd be false teachers. [2 Pet 2:1] Now, where are those false teachers? Right within the groups. I don't say our groups, but that's the way the thing goes. That's what happened back there in the First Age, it'll happen in the Last Age. You can't stop it, brother/sister. There's only one thing you do, is just cling to this Word, and just forget everything you'd ever learned, the language you learned it in, and begin to get down to the Scripture that Reverend Branham had. Prophet of God, that's all you can do. 33. All right. [John 14:] (12) ...He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; (Now look it, He that believeth on me a true believer.) the works that I do shall he do also;) Notice: in other words like this. "He that believeth on me shall be identified by my characteristic, the works." Now, that goes right on down the scale from the prophet. To every little individual that are producing fruit and witnessing, and doing those things that are pleasing to God in prayers and fasting's and those things. Now we say, God is not identified by that, you're just doing the works. God's identified through a prophetic ministry. Identified by the works no other man can do. Let's face it, if we're going to deal with God, we're going to deal with God. Not of the foot-hold of man now, but foot-hold of God. We're going to deal with God on God's grounds. God came down on His ground to deal with us. So therefore, we are going to deal with God on His grounds, not our grounds. Now, there goes Latter-Rain down the drain. There goes Pentecost down the drain, because they want body ministries and throw the prophet out. Their body's shot right there. Somebody rise up with some things that are illiterate according to Scripture, illusion. I get their magazines now and then, not very often. I only got one come to the house, I didn't ask for it, how they got my name that's their business. Sometimes I look at it, and sometimes I just throw it in the garbage. 34. Now, I see the big list of all the men that write all the books. (Phffft!) Come on, I know a lot of those fellows. They're fine men in their own way. They no more believe this than nothing. Why? Because they got too much up here. [points to the temple] I've seen fine men who say, "Well, (you know,) Bro. Branham was a great man, but you know, I have something too." And I... could up one on them and almost said, "Look it bud, let's match and see what you had and see what I had, I'll snow you under the table, under the rug." I ain't got nothing. Where does it leave you? When you prophesy world-wide events and things and they come to pass just like that in forty eight hours, I've got proof brother/sister. And I don't pray for say, worth a plug nickel, but I've had miracle after miracle back in the day...Norm's been around me back in those days likely wouldn't have a tumor on the brain. No tumor on the brain stood before me at one time. They went. I got nothing. No vindication, but sour apples. But I'm a believer, hallelujah. Like some people say, "You wouldn't see a cucumber grow on the end of your nose." Well, maybe they're cross-eyed or something, I don't know. 35. Well, I tell you, if you can't see this up here, prophet and that Pillar of Fire and God in a man standing right and say, "I challenge you, bring me twenty four of your worse cases, I guarantee healing to all." Stand right there and say, "I challenge every man in this building." You couldn't hide if you tried. Take every spirit under control. Five thousand, fifty thousand, hundred thousand, or five hundred thousand. Literally take the universe if God wanted to do it. And you couldn't hide if you tried. Said universe? How did Elijah know what was going on under in the camp way down amongst the Syrians? Let's not sell God short brother/sister. Let's meet Him on His ground. He came down to our ground, so we can meet Him on His ground. I want to be on His ground, not on my ground. Ohhh, no way, shape and form! What have I have got to do with vindicating God and proving God? I like what the father of old Gideon said. "Well," they said, "you better get rid of that son of yours, he knocked our gods flat on the dust there, knocked everything off Baal. Old Gideon thought, "Isn't that great," he said. "If you got such a great god, let Baal plead for himself. [laughter] That's the truth. You think God came down, He said, "Elijah, now look Elijah," he said, "are you going to do a good job for me?" Elijah prayed a little old simple prayer less than one minute. He said, "God, let the people know that You're God." Ho, the fire fell right now. Elijah just stood back. He got so in the spirit, he just beat the horses down the hill, and he had a head-ache start. [laughter] Spirit of God get on a man... he got tired running I guess, that's why God sent a chariot for him, fiery chariot. God said, "You run for Me, you can ride with Me. Any man run with Me can ride with Me." Took him in a flame of chariot. See, that man knew something. Listen, we can know the same thing through vicarious experience. You men go down town to buy a suit. You say, "I think I'll pull it all apart and sew it together again." Oh, you don't, you'd be a nut. The suit's made to wear. Just the same as Bro. Branham's ministry, a prophet of God, what did he do, pull it apart? And they'd want to build something else. Forget it! See? 36. Let me read you something here, 'his body ministry' so called. Now, here it is: The End Time Evangelism. [06-03-62] He says here: [21] ...others didn't believe it, and He upbraided them because of the hardness of their heart. They didn't believe these people who had seen that He was not dead, "He's alive." Same thing today, when you see His work. [22] Now, we have already seen and are witnessing the appearing of the Lord. People are so confused they can't tell Coming from Appearing. This is the Appearing here. Coming is later. Three Coming's. One: He already came in flesh. Next: Immortal in the air. Third: Coming back. And he said, "This Coming is different from that Coming." What Coming? This Appearing. There's a fundamental doctrine, that the Appearing is the Rapture. It is not the Rapture! That's Coming! You follow me? Oh come on, let's get the cobwebs out of our heads. We're not fundamentalist led by some woman when she fell in a trance on her back in a dark room in an Irvington meeting, and spoke in tongues and said, "Hey," she said..." Actually, the truth is there's an Appearing and a Coming. I said, they said, "The Rapture is the Appearing, and the Coming is later." You see, a woman did it. In tongues, and they sucked in just [makes a sound] like that. But the funny thing is, she's partly true. There's an Appearing and a Coming. And this is the Appearing. See? It's a manifestation. Now remember, appearing and coming is two different words: to appear and then to come. Now is the appearing; He's already appeared in these last days, right here with us in the last few years. Now, it's a sign of His coming. He's appearing in His Church in the form of the Holy Spirit, showing that it's Him, 'cause people cannot do these things that you see the Holy Spirit doing; so that's the appearing of the Lord. Now, you remember, it spoke both places, "appearing" and "coming." (Who did it? William Branham, one person. Well, he ...?... on the church, that's plural. Doesn't bother me any.) 37. Watch what he says down here in Anointed Ones in the End Time. [07-25-65] [118] Now, I want you to know this is sure. And you that listen to this tape, you might have thought today that I was trying to say that about myself, being that I was packing this Message. I have no more to do with it than nothing, no more than just a voice. And my voice, even against my better judgment... I wanted to be a trapper. But it's the will of my Father that I declare to do, and determined to do. I wasn't the One that appeared down on the river; I was only standing there when He appeared. I'm not the One that performs these things and foretells these things that happens as perfect as they are; I'm only one that's near when He does it. I was only a voice... (Latter Rain, where are they?) Who stood down there and knew anything about it outside of William Branham? People ran screaming and everything else. Paper wrote it up. Mede said, "You know, I heard you what you said Bill, but that was your voice." He just smiled and walked on. Sure it was his voice. The Shout is not the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not God speaking audibly. God does not speak audibly to people. Only through a prophet. Now, the Spirit can hit your inner ear here, the auditory nerve and reveal something to you, that's fine, He can do it anytime He wants to, that's His business. But when you deal with this lip to lip, you're dealing with something entirely different. 38. Now he said: It wasn't what I knew; it's what I just surrendered myself to, that He spoke through. It isn't me. It wasn't the seventh messenger, oh, no; it was a manifestation of the Son of man. And what is a manifestation ...?... revealing of the Son of man? Just let Him tell you about it. The work of the Holy Spirit, God in a prophet. The Pillar of Fire inside the prophet. When I told you one prayer we caught it right on a tape, he said, "The Pillar of Fire is standing up inside of me now." The trouble with me I never remember tapes, and I haven't got enough brains to put it down where I heard it. If I did, I'd lose the tape. ...?... It wasn't the messenger, his message, it was the mystery that God unfolded. It's not a man, it's God. The messenger wasn't the Son of man, he's the messenger from the Son of man. The Son of man is Christ. He's the One that you're feeding on. You're not feeding on a man. How can you feed on Him just seeing miracles? You don't. The prophet then tells you, he explains it. Brings the revelation. So now we have God with us. Immanuel once more. "The same yesterday, today and forever." [Heb 13:8] You say, "Well, I simply want to make Him a High Priest in a body form." It won't work! He said, "That Spirit is in the midst of you now." That Spirit in the midst of you becomes incarnate to you. You'll crown Him King of kings and Lord of lords. That will be the Son of David, the Son of God, the Son of Man, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, the Rose of Sharon. Son of David, right down the line. The All in all. After the White Throne and the New Jerusalem, the Lamb will be on the Throne, the Pillar of Fire above the Throne, and They'll be one together. The Bride will be one. "Before they call, I will answer." [Isa 65:24] Now, you try to figure what that is. You won't know. All you know there is a great future, glory to glory, to glory, to glory, to glory. "Every tear wiped away." [Rev 21:4] No eyes have any tears. 39. Okay: [22] Now, that's what He did. He said, "If I don't do the Father's works, then don't believe Me." And the Father spoke to the prophets, and that was their characteristic, identification. So was it with Jesus. And remember, that's true, because He said, "Only what I see Him do, I do, and these are the Words of my Father, the One that sent Me." So, you heard the Father say it. A lot of people can't understand it, so ...?... And promised it to him that believeth, "My characteristics shall do in him just as it did in Me. Now, just a minute, what are you? See, you can fall right back into the body trap again. I ask one question: how many people tonight hear our prophet of the caliber of William Branham? There wasn't one in the world to touch him. And there won't be one until Elijah comes again to the Jews. What caliber are you? Now, let's find out. Let's be honest. Examine your heart. What are you in the body of Jesus Christ? "Well, Bro. Vayle, I haven't been prophesied over for a long time by the Latter Rainer's and different ones, so I really don't know." And you don't know. I'll cast my vote that the majority tonight that really know are two men in this audience. I am one standing here and Bro. Klassen is another. And I have it straight from the prophet. And I would never, never, never, never, never with the grace of God ever try to ever get near him even. 40. Any works that Jesus Christ that I do are of the Spirit my brother, my sister, will lie in the teaching ministry if I yield myself to Him, and don't try to make something out of it that doesn't belong there. Totally yielded and humbled which if I can get to and walk in love. And I'll be doing the works of Him that I'm supposed to worship. And if the best you can do is give a cup of cold water. You say, "Bro. Vayle, you leave me kind of cold here. I don't know what I am." Yes you are, you're a child of God, and just don't go snooping around, just believe what he told you, that you've been identified in Him, because once you identify Him, He identifies you. You're completely identified. Just do whatever you can do. Check your heart for motives, and look around. Pray, be sincere and diligent, that's all that's required. "But thou old man...," that's the Bible tells us. You don't have to worry about anything. Wherever you can fill in for the glory of God try to fill in, and fill in according to the Word. And you don't have to worry whether you're a thumb or a thumb nail, or a hangnail, what's the difference? 41. I tell you one thing: you're a million times better off if you can sit in a chair, in a pew, and earn your living and come to church and pay your tithes and do the best you can. Than ever try to take any place in the pulpit. It's the most ridiculous thing in the world to try it, because don't try it. I tried to stay away, and one day I walked out. I had to be carried back in just about. I don't know what the Lord holds for me, don't know what the Lord holds for you. But my finger doesn't worry about being a little finger, big finger, middle finger. I'm just so happy I've got fingers that work. Not even when I was arthritic this time. Which is a step forward, because I was going backward. Couple of kidney's that work partly. Thank God they work as good as they do. Doctor said I've got congestion, no doubt I have. The liver is not so good either, but thank God it's as good as it is. Are we thinking about the church the same way? Sure. Moses ate the same Manna that he brought down. If there's a five-fold ministry they're eating the same Manna they're dishing out to you. Why do you think we're preaching, especially a guy like me who wants to go home. Just go home, you know, have enough strength to look at the flowers and a few things that's if they're interesting. Couple of bucks to buy a roll of film or something. Why? What's the driving force before it? Hopefully something might be said that could help somebody. That's all, and keep... takes good care of me for being as indolent, that is as obnoxious as I am. ...But if I don't do the works of My Father, then don't believe Me. But if I do not the works, and you can't believe Me, then believe the works, (In other words, if you can't believe the works on the grounds of what I'm saying, forget what I'm saying, then just look at the works.) 42. As soon as Bro. Branham began preaching, man that did it. That did it. They'd have blamed him for his works alright, and they'd have milked him dry. Oh sure. But when they're gone they say, "Well, he's a wonderful man, but you know he's wrong, because he believes in Jesus Only. He baptizes wrong." You know, that's hypocritical. That's looking in the neighbor's cow and stealing eggs from the hens, the neighbor's raising them. I don't think the heathen do rottener than that. You know that's pagan religion do something like that. That's like they had a monastery years ago and the monks inside they put little candles and a little bit of wax and put it on these crawfish, you know, these crabs that go sideways and all, and at night they lit these little candles and the people look at it and said, "What is that?" "That's the souls of men you should be praying for, but you won't give us any money, so we can't pray for them until you give us money." So, they dropped the money in. Protestant's no different. One church has got monks, the other has got monkeys. [laughter] Tease with bananas. Drive you bananas. What is it I'm trying to say? Something wrong with somebody. Use a prophet then say, "Well, but he's not really a prophet." Well, you go ahead and do it. You...you can't reason, you can't argue, there's no way. 43. Like Bro. Branham said, "Look," he said, "I told you not to cut your hair, and every year you're worse." And they just, "haw, haw, haw," there was a big joke. Big joke. God in a prophet. That man could say, "Look, he that sees me, sees the One that sent me." Nothing illegitimate about that statement. They're the Word of God made manifest for the hour. It wasn't God per se, but He was for this hour. ...if I don't do the works... But then identify, you admit that you see something there. Never mind what I say. Examine the works until you realize if you possibly can that those works are a voice pointing to another Voice. The Voice of the sign brother/sister. There were two of them, until they came to the Shout Itself. One was 'hand', and one was the 'discerning'. Both were qualified by the miracles that took place. Nothing ever fell to the ground. He said, "Search the Scriptures, for in Them you think you have Eternal Life, and They are They that tell you Who I am." (See? Now, we've gone full loop on this haven't we? We've gone full loop and come back.) "God in sundry times spake by the prophets," clearly identifying the characteristic now of the resurrection of His Son. And Bro. Branham tells you right now; what is his ministry prove today? That He has risen from the dead and He's here in the form of the Holy Spirit doing the works for the Gentile that He's obligated to do. He's come full circle. And what's the people going to do? "They're going to crucify Him to themselves afresh." [Heb 6:6] He said, "I indict this generation." That's exactly what they did. It's a pity they did it, what are you going to do. You can't do anything. 44. Here's a quote here. Feast of the Trumpet. [07-19-64] [29] Hadn't had it through the age. [30] See that perfect continuity of the Scripture? (Here we live in it.) The mysteries, even of the baptism in the Name of Jesus Christ, and away from the Oneness idea, and these other things, how the Holy Spirit has moved that in and showed it perfectly; and the true baptism of the Holy Ghost, the Token, (Lutheran's didn't have it. Church wasn't sealed in. Individual members were. Holy Spirit wasn't standing amongst them as He is today.) and everything, and placed it exactly; I placed every reformer, and everything just exactly, and see right before our own eyes. And it's not in a corner; it's world known. Jesus, the Son of God revealing Himself by the Scriptures, making that Scripture, that had been predestinated to this day (like it was to that day, and all other days), live. And to believe It is the evidence of the Holy Ghost: righteousness. And a man says he's got the Holy Ghost, but he can't recognize the Holy Ghost? How can you tell you're eating apple pie, if you can't recognize apple pie? It's just that simple. It's just that simple, there's no difference. Illustration maybe very poor in the light of the Scripture and what we've seen, but that's the truth. Bro. Branham said, "If we're all eating cherry pie and you run across a pit (he says,) you spit the pit out, but keep eating cherry pie." Why? He's telling you the same thing. "If you can't believe what I'm telling you and you run across a stone, (he says,) spit it out, but keep eating, keep watching those works until you come to the place where you'll recognize." What did they do? They stopped eating the cherry pie. Whose cherry pie? Bro. Branham's cherry pie. Wasn't their own cherry pie. It was his cherry pie. Because they were both eating cherry pie. See, you got the picture tonight. 45. Well, the Lord bless you, I just thought I had to... we've messed this up very badly. Next time around we'll start on the other messages. But I just had to go back into this today in order to impress upon your mind some of the words in there that you just go over it casually due to a background. It has been a casual background. And the reason it's been casual is because your preacher and you have read every book under high heaven on the subjects. And you've all been wrong. And you see this person now contradict that person. Until now, it's just sort of something we're vaguely looking at, within conclusive understanding. Tonight it is conclusive! It's been nailed down, it's proven. See? I believe in the Presence. I'll bend over backward to try to help people. But I tell you, I believe the Lord Himself descended. Bro. Branham said, "Jesus does all three." And remember, Jesus is the same yesterday and He's risen from the dead, and He was there in the form of a Pillar of Fire. And I want to ask you: Who talked face to face with William Branham? He said, "Oh, what a mistake I would have made." But the Holy Spirit swept in his room and he turned around and he said, "One of them Angels." A Theophany, came in the room. And the last One was the Seventh Church Age Messenger, Holy Spirit. This One with seven eyes before the Throne. One of the Seven Spirits. They're not seven really. It's divided into the ages, what have you, the portion. That was the One that meant most to him. People say, "That had to be Jesus." No! He was right here, in the ...?... Yep. You say, "Well, I don't understand it." You understand anyway you want to. I'm not saying you got to listen to me, understand what I say. That's my understanding. See? The Lord descended with a Shout, a Message. And he said, "I was just a voice of one. Nothing I knew, I was just handy standing there." 46. Would you like to be handy tonight? Not to be a prophet. You're handy already, you're full of the Holy Ghost. Just live your life. Just ask God to lead you. That's all. There's no big wonderment. We're not rushing here and rushing there, trying to fill some bill of goods. We're living day by day. And if we knew He's coming tomorrow morning and we're putting in a potato crop, well it's already in, so now you start hoeing. You're hoeing potatoes. You keep on hoeing potatoes. You don't dress up in some kind of fine and run off half cocked up a mountain and say, "Well, I'll be ahead of the rest of the gang." The Bible warned us, the last group standing here on earth, though they don't die, take no preeminence over those that did die. On the contrary we're simply standing here to get our change, and we've got to wait for them to come out of the earth, then they beat us up to heaven. We're the last ones to go. The most privileged, yet under privileged. No one can argue his status. You don't have a status. If you do, I'm sorry for you. He has a status that He puts us into. You see, our standing with God in perfect in Jesus Christ the Lord. But just keep moving on and going on, believing the Word. My, what a wonderful thing to just believe this Word. If... none of us were anything but ninety five years old, all in wheel chairs, and all we could do was... well, we couldn't talk decent so nobody could hear us and understand us. So we had a little old ear plug in here and hear the tapes, and just sit there and rejoice. You're doing your part. You're doing your part. You're part of the body. So, what am I doing? You're listening to the Word of God. You're renewing your mind. You're showing all the respects and the aspects to a child of God. Sure. So, let's be encouraged tonight in the things of God, that this is a once and eternity proposition we've entered into. The ...?... will come down upon us. We're a peculiar people, more so than we ever thought we were. The Lord bless you. Let's rise at this time. Heavenly Father we thank You in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that One Who is there at the right hand of the Majesty on High in a bodily form, High Priest interceding for us. And we know therefore if You hear us only do not see us, but hear us through the Blood and you see our representative Jesus Christ, You accept our petitions, Lord, we know that we're standing with John who said, "If we know that He hears us, we know we have the petition." And our petition, Lord, is to be more like Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit overcoming our lives, You are the Victor. You are the God of all flesh, and the God of all spirit, and You are God. And we claim, Lord, Your intervening power, so we can say with Paul, "I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me, the life I live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me." And, Lord, there's not one of us who is born again who cannot say that. But how do we say it, Lord, in what depth and what measure? That is the great question. Help us Lord tonight, to be real over-comer's and true over-comer's, to take one last look at the flesh and abhor it and to put it to death. Annihilate it, O God, by the help of the Holy Spirit. Not saying these words just to be nice, Lord, because we're not nice in the beginning, and we're not nice at the end as far as humanity is concerned. But in Thee, Lord, we can say them and mean it, and expect You somehow because You're God to fulfill that Word in us. That we can grow from grace to grace, and glory to glory. And grow in stature and in wisdom and in favor with You, Lord, and hopefully with mankind, that they may know that we have been with You and You are now with us. So, Father, we just give ourselves to You somehow tonight more than we've ever given before. And empty ourselves more of ourselves, Lord, somehow by Your grace and by Your power, Lord, to be more circumcised unto You, Lord, cut off entirely in the heart and the mind; that Your Life might permeate our souls and come up through the Spirit. And then we begin to not only to live in the Spirit, but walk in the Spirit with the graces of God manifested. Help us, Lord, not to aspire to be somebody, or something, but may we just thank You for what You've done for us, and what we know, and how we are now situated in this place of the 'easy yoke' and the light burden. Getting ready, Lord, to take our departure through the supernatural power of Yourself, Lord, where You transform our bodies, which are being transformed. even now, because we're receiving a Word around which the cells are going to recreate themselves. Inner garment, Lord, which positions us to get us out of here. Father, how wonderful and how marvelous. And Lord, we know though we say it cannot be too soon, we wait upon Thee, O God. Have Thy Own way Lord. May we learn to sing that as never before, to have Your Own way and mean it. And so, Father, we just humbly dedicate ourselves to You, and all that we are tonight. And though, Lord, we know within ourselves, that we ourselves cannot do it, Lord, with You all things are possible, we believe, we believe, Lord, and help us where we don't believe, for Your honor, and for Your glory, for we know, Lord, it is for our exceeding and great and eternal good. This counts for eternity what we see tonight and hear tonight, and pray for tonight and enter into, O God, this is eternal. For time and eternity has blended, and soon time for us will run out. If it hasn't already, I don't know. Lord, the dead could come anytime, and yet I don't know. So Father, may we learn to be serious and sober as never before, and give Thee glory in the Name of Jesus Christ we pray. Yea Lord, we would plead in Jesus' Name. Amen. 'The Lord richly bless you'. God Identifying Himself # 2 (1185) - Page PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 25