God in Foolish Things Bro. Lee Vayle - June 20, 1971 a) Many people don't know the ministries are even sometimes as being cheerful. My how we need the ministry of cheerfulness. Oh brother, I could use a half dozen around me forty-eight hours out of the twenty-four. That's right. That's right, these men they're definite dynamic godly ministries. And I'm all for them, and the more the better. You know, Irenaeus said, "There's actually hundreds of ministries, hundreds of gifts in the church," I believe that to be a fact. Pentecost got stifled over those nine in 1 Corinthians 12: and they forgot to read any further. In Romans 12: mentions many gifts, and put It together with the wisdom of Irenaeus, and you can see that God didn't call everyone to speak in tongues, and to have a word of wisdom, and a word of knowledge, and faith, and healing, and miracles. A ministry is a giving, and exhorting, and correcting. And just as I said, good natured spirit about a person. In fact, everybody has a ministry. But the world calls vocation, avocation. Vocation is your true calling, and you're avocation is what you're doing by the side. Well, everyone in Christ has a true ministry. And many people don't find those true ministry, because they don't know it's a natural God given birthright. And to just act natural to do those things that are natural to you. A literal ministry, as long as they're done in the Spirit of Christ. b) And so, everybody's got a good bit to contribute. You get to the place where you got to…a few creatures going around screaming for money. And they're going to do it all. Well, I wouldn't give them a plug nickel, send them on their way. Be sweet about it. You know you can be sweet not giving. [Bro. Vayle laughs] So, there he said, "You can be sour and not giving." And you know how it is. Well, be very sweet when you don't give. To that kind of nonsense. (See?) Sure, if God wanted just a few men to lead the whole thing, there'd be just a few people, period. There's going to be a great number on that day, and all of them will have contributed. Now, believe me within yourself lie down your body and fail to contribute your body's sick. Right? Sure thing. Then if any cell, a member of the body of Christ doesn't contribute, the body is sick. (See?) And what kind of a body, would be a headless body. Why, even Jesus thought that was so ridiculous, He's coming back to be the Head and takes the whole Bride. So, there's no place in this. We have the Light and the truth in this. And now we've got to live it. It's just not talking about it, is to live it. c) So, everyone is important. Everyone is needful. We all needy before Christ, that's good. But, everyone is needful. Christ has need of all of us, although we're needy. When He supplies our needs, by the rich anointing of the Holy Spirit, then we are needful, and we make a very integral and definite part of the body, and it's helpful. Now, often times too, the time that you think you do the littlest, maybe the time you're doing the most. I've never had it fail, almost never had it fail when I thought…when I considered the Message the least anointed and didn't get my points across the way I wanted to get it across. Someone said, "Well, you know I sure appreciated that." Maybe they just felt my struggle and wanted to be nice. But, I don't quite buy that. I think it was right. They said, "Well, you know, I really got help this afternoon, (or whatever time of day it was) because I saw something in there I hadn't seen before. d) So, you see many times you might feel you're not doing something worthy, and that's just the way the Lord wants it. Otherwise, you could get lifted up and start boasting and think we're somebody, and God just knows just how to put us right, in the right place. (See?) With the right attitude. They’ve got to be… I'm not the kind type of father to put us in the right place without the right attitude. So, He makes sure these lines have latitude. Which is very, very good. And so, that's wonderful, we got something to praise the Lord for. And whatever your ministry is, and remember man's gift, and the woman's too, will make room for them. Just don't worry, be faithful, witness daily, whatever you can do for the Lord, God will make room for it. Whatever your hearts cry and passion is, and God will open that door. Whatever it might be ministering, I know today we're… young men wanting to preach. That's great. Just seize the fire until God opens the doors. And then some of the older ministers…they sort of surprised me, because they seem to be changing the ministry, maybe it's alright. I often where those evangelists are. e) You know, God gave Bro. Branham a vision that he couldn't do without the ministry. Well, I understand it's a five-fold ministry. Where are they all? (See?) Somewhere. Stir the fires, keep your faith up in the direction you're going, and God will get you there. Now, it may be a pretty slow grind, and a bunch of tough curves and corners. And never let us ever think we're going to be professional. I get very scared being a professional preacher. A lot of professional preachers, I don't want to be one. That's why God never raised up a professional, He raised up William Branham. Refused to give a smart man an education. Took away the education, (what little he had) and faced him with a wilderness experience, and made him come out, under the anointing of the Holy Ghost. Now, we don't want to be professional. No, siree. Now, ever be a professional. Now, William Branham could have been a professional, but God wouldn't let him be one. If fact I've seen him take a lot of just a whole lot of time, getting everything relaxed the way the he could even preach. I'm not doing that now of course, if you feel like doing it. But, God doesn't want professionals. Professional man doesn't have a need. We always have needs. And the Lord's grace is to fulfill those needs. f) I know a friend of mine from years back, a very capable preacher. He can knock out a good sermon in about fifteen minutes, …got a brilliant mind. I've been watching his rise in the religious world. Years ago, I warned him very definitely, to watch out for this thing called 'the gift ministry'. Although I had one myself. I knew the pit-falls and the dangers. I said, "Don't use snares." Well, he was in it up to eyeballs. And I'm not going to be critical of the man, I'm sorry that a man of such great capabilities is snared in the very thing that is going to deceive the world, is deceiving the world. Those two spirits in there. The gift ministries, and Bro. Branham said, "You can be as devil possessed as a man can be devil possessed, and have one of those genuine gifts operating right now." (See?) That's a hard thing for people to swallow. In fact, some don't even get the chewing state, if you spit it out when you’re done, …that's nauseating. I don't take that root, I stick with what the prophet said. I know only too well twenty years back, that the gift ministry was heading into terrible, terrible something or other. I didn't know what it was, but I knew something was radically wrong. And the prophet came and told us. So, we thank God that it maybe takes quite a while to get to the truth, but the truth comes. Why? Because you can do nothing against the truth but for it. Let the people try to use usurp all authority and destroy the truth. Why, God sent a manifested vindicated prophet to slice it to pieces. Yes sir, don't you love the Lord this afternoon g) I know when Norman went wrong with that. He should have started…"then sweeping up to glory." I was going to start it myself, but he said, "Let's sing that chorus." I just feel that same way. One of these days they're sweeping up to glory to see His blessed face. "Those rivers of light will always flow. Never be any drought out there, there'd be constant glory all the way." And that's where we are today. So, we love Him don't we? And we praise the Lord, and we feel real good about Jesus. Maybe not about ourselves, but about Him. And then we ought to feel real good about the way He does things, because He never lost a battle, never lose a ship, never made an error. "Which of you convinces me of sin, one word?" h) Why words betray us, the best we can do in ourselves is to become good positive thinkers. But here's One Who's Words built the world and maintains it. Well, I feel like shouting. I'm not a Methodist, and I'm not a Pentecostal anymore. But, I'm one of those church order Bride believing, I just want to call it 'Branhamite'. I don't like to say that, because I think that demeans the man. But, I have to confess that I know his name, I believe what he taught. And I hope to say everything he said, not maybe just the way he said it, because that's his ability. I don't have it, but to say what he said in my own way. All right, we're going to go to the Bible, and we're going to talk on 'God choosing foolish things'. You want to turn 1 Corinthians 1: (you may do so.) We'll bow our heads in prayer: Heavenly Father, we're so happy to be here this afternoon with Your lovely Saints of God, in Whom, Lord, we really believe there's a Spirit of God. And we really believe we're one in the Spirit, because we can fell that same love and unity and peace amongst us all, bar none. No discordance here, nothing at all that has anything to do with the world. But it's all in line with you Jesus. And we thank You for it, Lord. We pray now, Lord, with such sweet grace upon us all, we may study Your Word. And everything, Lord, be said in a real genuine Spirit of Christ. And that means all of us. Oh God, how praise Thee for this opportunity. May we make most of it, Lord. May we…take full advantage of it. And may this advantage now be ours, by the opening of the Word to us all, so that our faith may be one hundred percent in Jesus' Name we pray. Amen. 1. Just [1 Corinthians 1:17, 26-29] (17) For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be of none effect. Now, going down to 26. (26) For (you) see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: (27) But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; (28) And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to (nothing) things that are: (29) That no flesh should glory in his presence. [1 Corinthians 1:30-31] (30) But of him are (you) in Christ Jesus, (that's Blood of God are you in you the Christ Jesus, this Jesus) who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (31) That, according as it is written, He that (glory) let him glory in the Lord. 2. Now, It says here, "But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise." God choosing fooling things. Now, for many years, (oh, it's many years ago really) every now and then I'd hear a preacher preach on this very subject. God using foolish things to confound the world. And then they talk about Naaman, how that God told him to dip in that muddy old River Jordan seven times. What a foolish thing it was. And yet Naaman came back with flesh of a little child. That means turn back to youthfulness, something like Abraham was changed back as a type of the resurrection. And then they talked about how foolish it was in the days of Elisha when that man was cutting timber and lost the head of the axe, and the axe sunk. [2 Kg 6:5] And Elisha said, "Take a little twig and throw it on the water and the axe head will rise." Well, that was the most foolish thing anybody ever heard of. Throw a twig on the water, and that's going to make the axe head come up? Say, "Oh brother, that's a crazy as Naaman. You dip seven times in that muddy old cesspool out there that I walked through a hundred times, haven't seen a leper cleansed yet. But you know the leper got cleansed, and the axe head rose. 3. Then they tell about how that old Noah preached roughly for a hundred and twenty years. (I don't know if he did or not, but they tell me he did, and I never figured it out.) And he preached all those years. And how foolish it was for a man to talk about a flood and a rain, when there was no rain up there, there's no way to get a flood. They didn't know that God was going to change those two gases; H [hydrogen] and O [oxygen] to water by electrolytic way, the flood is to come on down. And they said, "How foolish it is." And yet God confounded the world and proved Himself right by that foolishness. Now, all of this is true, but of course that's not my theme today. Today I stand in wonder at the foolishness of God, which has blinded the eyes of the world through a miracle marvelous ministry of restoration under a great ministry of Elijah the prophet. 4. Now, let's look at that ministry for a moment. According to Malachi this ministry would have to turn the hearts of the children back to the fathers, or Jesus would come and utterly destroy the earth. Now, even a fifth-grade student can understand the implication of that statement. That if Elijah does not come, then Jesus will come and destroy utterly the whole earth. Unless Elijah comes prior to the coming of Jesus there'd be no resurrection; there'd be no change of the living; there'd be no Rapture; there'd be no Marriage Supper; there'd be no Millennium; there'd be no Kingdom of God upon earth of both the Jew and the Gentile, which would be one body, and one holy nation in that one thousand year period. In other words, the whole plan of God would go down. Therefore Elijah, the thinking person would say, "Elijah must come to the church world, with some kind of ministry that would shake the world back to God, but it didn't. It came, but it didn't shake the world back. For God did a very foolish thing. Wise to Him, foolish to us. He veiled Himself in simplicity. The mighty and great thing that God did, was to sent the prophet messenger with the revealed Word for his day, exactly as He said in Acts 3: But, instead of men reading what God said He would do, they defied It, to believe their own conclusion as to what they thought God would do, according to what God said He would do. 5. All right, look at It, Acts 3:20-21 (20) And (God) shall send Jesus Christ, which (was appointed) unto you: (21) Whom the heaven must (retain) until the (restoration) of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. Now, what was it that God that God spoke by the mouth of all His holy prophets? The Word of God. So therefore, the Word of God must be restored. And God would bring the people back to Him, so that He would not have to come and destroy the world utterly. Now, God did that. Over ninety-nine percent of all Christianity was totally ignorant of this monumental thing that God was doing so simply. But a little Bride heard the Word, and she adorned herself with that Word in order to be ready to meet her Lord. What God did was too simple, just like in Naaman's day. What that man wanted was something mighty. He wanted something great. He wanted something that would be a vehicle for his performance, that in manifesting God, he would also manifest himself as great. 6. You know, thirty years ago I told a young friend of mine who wanted to be a preacher. I said, "Les, there's a great difference between you being great for God, for God, and you being great for God for Les Petrie. And there is something that Naaman wanted. He wanted to be great, but it wasn't great for God…for God, it was great for God…for Naaman. And that's where the world misunderstood this man that came as Elijah the prophet. He was great for God, for God. Which is to be one hundred percent amenable to and aligned with the Word. Other men wanted to be great for God for themselves to build their kingdoms. And I must say they have been very, very successful in doing it. But, God held this prophet, and the people to simplicity. Such simplicity, until the greatness of God became foolishness to those to whom this ministry was sent. And I use this in the broad sense of the word. 7. Now, I want you to watch something here: no matter how simple it is, whatever God does, it is still so great that when the day of judgment comes men will answer for missing it. Then how great are God's simple things? How foolish really, are those foolish things. Because no matter how simple, or how foolish, the people are going to be judged to whom the Word came. That revealed Word the prophet brought came so simply, yet that same Word is guaranteed to bring us to Rapturing faith, which is the faith of Enoch, because "Enoch walked with God, and was not, because God took him." [Gen 5:24] Now, I said, no matter how simply it is, it is still so great, that God will judge man for rejecting It. Certainly He will. For how did he rise to bring the Message? How did he make It known that he had the Word of the hour? He made It known that He had the Word of the hour by demonstrating the very ministry of Jesus Christ once more upon this earth according to Luke 17: Check the ministry of Jesus Christ, and check the ministry of William Branham, and you will not find any difference between the two of them. They were the very same ministry. Although in one place, God used His Own created human body, virgin born, and in the other place He used an elected, (though sinful) son of God, raised him by His grace and power, and then let him stand by as the One to Whom He'll reveal Himself. Identical ministries. 8. As It says in Luke 17:26 (26) And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. The days of the Son of man repeated on earth and we saw them. And as I said last Sunday, it was such magnitude that [Hebrews 6:] came into visible manifestation. I'll just read It for you. "They tasted the heavenly gift in its enlightenment, they were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, they tasted of the good Word of God, they tasted of the powers of the world to come, and they fell away." [Heb 6: 4-5] (See?) 9. Now, also I want you to notice when the Pharisees sent emissaries to John, they said, "Who are you?" They said, "Are you Elijah, are you Christ?" [Jn 1:21] He said, "No." They said, "Are you Elijah?" He said, "No." "Are you that prophet?" "No." Now notice, Christ and that prophet in the mind of John must have been two different persons. He never said they were the same thing. Now, I don't want to carry this too far we get in trouble. But, they be two ministries, as least, Christ and that prophet. 10. Let's go back to Deuteronomy 13:1-3 (1) If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, (2) And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he (spoke) unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; (3) Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth (to) you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart … All right, Deuteronomy 18:20-21 (20) But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, ('Thus Saith the Lord') which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. Now, what's the check? (21) And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? (Now listen;) (22) When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, (when a prophet tells you something, 'Thus Saith the Lord') if the thing follow not, (in other words, predicted prophecy) nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him. Now, verse 15-18 (15) The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him (you) shall hearken; (16) According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly…Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. (17) …the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. (18) I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 11. Going back to Acts 3: again. As I say don't carry this too far. And notice, It says, (22) For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall (you) hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. (23) And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. So, that is Jesus Christ, in this instant It cannot be, because the people were not destroyed utterly. Now, God sent a prophet with 'Thus Saith the Lord'. The Bible says, "When that man comes, you are to hear him." (See?) But, the impact of his ministry was lost through the simplicity, what God did became so commonplace, that the people cast it aside. Just like manna. The manna that could take them into the Promise Land. Keep shoes on their feet. Give them help, perfect food. God's perfect care they cast aside. They turned aside 'Thus Saith the Lord', which is the key to the whole of William Branham's ministry. If he had one 'Thus saith the Lord', you are duty bound to hear him. (See?) 12. Now look, it wasn't his 'Thus Saith the Lord' you were to hear. 'Thus Saith the Lord', a storm will take place. 'Thus Saith the Lord', you're going to be healed. No, you watch that, (see?) and if that came to pass, then you heard what He had to say. And you were to fear Him. And if you didn't hear Him, the Bible said you'd be cut off. And they are cut off from among the people. Because remember, these people are the people of God. You can't turn down the end time vindicated minister that God sent. (See?) Now, they turned Him down. And those who turned Him down, the majority of them who turned Him down, everywhere began proclaiming worldwide revival to bring back the King to the power ministry that God had produced in that prophet. They missed the whole point. It was a Word ministry in the Bride that's to bring back the King. That's right. Not in the world, because the angel of God said to William Branham, May 26, (I believe it was) 1946, "I have come from the Presence of God to bring you a gift of healing to take to the world." But he brought the Word to take to the Bride. It was the restored Word that would bring Jesus without catastrophic, or cataclysmic venture which would have killed the whole world. Destroyed everybody. It was this Word ministry in the Bride that's going to get turned back the wrath of God, so there can be an actual Millennium. 13. Now, however you will notice that these who missed the whole point, (they miss the whole point) even their most…will I say, 'sentimental', or 'kindness', saying of Bro. Branham's funeral, or his memorial service? And very kindly said that this great man led us back. And he led them back to a power ministry. Yet, if he would have led them back to a power ministry, how come the Bible says in Matthew 7: "Many will come in that day, casting out devils; speaking with tongues; prophesying; raising the dead; healing the sick; working miracles" And He'll say, "I never knew you." So therefore, they missed the point entirely. It was get back to the Word. Remember, the Word is the criterion. Love is merely how you use the Word, the attitudes you take in life. But if every attitude is perfect, then your word is imperfect. You're just as lost as lost can be when it comes to the Bride. Remember, Elijah's ministry is going to do the restoring not you. And not what you do with it, because the full power of transformation lies in the seed. It doesn't lie brother/sister in what the farmer does with it. It lies in the seed. If it's not in the seed, no matter what the farmer does, isn't going to do any good. So therefore, it's the seed, then the love. It's the Word, then the love. Not love then the Word. The Word is everything, because this is why the prophet came. Most of them got sidetracked on what looks like very legitimate and fine thing. The power to witness and nail down the Gospel of Christ, as the one and only legitimate Gospel there is in this world. But supposing you turn around and interpret that one legitimate Gospel wrong, where do you stand? Where's your faith? You don't have any. Do you see it? You don't have any, it's got to be with that Word 14. Now, what the Bride receives the church turned down. And here is where we stress and show the foolishness of God for this hour. The foolishness that is go great to God and so little to man. To begin with, let's go to that favorite topic of, [1 Corinthians11:2] (2) Now I praise you, brethren, that (you) remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, (the commandments) as I delivered them to you. Not your own ideas now in keeping them, because they were doing that. They were keeping the Word that Paul delivered according to their own understanding and own desires. Now, he said, "You keep the Word that I'm delivering It to you." Bro. Branham said the same thing. Now: (3) …I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; (every man, and that's the Word) and the head of the woman is the man; … That's the woman, so is the man. Every woman, lock, stock, barrel. As long as she's a female I don't care what she knows, what she does, how sweet she is, she's under the man. (3) …as the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. (4) Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, (dishonors) his head. (5) …every woman that (prays) or (prophesies) with her head uncovered (dishonors) her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. (No hair at all, slicked off with a razor.) (6) For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn…it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. (7) For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. (8) For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man. (9) Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. (10) For this cause ought the woman to have power (that's the authority) on her head because of the (messengers.) (11) Nevertheless, neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. (12) For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God. (13) Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? (14) (Doesn’t) even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame (to) him? (15) But a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: (it's a glory to her) for her hair is (for) her covering. (16) But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God. He's telling you here there's no custom in any church that Paul has authority in for the women to cut their hair. 15. Now, this is what Bro. Branham taught to every Pentecostal church. "Stop cutting your hair women, or you'll all miss it." And they said, "Now, look here, we won't tolerate that nonsense." Cutting their hair, that's just a little foolish thing, ain't nothing to it. What in the name of common sense has short hair, long hair any kind of hair got to do with spiritual? Teach us the big things. teach us the great things." All right, let's go to the big things. The question comes up, "What’s bigger than God?" You say, "What do you mean, what's bigger than God?" 16. I'll read It to you. [1 Corinthians 11:3-5] (3) But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; the head of the woman is man; and the head of Christ is God. That's right. There's nothing bigger than God. Now, the dissertation on hair, short, long, and shaven starts with this premise, God, Christ, man, woman. And what the woman does with her hair absolutely will pin her as to whether she's serving God or not. Short hair, shaved hair, because shorn is short, shaved is no hair at all. It means she doesn't have access to God. She dishonors her husband, and she's cut herself off from God. Now, I know that right away the old cry goes up, "What about the Blood Bro. Vayle?" Oh, what about the Blood? That's the silliest thing I've ever heard in my life. If the Blood is that great, and so I don't know how come the whole world is not saved by the simple shedding of Blood? You don't come to God without a means. Certainly not. Everyone of us is going to receive the Holy Ghost and be anointed. But you can't get the Word of God without the messenger, and then you don't get the disseminated Word without the five-fold ministry. God has a means to everything. The Blood doesn't avail to those people outside of the Word. There's no covenant outside of those that don't have faith in the Word of God., and abide by the simple precepts the Lord laid down. 17. Now, let's see how this determines her status with God, verse 4, he admonishes the man: (4) Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. Now, what is that covering? Who knows, who cares at this minute. There's a blank statement. Whatever the covering is man don't you try. Don't you try you dishonor God, you shot your covenant. Now, he admonishes the woman: (5) But every woman that (prays) or (prophesies) with her head uncovered… (she's just as though she) were shaven. Which is her husband is dead, or she's a harlot. Now, you can take your pick. That's right, she's lost her husband, now she's shaving herself so she can marry somebody else. Now, she claims Christ is her husband, that means she just lost him right there. [1 Corinthians 11:6,13-14] (6) For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn… (Now, that's cropped, not shaved, but the hair is short) it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. Whatever her covering it. (See?) Well, whatever that covering is, is a simple matter you can tell right now it has to do with clipping. Now, he admonishes the woman and pronounces judgment on her in 5 and 6. 18. Now, let's look at verse 13-16 (13) Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? Now, Paul is appealing to trust an untreated Christian. Just an ordinary guy like you and me who doesn't get the Message, he's got to listen to It, because he can't bring It, He's got to be brought to him. Now, Paul said, "You men…" I didn't even know that this was in the Bible, I made the test myself. I didn't know it was in the Bible. Paul made the test. He said, "All you men, answer me a question." Now, of course here, you'd all raise your hands anyway, so there's no use me having to raise hands. But, many meetings I've got to said, "Now, you men you raise your hand, how many of you think a woman is more true to her female, (and you got to put the word in there, now sex, because we're all sex, male and female) she's more true to her femininity, and she's more female with long hair than short hair. And to my knowledge I've only had two men in my entire life tell me they preferred short hair on women. Speaking as true males considering their full sexuality looking at a woman as a true female considering her full sexuality, Paul said, "You can't be a true male and not know that woman's wrong, unless her hair is right down where is always belongs." He said, "Even your nature lets you know." What kind of a pervert wants cut hair? All right, don't answer that question. It's rhetorical. 19. Okay, let's keep reading: (14) Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame (to) him? Now, what kind of a man wants his hair hanging way down? In other words, both men and women at this end time are absolutely so darkened and so battled scarred, and so conscience seared, that they're wretched, they're miserable, they're blind, and they're naked, and they don' know it. They don't see it, they don't feel it, but they love it. Boy, what I'd do to one of my sisters if she tried to pull that hair stuff on me. I guess I shouldn't say it, but I'm afraid I'd be like Bro. Grant, W. D. He said his dad caught him stealing once, and he never stole again, because his dad almost killed him. He just picked him up and hammered him, and hammered the living daylights out of him until he learned. You don't sin in the flesh, or you pay a price. Or I’ll tell you, from that day he never touched anything. You say, "He's got a complex." I'd sooner have a complex, about not stealing in a complex, or if I had to get killed just about to get it. So, I know what some of these stupid so called psychiatrists we're talking about. Somebody beat him up, might have been a little better. "You say, "Bro. Vayle, you say that…you prefer beating to love?" I don't know about that one, as far as I know love is corrective. Far as I know, God so loved the world, that he took His only begotten Son and crucified Him. I know people talk about love, seems to me their idea love is a whole lot different than mine. And personally, I'm going to stick to mine. Not trying to fight now, I just give you that warning, I'm going to stick to mine. 20. Listen, It says that. Now: (15) But (if) a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: (and) her hair is her covering. If her hair is her covering, and you can't cut it, because if you shorten it, you got to shave it. And there's only one interpretation you can place on the Word, and that is, no woman has the right to place scissors to her hair whatsoever, and no man has a right not to. The woman's forbidden to cut it, and the man is forbidden not to cut it. And the relationship for God hinges on these two things, whether you talk about the Blood, or talking in tongues, or raising the dead, or having miracles, or anything else. Now, is that plump and plain? I hope it is. You say, "Bro. Vayle, that's pretty stupid." Well, glory to God, you're getting the point, that's exactly what Jesus said. "The foolishness of God was going to stumble people so bad, they wouldn't even know they stumbled." And how many folks you know been stumbled by this hair cutting business? Oh brother. See, just what we're talking about. 21. Now, notice [1 Corinthians 11:] verse 7 and 8. (7) …a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. Now then, if the woman bypasses the man, she's in real trouble, because her glory is being in the man's image. The woman was never in the image of God, it was the man. And she's got to identify with the man in order to even qualify. Now, that's typing the Bride as well as the literal woman here on earth. Because the Bride hasn't got a thing. Not a thing. Uh, uh. No sir. God has got to come by charity by Jesus Christ. (See?) So, the woman has to come by the man. Now, this may shock you, because this is the teaching you may not like. (But just hold on until I explain it.) The woman cannot make it on her own, she's got to come by the man. Now, that's the Church, the Bride. But it's also the woman in the church. 22. Let's look at 1 Corinthians 9:9 (9) Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. Jesus came by a woman, but He wasn't made for the woman. The woman was made for Him. (See?) Now notice: (keep reading) (10) For this cause ought the woman to have (authority, that's that power, that word is authority) because of the (messengers.) The messengers that God sends her. No bobbed hair woman can receive any Word of God from any messenger. That's right. Then does prayer. She can't pray. Unless she prays and says, "God, I'm sorry, forgive me, from this minute on there's no more fooling with my hair." Okay? (12) For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God. Now, I know that the woman produces the male. She's got it by birth. Even so, will the Bride produce Christ, but all things by God which is by the Word, or forget it. 23. Let me show you how the woman makes it by the man now. The woman makes it by the man, in, 1 Timothy 2: 11-14 (11) Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. (12) But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. (13) For Adam was first formed, then Eve. (14) And Adam was not deceived, … He went into the sin eyes wide open, knowing what he was doing and how he was doing it. (14) …but the woman (was absolutely seduced. Not raped, seduced. Adam was not deceived, but the woman) being deceived was in the transgression. 24. Now, with this, Galatians 3:26, and I'll bring it all together for you. (26) For (you) are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. (Oh, everybody) (27) For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (28) (For) there is neither Jew nor Greek…bond nor free…neither male nor female: (but you) are all one in Christ Jesus. 25. All right, 1 Corinthians11:11 again. (11) Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. The woman is not without the man in the Lord. She cannot under any consideration have any authority within the church whatsoever, the whole authority lies in the male. And we're not talking here about husband and wife, we're talking about male and female in the body of Jesus Christ. The woman cannot cut her hair. The man has got to cut his hair. Then, the man takes the position of authority, and the woman can never be a messenger in the church. There never was a female messenger among seven. There never was a female angel, spiritually. There never was a female angel physically. There never has been, and there never will be. There never was a woman elder. There never was a woman deaconess. There never was a woman preacher under any consideration. There never was a woman prophetess as part of the five-fold ministry. 26. They could prophesy, but they weren't prophetesses. Never has been, never will be a woman in that capacity. And the cutting of the hair shows which way she's going. And when the man lets her do it, shows which he's already gone, and the relationship to Christ in the Bride is annulled, because it's woman, man, Christ, God. And as long as there's a woman, there's got to be a man. Right? And as long as there's a man, there's got to be a Christ. And as long as there's a Christ, there's got to be a God. Or reverse it, if there is a God, there's got to be a Christ, there's got to be a man, there's got to be a woman. And there's got to be long hair, and short hair. Now, that's simple as a-b-c, or I don't know what I'm talking about. Of course, I'd be challenged on that, but there again the wisdom of this world goes to nothing, while we're going up, it'll be too late to grow your hair when the Bride starts moving out. (See?) 27. Now, that was the number one: foolishness, because this is where the prophet hit first and hardest. Woman, let your hair grow, get out of that pulpit take your ministry to the home where it belongs to your husband and children. And learn this one thing, you don't need to a song singing, hand clapping, prayer spouting, prophecy majoring, female down there at the church to be in the kingdom. You can be right home over a scrub board, (or we'll relieve you that, and give you an automatic machine, and even a dish washer) we'll give you that, but go on back to where you belong. Which is back to being a wife and mother. And then you men, get that gleam out of your eye if you want a lot of nice things in your house, let the wife stay home where she can be a wife and a mother. And the best you can feed your wife and your kids is turnip greens, then praise God for turnip greens. It's a whole lot better to have a sour stomach on turnip greens, than, a sweet stomach and all hell let loose in the universe, because of stupidity right here. Remember, just one Word got Eve and the universe away from God, one snip of the scissors, puts the Laodicean church in that, right? 28. All right, number two: Bro. Branham also got great, great criticism from quoting Deuteronomy 22:5. Now, you know I'm not hurting you ladies, because nobody here got short hair, or clipped hair. But you're learning more and more about what this is all about. This is where your faith is understanding the Word of God. (See?) Now, we know that long hair doesn't make you spiritual. But what is it that makes you spiritual? Obeying the Word of God. Sure. Now, [Deuteronomy 22:] verse 5 (5) The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, (good) neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God. Now, here is where people argue, they do not want to accept the fact that the woman wearing slacks is wearing male attire. Nor do they like the thought that men wearing shorts are wearing women's attire. Now, the women like to think that slacks are different from men's clothing. The fact of the matter is it's the same thing, but a finer fabric. They argue that this is only for the Old Testament, and it's therefore passed away. 29. Now, let's watch this carefully brother/sister: Not one part of the Old Testament passes away, except what's been fulfilled. Now, you tell me one thing that Jesus fulfilled upon the Cross concerning men and women's clothes? Nothing, that didn't pass away. The red heifer passed away; the goat passed away; the meal offering passed away. And a lot of things passed away, that He said passed away, but this didn't. So, women cannot wear men's clothes, and men cannot wear women's clothes, or they're an abomination. Now, they say, "Now Bro. Vayle, you see I was born again twenty years ago." Still wearing those slacks? No, you weren't. You thought you were born again. And that man that does contrary to the Word of God, "Well, look at our churches." They say, "Well, what is the harm of these men who feel…these Ann Landers , [columnist] yah, I read them. Yeah, I get a kick out of it. I should write them a letter some time. [laughter] Oh, they've become the doctors, the lawyers, the mothers, the fathers, the theologian. Why, if we just had Ann and Abigail [another columnist] in the White House? [laughter] We might have them there for all I know even now. Bad enough men. 30. Oh, they'll cure everything. They said, "What is wrong, (you know) if a male feels, feels that he feels and I better shimmer down with these silkies , that is women's clothing." I've got nothing against nylon clothes and things. I've got nothing against those things. Just watch whose they are. See, because if man says he likes women's dress and he feels something, then God hates him. Because God says He hates the effeminate, and they'll find their place in hell. And what right has anybody got to legislate upon the Word of God, which is the legislation of God. What right has our Supreme Court got to legislate upon the laws of the land when they've been laid down? They don't legislate, they're not supposed to legislate. They're supposed to tell whether they lie within the framework or not, because they're educated. But what did they do? They legislate, they've taken over from our legislators, Supreme Court. 31. What right have the preachers got to legislate and make up their own ideas? We go by the Word of God. It's an abomination for a woman to wear man's clothing. Now, where do the men's clothing come from? They came when I was a kid of about four/five years old. That's fifty years ago, half a century. Women first began wearing men's suits tailored to fit the women. Absolute men's suits. And from then on, they changed it until it became a matter of finer fabric and frillier then what the male would wear. What about those 'culottes'? I'll tell you, there's only one place in women as far as I'm concerned and that's in the gymnasium when you're rolling on the floor. It's okay to exercise in, but not to appear in before any man under high heaven, and even that junk. Because that was fashion for women to ride horses in Russia. I think in the Seventeenth Century. "So Bro. Vayle, how do I ride a horse?" Don't bother, ride them side-saddle." Who said you got to ride a horse anymore that I go down here to rob a bank. "Still there's no comparison I find fun riding a horse." I'd find fun robbing a bank too, and spending the loot. [laughter] You can't argue silly ways, silly people, won't work. You don’t argue with God. You stick with that Word. (See?) That's why I said, "It's not love." Because the minute you put love as an evidence you become permissive. You stick with that Word in the greatest love in the world is in that Word. Then you don't grind an axe with it, you just lay it on the line and say, "We've got to abide by it." (See?) 32. Now notice: women wearing men's clothes. Paul the apostle used a proverb. He said, "The priests have a proverb, "Liars and slow bellies." I think that means that means they're liars and big eaters, something, I don’t know what is. They can't get their stomach…I don't know what it really means, it sounds like they're just a bunch of liars, and all they want to do is eat. Now, in America, we're got a proverb too. As Peter said, "The true proverb of the dog to its vomit, the sow to its wallow." [2 Pet 2:22] So in America, oh, maybe for hundreds of years it's been said, "A women who bosses, she wears the pants." That's right. Why are women ruling the roost today? They wear the pants, they do. They have gone to their slacks. Now of course they find it very…take all their clothes off, so they're doing that. Because you see, their hold's been slipping. Their hold has been loosening. Their grip's been falling away. (See?) So, they got to go the final limit now. 33. But, you know what it is today? They either take their clothes off, or they put on slacks. Now, few of them put their clothes down to their ankles. That's because they're ashamed to stay with the Bride, wear them as Bro. Branham said, "Just below the knee." They want them either longer, way up, or slacks. Now, go on, look around the world, go ahead. Except for those who go back to a creed, not understanding like your little Mennonite sisters, (God bless them, they're fine ladies) but not in the Word, it's a cult. See, just a cult, it all amounts to. If even don't believe in the doctrine of election the way Bro. Branham taught it, you get the Israel series tape at the Red Sea and in Egypt, and you'll find he said, "You've become a cult, because you don't believe in election." You're a cult, not believing in the Word of God. We're not a cult, we believe the Word of God. We are not the cult. No sir, don't let anybody call you cult. We are the ones who are not a cult, we have the vindicated Word. (See?) The other are cultish, not us. 34. Now, you see these dear sweet sisters they go back to their cult where they put God in a dress. We don't put God in a dress, we put relationships. They see a dress a certain way, that's God. No! That's not God dressing a certain way. No sir. It's obeying the Word. Your relationship is the rebirth. (See?) Salvation Army has a uniform. They say that takes care of water baptism. No, it doesn't. You can have six uniforms, you still got to get baptized with water in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, get baptized right and change your uniform every day, that's fine by me. Go ahead. No problem right there. Now, with the women and the men, you're born again in Christ, now you watch your dress. But just watching your dress is not it. No, you got to have it first, then you'll line up. But, these others lined up first, they wouldn't have been a cult. (See?) So, you put your dresses where the prophet said to put them, below the knee. So, when you walk, sit down, the knee is not showing. Simple as that. No slacks, none of those clothes that men wear, because God is against it. 35. Now, the third and last one that they really turned on him for, were church order. [1 Corinthians 14:23-36] (23) If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that (you're) mad? (24) But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: (25) …thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. (26) How is it then, brethren? (Now, he said, "Now, we're going to correct the situation is wrong here.") when (you) come together, ("when you come." He said, not me, I'm not with you," said Paul. When you come,) every one (has) a psalm, a doctrine, a tongue, a revelation, an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. (27) If any man speak in (a) tongue, let it be by two, or (three at) the most, and that by course; and let one interpret. (28) But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church… speak to himself, and to God. (29) Let the prophets speak two or three, let the other judge. (30) If anything be revealed to another that (sits) by, let the first hold his peace. (31) … all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. (32) (For) the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. (33) For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches…(and so on.) Now, as indicated for cutting hair which was more serious if you want to realize. Short hair, you're divorced. Forget it. Man have long hair, cut himself off. 36. Now notice, when it comes to setting the church in order according to the prophet. Let me read you something right here. Verses 36-37 (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 that the things that I write unto you are the com- mandments of the Lord. Now, right here the apostle Paul through the entire weight of his vindicated ministry behind church order. When a man was caught in sin, committing fornication with his father's young wife, he said, "Turn such a one over to Satan." [1 Cor 5:5a] He never through his whole apostolic authority against it, but in church order he did. Church order is so serious that Paul lays the whole weight of his vindicated ministry upon the line. So, did William Branham. He said in 'The Unveiling of (the Mighty) God' [64-06-14] that church order is part of the Seven Seals, which would make it part of the Seven Thunders. 37. Church order is a must. And he said, "If you don't have the real thing, wait for it until It comes, but don't be caught with a false." Why don't people want to have a separate building, or a separate room for these ministries? Because they don't want to be put on the spot that's why. They want to get out there where they can carry their argument, or their spirituality, so called, by the sheer weight of forcefulness. Either of yelling, or jumping, and screaming and carrying on. Or their continuous 'Thus Saith the Lord', which should be 'Thus Said the Lord'. Because if Jesus is coming soon, that's already been said. "Behold the dead in Christ shall rise." That's already been said, that's "Thus Said the Lord'. There is only one 'Thus Saith the Lord' you can possible have, and that’s what pertains at this minute. All the rest has been said. So therefore, 'Thus Saith the Lord' pertains to that which is not in the Book. And yet they sure had a lot of 'Thus Said the Lord[s]'. For not William Branham, he had 'Thus Saith the Lord, because we said he pertained to the minute. Which gave him the authority to bring the Word. 38. But the Pentecostal people did not want to put the church in order. And right today those who went apart from Bro. Branham and did not put their church in order, right today we see all across the land those same churches steeped in a kind of trouble…I don't even see in nominal churches. Such advocating of bombastic language, and unseemly conduct, that shouldn't be named in the world, let alone the church. And it's going to get worse. Why? Because you cannot defy the authority of Almighty God as foolish as it seems. Because this does seem very picky here. Why should we have to have a separate meeting? Because the pastor does not have a part in this meeting. 39. Paul said, "When you meet, you all come together, and every single one of you. You all got something to contribute, and you judge it right there. But that pastor comes in with the Word of God to teach and to preach. The rest bring their ministry to him, to back him up, while he spear- heads that Word of God, but they don't want it. They want the screaming from the floor. Brother/ sister listen to me if every single one of you rose and spoken tongue and gave a genuine interpretation concerning the fact of what I'm preaching today, that would be no vindication whatsoever, because none of you got 'Thus Saith the Lord'. It's already been vindicated what I've been saying, because I've just been saying what the prophet said that's all. And if any…anybody knows this subject believe me I do, because I'm the man that Bro. Branham talked to more than anybody concerning this very thing. Because he wanted me to go to Chicago and start…and be in a church there and put the church in order just as I'm teaching you now. Because that's how he taught me, way back in 1955 and '6 and '7 right through there. He's never changed that. It always was a separate meeting where you put everything down and note, and then you brought it before the people. Why? Because that is just in a figure of sense, 'Thus Saith the Lord'. Not the prophet, because got to ministry that. Not William Branham, he had a ministry, brother/ sister, you don't confuse his. But, if I get up and I say something is going to happen and it comes to pass, is 'Thus Saith the Lord' without being what that man had. See, there's a difference in that ministry. So, they refuse to do it. 40. Now, let's read what Bro. Branham said about that concerning 'Church Order'. [63-12-26] [5] Now, when we dedicated the church, I told you, “A little later I had something to talk to you about,” how to set this thing in order, the way it should be run. And you started off…after leaving here, (watch his language) we had ministers and so forth. (In other words, they scattered, see? Remember,) …Brother Neville being just young among us, come among us, I thought it’d be better for Brother Neville to get better established in the Faith before I presented such things as I’m about to do now. (See, this is not for babies) But now, after I find out that he is getting well established in the Faith, and understands what the Doctrine is, and has played the part of a faithful witness to Christ and holding for what we believe to be the Truth, I think it’s the hour now, would be a good time, to approach him…and among you elders…here of the church, that you would take these orders and remember them, they’re the best of my knowledge before God. And then I’m looking to you to carry these things out the way that I’m saying…, because somebody has to be a head around here. He told you who he was. Other ministers left, Bro. Neville stayed on, believed the Word of God, and now he's getting ready to put the Church in order. Before that nobody stayed. Either they kicked him out, or he got out before they kicked him out. Because too many of them were immoral, they weren't men of God. In his church, sure, they had trouble you think? You don't say we're going to be without trouble. Ain't no spot under high heaven except through heart of God Himself doesn't have any trouble. And the reason he doesn't have any trouble is, because He's omnipotent. He ain't going to allow anybody to give Him any trouble. You and I are different, we're stuck. 41. Now, keep listening: [6] …God never did have two heads to His Church…He always dealt in every generation as we’ve studied through the Scriptures, (to) always one individual that He deals with…it’s got to come to one final absolute, and my absolute is the Word, the Bible… [8] … I’m here to answer them the best of my knowledge. [9] And remember, God is looking to me to see that I stay in the Word. And I’m looking to you to see that you carry out the Word…in this church. You've got to have some source somewhere, where there has got to be an ultimate. and as best as I know I'm giving it under the Holy Spirit letting Him be the ultimate, and let this tape be your ultimate on these questions. 42. Now, he goes on and talks about tongues, interpretations and so on. [38] If Brother Collins speaks with tongues and Brother Hickerson gives the interpretation, then they have a ministry together for the church. Now watch: If somebody gives the message, and somebody interprets they got a ministry together for the church. Now, that isn’t the ministry of Brother Neville; (Why? He's pastor) that’s your ministry to the church. I’m giving this as (an) example. (Now) Then you brethren should be just as interested in getting your ministry in the place in the house of God as the pastor is interested in getting his, because it’s just as essential that you do it. (Did they, do it? No, they didn't.) But you can’t do it in the privacy of your own room, if you speak and you interpret, you’ve got to come together. (It's got to be public, opened) …come together in the church, off in a room to yourself, because you have a private ministry. It’s not an openly a ministry, (to why? The unbeliever and uneducated, aren't there, it's private) it’s one that’s to help the church… It’s something to help the church, but it isn’t to be done in the main congregation, only the way I’m going to tell you it's done… 43. I wonder who all read this little discourse? To speak in tongues is a gift of God through edification, that's to edify the church. So, it would have to be some direct Message from God to the church, outside of what is written here in the Bible. He then gives examples like on water baptism. You don't say, 'Thus Saith the Lord' you ought to be baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's 'Thus Saith the Lord'. But, William Branham could say, "You have been baptized wrong, you must now come and be re-baptized and that's 'Thus Saith the Lord'." That's different. Where do you find that in the Bible? But it's in there, that's between the lines. Now, Bro. Branham put the church in order, the gifts. But, it seems to me we still have a great discrepancy in what the people in the church are obligated to do as concerning their own formal government as laid down by the Word of God. 44. Now, Bro. Branham said, "Once a year you vote for your pastor." Under what consideration? If a group brings in a pastor, it is obligated to vote on him once a year. If I were a pastor, and opened a pioneer work and I went down here to say, up to Akron, Ohio, as the founder of that church I was not voted in, I could he hardly be voted out. I don't believe at any time Bro. Branham ever had a vote on himself. Now, if I'm wrong, we're going to check this out. But I believe only the instance when a preacher cannot be voted on, is when he himself is the originator of that work. Of course, if he turned the work over, there'd be a vote every single time, from that time on. Now, here's the point, as I say, I'm not perfectly clear on, but I don't know that Bro. Branham ever had a meeting where he himself was voted on, but the pastor was voted on. And every year Bro. Neville, I phoned him to find out and he chuckled about it, how they tried to get him out, but they never did. Because Bro. Branham stood with him. They even padded the meetings. And Bro. Branham say, "Isn't it wonderful Bro. Neville has agreed to stand for another year, praise God. Everybody agree with that?" They all agreed, because they were afraid to vote against the prophet of God, because they knew he had a little bit of power that they just thought they had. They had the power, little old vote, but he had the power of God by the authority of the Word. 45. Now, that is a must in every single church. Now then, here is the point, if the majority of people vote in that pastor, and you have been in that meeting or not, but you are a part of them, you are obligated to go along. You are a part of them. There's only one way that you can clear yourself, call a meeting the next year. If nobody is doing it, you notify the pastor the meeting hasn't been called. Then, you as a gentleman, or a lady, a sister, would be obligated to stand up and say, "I have been a part of you, I do not feel I want to be a party any longer under the circumstances." (See?) Don't you vote. Nor before a vote is taken you're a part of it. Say, "I would like to make it clear that I prefer to go somewhere else to worship in this Message." Bro. Branham did not feel bad at any time when somebody left his church. (He went to Bro. Ruddle’s, or Bro. Junior Jackson’s, someplace else.) We're not here to build membership and congregations and fight this and fight that. We're only here to do, and teach what's right. Because people today are not taking their responsibility in the church, but they claim be part of it. 46. It's incumbent to do this, but if you excuse yourself, then whatever they vote, their business, they're not a part of it. You say, "Well, had the same problem here with this group, in a certain home." Now, I'm going to lay it on the table, it's on a tape, yep, there it is. I know what I say, when I go places. If I say it wrong, I'll retract it. We had a meeting, I asked them, I said, "Would you like me to help you find a pastor?" Right? Bro. Walter, you were there. Right? Where are the people's memories who voted? The majority said yes, we'd like you to help find one. When the situation came as it is that God granted as someone could come along and fit in. I also said not placing any man there, I said, "This is up to you, he could act as an elder, and you could have someone else help him." On tape, right, Bro. Carl? Right on tape. But then it was easy to forget that though all those things were done, then the next order was not done. Which was to go the next step, you, whether you felt you voted or not, in that body of Jesus Christ as part of that, you're obligated unless you make yourself absolutely clear, I want to get out. Then the next thing, this, every tithe, goes through the pastor's hand. He's your banker, I'm for it. That's why I refuse every cent given to me. But not to hurt people's feelings, I would take the cash, and pass it on, it didn't belong to me. Only one time accepted any money, Bro. Carl explained why, because that was tithes from a year or so ago, I took part of that. I was able to do it. But I'm making myself clear, not to mention names, not to hurt anybody, but let's get the record straight, I have my record clear on everything I’ve said, I put it right on the tape. I want to stay with this Word. One hundred percent with this Word. 47. If I go anyplace, there is nobody obligated to give me one nickel of tithes, as long as he has a pastor. But remember, the pastor has an obligation, and I'm sorry for some pastors. But you think the congregation is out of tune, I want to tell you something, some pastors have got to be out of tune somewhere too. Because he only gets part of those tithes. That's right. He has to have his living, and what's over, Bro. Branham said, goes to the ministry. He's got to disburse it. And all of his living-ness would be to take all of his tithes, (I don't mean, I got a wife and fourteen kids) it's exactly what I got to have sixteen to eighteen thousand dollars, why you folk with three kids you get along on seven thousand dollars. Oh no, I don't care if you got twenty kids, or no kids, he's got a certain amount that he gets by type in Scripture, and he wouldn't get one cent more. He's got a gift to get too, in order to learn to give, learn to struggle. And he doesn't pass out anyway he wants. I believe Bro. Branham said, that the deacons help him because they're spiritual minded. But he's got to put that out. (See?) 48. Now, the church has got to come to order on its financial doings, or God said in Luke 16: He would never give us the true spiritual things. Now, I've bucked this for years, because I'm a man of the road, I've been on the road for fourteen solid years now. It's almost fourteen years continuous years, and I knew what I was up against. No use talking to the pastors, I'm not interested in what they do, I got to hoe my own corn. So, for fourteen years I have given, to get. And out of those fourteen years there are eight or nine years of very hard, hard rows to hoe. I was trying to meet all expenses on forty-five or fifty a week and giving twenty percent at least. Praying earnestly that I'd get an increase somewhere to help me out, and I got it. Did the unfortunate of course, the family is wrong. But having suffered and laid it all on the line, God's been very good until I can give and give it, it doesn't hurt and I have more than I need. Oh, it doesn't mean I can go and buy a house and this and that. No, but I'm not looking for the Lord to take too many years. And if He feels like it, He'll give me a windfall, He can give me thirty thousand more for housing. If the house is thirty thousand dollars, I…see, no problem. But we must do this right. It must always be right. But people reserve to themselves the right to say, "I can do what I want, you cannot." Church order is a must. 49. I've got pastor's, friends of mine down south, wonderful men of God. I'm not grinding an axe for them. One brother has people go to his church, you say, "Where do you go?" "Well, so and so is my pastor." "Does he tithe there?" "No, because everything is in, breaks that poor fellow's heart." According to the Word of God whether he loves that man or not, whatever he thinks to put him money to, he's obligated to what Bro. Branham, the prophet of God said. Now, I know you people live right and do right here. But, I'm trying to clear up any little fringe things that you're not clear on, on church order. And this is the kind of preaching it takes to do it. (See?) Some say, "Well, I'll just disassociate myself from people because I'm offended." You have no right to disassociate yourself. Now, if you want an illustration you go to Billy Paul. Bill Paul will warn you of sleeping in. He tells this himself, so I'm not putting anything out that's not true, he'll tell you. One morning his dad literally bangs the door down. Billy, he stood up, "Get out of that bed and go to church." He said, "What church?" He said, "Any church, but don't you ever let me catch you in bed again on a Sunday." 50. We cannot disassociate ourselves. Nor can we take a stand against the five-fold ministry. (See?) Let me tell you right now, I'm an authority. See, I am. I am an authority. I went to Bro. Branham in the Lima meetings, oh, I fixed it up good. We prayed for months. We prayed the clock around literally. There wasn't one prayer that went unanswered. We had a meeting where the gift of healing operated for the first and last time in his ministry. Five years it hadn't operated, didn't operate since. You talk about a meeting. Show me one person came out of it. I set out to prove that William Branham didn't move anybody. Just him and God, that He could show him a thing or two. He said, "Lee, It won't work." I said, "Why not?" He said, "Because God gave me a vision, I need the pastors, I need the brethren, I need the ministry." I said, "That bunch?" (Phfff!) I literally ready to spit on, in a figurative way. I wouldn't be quite that crude, although sometimes I sure sound like it, don't I? "Yeah, (I said) forget it, we don't need them." They don't want you, all they want is merchandise out of you. Let's bypass them. He said, "Lee, you don't understand, God gave me a vision, because I started to do it." 51. Now, if he couldn't bypass the ministry then, how is he going to bypass it now? Now look, I'm not here defend myself, because I've been a teacher for years. Forget it. If you can prove to me that I shouldn't be teaching bless your heart, I'll be the first one to scream, "Glory," and walk right out of it. But even being home is so desperately trying, you don't know just which end you're walking on half the time. It's be so nice that you have a nice job, just have a nice job and let the world fuss with me, and the boss fuss with me, but try to meet all this. I don't pretend I'm going to get a special crown for it, I only hope that he may say, "Well, you didn't fail quite as bad, as it looked like you're going to fail several times. Then I'll be happy. You're not praying for ministry don't think for one minute. But to lay it on the line. There is no such thing as God breaking His Word, and that ministry five-fold, is to bring the Bride to perfection. Remember, Paul said, "I brought my Word to you Timothy and you teach faithful men." Now, we're got to keep the church in order. I don't care how small the embryo is. And I don't care how big the church is. Church order is a must! That plate has got to be passed whether you like it or not. That's right. You say, "Bro. Vayle, I'm going to put a box on the wall." There you are, shows what you are. You prefer a single little box to God? That box is okay for the offering and for the church fund to take care of your building, but you pass that plate to catch those tithes. Because Bro. Branham said, "It's a spiritual part of the service and is a must." He said, "Remember when I used to do the janitorial work." He said, "I stoked the stove, I took out the ashes." He said, "I opened the door, (he said) I locked the door." He did it all, he even took up the offering. Never for himself. I wouldn't for myself either, that's up to the deacons, song leaders. Pastor has to say to deacons, "will you pass the plate at this time." …?... 52. You know something, Paul the apostle wouldn't do it. The day came when God made him write a letter. He wrote a letter and said, "Listen, I didn't use to do this, (he said) and you got the place now when you won't even help me." He said, "Is Peter the only one that can have a wife, and lead her around the country?" He said, "Is it only Barnabas and I?" (I think he said Barnabas and I) He said, "Aren’t allowed to have help?" He said, "Don't you know that they that labor in the Gospel live by It?" Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn?" [1 Tim 5:18] He said, "It's the commandment of God." There's only one commandment in the whole Bible, and that's on the tithes belongs to the ministry. And yet, people right today will send it any old place they want, for books, for radio, for this for that. You can't do it. You say, "Why do you belabor those small points?" Oh look, it's not for an offering, because you always give me more than I need really. I would be a hog or a fool. I'm not talking for me, I'm trying to show you from the Scripture that these are the little foolish things that..."Well, doesn't mean a thing, but glory to God we've got the great Word in our hearts, and we've got such love and all." 53. Now look, don't give me that stuff, I wouldn't buy it if you gave it on a gold platter. You're not going to see it to Lee Vayle, I've been all through it. I've been lied about. I've been starved. I've been kicked, and everything else. So, don't give me your church love. Put the buck on the plate, honey. Show me the dollar for dollar on your tithes, your long hair, your beautiful skirts that go pass your knees, your femininity, it's your women, it's your men. Show me that! I'm not yelling at you, as though you don't do it. I hope somebody else gets this tape. Not somebody else I've got in mind, just anybody. Because I've got to grind an axe myself, forget it. No, but I want to see a little food. And I've been preaching on the foolishness of God is wiser than man. These are some of those foolish things. (See?) Now, there are some people live so far, it's terribly hard to get to a church. You're stuck, the best you can do is visit the odd time, I guess, and pray for God to bring somebody in. Or to move you, and if you move you wouldn't be the first one to move to get close to a church, and maybe it wouldn't be the last one. Although I won't debate that, because the time's run out. But, I would say this, "You wouldn't be wrong." 54. I've seen guys quit their jobs so they wouldn't work on Sunday. You know what? I appreciate that, I really do. It really touched my heart to know, a fellow years ago, just up an quit his job. "Because, (he said) I want to be in the house of God on Sundays." Just up and quit his job. I appreciate that, I really do. And I appreciate all of it, in all of us when we take our stand on these little things they are so foolish. What does it matter? Folks, it matters a whole lot. Now, I hope the things I said, though personal, weren’t trying to clear me and blame somebody else. I don't mean it that way, because water under the bridge, or over the dam, that's finished. But, I want you to know one thing, I will not stand in judgment on judgment day, from now on, I'm making very clear what church order is. They won't be simply making a statement from now on, it's going to be like I'm doing today, I want to bring the whole thing right out in the open, so there's nobody making any mistakes. Because it must be done right. All things decent and in order, and go how the prophet said to do it. You say, "Bro. Vayle, did you always think that those things are so spiritual?" No sir, I'm glad you ask the question. I sure didn't. 55. A few years ago, when I first heard that Bro. Branham say that you voted your pastor out, I said, "Horrors, where did he get that nonsense? Why, (I said) that's smacks of organization." Vote a preacher, I don't find in the Bible. Then I realized it's the order of this day. Because where does It say you can't vote him in or out? It's the order for the day. He said, "Do it." It's spiritual, we do it. That's right see? He laid it all down. Now, here is where we stand, see? Now, these things are so simple, simple as a-b-c. But, you know what? Just supposing around the corner, we do these simple things. There just may be a mammoth blessing around that corner. Not trying to hurt anybody. But folk listen, as Bro. Branham said when a certain party said to him, "Bro. Branham, (he said) you're going to ruin your ministry preaching the way you do." He said, "Any preacher's ministry that gets ruined by preaching the Word of God had better had it ruined." 56. Now, I'm not going to get ruined, and you're not going to get ruined by this kind of preaching, this kind of believing, this kind of doing. Because as I said again, and I repeat: I've got no axe to grind in what I said. I could be a lot to fault myself by not taking point by point, by point, by point. But I've done it today. For now, that the air is cleared you know what to do. It's just like when Bro. Branham preached 'Marriage and Divorce' [65-02-21] and he said, "You men and women who have been married before and now you've got wiser, go home and live happy." And I'm saying the same thing to you. Maybe you didn't understand what this is all about what I was trying to get across what Bro. Branham was trying to teach on the order of the church, and how to give. How to take up a collection up for the poor. If you've got plenty of money in the treasury, give out of the treasury call the deacons. If you've got no money in the treasury, go to the deacon and he'll consult with the pastor and say, "Do you think the people can afford this?" 57. And they say, "Well, maybe this time, but we'll do this folk, listen, there's a needy brother here, we've loved him for years, he's been a good member and now he's hard up. Whatever you care to do, if you care to do it, maybe I will pass everybody an envelope and say, "Now, (you know) … then next Sunday, (not this time, but next Sunday) bring your envelope. Whether there's a nickel in it or not, everybody an envelope, everybody put it on that plate, so nobody knows who's giving." And lay it on there, the brother gets it. He's just doing what he said. But, what if a stranger comes? You don’t know him. Why if the church has got a lot of money, and he looks like he's a worthy cause. You know, you can say, "Well, I think he's a real brother, we can take a chance in helping him. That's great, we could do it that way. Bro. Branham said, "Let him stand at the back door, and say if anybody could this brother, and feels lead of the Lord, shake his hand and help him. If you don't feel it… remember, there is no obligation expect to the welfare of the ministry, there is no obligation.” Read your Book of Corinthians; 1 Corinthians will tell you the minister, 2 Corinthians tells those that are in need. And if they have a need, you may give or not give, according to how God has profited you. 58. He put the whole church in order. And you know something? If the churches would have followed that order, simple little order, there wouldn't have been any trouble. Because I can tell you, you cannot stay with this Word of God sincerely and want to be right, and God not bless you back to fall away. The Lord bless you, again, it's been a privilege to be with you, it's a great joy. And again, I don't know when I'll see, I thought it would be around this Sunday, but so worked out with Bro. Coleman had phoned me a little earlier in the week, and said he's coming down. And also some things that are certainly not done yet, and look like they won't be done till about the middle of next week a Thursday or so. Not getting away, but it's been good to be with you. And I trust that you've been helped in some measure. You've got clearer understanding now, just how to progress, how to go ahead, don't be afraid to do it. Remember, it's got the blessing of God upon it. You know, sometimes there's little difficult to swing into it. But you know, it's just like going into cold water. After a while it ain't so bad. And if you do enough you get used to it. Now, that's what I've been doing all these years, and really. it's become a second nature. Now, I'm not boasting now, but I just trust it'll remain part of my nature. May God help me, because that's what I want. And all those things that I miss out in my life, may that become part of my nature. I'm not saying got it all now. Oh, no, no, no, just got one or two points, and working on the other 10,999. You know, so that we're working at it. So, you follow me? The Lord bless you, shall we rise and be dismissed. Gracious God and Eternal Father, Thou knowest, Lord, that many, many things, because You made this world, and you put it all and in order. And its creation, part of creation could look down with superior intelligence, and being drifted from You. They would view some of these things that you have put in divine order that run by themselves, by the Word. And say now, that's a little funny thing down there. But it would have to be a long way from God to do it. And, Lord, we were a long way from You. Wretched, miserable, naked, blind and poor and thought we're rich and had something. And we've looked at these things and thought, "Well now, that's kind of a little poor little miserable thing." And, Lord, we can see the day that disobedient, that, these poor little things cause problems. But obedience to them will not cause us problems, but it may cause somebody else a problem for which we're not responsible as long as we stay with that Word. Lord, help us to stay with that Word. And to do it, Lord, with an uprightness and integrity of heart. And then with a long…we know we can ask forgiveness and start over again. Not holding it against anybody, just like You don' t hold it against us. Nor do we, Lord, not for one minute. We're just glad that now what hasn't been taught right can be taught right. Or what wasn't taught at all, can be taught, and the people right by listening to the people. So, bless each one, Lord, from the youngest to the oldest here. O my Father, may each one have a real thankful desire, a godly perfect desire, and a joy in it to just do what exactly right in these little things, so the big things will follow. Lord, help me to be really right in my heart. I know I haven't said one thing, Lord, out of unkindness today, I know that. And tomorrow may I be just a blessed and fortunate not say one unkind thing, but be kind and honest in it. And may each one here, Lord, who we know loves You and tries to serve You, these are all godly people. May they grow in grace in the knowledge of the revelation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And each one surprise himself and herself in the depth of the knowledge of the revelation of Jesus Christ, and the future manifestation that shall be in the Bride until Jesus appears in her midst through the Word, and we're all caught up to meet You together in the air. I pray that, Lord, and I believe You'll do it. Now, unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be all power, honor and glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. All right, let's sing that little song, 'Oh, how I love Jesus'. God in Foolish Things (0771) Page PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 5